By the time the last Puffsnout dissolved into shimmering shards, we were all breathing hard. Hayes wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.Hayley leaned on her sword a little, catching her breath.Their cats paced in front of them, tails high, eyes bright, as if they could feel the XP settling into their bodies. Then the notifications came. SYSTEM:HAYES — Level Up! → 5HAYLEY — Level Up! → 5HAYES' SPIRIT (CAT) — Level Up! → 5HAYLEY'S SPIRIT (CAT) — Level Up! → 5 Aria threw both arms into the air. "WELCOME TO LEVEL FIVE, BABIES!" Dot clicked proudly on her shoulder. Echo pressed against my leg, tail swaying. She and Dot had already hit level five with us the day before, but seeing the others catch up made something in my chest feel… right. We weren't just following Riley anymore. We were all starting to stand on our own. "Alright…" Hayes exhaled. "Let's see what we got." He opened his menu. A faint glow lit up his face as he scanned his class skills. Hayes grinned. "Oh, that's nice." Aria bounced closer. "Show me, show me, show me." He tilted the panel toward us so we could all see. CLASS: VANGUARDNEW SKILL UNLOCKED — LV 5: SHIELD RUSH > Dash forward with your shield raised, absorbing incoming damage and briefly staggering the first enemy you collide with.Cooldown: 12 seconds. Hayes smirked. "Finally. Something that lets me hit first." Hayley elbowed him gently. "You hit first plenty." "Yeah, but now I can hit first on purpose." Her menu sparkled too. She scanned it carefully, lips moving as she read. Then her eyes lit up. "Oooh. I like this one." She opened her Vanguard list as well. NEW SKILL UNLOCKED — LV 5: GUARDING PULSE > Release a short-range shockwave from your shield, reducing damage taken by nearby allies for a few seconds.Cooldown: 15 seconds. Aria whistled."Bruiser and support. Shield twins." Hayley smiled slowly. "Yeah. He charges in. I keep everyone standing. That… fits." Hayes nodded. "Not bad at all." I watched them both, feeling a quiet warmth. We weren't just a random party anymore. We were a real team. Hayes knelt and opened his Spirit menu. His cat sat perfectly still in front of him like a soldier waiting for orders. The new ability flashed as he tapped the icon. SPIRIT: FERAL CAT (HAYES)NEW ABILITY — CLAW FLURRY > Rapid three-hit combo.Increased critical chance when attacking from behind. Hayes grinned. "Yep. That'll do." His cat flicked its tail, clearly pleased. Hayley's cat, not to be outdone, padded forward and sat down in the same posture. Hayley opened her menu. SPIRIT: FERAL CAT (HAYLEY)NEW ABILITY — CLAW FLURRY She hugged her cat immediately. "We match! Look at us—we're a coordinated death duo." Aria clutched her heart. "This is disgusting. I love it." Dot clicked once in approval. Echo wagged, happy for them. I smiled to myself. Riley would be proud when he heard about all this. We carried on deeper into the Whisperwood South Ridge, following the route Riley had marked earlier. We fought a few more low-level Scraps and Wisps, and with Hayes and Hayley's new skills, everything went smoother. Shield Rush turned dangerous charges into jokes. Guarding Pulse caught us when damage should've been worse. We were getting… efficient. Then we heard it. A noise somewhere between a burp and a musical bubble. "Woooooob…" Echo's ears perked immediately. "Spirit?" I guessed quietly. "Definitely spirit," Hayes said. "Potential friend?" Aria added. "Or problem," Hayley said. We pushed aside a curtain of glowing vines. In the middle of the clearing, standing on a cracked stump like it had absolutely no idea how silly it looked, was— A round mossy spirit. Three stubby legs.Chubby body.Tiny leaf sprouting from the top of its head.Eyes spaced just a little too far apart.It wobbled as it moved, like it didn't quite trust gravity. It stared at us. "Woooob." Aria stopped breathing for a full second. "Oh. My. GOD." Hayes blinked. "That's… new." Hayley tilted her head. "It's like a moss potato." I covered my mouth, trying not to laugh. A UI floated above its head. MOSSBLOOM GOBBLER — Level 4Rarity: Rare (Verdant Oddling)Temperament: Gentle / Hungry Aria made a sound like her soul leaving her body. "It's RARE. And CHUBBY. And PRECIOUS. Move—everyone move—I need it. I NEED IT." "Aria—" Hayley started. Too late. Aria whipped a Bind Stone out of her inventory and lifted it over her head like she was about to hurl it at the poor thing's face. "I BIND THEE—" "NO!" Hayley nearly screamed. Aria froze mid–throw. Dot clung to her hair in sheer alarm. "That's not how you do it!" Hayley ran forward, waving her hands. "You don't throw it!" Aria blinked at her. "You don't?" Hayley looked personally offended. "No! You channel it. That's what the tutorial said!" Aria pouted. "I skipped the tutorial." Hayes muttered, "Shocking." Hayley snatched the Bind Stone gently from her hand. "Watch." She held it out on her palm, runes facing up, fingers relaxed. "The Bind Stone links your Spirit energy to the target. You hold it, focus, and let it activate. It sends a binding wisp to form a sigil under the Spirit. Throwing it is just… assault." Aria narrowed her eyes."Magical assault." "Still assault." Dot clicked like he agreed with Hayley. The Gobbler watched all of this silently, swaying slightly. "Wob." Hayley pushed the stone back into Aria's hand. "Try it." Aria exaggerated a sigh. "Fiiiiiine. I'll use your boring, non-throwing method." She stepped closer to the Mossbloom Gobbler, who looked up at her with unblinking innocence. Echo sat at my feet, watching.The cats settled in beside Hayes and Hayley. Dot climbed onto Aria's head like a small, fluffy general about to oversee a ritual. Aria opened her palm. The Bind Stone glowed. "Okay… uhh… bind?" Nothing happened. Hayley pinched the bridge of her nose. "Focus on him. Not on shouting." Aria drew in a slow breath. She looked at the Gobbler again—really looked at him.Soft moss.Big eyes.A little leaf that trembled as he wobbled. Her expression softened. "I want to be your partner," she said quietly. "So… let's be idiots together, yeah?" The Bind Stone's runes flared. A mote of light shot forward, forming a glowing sigil beneath the Gobbler's feet. He blinked, curious, but didn't move. Lines of light rose around him like a slow, circular curtain. "Woooob…" The ring tightened. Then— SNAP. SYSTEM:Spirit Bond Successful!MOSSBLOOM GOBBLER — Level 4 acquired. Aria shrieked with joy. "YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!" She scooped the Gobbler up in both arms. "I LOVE HIM." The Gobbler burped. "Wob." Dot clicked triumphantly and headbutted Gobbles' leaf. Hayes let out a low whistle. "Rare Spirit. Day three. That's… actually huge." Hayley sighed, but she was smiling. "Some people grind for days and never see one. You just… walk into a forest and adopt it." Aria held Gobbles out proudly for us to inspect. "LOOK at him. Look at his FACE. Look at his LEAF. Look at his big stupid eyes. He's perfect." Gobbles blinked. "Wooooob." Echo trotted up and sniffed him. Gobbles sniffed back, then bumped his mossy forehead against her nose. Echo's tail wagged like crazy. "They like each other," I said quietly, warmth spreading through my chest. "Of course," Aria said. "My son is very friendly." "He's your… son?" Hayes repeated. "Obviously." Curious, I opened my shared party Spirit viewer and pulled up Gobbles' information. A pale green window appeared in front of us. SPIRIT: Mossbloom GobblerType: Verdant / AdaptiveRarity: RareLevel: 4Role: Utility / Off-TankTemperament: Gentle • Curious • Hungry STATS:HP: HighDefense: HighAttack: LowSpirit Power: MediumSpeed: Very LowLuck: Above Average ABILITIES: Leaf Bop (Basic Attack) > A clumsy hop and headbutt.Low damage, small chance to interrupt weak enemies. Absorb Bloom (Passive) > Heals a small amount of HP over time while standing near plants, moss, or flowers. Edible Everything (Passive) > Can consume most low-tier items and plant materials.Occasionally gains tiny random buffs from strange things he eats.Very occasionally causes… unexpected side effects. Next Ability: Locked until LV 5 "'Edible Everything?' That's not an ability, that's a liability." As if to prove her point, Gobbles leaned down and ate a glowing mushroom. "Wob." Nothing happened. Then his moss brightened a bit. SYSTEM:Gobbles has gained: Minor Defense Up (3 minutes). Aria screamed. "HE BUFFS HIMSELF BY SNACKING?? HE'S PERFECT." Hayes shook his head."He's going to eat your entire inventory." Aria cuddled Gobbles closer. "He can eat my heart. I would thank him." Dot clicked like he was already planning which rocks to feed the new idiot. Echo just wagged her tail and nudged Gobbles again. I caught myself smiling so wide my cheeks hurt. This… was fun. Not just surviving.Not just strategizing. Actually, honestly… fun. Once we'd cleared the glade and gathered enough Windvine and Spiral Bark to make Riley happy, we started back toward the village. The forest dimmed as the sun sank lower. The blue glow from mushrooms and moss became more pronounced. Hayes walked at the front, shield on his back now. Hayley walked beside him, talking quietly about skill combos. Aria skipped between us with Gobbles in her arms, Dot occasionally hopping over to pat the new Spirit like a proud older sibling. Echo walked at my side, ever watchful. Every now and then, Gobbles would lean out of Aria's arms and eat a leaf off a passing branch. "Wob." Sometimes a buff popped up.Sometimes nothing happened.Once he sneezed out pollen and made Aria glow for a second. We all laughed. The path back felt shorter than the path in. My interface pinged. SYSTEMNew Message from: RILEY My heart did a little flutter it hadn't asked my permission for. I opened it. Just finished up in the crafting hall with someone named Kipp.We've made good progress on potions. Start heading back to the village.It's nearly dinnertime IRL.Log out once you're safe. Don't make me come rescue you.Riley Aria leaned in immediately. "Oooooh. Riley messaged. What's he say?" "He's done with potions," I said. "He says he's with someone named Kipp. Wants us to log out soon, once we're back. Dinner time." Hayley frowned. "Kipp?" Hayes raised an eyebrow. "Who's that?" Aria gasped. "RILEY MADE A FRIEND WITHOUT US?" I smiled softly. "He's… allowed friends, Aria." She squinted at the air suspiciously. "I don't know… I don't trust this Kipp. What if he's cooler than us?" Hayley snorted. "Statistically unlikely." Hayes laughed. "Relax. If Riley likes him, he's probably a good guy." Echo pressed against my leg, picking up my mood. I felt… oddly proud of him. Like we were growing too, but so was he. I typed back quickly. We're on our way to the gate now.Hayley & Hayes hit 5.Aria caught a rare spirit.You're going to love him.See you soon. We walked the rest of the way in a gentle, tired silence. The village walls came back into view — tall logs, flickering torches, the familiar chatter of voices from the square beyond. Home base. Safe. For now. Inside the gate, we stopped near the central plaza. Aria sighed dramatically. "I don't wanna log out. Gobbles will miss me." Gobbles blinked. "Wob." "If you don't log out," Hayes said, "you'll pass out at your desk and your mom will kill you." Aria shuddered."Okay valid." Hayley smirked. "Also, real dinner sounds good." My stomach growled quietly at the word dinner. Echo sat down beside me, tail curling around her paws as if she knew this was goodbye—temporarily. I knelt and stroked her fur. "I'll be back tomorrow," I whispered. "We all will. So rest, okay?" She licked my hand once, warmly. Aria carefully set Gobbles on the ground. He wobbled. "Wob…" She poked his leaf gently. "I'll feed you more weird snacks tomorrow." Dot clicked, promising mischief. Hayes patted his cat's head.Hayley hugged hers. One by one, our log-out menus appeared as we summoned them. "Same time tomorrow?" I asked. Aria nodded. "Obviously." Hayes smiled. "Wouldn't miss it." Hayley added, "We've got a dungeon to prepare for, right?" I nodded, excitement fluttering under my ribs. "Yeah. We do." I took a breath, looked at Echo one last time— —and pressed LOG OUT. Light washed everything away. The forest, the village, my friends, my spirits— All faded. But the warmth remained. We had a team now.We had new bonds.And tomorrow? We'd step back into Nexus stronger than ever.
