Lily crouched beside AJ's flattened form, biting her lip as she considered her next move. He was still unresponsive, his body a puddle on the dirt. She had no idea what was happening but she had to try and help him.
"Okay," she muttered to herself, scanning their surroundings. "You're a slime now. You probably need... food? Energy?"
Her fingers clenched into fists. She had no idea what a slime was supposed to eat. Plants? Meat? Rocks? She knew he could technically consume anything, but what if some things required more effort than others? What if she made things worse?
The thought of losing him—of being completely alone in this transformed world—made her chest tighten.
"But I have to try," she whispered.
Lily got to her feet and started searching the area. The transformed landscape provided plenty of options—twisted roots, mushrooms, leaves. Some of it looked relatively normal, but then again, nothing about this world was really normal anymore.
After gathering a handful of different materials, she returned to AJ and carefully set them down beside him. "Alright, buddy. I don't know if you can hear me, but I need you to work with me here."
She nudged one of the mushrooms toward him. Nothing. She picked up a leaf and pressed it gently against his surface.
Frustration prickled at her. "Come on, AJ, I know you're in there, don't give up now."
The moment the leaf made full contact, his body twitched.
Lily's eyes widened as she saw his surface ripple slightly, the leaf sinking into him and being absorbed. Slowly, very slowly, his form began to shift. The trembling mass that had been an unresponsive puddle started to pull itself together, the edges tightening into something more cohesive.
"Oh my god," she breathed. "It worked. It actually worked."
But he was still far from functional. She needed to keep feeding him.
The next few minutes became a careful experiment. Rock—no reaction. Thick root—nothing. Handful of grass—barely a twitch. Piece of bark—nothing.
Then she tried a damp chunk of moss.
The moment it touched his surface, his entire body shuddered. Lily jerked her hand back, startled, as AJ's form visibly thickened and stabilised. The once-shapeless mass regained something resembling structure.
"You really liked that one," she said with a shaky laugh. "Moss it is, then."
She quickly gathered more moss, placing it within his reach. AJ's surface quivered before he slowly pulled the material into himself. This time, the change was obvious—he shifted, wobbled, and actually moved with purpose.
"Yes! That's it, keep going."
Another moment passed before AJ shifted again, this time more deliberately.
Lily sat back on her heels, hope rising in her chest. "Alright, that's real progress."
AJ wobbled, and something about the movement seemed almost... intentional.
"Wait." Lily leaned forward, studying his form. "Can you control that? Like, actually control it?"
AJ shifted to the right.
Lily froze. That hadn't been random. The movement was too deliberate, too purposeful.
"Was that... was that a yes?" Her voice came out smaller than she'd intended.
AJ moved to the right again.
A grin broke out across her face. "Oh god, you're still you. You're still in there." She wiped her moist eyes. "Okay, so... left means no, right means yes."
AJ moved right.
"Good. That's so good." She took a shaky breath, trying to compose herself. "Are you in pain?"
AJ hesitated, then moved left.
Relief flooded through her. "Okay. Are you still hungry?"
Right.
"Do you need more moss?"
Right.
"Can you eat other things right now, or just plants like this?"
AJ paused for a long moment, then twitched left.
"Just certain plants, then." Lily nodded, filing that information away. "Alright. I can work with that."
AJ gave what might have been a wobble of agreement, and despite everything, Lily found herself smiling.
"This is crazy, you know that?" she said. "I'm having a conversation with a puddle of green jelly, and somehow it's not the weirdest thing that's happened today."
If AJ could have laughed, she thought he would have.
---
Ethan's boots sank slightly into the damp earth as he trudged toward the sound of flowing water. His stomach ached with hunger, but the steady murmur ahead promised at least one of his problems might be solved.
When he finally broke through the treeline, the sight of the river was a relief. Cool, clear water rushed downstream, its surface catching the light. He knelt at the edge, scooping handful after handful to his lips.
He looked around and some movement upstream caught his attention—a figure hunched by the water's edge, moving slowly.
"Walter?" Ethan called out.
The older man turned sluggishly, his face pale and drawn. He looked exhausted beyond measure, like he'd been walking for days without rest.
Ethan hurried over, catching Walter just as his knees threatened to give out.
"Easy there, old man." Ethan steadied him, concern evident in his voice. "You look awful."
Walter managed a weak chuckle. "I feel worse."
Ethan glanced around the area. They weren't in immediate danger, but Walter clearly needed food and rest before nightfall. They both did.
"Alright. You sit tight. I'll find us something to eat."
---
Victor crouched in the underbrush, watching a creature prowl through the twisted trees. At first glance, it resembled a tiger—the same powerful build, the same predatory stance—but wasn't the same. Too large, for one thing. The beast was easily the size of a small car, its shoulders standing higher than Victor's chest would if he were standing.
Its fur was matte black, so dark it seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. When it moved between shadows, parts of its body simply vanished, blending seamlessly with the darkness. Only its eyes remained visible—burning orange orbs that swept the area with intelligent hunger.
A shadow stalker. He'd never seen one before, but somehow the name came to him, along with the certain knowledge that this thing was built for killing.
The creature moved with fluid grace, each step deliberate and silent. It paused frequently, head tilted as if listening for something. Its hunting pattern was methodical—quartering the area, checking scent trails, testing the wind.
It was looking for prey. And if Victor wasn't careful, it would find him.
He retreated quietly, focusing on immediate survival needs. A jagged piece of stone became a crude knife with cloth wrapped around one end. A fallen branch became a spear, sharpened and reinforced.
It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. In this new world, being defenceless was a death sentence.
---
Back in the clearing, Lily had gathered another pile of moss and was watching AJ slowly absorb it. Each piece seemed to help, his form becoming more stable and responsive.
"How are you feeling now?" she asked.
AJ shifted right, then wobbled in what might have been the slime equivalent of a shrug.
"Better, but not great?" she interpreted.
Right.
She looked up at the sky, noting how the light was beginning to change. "We need to think about shelter soon. And we still need to find the others."
AJ moved right emphatically.
"Yeah, I know. They're probably worried." She paused. "Well, assuming they're not dealing with their own problems."
The thought sobered both of them. Their friends were scattered, facing who knew what dangers. At least she and AJ had found each other.
"One step at a time," she said, echoing something Walter might say. "First, we get you back on your... well, not feet, but you know what I mean. Then we figure out how to find the others."
AJ wobbled in what she chose to interpret as agreement.
It wasn't much of a plan, but it was a start. And right now, that was enough.