The forest was unnaturally quiet after the explosion. Smoke hung in the air, mixing with the scent of charred flesh and something metallic—something unnatural. Ethan coughed, waving smoke from his face as he helped Seraphine to her feet.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
Seraphine winced as she examined a cut on her arm—not her threshold-mark, but a fresh injury from the explosion's aftermath. "Just scrapes. You?"
Ethan brushed debris from his clothes. "Same. Mostly."
Nyx padded over, his fur covered in bits of anaconda and soot, but otherwise unharmed. 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 began meticulously cleaning a paw as if nothing unusual had happened.
Ethan powered on his old camera—battery at 89% and began recording.
"Alright, chat," Ethan said, his voice shaky. "We're alive. Thanks to... well, I'm not entirely sure what just happened."
Seraphine sat up slowly, wincing as she checked her injuries. "The Goblin Pro."
"What about it?"
She gestured to the remains of the camera, which lay in pieces near the destroyed upper half of the anaconda. "It wasn't just a cheap camera. It was designed to self-destruct if the lens was compromised."
Ethan frowned. "Why would anyone build that into a camera?"
"To protect trade secrets," Seraphine explained. "The lens was the valuable part—the rest was just an empty shell. If anyone tried to reverse-engineer it, the lens would trigger an explosion."
Ethan stared at the wreckage. "So we just threw away a camera worth...?"
"More than you'd believe," Seraphine confirmed. "But it saved our lives."
[Chat]
GoblinSecret: the camera was a trap??
CamSurvivor: that was the most beautiful death ever
TechWitch: goblin tech is wild
StreamPanic: we thought you died!!
GoblinFan99: told you to get the Goblin Pro
---
What really happened during the explosion :
As the Goblin Pro entered the anaconda's maw, the pressure against the lens triggered a failsafe mechanism. Deep within the seemingly cheap plastic casing, a tiny explosive charge combined with carefully contained supernatural forces began to activate.
The lens—crafted from materials that shouldn't exist in our world—glowed with an inner light as the containment field holding the supernatural energy began to fail. It wasn't designed to be a weapon; it was designed to be a safeguard. Goblin artisans had learned the hard way that their lens technology was too valuable to risk falling into the wrong hands.
The explosion wasn't an accident—it was by design. When the lens detected it was about to be compromised (either through destruction or examination by unauthorized personnel), it would trigger a controlled detonation, destroying both the lens and anything too close to it. The goblins didn't care about the consequences for the user; protecting their trade secrets was more important.
The orange flames that erupted weren't ordinary fire—they were supernatural energy made visible, mixing with the anaconda's blood in patterns that would have looked beautiful if not for the violence of the moment. The upper half of the creature's body didn't just break apart—it disintegrated into its component energies, scattered like dust in the wind.
And through it all, the 16MB memory card—somehow immune to the destruction—continued recording, capturing every frame of the explosion in perfect detail.
---
Ethan powered down the stream as the battery hit 83%. "Twenty-eight minutes today," he said to himself, tucking what was left of the camera away.
As the adrenaline faded, Ethan and Seraphine assessed their injuries. Both had minor cuts from the explosion's aftermath, but nothing serious.
Seraphine examined her threshold-mark, which was still glowing faintly. "It's fading," she said. "The guardian has been defeated."
Ethan nodded, picking up the 16MB memory card from the camera wreckage. It was miraculously intact, not even scratched. "Somehow, this survived."
Seraphine took the card from him, her fingers brushing against his. "It always does."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, the weight of what had happened settling over them. Nyx curled up between them, his pursing the only sound in the suddenly peaceful forest.
"Thanks," Seraphine said quietly.
"For what?" Ethan asked.
"For saving me."
Ethan shrugged, trying to hide his blush. "Just doing my job."
Seraphine smiled faintly. "You're more than just a cameraman, Ethan."
Nyx, ever the observant one, looked between them with an expression that seemed to say, "About time."
---
The sound of rushing water led them to a nearby waterfall—a natural cascade that tumbled down moss-covered rocks into a clear pool below. It was the perfect place to clean their wounds and catch their breath.
Seraphine dipped a cloth in the cool water and began cleaning Ethan's cuts. "Hold still," she said, her touch gentle despite the pain.
Ethan winced as the water touched a particularly deep scrape on his arm. "Ow. You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Seraphine's lips curved in a faint smile. "Maybe a little."
Ethan Already Insert the 16mb memory back into his old camera and turn the Live On minutes ago.
[Chat]
ShippingAlert: did they just...??
CamSurvivor: please don't let them get caught
NyxSavior: the cat is watching
Nyx watched them from his perch on a nearby rock, his molten silver eyes reflecting the waterfall's mist.
As Seraphine worked, Ethan pulled out his solar charger and connected it to his old camera. The portable panel caught the afternoon sunlight, slowly replenishing the battery.
"Good thing we've got this," Ethan said, adjusting the panel for maximum exposure. "Otherwise we'd be cameraless."
Seraphine nodded. "Goblin tech has its perks, even when it explodes in your face."
Ethan chuckled. "I'll make sure to mention that in my five-star review."
[Chat]
SolarPower: smart move
CamSurvivor: they're actually thinking ahead
GoblinFan99: the solar charger is essential
---
As the sun began to set, they set up camp near the waterfall. Ethan spread out the scavenged tent material as a makeshift bed while Seraphine gathered firewood.
Nyx claimed the most level spot near the waterfall, curling up with an air of entitlement that made Ethan roll his eyes.
"Of course you get the best spot," Ethan muttered, unpacking the camping gear. "You're the hero who saved us from the anaconda."
Nyx merely blinked at him, as if to say, "Obviously."
Seraphine joined him by the fire, her threshold-mark barely visible in the fading light. "The waterfall has healing properties," she said, dipping her injured arm in the cool water. "It'll help with the cuts."
Ethan checked his own injuries, which were already looking better. "How did you know that?"
Seraphine smiled faintly. "I've been around."
Ethan powered on the stream one last time—battery at 99%. "Alright, chat. We're setting up camp for the night. Should be a quiet evening after... well, you know."
Seraphine leaned into the frame. "The waterfall is helping with our injuries. We should be back on the road by morning."
[Chat]
WaterfallHealing: that's cool
CamSurvivor: will they be safe tonight??
GoblinFan99: Nyx will keep watch
Ethan powered down the stream as the battery hit 92%. "Fifteen minutes today," he said to himself, tucking the camera away.