Metanoia; The Hybrid
CHAPTER 26: OVERNIGHT IN THE FOREST.

"Why did it happen?" Chlea asked in confusion.

"I don't know either, maybe my energy is barely enough to teleport with someone else" she hesitated.

"Will it be enough to make your final teleportation?" He sounded very worried. How not, Chlea clearly saw Gara who was really exhausted.

"To be honest, I doubt that, Chlea."

The man she called looked at Gara with a scared face. He's afraid, if something happens outside of Gara's plan. He's afraid, if his alpha can't protect himself.

They arrive, having directly told Chlea to get down and away from the lake, with still given the chance to hold her degger to make the final teleportation.

"Edward and Selena, get ready by the lake. Remember, whatever happens, when the water freezes, you have to make this test complete" Gara said, noting the arrival of Psychophagos.

"What do you mean by whatever happened?" Ask Edward from a distance.

"Okay, I don't understand either."

A second later, Psychophagos came out of the forest with his two hands holding two large tree trunks. Big enough with its size and power. He shouted, then threw one tree trunk at Gara, but the man managed to dodge. Psychophagus again chased Gara, and the wolf ran towards the lake. Psychophagos is very fast, unfortunately because it is faster than him.

Leaping over the rope was very easy, then approaching the middle of the lake between the cold ice and the exploding water. He stopped, turned around and howled to make Psychophagos more and more eyeing him.

What Gara thought worked, Psychophagos and his anger were provoked. As he ran crawling towards the lake, he did not notice the rope that passed in front of him at all. Just like that, Psychophagos hit that rope. Because of his speed, he stumbled and then crashed. Floating in the air. The creature thought, it will fall right on Gara, and will instantly destroy the wolf's body. He further prepared himself by sharpening his claws and tensing his sharp tail.

Psychophagus drew nearer, but Gara did not teleport.

"Howdy!" Shouted Selena filled with fear and worry.

Gara looked at Chlea seriously, about to teleport. He also thought, that soul-eating creature would actually prey on him right now.

Unfortunately, that's true.

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...SAGARA POVS...

"What if I get crushed by those blocks of ice?"

"Then your body will freeze."

That's my voice, so familiar to me. A picture goes back once when I saw a supply of giant ice blocks being lowered from the ship. It was winter that enveloped Urcmoonth.

It was cold, piercing a gap between my skin. Now that memory is real, my question is like eating myself.

And I realized.

I'm not breathing.

The sun's translucent light into the water resuscitated me, my body almost frozen. Ah, what a pity, our playmate froze himself.

This is the bottom of the lake. It's so deep to go up there with my almost non-existent energy. I moved, but my body hurt so much. A lot of blood came out of my stomach.

"How, hang in!"

Edward's voice took hold of my head, making me momentarily forget how I was at the moment. With my eyes unclear, I could tell the person who was communicating with me through Pack Link was approaching me. He was way up there, his face becoming increasingly clear that he wasn't okay.

Are you afraid of this water, or are you afraid of Psychophagos attacking?

I don't know the exact answer, the man in front of me just walked up to me. He pulled my hand, taking me in his lead to return to the surface. Look at you, are you so afraid to throw yourself into this lake, or are you afraid to freeze deep inside?

When I got to the surface, I couldn't feel much. My mind was only filled with images that appeared when I was far from the ground. I was taken up on the ice, then taken to a warmer place.

Selena pressed on my numb stomach, then wrapped the bandage on my body covered with cloth, her body shook, she cried.

The other three howled up into the gray sky. Like there's no life up there. I don't know what they're trying to do.

I looked at Edward's hands, he was badly injured. How can you get hurt too. You don't even hold anything sharp. Her face really can't be guessed, what are you so afraid of, Edward?

...════════  ◖◍◗ ════════...

"It's like the teachers didn't hear, but clearly we all heard your howls."

We have been in the same forest for almost 3 days, and have completed our targets. I don't think about what happened to the Psychophagos. Either he freezes to death, or he's no longer in use.

The last clan to complete the target was the Angel clan, I don't know about what others have been through in their training area. I'm just not interested in hearing it.

We all gathered and spent the night in the woods. We ate with leftovers, some of them looking for firewood, and looking for food.

I did not come, many forbid, and honestly I do not want to exhaust myself. Lukaku has not healed completely, but some of the Wizard clan who understand the science of Healer helped to relieve the pain in my stomach, and made the wound close quickly.

Sometimes when I am completely immersed in my daydreams, I recall the image of the moment Psychophagos absorbed my soul.

"We've tried to return to the Academy, but it seems like the sky is endless to look at."

Although I saw the shadow of the moon in the puddle, but I could tell Luca and Xavier had just returned from the sky. They intend to fly back towards the Academy, but like this forest it makes us seem trapped here.

"There is still food left, eat if anyone is still hungry. Let's get inside the tent, fortunately it's not just me who brought this cloth" Chlea came out of the tent to call the children who were relaxing outside.

The man came up to me who was also sitting leaning against one of the trees, "Gara, let's go into the tent. The night air was getting cold, his tent had the ability to not penetrate the temperature of the environment. You must be exhausted, rest inside."

Her voice shook, that voice I heard lately when there was something between me and Chlea. I moved my head, looking at it seriously. That face also made me want to ask the man who was trying to get me to obey.

Why do you always want to cry when you come near me, talk to me, or when I look at you like this, Chlea?

But I didn't ask Chlea, just like I didn't ask Edward. The general barely even went all the way from me.

I just nodded, grabbed his hand and stood up slowly. Chlea took me into the tent.

"Many of the other clans were injured, but not as badly as Gara. I'm worried about her condition" the voice belonged to Selena. When I came in, I realized he was not alone. He's with another daughter. There were also many other clans who were resting

"How to rest, huh?" Cassa said, showing me a bed. We slept on cloth, nothing more.

"It's a shame we don't have a pillow or anything" complained Jack who suddenly approached, followed by Ardan and Edward together. The other girls returned to their group.

"Ah... I don't need-"

"No, you need a pillow. How is this all?" Selena suddenly helped me to lie down, apparently she made her thighs a pillow for me.

I saw Edward thinking, "No need. I don't need"

"Well, all sleep in a circle the same way!" Edward made Selena sleep on her thigh. Then Edward slept on Chlea's thigh. Chlea sleeps on Jack's thigh, and Jack sleeps on my thigh.

"Hey, don't sleep on Gara's thigh. He's in pain"

I interrupted Ardan's words, "It's okay. I like it like this."

Just like that, we enjoyed our night in the tent together. Enveloped in the warmth of some gemstones belonging to the Wizard clan that were capable of burning, the objects floated not too high from the ground.

It was getting colder outside, said Dylan, the last person to enter the tent. Some people sang, to celebrate our practice that was over. And the others are just having fun watching. Some are asleep too, some are still continuing to eat.

It felt very comfortable knowing I was surrounded by my friends.

Among my clan, I was the only one lying down, they sat back down to enjoy the simple celebration.