Darkness closes in the moment they reach the gate. What should have been an exit is already compromised, torn open and crawling with something far worse than death. The first signs are unmistakable. The infected are no longer victims. They are transforming. As Areus, Santia, Rya, and Helian step into the open, they are met with creatures that were once human, now twisted into rifas, driven by instinct and infection, confirming that the corruption spreading through Lakomea is accelerating beyond control. But the forest holds more than decay and mutation. From the shadows emerges Baydazar, a Versipell of immense presence, commanding two colossal pantheras with absolute authority, her knowledge of the northern lands matched only by her unpredictability. Trust is not given. It is tested. And before answers can settle, the sky itself fractures as a volasaur breaches the canopy, carrying a Hexar who does not search blindly, but calls names with precision. 'Ademantius.' 'Ryaklesian.' The hunt is no longer general. It is targeted. As a tracking grid sweeps the forest and the Hexars close in, one truth becomes unavoidable. They are being identified, marked, and hunted by forces that already know who they are.