The forest grew darker as Nick walked. The mana-glow in the leaves gave just enough light to see ten or fifteen feet ahead, but the shadows between the massive roots seemed to move with a life of their own.
The System's guidance arrow eventually dimmed, signaling the end of its help. Nick stopped where the faint light dissolved near a rocky slope.
"Seriously? That's it?"
The System remained quiet, which felt worse than a sarcastic answer.
He scanned the slope. Massive, cracked boulders leaned against each other, forming natural overhangs. Farther inside, he noticed a hollow space that looked like it might open into a sheltered cavern.
It wasn't much.
But it was better than being exposed in the open forest.
Nick moved carefully, checking for movement. When he reached the entrance of the hollow, he crouched and peered inside.
A small cave lay beyond the narrow opening. The ceiling sloped low, the floor was uneven, and the air smelled damp. Yet it was solid, quiet, and defensible. Compared to the forest outside, it might as well have been a fortified bunker.
"This could work," he muttered.
The System chimed softly.
[Shelter Candidate Located]
Stability: Moderate
Visibility: Low
Security Potential: Medium
Resource Access: High (Forest proximity)
Nick exhaled, relieved for the first time all day.
He stepped inside to inspect further. The cave went deeper than he expected, about fifteen feet before ending in a rounded chamber. Small cracks in the ceiling let in faint threads of forest light. Ancient roots had pushed through the stone, creating natural shelves and corners.
Perfect to rest.
And to think.
A sound echoed outside.
Nick froze.
It wasn't an animal.
Human footsteps.
Light, quick, careful.
Every muscle tightened. His Warborn instinct stirred faintly, ready to react. He crouched near the entrance with a stone in hand, breathing slowly to steady himself.
The footsteps grew closer.
Then a voice called from outside the cave.
"Nick? Nick Warborn, is that you?"
Nick's heart jumped.
He pushed through the narrow entrance and stepped into view.
A young man stood a few feet away, bent slightly with exhaustion but very much alive. He had short hair, a familiar backpack slung over one shoulder, and a broken pair of glasses hanging from his shirt.
Nick blinked.
"Kyle?"
Kyle looked up, eyes widening with pure relief.
"Nick! Thank God, man… I thought you were dead."
Nick stepped forward. "Kyle, holy—are you okay?"
Kyle dropped the backpack and pulled him into a tight, desperate hug. Nick hadn't realized how tense he was until the familiar presence hit him. He let out a shaky breath.
"I'm alive," Kyle said. "Barely. This place is insane."
Nick nodded. "You're the first person I've seen that wasn't trying to eat me."
Kyle huffed a weak laugh. "Yeah, the wildlife is not playing around."
They stepped back, finally seeing each other properly.
Nick asked, "How long have you been out here?"
"Since the sky cracked," Kyle replied. "I woke up near the math building. Everything was destroyed. I saw a few survivors but got chased by something that used to be a squirrel. I ran into the forest after that. I've been looking for shelter since."
Nick tried to absorb that. Kyle looked exhausted, but unharmed. His shirt was torn, and small cuts decorated his arms.
"How did you find me?" Nick asked.
Kyle pointed at the forest path. "I heard fighting. Thought it was a monster at first, then I realized the grunts sounded like someone I know. Only you hit things that hard."
Nick rubbed his knuckles, still sore from the fight. "You're not wrong."
Kyle's expression shifted. Concern replaced relief.
"Nick… have you seen Tyler?"
Nick's stomach tightened.
"No. I haven't seen anyone from our group besides you."
Kyle looked down, jaw clenched. "I've been trying to find her. You know how she gets—running into trouble, trusting too easily, trying to help everyone." He sighed. "I'm worried."
Nick nodded.
"I know. She's like our little sister. We'll find her."
Kyle's eyes softened. "Yeah. We always stick together."
Nick remembered the day they met.
First day of university.
Three strangers in a crowded lecture hall. Three people with different personalities. They didn't know they would become inseparable.
It felt like fate.
Now fate had dragged them into something far darker.
Nick gestured toward the cave. "I found shelter. It's not perfect, but it's defensible."
Kyle managed a tired smile. "Good. Because I'm about two minutes from passing out."
They headed inside. Nick helped Kyle through the narrow entrance, then set his backpack against the wall.
Kyle sank down onto a flat stone. "I'm starving. Please tell me you found food."
"No. But I found a monster."
"That doesn't help."
"It was trying to kill me."
"Still not helping."
Nick laughed quietly. Kyle's sarcasm grounded him. For the first time since the sky split, Nick felt a sliver of normalcy.
Kyle leaned back against the cave wall. "Do you have the System too?"
"Yeah." Nick opened his window. "You?"
Kyle nodded. A faint blue glow reflected off his eyes. "It gave me some stats. Nothing crazy. I can bench a little more than normal now. That's about it."
Nick hesitated. "Mine's… different."
Kyle turned. "Different how?"
Nick showed him a portion of his interface. Not everything—he wasn't sure why, but instinct told him to keep the Origin designation private for now.
Kyle's eyes widened. "Warborn. Dude… that's one of those lineage things the System mentioned."
"I know."
Kyle studied him. "You feel any different?"
Nick thought of the fight. The instinct. The strength. The way his mind had sharpened like a blade.
"Yeah," he admitted quietly. "A little."
Kyle didn't push. Instead, he said, "Whatever's going on, we figure it out together. Same as always."
Nick nodded with a small smile.
He sat beside Kyle. The forest glow filtered through cracks above them, leaving shimmering patterns on the stone floor.
For now, they were safe.
But outside, the world had changed.
Their trio was broken.
Tyler was still out there somewhere.
Nick's fists tightened as he stared at the forest entrance.
"We're going to find her," he whispered.
Kyle nodded.
"We have to."
The System chimed softly.
[Party Formation Available]
Would you like to form an alliance?
Nick and Kyle exchanged a glance.
"Looks like the world wants us together too," Nick said.
Kyle smiled tiredly. "Good. Because I'm not going through this hell alone."
Nick confirmed the prompt.
[Party Formed: Warborn Alliance]
Members:
- Nick Warborn
- Kyle Powell
Benefits: Shared experience radius (10%), threat detection synergy, emotional stability bonus.
Nick leaned back, letting out a long breath.
The first shelter had been found.
The first ally reunited.
Tomorrow, the real search would begin.