[Flashback – Alex's POV]
Some time ago…
"Damn it."
Alex crouched behind a moss-covered boulder, peeking through the lush canopy of Eastwood Waterfalls. He watched as Ethan Williams and Alden von Crestvale stepped into the clearing where the monster had just begun to emerge.
He let out a soft sigh, one hand gripping the hilt of his sword while the other rubbed his temple.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered.
Originally, the plan had been simple. Elegant. Flawless, even.
He remembered the strategy—now backfired.
It had been meticulous. Calculated.
Charlotte, Seraphina, and Lilith were expected to arrive. That was the scenario he'd planned for. He'd trigger the awakening of the monster sleeping beneath the waterfall—Ossirath, a monstrous peak Advance-rank creature with scales harder than enchanted steel and an appetite for chaos.
Charlotte, Seraphina, and Lilith were all strong—but not strong enough to defeat Ossirath head-on.
