The city skyline burned behind them, a jagged silhouette against the blood-red sunset. Ethan collapsed against a moss-covered boulder, his chest heaving. His hands trembled as he lowered what was left of his camera—the once-reliable device now producing images that looked like they'd been filmed through a kaleidoscope filled with broken glass.
"Looks like the city's throwing us a farewell party," Ethan croaked, wiping sweat from his brow. "With extra explosions."
Seraphine sank to the forest floor, cradling her right arm. The deep gash there pulsed with an eerie violet light—the threshold-mark from their escape through the collapsing threshold. As Ethan watched, the violet glow intensified slightly, as if reacting to something in the distance.
"Remember when we thought streaming haunted locations was dangerous?" Ethan asked, trying to lighten the mood. "Turns out the real horror was corporate-sponsored supernatural entities all along."
Seraphine managed a weak smile through gritted teeth. "It's not the city saying goodbye," she said, her voice strained. "It's the Algorithm's Shadow devouring everything we left behind. And that thing..." She gestured to her arm. "It's not healing the normal way."
Ethan frowned. "What happened back there? I saw you step between me and that energy surge..."
Seraphine nodded. "The threshold was collapsing. I pushed you out of the way, but the backlash caught me. It's not just a wound—it's a threshold-mark. A piece of the collapsing boundary embedded in my arm."
[Chat]
CamSurvivor: is that SMOKE in the background??
PotatoCam: bro your camera looks broken af
StaticSeeker: did they really escape the city??
Nyx padded over to Ethan, his molten silver eyes reflecting the distant flames. The cat didn't speak—none of them expected him to—but his presence was a quiet comfort. He rubbed against Ethan's leg, then turned to survey the wilderness around them with the intensity of a seasoned scout.
Ethan adjusted the broken lens, wincing as the image distorted further. "Alright, chat. Quick update before Seraphine drags me into another circus act. We're going live—again. Short stream this time, though. Battery saver mode engaged."
The chat scrolled across the overlay, a storm of playful jeers and emojis.
[Chat]
LowBattMon: lol bro's living on 13%
HopeStreamGremlin: get a power bank, grandpa
DonorKing: I'll sponsor you if you drop the camera once
CamSurvivor: how is he even alive right now??
GoblinFan99: order the Goblin Pro, it's the only thing that'll work out there
Ethan ignored most of it, except for the recurring joke about batteries. He'd already decided—if this career was going to keep eating power, he'd have to upgrade soon. But his wallet wasn't crying yet. He could afford a backup or two.
Seraphine leaned against the boulder, her breathing shallow. "How's the battery?"
"92%," Ethan reported, checking the indicator. "Good enough for... whatever this is."
Nyx suddenly hissed and backed away from the direction of the city, his fur standing on end. The cat didn't speak—none of them expected him to—but his presence was a quiet comfort. He arched his back and let out a low growl that seemed to vibrate at a frequency that made the air around them shimmer.
[Chat]
NyxSavior: the cat senses something
CamSurvivor: please don't let them get caught
ShadowSeeker: is that static behind them??
Seraphine's eyes widened. "They're tracking us."
"Who?" Ethan asked, instinctively raising the camera.
"The Algorithm's Shadow," she said, standing with effort. "It's using the city's collapse as a beacon. And my threshold-mark is flaring—it's close."
Ethan powered down the stream as the battery hit 87%. "Thirty minutes max today," he muttered to himself, tucking the camera away. "No point in wasting power when we're running for our lives."
---
They walked in silence for what felt like hours, the only sound the crunch of leaves underfoot and Seraphine's occasional sharp intake of breath as her threshold-mark flared. Nyx led the way, his movements precise and purposeful.
Finally, they reached a small clearing where the trees formed a natural canopy overhead. Seraphine sank to the ground, leaning against a tree.
"Rest here," she said. "We've put enough distance between us and the city for now."
Ethan sat beside her, pulling out the camera. "You sure? Your arm looks worse."
Seraphine glanced at the glowing threshold-mark. "It's not healing the normal way. Whatever that thing did to me... it's supernatural. A threshold-mark takes time to fade—days, maybe weeks."
Ethan frowned. "Does it hurt?"
"Only when something supernatural is near," she admitted. "Right now it's just a dull ache, but if the Algorithm's Shadow gets closer..."
[Chat]
ThresholdMark: her arm is GLOWING??
CamSurvivor: what's a threshold-mark?
GoblinFan99: order the Goblin Pro, it's the only thing that'll work out there
TechWitch: that's not normal bleeding
Ethan powered on the stream, the red light blinking steadily. "Alright, chat. We've put some distance between us and the city. We're safe for now, but Seraphine's got a threshold-mark from the threshold collapse."
The image was a mess—the signal stuttered, frames skipped like scratched film, and every few seconds the audio cracked into robotic noise. I could already imagine the barrage in the chat before even glancing at it.
[Chat]
PotatoCam: BRO YOUR CAMERA IS TOTALLY BROKEN
LowBattMon: that's not just low battery, that's broken
CamSurvivor: how are they even seeing anything??
GoblinFan99: you need the Goblin Pro, it's the only thing that'll work out there
Ethan adjusted the lens, but it only made things worse. "Yeah, yeah, I know. The lens took a hit during the escape. It's not ideal, but it's all I've got."
Seraphine managed a weak smile. "At least you're still filming like an amateur. Some things never change."
"Hey!" Ethan protested, though he couldn't help but smile. "I'll have you know my amateur filming has gotten us this far."
[Chat]
AmateurCameraman: this is peak content
CamSurvivor: they're actually joking right now??
ShadowSeeker: that's not just a broken lens, that's supernatural damage
Nyx jumped onto Ethan's lap, staring intently at the camera. The cat's molten silver eyes reflected the distorted image, somehow making it even more chaotic.
"Even Nyx thinks I'm doing a terrible job," Ethan said, scratching behind the cat's ears.
[Chat]
NyxSavior: the cat is judging him
CamSurvivor: he's so dead but still making jokes
GoblinFan99: order the Goblin Pro, it's the only thing that'll work out there
The donation alert pinged, and Ethan checked it with a sigh. "$50 from GoblinFan99: 'Order the Goblin Pro. It's the only thing that will work out there. Trust me.'"
"Okay, who keeps donating to tell me to buy this Goblin Pro thing?" Ethan asked the chat. "What even is it?"
[Chat]
GoblinFan99: it's the only camera that works in the wilderness
TechWitch: Goblin Pro is cheap but has supernatural-grade lenses
CamSurvivor: it's literally made for this situation
GoblinFan99: order it. Trust me.
Another donation came through. "$100 from GoblinFan99: 'It's waiting for you. Order it.'"
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Okay, this is getting weird. Who are you?"
[Chat]
GoblinFan99: someone who knows what you need
CamSurvivor: this feels like a setup
TechWitch: Goblin Pro is actually perfect for this
Seraphine leaned closer to the camera. "Do it, Ethan. If someone's offering to fund a new camera that might actually work out here, take it."
Ethan hesitated. "But Goblin Pro? Isn't that the one with the terrible reviews?"
[Chat]
TechWitch: the reviews are fake
CamSurvivor: the company pays people to say it's bad
GoblinFan99: it's designed that way. Order it.
"Designed how?" Ethan asked.
[Chat]
TechWitch: to keep people from reverse-engineering it
CamSurvivor: it's a goblin product, of course it's weird
GoblinFan99: order it. Now.
Seraphine nodded. "Do it."
Ethan sighed and pulled up the Goblin Pro's website on his phone. The design was... questionable. Bright green and purple, with cartoon goblins holding cameras. The reviews were overwhelmingly negative—"Worst camera ever!" "Broke after one day!" "Don't waste your money!"
But the price was right—only $49.99, plus shipping.
"Fine," Ethan muttered. "But if this is a scam..."
He completed the purchase, and the confirmation screen read: "Your Goblin Pro will arrive via drone delivery in approximately 1 hour."
[Chat]
CamSurvivor: DRONE DELIVERY??
TechWitch: goblin tech is weird but fast
GoblinFan99: you won't regret this
"Drone delivery?" Ethan repeated. "In the middle of the wilderness?"
Seraphine smiled faintly. "Goblin tech has its perks."
---
Exactly one hour later, a small drone zipped through the trees, dropping a package at Ethan's feet before disappearing into the sky.
"Okay, that was impressive," Ethan admitted, opening the package.
Inside was a camera that looked like it belonged in a toy store—bright green plastic, oversized buttons, and a cartoon goblin logo on the front. It was the definition of "cheap."
"This is it?" Ethan asked, holding it up to the camera. "This is what all the fuss was about?"
[Chat]
PotatoCam: that looks like a toy
CamSurvivor: they scammed you
GoblinFan99: try the lens
Ethan swapped the memory card from his broken camera into the Goblin Pro. The fit was perfect, as if designed for it.
He powered it on and pointed it at Seraphine. The image that appeared on the screen was... shockingly clear. The colors were vibrant, the details sharp—even in the dim forest light.
"What the hell?" Ethan whispered. "This lens is... incredible."
[Chat]
TechWitch: told you
CamSurvivor: that's not a toy lens
GoblinFan99: it's the only thing that will work out here
Seraphine leaned closer to examine the camera. "The exterior is deliberately cheap to hide the quality of the lens. It's a goblin trick—make something look worthless so no one tries to reverse-engineer it."
Ethan turned the camera toward the trees, and the Goblin Pro revealed something astonishing—the air shimmered with faint energy trails, like heat waves rising from pavement on a hot day.
"Whoa," he breathed. "Do you see that?"
Seraphine's eyes widened. "The Algorithm's Shadow's trail. It's following us."
[Chat]
TrailSeeker: what is that??
CamSurvivor: is that the Algorithm's Shadow??
TechWitch: the Goblin Pro reveals supernatural energy
Nyx suddenly stood, his fur standing on end, his tail puffed to twice its normal size. He positioned himself between Ethan and the direction of the energy trail.
[Chat]
NyxSavior: the cat is on guard
CamSurvivor: they're not safe yet
ShadowSeeker: that's not good
Seraphine stood with effort. "We need to move. Now."
Ethan powered down the stream as the battery hit 82%. "Thirty minutes today," he muttered, tucking the Goblin Pro away. "No point in wasting power when we're running for our lives."
As they prepared to leave the clearing, Ethan looked back at the city skyline, now barely visible through the trees. The fires had spread, painting the horizon blood-red.
"We're not just running away," he said quietly. "We're running toward a solution."
Seraphine nodded. "The coastal city is where the veil is strongest. Where the language of luck might still work."
Ethan checked the road ahead, the journey to the coastal city stretching before them. 150 kilometers. A race against time.
He adjusted the strap of the Goblin Pro across his shoulder. The card hummed faintly in its compartment. Eternal. Waiting.
But this time, Ethan knew—he wasn't just recording the story.
He was living it.