I gasp for breath. It couldn't have been more than an hour since we left the Shadewell behind, and delved deeper into the Withered Dreads… But I was already exhausted.

  With the taste of dirt and sweat on my lips, I lunge at the Withered Dryad. Its twisted, gray form dances out from underneath me as I crash into the earth with a pained groan. The impact jolts through my body, leaving me breathless for a moment.

  "Dammit!" I spit, glaring up at the creature. My gaze is met by two tiny black eyes, gleaming with mischief beneath its decaying leaves.

  As I struggle to regain my composure, I look up to see Terra leaning against a nearby tree. HIs arms are crossed, and he’s idly watching as I struggle.

  I pick myself up, brushing off bits of leaves and twigs that cling to my clothes. To reach your First Requiem, you can exorcise any spirit, but after that? The rules change. In order for the exorcism to count from your second Requiem and on, you must be the sole reason that your target is exorcised. This meant a one on one fight.

  Looking back once more, Terra offers a thumbs-up. It was all the support he could give; his presence alone would have to suffice.

  Unlike the other layers deeper in the forest, the difficulty spike between the Veilwood Periphery, and the Withered Dreads was minimal. Many of the Whispers didn't venture this far, as they were too scared to delve into the minds of these long lost dryads.

  Once beautiful, serene forest spirits, they were now corrupted by the thick miasma that cursed everything in this forest a millenia ago. They’re usually a mixture of vibrant green leaves, vines, and earthy shades. Like a tree. Some wear giant seeds as helmets to protect their head. Despite being spirits of the forest, their body is physical, and requires protection from the elements. They’re only about a foot tall, and pretty light. Their Withered counterparts are much darker though. They’ve lost that spark of life they formally had, and no longer care for the forest. Their only goal is to lure people, typically children, deeper into the forest to their demise.

  As I face the Withered Dryad once more, I can’t help but feel a surge of bitterness course through me. This small creature, originally sweet and caring, now mocks me with its twisted existence.

  "I’ll just have to try again, it seems…"

  The Withered Dryads tiny hands hook the insides of its mouth as it blows a raspberry at me.

  Withered Dryads tend to do strange things to try and distract their prey. Its ultimate goal is to lead people deeper into the forest, and to their deaths.

  "So… I’ll run away!"

  I turn on my heel, and do just that. The Withered Dryad glares at Terra for a short moment, but ultimately chooses to ignore him as it begins its pursuit.

  The Withered Dryad bounces from side to side as it runs, its innocent facade almost convincing enough to conceal its sinister nature. It's dark eyes lock onto me, a twisted smile playing at the corners of its mouth.

  The pitfall I had prepared in advance lay just ahead, waiting for the opportune moment to ensnare the Withered Dryad.

  I vault over the branches and twigs that conceal the trap, and turn around just in time to see the dryad waddle right over the top of it. I hear an audible snap, and a moment later it begins to collapse underneath it. His small frame wiggles as he loses his footing.

  Instead of falling into the trap, the dryad leaps gracefully into the air, narrowly avoiding the trap.

  This time, I pursue the creature through the forest. As I corner the dryad, I throw dozens of Aetheric Needles straight at it. As they close in on the dryad, enough of them hit the ground to kick up a cloud of dust, and for a fleeting moment, I hope that had been enough to do it.

  But then, I see it. The dryad is high in the sky, a gentle breeze rolling up towards it and its leafy umbrella. With another flick of my wrist, a needle pierces the leaf, and it begins to spin out of control as it loses altitude. The creature has a crash landing, and escapes danger once more with a pitiful squeak, bouncing away on the forest floor unscathed.

  "I always hate hunting these things, they’re so pitiful. They’re annoying too. The only way you can ever catch one is by making it think it’s smarter than you, tire it down, and then… Aetheric Needle!"

  My sight doesn’t so much as leave the elusive creature as I clap my hands shut, A handful of Aetheric Needles erupt the ground it stands on. They encircle the dryad in a cage of razor sharp spikes. It reaches out, curious about the cage, and as one of its leaves brushes against a needle, it recoils in pain, letting out a high-pitched squeak.

  My eyes scan the small creature inside its prison.

  Withered Dryad, Sensia

  That’s weird, did all monsters have names? I kneel in front of Sensia, poking him through the cage. A low growl can be heard coming from the dryad's body as my finger squishes against its small frame.

  "What a miserable experience… I swear, it’s never easy to catch you guys. You’re fast, and cunning. If you were a person, you probably would have been a rogue… Or maybe a Crowsong even? Moving through the shadows with the wind at your back, slipping in and out of danger at a moment's notice. Wouldn’t that have been fun, Sensia?"

  The dryad only cocks its head to the side in response, and I let out a sigh.

  "I’m sorry, I’m rambling. I’ll make this quick," I announce, and another Aetheric Needle forms in my hand. It quickly takes on the shape of a blade. Thin enough to fit through the cage, but thick enough that it won’t snap on Sensia’s body upon impact. It’ll be fast, I tell myself.

  As I thrust forward, a gust of wind leaves Sensia’s tiny hands, and my blade goes wide, embedding itself in the ground.

  "Your will to live is admirable, but I need to become a member of the Shadow Requiem tonight, now die."

  I swing the blade down once more, only for a similar result to occur. I find myself unable to lower the blade as a constant gust of wind flies up at me. My hair flies up, and whips me in the face, and I have to squint through the miniature typhoon. The dryad is holding both its hands up to me as it channels the full amount of its strength to stand against me. I could simply surprise attack it with another Aetheric Needle to the back while it’s fully concentrated on me, but it’s trying so hard, and that just wouldn’t feel right.

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  Taking a step forward, I force my way through the winds that push me back. With both hands on my blade, I inch closer until the tip enters the cage. As soon as Sensia’a winds stop, I lunge forward and my blade finds itself lodged in the ground where Sensia had just been standing. Sensia threw himself against one of the walls just to avoid my blade. In doing so, the cage cuts it, and black sap begins to run down the side of its ‘head’ which just so happens to be an old, giant walnut.

  "You’re making this a lot harder than this has to be. I’m trying to give you a merciful death, but I could just do this, you know." I squeeze my hand shut, and the cage of blades begins to shrink in on Sensia.

  As soon as the dryad notices what's happening, it pulls a white handkerchief out from underneath its helmet. Sensia sticks its short, stubby arm through the Aetheric cage and begins waving the handkerchief frantically in my direction.

  It’s almost comical in a way, but just as equally sad. Why was this dryad trying so hard to survive this encounter? He was already dead. Most others would have resigned to their fate by now, but not him. I open my palm, and the cage stops shrinking as I grab hold of the handkerchief.

  "You know a white flag means surrender, right? You’ve got an awful lot of personality despite being Withered, you know that?"

  My eyes lock onto Sensia’s. They’re two black dots, but I see a sliver of blue in them. Probably from all the needles surrounding him… I dispel the cage, and he’s free. I kneel before him, and wrap the handkerchief around his head. Black sap seeps into the handkerchief, but I finish tying it a moment later.

  I watch the dryad for just a few more seconds. For a moment it almost looks innocent. "I guess I can always find another one of you to kill… Sorry about that, Sensia, let’s just chalk this whole thing up as an extreme game of ta-"

  Before I can finish my sentence, an unseen force yanks me back at an alarming speed, as if a tempest had grabbed hold of me. A strangled cry escapes my lips, and I instinctively summon a net of Aetheric Needles to create a thin, round shield around myself. I slam into a massive tree, splintering through at least a third of its trunk. The impact sends loose bark raining down upon me, and blood trickles from my mouth as I struggle to breathe.

  Through strands of disheveled hair, I spot Terra rushing towards me. But behind him, something even more horrifying catches my attention: dozens upon dozens of trees rise from the ground, altering the landscape of the Withered Dreads within seconds.

  Another gust of wind catapults me into the air, where a ferocious air current sweeps me up and carries me away. A labyrinth of trees form around me as I hurtle through the forest, and I catch glimpses of Terra sprinting after me, somehow managing to keep pace with the trees' rapid growth. One such tree falls in his path, and with a wave of his hand, a blade of ice appears. With this new blade, and his Blade of the Shadewell, he cleaves through the dead trunk in an instant as he continues to chase after me.

  Panic seizes me, and I bark out an order to him. "Find Clarence and make sure he’s safe before you come after me!"

  Terra obeys without hesitation, pivoting on his heel, jumping away just in time to avoid a tree that emerges from just underneath him.

  The wind carrying me grows even faster and even stronger. I desperately try to shield myself from debris using the Needles. But my body can’t withstand the increasing velocity. I gasp for breath, my vision blurs, and then darkness consumes me.

  When I awake, I find myself in a small, secluded alcove, surrounded by lush, green trees. Disoriented and weak, I stumble to my feet, shaking off the lingering dizziness that hovers at the edge of my consciousness. Ahead of me is a narrow tunnel made of brumbly branches, rough roots, and vicious vines. I force myself through the tangled passageway, and I emerge into a vast clearing, completely encircled by dead trees for as far as the eye can see. It’s artificial in its creation, and was well hidden.

  "Where is this?..." I mutter under my breath, scanning the seemingly impenetrable wall of foliage for any sign of escape. But it is a shadowy figure perched upon a throne that catches my attention, sending a shiver down my spine. Activating Clarity’s Gaze, I seek insight into whatever creature lurks in the shadows.

  Withered Dryad

  Withered Dryad

  Forest Dryad

  Withered Dryad

  Withered Dryad

  Withered Dryad

  Withered Dryad

  Forest Dryad

  Withered Dryad

  Withered Dryad

  Ancient Dryad

  Withered Dryad

  Withered Dryad

  There is one more name that rests in my vision that strikes me to my core with fear. I had thought she was just a fairytale. Something you told bad children about to get them to listen to you, but here she was. My heart races, and I gather all the courage I can muster just to stay on my feet. I went 99 lives without meeting this thing. I had been lucky, but that luck ends here.

  Valoria, the Twisted Guardian

  You have encountered a Denizen of Darkness!

  You are currently under the effect of ■■■■■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■

  Current objective: Lay Valoria, the Twisted Guardian to rest

  Reward: ???

  I inhale slowly, letting out a low groan at the sight of the final prompt, "Shit..."