That was the first night no one slept peacefully.
Even with the campfire burning near the entrance of the cave, the silence of the forest felt different now.
Heavy.
Every sound from outside made someone open their eyes.
The wind passing through the trees.
Branches snapping in the distance.
Leaves moving in the darkness.
Rosy remained curled up on her leather bed, constantly staring at the small opening above the cave entrance, as if she expected to see eyes watching from outside at any moment.
Akile held one of the spears while sitting near the entrance.
He couldn't stop thinking about the goblins carrying the stolen weapons.
Noah was awake as well.
His gaze remained fixed on the darkness beyond the improvised door.
After a few seconds of silence, Noah looked at Akile.
— We need to start keeping watch during the night. We became too careless.
Akile slowly nodded.
— We can take turns.
— Tomorrow we'll reinforce the cave entrance even more — Noah continued. — And hide part of the food better.
Akile tightened his grip on the spear.
— I'll also make more weapons… and keep some hidden in case something happens.
When morning finally arrived, everyone returned to their routine.
But now everything felt different.
Heavier.
Rosy spent the morning focused on making new bags using leather and dried grass fibers. Most of the old ones had been taken by the goblins.
Meanwhile, Noah and Akile worked together trying to improve the cave's defenses.
They still didn't know exactly what to build.
But they already understood one thing:
They needed protection.
Akile stared at his spear for a few seconds.
A long wooden shaft.
A sharp tip.
Then he had an idea.
— What if we make this… but bigger?
Noah looked confused.
Akile pointed at the spear.
— Sharpened logs. We can place them around the entrance.
Noah immediately understood.
A barrier.
The two quickly divided the work.
Noah went out to gather smaller trunks and sturdy wood, while Akile used stone knives to sharpen the ends.
The work was slow.
Exhausting.
But little by little, a primitive fence began to take shape around the cave entrance.
While everyone worked, Steh remained close to the small sprouts grown from Ariana's seeds.
She could still feel that strange energy flowing through her body.
The sensation no longer disappeared completely.
It felt like heat.
Or tiny invisible currents moving beneath her skin.
Steh stared at one of the sprouts for a few seconds.
Then decided to try something.
Bluish particles slowly appeared around her hand.
Almost instinctively.
The mana responded to her will.
And the small sprout began to grow.
Slowly.
But visibly faster than before.
Steh's eyes widened.
— I… did that…?
Far away, in another part of the forest, a group of goblins remained gathered near a small improvised camp.
One of them held one of the stolen bags.
He shoved his hand inside.
Nothing.
The goblin pulled out the last remaining fruit, took an exaggerated bite, then tore the bag apart before throwing it onto the ground.
"Kek…"
A short while later, another goblin came running through the trees carrying two dead rabbits.
The others immediately looked at him.
The goblin proudly raised one of the stolen spears.
— With this!
The eyes of the other creatures lit up.
Little by little, the goblins were beginning to realize the value of those weapons.
And they were also beginning to understand something important.
Humans were dangerous.
The rest of the day passed slowly.
Akile and Noah continued working on the defenses.
Rosy and Steh reorganized the inside of the cave once again.
Kayn went out alone to search for fruits and small animals.
Before they realized it, night had already arrived again.
This time, Akile was responsible for the watch.
He slowly walked near the cave entrance while holding the spear firmly.
Sometimes he sat beside the campfire.
Other times he simply stared silently into the darkness of the forest.
Then a thought appeared in his mind.
What if that giant fox appeared again?
His grip on the spear tightened.
Noah also couldn't sleep properly.
He constantly turned from side to side.
Rosy flinched at every noise coming from outside.
The cave was still the same.
But it no longer felt safe.
When morning came once more, Noah gathered everyone near the entrance.
He had completely taken the role of leader.
— We're going to divide the night watch into shifts — he said seriously. — We also need to hide part of the food and keep the spears close to the entrance at all times.
Everyone nodded.
— If they found us once… they'll find us again.
The group immediately began moving.
Akile spent most of the day sharpening stones.
Over time, he realized something important:
If he repeatedly rubbed one stone against another, he could make it smaller, thinner, and much sharper.
Noah also began testing new ideas for the spears.
Longer.
Stronger.
But most of them broke during testing.
Some woods were too fragile.
Others cracked on impact.
It took countless attempts before they managed to create better versions.
Meanwhile, Steh started suffering from constant headaches.
Rosy noticed quickly.
— Are you okay?
Steh hesitated for a few seconds.
— I… don't know.
She genuinely didn't know how to explain it.
She only felt that something inside her was changing.
Later, Steh sat near the campfire hugging her knees while silently watching the flames.
Then she felt it again.
That energy.
Bluish particles slowly began appearing around her body.
And the campfire reacted.
The flames intensified for a few seconds, swaying as if pushed by something invisible.
Steh's eyes widened.
And she immediately stood up, frightened.
High above the skies, Ariana watched everything carefully.
Humans were changing.
Creating strategies.
Fortifying shelters.
Developing weapons.
Learning.
Then Ariana realized something.
Conflict accelerated evolution.
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, the goblins celebrated around a small feast.
Rabbits.
Chickens.
Stolen fruits.
The creatures raised the spears into the air as if they were sacred objects.
Among them, a slightly larger goblin remained seated near the campfire.
The others did not challenge him.
He picked up one of the spears lying beside his feet and stared at the stone tip for a few seconds.
Then muttered:
— Want more.
Back at the cave…
Noah silently watched the forest.
Then he saw something between the trees.
Eyes.
Still.
Watching the cave.
His body immediately tensed.
Noah slowly grabbed the spear.
The eyes disappeared.