A week of gray mornings had dulled the senses of most in camp, but today, there was something sharper beneath it. The cold clung tighter. The wind barely moved. And though the fencing still stood, it felt like the Cradle was holding its breath.
Miriam paced quietly near the central firepit, arms folded, eyes flicking toward the northern treeline. The others were already stirring—Camila at her post sharpening stakes, Jake muttering to himself near the Obelisk, and Dev... sitting alone.
He wasn’t glowing, not exactly, but something shimmered faintly around his skin. A low, ambient pressure. Reiatsu. The first signs of it.
Jason stood across from him, feet wide apart, breathing slow.
“Okay,” Jason said, “best advice I can give is pretty lacklustre. Meditate”
Dev nodded. “I’m trying. But other than a general sense of something else, I can’t do anything else with it”
“That’s normal,” Harper said, stepping in. She crossed her arms. “Only Jason has some control, but he’s got a Zanpakuto, which may assist in that.”
“Point is,” Melissa added, “we’re figuring it out together.”
They didn’t spar. Not yet. They were still learning how to walk, spiritually speaking. But standing in the field together—Reiatsu users side by side, testing their breath, their energy—was a start.
Jason having had bought Hakuda training, spends his time helping the other Bleach path users with their hand to hand combat. He’s by no means a master, but buying it had given him a basic level of ability, and the know how of how to train and progress.
Near the training ring, the Ten-for-Ten group had grown to eight now. Wren and Yusuf didn’t lead like teachers—they trained side by side with the others. Wren’s control of Ten was cleaner, more consistent, and Yusuf’s Ren bursts were starting to hold longer. They had taken on the role of instructors as they had a head start, but ultimately, they are as new as the others. As the others listened in it was clear they were interested in choosing Nen as well.
Travis sat across from them, aura flickering faintly.
“How long can you hold Ren for” Yusuf said.
“40 seconds” Travis muttered through grit teeth.
“Impressive, I’m up to 3 minutes now, almost the 5 minute mark.”
Wren sat nearby, offering a half-smile. “Damn, you’re going to surpass me at this rate, I better up my game.”
The group was silent for a while after that. Aura shimmered faintly in the haze. The fog curled around their feet.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Ellie sat with Li and Hana near the eastern edge of the camp. A slab of bark was their table, their practice board, and their sketchpad. Lines of ice spread slowly across it, not perfect, not beautiful—but real.
“Try it without moving your fingers,” Ellie said softly. “Think of it forming first. Feel it there.”
Hana bit her lip and tried. A faint chill crept from her palms, barely visible.
Li raised an eyebrow. “That’s getting close.”
“Still cracks when I push it though,” Hana said. “Maybe I need to buy something.”
“Not necessarily,” Ellie said. “Ice Make helped me, but I think talent counts too. You’re already more controlled than I was when I started.”
Li leaned back. “If this fog doesn’t lift, we’re all going to be sitting around shaping bark for weeks.”
“Better than getting eaten,” Hana said. That earned a couple dry laughs
At the fencing, Matt and Vin were reinforcing the trench grid with Alex. It was slow work—muddy, repetitive—but there was rhythm to it now. They worked well together. They also had to do some watchtower maintenance. Nothing fancy by any means, the ‘towers’ themselves are only a meter off of the ground, and very rickety, hence the constant maintenance.
“You think anything’s out there?” Vin asked, glancing into the fog.
“Maybe,” Alex said. “But nothing’s charged us yet.”
“Yet, your raising death flags man” Matt muttered.
Alex didn’t respond but had a grin on his face. He kept moving. Kept working chakra through his legs as he lifted stakes, not because it was faster—but because it helped him focus. Training could happen anywhere. He needed to get as used to using chakra, so it becomes like breathing to him.
That was when the shouting started.
Callum had been arguing again.
He was standing near the Obelisk, voice raised. “You’re telling me we’re putting all our points into people who haven’t even done anything yet?”
“It’s not about what they’ve done,” Jake replied calmly. “It’s what they’re working toward.”
“I’ve seen Wren get stronger. I’ve seen Alex practicing his fire thing. But why the hell is Travis getting all this attention when he hasn’t even—”
“He trains every day,” Wren snapped, walking up. “And if you’ve got a problem, why don’t you get stronger yourself?”
“I’ve been trying!” Callum shouted. “But I don’t have garbage I can throw into the Obelisk like some of you do. I didn’t come in with rings or watches!”
“You think any of us had it easy?” Camila appeared, silent and cold. “You want pity? Go dig trenches. You want power? Earn it.”
Callum’s jaw clenched. “I’m saying we vote. Publicly. On where points go. No more of this silent favouritism.”
The silence was sharp.
“Fine,” Miriam said from the firepit. “We vote. Tonight.”
She turned to the others. “You all heard him. Callum wants a say.”
“For fucks sake,” Camila muttered.
“Let’s find out what the camp wants,” Miriam said.
Later that evening, under torchlight, the fire pit was crowded. Jake stood with his notebook. “Proposal: community votes on point pooling. Simple majority. Majority rules. Speak your minds.”
Some agreed. Others were quiet. Most just listened.
By the end of it, the vote passed—barely.
From now on, point pooling would require a full group vote. No more spontaneous handouts. No more side deals.
Callum smirked. Wren didn’t look at him. She just sat beside Yusuf and focused on her breathing.
“We keep training,” Yusuf whispered. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Fucking politics. Can’t escape it.” she said. “Bad move by Miriam.”
“Maybe, but unfortunately, these people, like us, come from a civilised world. They love to vote. And if ignored, well, desperate times”
Jake’s Updated Tally
Path Count:
- Naruto – 8
- One Piece – 8
- Fairy Tail – 6
- Hunter x Hunter – 5
- Bleach – 4
Chosen:
Remaining Survivors: