Nyx led the way through the dense forest, his tail held high like a furry antenna. The cat moved with purpose, occasionally stopping to look back as if to say, "Keep up, slowpokes."
Ethan adjusted the strap of the Goblin Pro across his shoulder, the camera's surprisingly professional lens a stark contrast to its toy-like exterior. "You sure this is the right way, Nyx?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Seraphine limped beside him, her right arm cradled against her body. The threshold-mark pulsed with a faint violet light that seemed to intensify with each step they took away from the city. "Trust him," she said, wincing as a tree root caught her foot. "Nyx has never led us wrong before."
Ethan checked the battery indicator on the Goblin Pro—95%. "Thirty minutes today," he reminded himself, powering on the stream. The red light blinked steadily, capturing Nyx's determined stride through the wilderness.
[Chat]
NyxSavior: the cat is leading them
CamSurvivor: where is he taking them??
GoblinFan99: the cat knows the way
ThresholdMark: her arm is glowing again
"Looks like we've got a feline GPS today," Ethan said, trying to keep his voice light despite the tension in his shoulders. "Nyx says there's shelter up ahead."
Seraphine managed a weak smile. "He's been scouting ahead since we left the city. Cats have excellent survival instincts."
"Or he's leading us into a trap," Ethan joked. "Remember that one time he tried to feed me a dead mouse?"
[Chat]
NyxSavior: the cat would never
CamSurvivor: he's just showing his love
GoblinFan99: the cat knows more than he lets on
Nyx stopped suddenly, his ears twitching. He turned to face them, then padded to a cluster of boulders covered in thick vines. With a few precise paw swipes, he revealed a narrow opening barely large enough for a human to squeeze through.
"Seriously?" Ethan asked, crouching to examine the entrance. "You want us to crawl through there?"
Nyx merely sat down and began grooming his paw, the picture of feline indifference.
Seraphine chuckled. "He's found us shelter. Let's not question cat logic."
---
The cave was small but dry, with enough space for all three of them to rest comfortably. Nyx immediately claimed the most level spot near the back, curling up with an air of entitlement that made Ethan roll his eyes.
"Of course you get the best spot," Ethan muttered, unpacking the scavenged camping gear. "You're the hero who found the cave."
Seraphine leaned against the wall, her threshold-mark flaring slightly as she surveyed their surroundings. "It's not just a cave," she said quietly. "Look at the markings on the walls."
Ethan raised the Goblin Pro, its special lens revealing faint energy trails that hadn't been visible to the naked eye. The walls were covered in what looked like hastily drawn symbols—some familiar from Professor Vance's teachings, others completely alien.
"They were here recently," Seraphine murmured. "And they left in a hurry."
[Chat]
CaveMarkings: what are those symbols??
CamSurvivor: this is getting creepy
GoblinFan99: those are goblin trader markings
Ethan panned the camera across the cave floor, revealing scattered belongings—a half-unpacked camping bag, a dented cooking pot, and what appeared to be the remains of a hastily abandoned meal.
"Someone was definitely here," he confirmed. "But why leave all this behind?"
Seraphine's threshold-mark flared brighter as she picked up a small leather pouch from the ground. "Because whatever was chasing them was worse than whatever they were carrying."
Ethan powered down the stream as the battery hit 88%. "Twenty minutes today," he said to himself, tucking the camera away. "No point in wasting power when we're finally safe for a few hours."
---
As darkness fell outside, they settled in for the night. Ethan spread out the scavenged tent material as a makeshift blanket while Seraphine examined their supplies by the light of a small lantern.
"Found anything interesting?" Ethan asked, trying to ignore the way his glasses kept fogging up in the cave's damp air.
Seraphine held up a small notebook. "Just some notes from whoever was here before us. Looks like they were mapping something—a trail through these woods."
Ethan wiped his glasses on his shirt, then immediately regretted it as cave dust smeared across the lenses. "Great. So we're following someone else's breadcrumbs."
Before he could clean them properly, Seraphine gently took the glasses from his hands. "Hold still," she said, producing a clean cloth from her pocket.
As she carefully wiped the lenses, Ethan caught the scent of lavender and something earthy—her usual fragrance, now mixed with the smell of the forest. Her fingers brushed against his as she returned the glasses, and for a moment, neither of them moved.
[Chat]
ShippingAlert: did they just...??
CamSurvivor: please don't let them get caught
NyxSavior: the cat is watching
Nyx, who had been pretending to sleep in the corner, opened one eye and stared at them with what could only be described as judgmental intensity.
"Thanks," Ethan said, quickly looking away and putting his glasses back on.
Seraphine settled onto the blanket beside him, her shoulder brushing against his. "You know," she began, her voice softer than usual, "when I was a kid, I used to think caves were portals to other worlds."
Ethan chuckled. "Let me guess—you tried to find one?"
"Of course," she said, a genuine smile touching her lips. "I spent an entire summer exploring every cave and tunnel I could find. My parents thought I was obsessed."
"Were you?"
Seraphine's threshold-mark pulsed gently as she considered the question. "Maybe. One time, I got lost in a cave system for three days. When they finally found me, I was perfectly fine—just sitting there, reading a book by candlelight."
[Chat]
ChildhoodStories: that's not normal
CamSurvivor: of course she was magical as a kid
GoblinFan99: she's always been connected to the veil
Ethan grinned. "Let me guess—you knew the way out the whole time."
Seraphine's smile widened. "Maybe I just knew they'd find me. Magic has a way of working out like that."
"Or maybe you just had really good luck," Ethan teased.
Seraphine's expression turned thoughtful. "Or maybe luck is just another word for magic we don't understand yet."
---
As the night deepened, they shared stories of their childhoods—Ethan's attempts to build a treehouse that collapsed immediately, Seraphine's adventures exploring forbidden parts of her grandmother's estate. Nyx listened from his spot near the cave entrance, his molten silver eyes reflecting the lantern light.
Ethan discovered that Seraphine had been terrified of cats until she was twelve, when a stray cat had led her home during a thunderstorm. Seraphine learned that Ethan's first job had been working at a haunted house attraction, where he'd accidentally locked himself in the "torture chamber" for three hours.
[Chat]
ChildhoodLaughs: this is the best content
CamSurvivor: they're actually normal people??
NyxSavior: the cat approves
"Okay, my turn," Ethan said after Seraphine finished a particularly hilarious story about trying to brew "love potion" for her first crush. "When I was ten, I convinced all my friends that I could talk to ghosts. I'd set up this whole elaborate system where I'd 'receive messages' through a Ouija board I made out of cardboard."
Seraphine laughed—a genuine, unguarded sound that made Ethan's chest tighten. "Let me guess—you got caught?"
"Worse," Ethan admitted. "My best friend's mom actually believed me. She started asking me to 'talk to her deceased husband' about where she'd left her keys."
Seraphine covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. "What did you do?"
"I told her the ghost said they were in the cookie jar," Ethan said, grinning. "Turns out they actually were. After that, I was basically the neighborhood medium."
Seraphine shook her head, still smiling. "No wonder you're so good with the camera. You've been performing since you were ten."
Ethan's smile softened. "Maybe I just needed the right co-star."
The moment hung between them, fragile and promising, until Nyx let out a loud yawn that broke the spell.
---
Nyx took his guard duties seriously. As Ethan and Seraphine settled down for the night, the cat positioned himself at the cave entrance, his ears twitching at every sound from the forest outside.
Ethan watched as Nyx's tail flicked with unusual intensity. "What is it, buddy?"
The cat didn't respond—none of them expected him to—but his posture was alert, his gaze fixed on the darkness beyond the cave entrance.
Seraphine's threshold-mark began to glow more intensely, casting violet shadows on the cave walls. "Something's out there," she whispered.
Ethan reached for the Goblin Pro, but Seraphine stopped him with a shake of her head. "Leave it off," she murmured. "We don't want to attract attention."
They sat in silence for what felt like hours, listening to the sounds of the forest. Nyx remained perfectly still, a silent sentinel guarding their rest.
Eventually, whatever had been outside moved on, and Nyx relaxed his posture, though he didn't leave his post.
"Good job, Nyx," Ethan whispered, too tired to keep his eyes open any longer.
The last thing he saw before drifting off was Seraphine's threshold-mark glowing softly in the darkness, and Nyx's silhouette standing guard at the cave entrance.
---
When Ethan woke, sunlight streamed through the cave entrance, illuminating dust particles dancing in the air. Seraphine was already awake, her threshold-mark barely visible in the daylight as she examined the notebook from the previous occupants.
Nyx sat beside her, meticulously cleaning his paws as if he hadn't spent the entire night on guard duty.
"Morning," Seraphine said quietly, not looking up from the notebook. "Sleep well?"
"Like a rock," Ethan admitted, stretching. "Though I'm pretty sure Nyx slept better than I did."
The cat looked up, his molten silver eyes meeting Ethan's with what could only be described as smug satisfaction.
Seraphine smiled faintly. "He's earned it. Whatever was out there last night... it was close."
Ethan checked the Goblin Pro—battery at 92%. "Ready to get moving?"
Seraphine nodded, tucking the notebook into her bag. "The trail continues east. We should reach the valley by midday."
As they packed up their makeshift camp, Ethan caught Seraphine watching him, a thoughtful expression on her face. When she noticed him looking, she quickly turned away, but not before Ethan saw the faint blush on her cheeks.
Nyx, ever the observant one, looked between them with an expression that seemed to say, "About time."