The camp was engulfed in chaos.

Rin, Alea, Jany, and Xhez emerged from the woods, greeted by a scene of relentless struggle.

Shadowy, ghoulish entities swarmed the camp, outnumbering the defenders, and turning the once peaceful site into a battleground.

"Hold them back!" One paid merc the construction company hired yelled, putting his torch in front of him as though fire would stop the enemies from moving toward him.

Almost like they were offended at that, the shadows collapsed on him.

[Holy crap,] Rin thought.

Alea, who'd initially suspected this to be a trap, was completely distraught.

Xhez stood wide-eyed as well, while Jany moved up.

"Do not just stand there! These are your people, no? Help!" Jany cried out.

Rin shook her head, regaining her focus.

[She's right,] she thought, running forward.

Construction company guards clashed with the shadowy beings, desperately protecting the workers.

The students from the academy wielded their weapons alongside their teachers, attempting to push back the relentless tide of darkness. The air was thick with tension and the stench of battle, the sounds of combat echoing through the night.

Rin's amber eyes focused on the scene, determination burning within her.

Without a moment's hesitation, she plunged into the fray, setting her Spirit Flame ablaze.

Limbs wrapped in white flames, she dashed to the nearest shadow and punched it in the face.

Initially, she'd doubted whether her fist would have an effect on this spectral being, but it did. That wasn't the same for everyone, though.

"Our swords have no effect!" One guard yelled.

"Use magic, then!" Another replied.

Thankfully, RIn's Spirit Flame was specifically designed to deal with these opponents. She'd need to overperform tonight.

Alea followed after her, summoning barriers to shield herself and those around her. Jany, her bow in hand, seamlessly transitioned into the fight, her arrows lit with magical flames, finding their mark amidst the shadows.

Sara, the black-haired warrior, caught sight of Rin and quickly joined her side. Her sword also managed to touch the enemies, unlike everyone else's.

[I'll ask about that later, right now, I'm just glad she can help.]

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The two fought in tandem, their movements synchronized as they carved a path through the encroaching darkness. Sara's sword clashed against the shadowy entities, her silent determination evident in every strike.

In the frenetic ballet of battle, each of Rin's classmates seized their moment amidst the chaos.

Eve flitted through the air with an agile grace, launching spheres of flames at the opponents from above.

Dylan couldn't hit anything, but he did his best to distract the shadows until someone else did. Drawing from his mercenary days, he managed to lean and dodge out of the way of strikes that, to Rin's eyes, may as well have been invisible.

"Ah, fuck!" Seth yelled, cursing the fact that his greatsword had no effect. "Fine!"

Swallowing his pride, he began casting basic, beginner-level {Fireballs}.

Alea, much to Rin's surprise, was doing the most on the defensive end. One person at a time, she created magical barriers, shielding allies from harm.

[... Well, she's a massive bitch, but she's a dependable one.]

Lisa, the kind and motherly healer, moved with a grace that belied her nurturing nature. Amidst the chaos, her hands glowed with a gentle light as she traversed the battlefield. Focused on her mission, she tended to the wounded, mending injuries with a compassionate touch that contrasted sharply with the violence surrounding her.

Finally, Carla and John, the inseparable duo, fought back-to-back with Carla using spells to eliminate the enemies John drew to them.

Cara caught sight of Lisa amidst the struggle.

"Lisa! Use {Turn Undead}! We need to repel these shadows!"

Lisa nodded in acknowledgment. Immediately, she began to draw the spellsign. However, before she could complete the casting, a sudden, ominous presence gripped her shoulder

A shadowy figure emerged from the inky darkness, striking swiftly.

Lisa gasped as a cold, black blade plunged through her back. She crumpled to the ground, blood staining her clothes, a wide-eyed look on her face.

"Cara!" Rin shouted, her eyes widening in horror as she rushed to Lisa's side.

She quickly dispatched of the shadow responsible and knelt by the girl's side.

Alea was there as well, almost instantly.

"Keep these things off me!" Alea said as she began to cast a healing spell.

Cara, her expression grim, surveyed the situation.

"Defend Lisa! We can't let her fall here!"

Lisa, weakened and injured, tried to heal herself as well, to help, her hands shaking with the effort.

The battle raged on around them. Guards and construction workers alike were slowly being picked off, one by one.

And then, something happened. Something Rin did not expect.

In the midst of despair, Xhez began to sing.

Her voice was so loud. Rin felt like she may have been reaching the entirety of the forest. Her ethereal voice cut through the cacophony, and the Essence within it spread throughout the camp.

The shift in atmosphere was immediate. The shadows, once aggressive and relentless, now stopped and screeched in response to Xhez's song.

The defenders and shadows alike paused, caught in a moment of bewildered stillness.

Xhez's song resonated with an otherworldly power, causing the shadows to writhe and tear themselves apart.

The night air seemed charged with an unseen force, and the shadows, unable to withstand the enchantment, finally recoiled and fled. The shadows, once a relentless threat, now dispersed in disarray, leaving the camp in an eerie silence.

Rin, still by Lisa's side, looked up in amazement at Xhez.

"Xhez?"

As Xhez finished, she let out a deep breath.

"It has been a while since I have done that."

Cara, her eyes fixed on Xhez, whispered.

"What... how did she...?"

It was a good thing Xhez had her illusion on because everyone's eyes were on her.

The other defenders and Rin's classmates stood dumbfounded, their weapons lowered as the threat dissipated.

Xhez, with her song still lingering in the air, descended to Lisa's side.

She began trying to heal her as well. Alea stopped, dumbfounded.

"How did she do that?" Alea mumbled, voicing the unspoken question that hung in the air.

Rin, glancing at Xhez with a mixture of awe and gratitude, could only shake her head.

"I don't know, but let's just be glad she did."

Obviously, she was going to ask Xhez herself soon. But, for now, Rin just wanted to keep the situation under control.

With so many eyes lingering curiously on them, though, maybe that train had left the station.