As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the landscape, you found yourself gathered with a group of fellow students at the Academy of Veridian.

The air was filled with nervous excitement as everyone prepared for the impending expedition into the Verdant Maw. Despite the risks, each student had willingly volunteered to join the purge squad, including May, a timid Dragon-kin.

An uneasy feeling settles in her gut as the Purge Squad prepares to venture the Verdant Maw. May is young and inexperienced, but the allure of the rewards and the opportunity to push herself to her limits is too tempting to resist.

The Squad Leader, a stern and weathered human veteran, stands before the group of recruits, each a member of a different species.

"Alright, listen up," he barks. "This isn't some damn training mission. The Maw is a whole different beast. It's dangerous, unpredictable, and full of things that'll kill you faster than you can say, 'please.'"

As the Squad Leader continues to give the group instructions, May's attention drifts. She had heard rumors circulating through the Academy about the Verdant Maw—rumors that suggested the presence of an entity that commanded the strange bridge between worlds.

The stories were just that, rumors. Many dismissed them as nothing more than tall tales, the product of overly imaginative minds, and too much free time. But there were whispers of something far more sinister lurking in the darkness beyond the Maw, a being of immense power that held sway over the bridge. May wasn't sure what to believe.

The Squad Leader noticed May's distant attention and cleared his throat, his voice cutting through the air like a knife.

"You there, Dragon-kin."

All eyes turned to her as the Squad Leader fixed his gaze on May, his brow furrowed in irritation.

"You seem awfully distracted for someone about to enter the maw. You're not getting cold feet, are you?"