Xander woke with a sharp inhale.

  No cave ceiling.

  No dim firelight.

  No sound.

  Just black.

  Not the kind of darkness where your eyes adjust.

  The kind that swallows the idea of light.

  He pushed himself upright slowly, boots meeting nothing, yet he wasn’t falling. The ground beneath him felt solid, even if he couldn’t see it.

  “…Espud?” He muttered into the void.

  A voice answered instantly.

  "Hello Xander."

  It echoed everywhere and nowhere at once, smooth, amused.

  Xander rubbed a hand down his face. “Why am I here?”

  "I felt we needed to discuss a few things."

  Xander raised a brow despite knowing Espud could probably feel it. “Like what?”

  A low, theatrical sigh drifted through the darkness.

  "Well," Espud began, his tone sliding into mockery, "The first thing would be you allying with an entire party."

  Xander exhaled slowly. “It is what it is. You’ve gotta adapt.”

  A soft chuckle. "You forget your place."

  “And you always forget yours,” Xander shot back immediately.

  Silence.

  Then laughter.

  Not loud but layered. Like multiple tones overlapping in amusement.

  "Need I remind you of your fate, boy?" Espud said smoothly. "You are only capable of great feats due to the likes of me. Without me, you are as useless as that loud-mouthed, wannabe, discount cowboy."

  Xander’s jaw tightened.

  “Don’t worry,” He said evenly. “Once I win this whole thing, I’ll wish our deal out of existence.”

  Espud laughed again, longer this time.

  There was something sharp underneath it.

  "There's a reason your house is known as the bad luck charm, boy." Espud spoke. "It's because you are."

  Xander’s hands slowly clenched into fists.

  The void seemed to press closer.

  “I’m not,” He said, voice low.

  "You are."

  “You’re the bad luck charm. Not me.”

  A pause.

  Then, lazily...

  "Tomato, Tamato."

  The darkness rippled faintly, as if amused by itself.

  "You carry me," Espud continued. "You breathe because I allow it. You stand because I steady you. And yet you speak of erasing me."

  Xander didn’t back down.

  “Maybe I’m standing despite you.”

  Another ripple of laughter.

  "Careful, boy," Espud murmured. "Confidence looks strange on something designed to be a vessel."

  That word lingered.

  Vessel.

  The void shifted, not visually, but in feeling. Heavier. Closer. Like the air before a storm.

  "You think those allies with save you?" Espud continued. "You think attachment will not end the same way it always has?"

  Xander didn’t answer.

  But his fists tightened harder.

  Espud’s voice softened, not kinder. Just closer.

  "I am not your curse, Xander. I am your advantage."

  A beat.

  "And advantages always come at a cost."

  The darkness pulsed once.

  Then...

  Xander’s eyes snapped open.

  The cave ceiling stared back at him.

  The faint sound of breathing.

  Shifting fabric.

  Someone snoring lightly.

  Reality.

  But his hands were still clenched.

  Xander sat up slowly, the echo of the void still clinging to him like cold mist.

  He didn’t look at anyone as he stood.

  Careful steps carried him out of the cave and into the open air. The night greeted him in silver-blue stillness. Moonlight spilled over the forest floor, soft and indifferent.

  He inhaled deeply.

  Fresh air.

  Real air.

  His fists were still clenched.

  He forced them open, one finger at a time.

  Inhale.

  Exhale.

  His thoughts drifted somewhere they didn’t often go.

  Mira.

  The memory of her face surfaced easily, easier than he expected. The way she used to look at him like he wasn’t something fragile. Like he was just… him.

  A twig snapped nearby.

  He stiffened instantly.

  “Relax.”

  Woods stepped into view, hands tucked into his pockets, posture loose but alert.

  “You move too quiet,” Xander muttered.

  Woods shrugged faintly. “You breathe too loud.”

  A pause.

  “Can’t sleep?” Woods asked.

  Xander gave a slow nod. “Something like that.”

  Woods nodded once. “Me neither.”

  They stood side by side beneath the moonlight, not looking at each other. Just watching the treeline. Listening to the forest breathe.

  After a while, Woods spoke again.

  “You’re a good fighter.”

  Xander glanced at him, surprised.

  A faint smile touched his face. “Thanks. You too.”

  Silence settled again.

  “Who trained you?” Woods asked.

  Xander let out a quiet breath through his nose. “Mostly my father. He was… strict. But he taught me what he could.”

  Woods nodded once. “He passed?”

  “Yeah.” A small pause. “Illness.”

  Woods’ gaze stayed forward. “I see.”

  The words weren’t empty. Just simple.

  Xander shifted slightly. “And you were probably trained by a bunch of monks.”

  A faint huff escaped Woods. Almost a laugh.

  “Yeah,” He said. “You could say that.”

  Xander tilted his head. “Why’d you leave it?”

  The question hung in the cool air.

  Woods didn’t answer.

  He didn’t move either.

  Just stared ahead at the trees, jaw set slightly tighter than before.

  The silence stretched.

  Xander didn’t push it.

  He gave a small nod to himself and looked forward again too, taking the hint.

  The moonlight rested on both of them evenly.

  The forest had gone quieter.

  Even the insects seemed distant.

  Woods broke the silence first.

  “What would your wish be?”

  Xander blinked slightly. “Hm?”

  “For when you win,” Woods clarified. “What’ll you ask for?”

  Xander looked back toward the trees, thinking.

  “Well…” His voice lowered a fraction. “I’d remove the deal the founder of my house made.”

  Woods nodded slowly. “The Greydon curse.”

  Xander gave a small nod in return.

  A few seconds passed before Woods asked, “Hasn’t there been other Greydons who tried that?”

  “Probably,” Xander admitted with a shrug. “I’m sure some of them did.”

  Woods glanced down briefly, then back toward the horizon. “What makes you think you’ll be any different?”

  Xander considered that.

  A faint breath left him.

  “I don’t,” He said honestly. “I’m probably not any different from them.”

  The answer hung between them, steady, unembellished.

  Xander turned his head slightly. “And you? What would your wish be? If you won?”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Woods inhaled deeply before answering.

  “I’d probably ask to remove my core.”

  Xander’s brows lifted. “Really?”

  Woods nodded once. “Don’t look so surprised. You and I don’t have very differing goals.”

  “That’s true,” Xander said slowly. “But I didn’t expect you to resent your powers.”

  Woods shook his head faintly. “I wouldn’t say I resent them. It’s more…” He paused, searching for the words. “I think I just want to move somewhere far away. Isolated. Just me and nature. No expectations. No obligations. No… anything.”

  The wind shifted through the trees.

  “Only me and the wild,” Woods finished quietly.

  Xander gave a slow nod. “I understand the feeling.”

  They stood there, two silhouettes beneath the moon.

  Woods exhaled through his nose. “So it’ll either be you who’s free of these cores… or me.”

  A faint hint of something unreadable crossed his tone.

  “I wonder who it’ll be.”

  Xander shrugged lightly. “Guess time will tell.”

  Woods tilted his head up, eyes fixed on the moon’s pale glow.

  “Indeed,” He murmured.

  The night didn’t answer.

  It simply watched.

  "Do you trust them?" Woods spoke.

  "Hm?"

  "The siblings, do you trust them?"

  "Too soon to say but... they don't seem bad so far."

  Woods let out a quiet breath and pushed off the tree he’d been leaning against.

  “Alright,” He said. “I’m gonna get some shut eye again.”

  “Right,” Xander replied. “Goodnight.”

  “Night.”

  Woods stepped back toward the cave, his silhouette disappearing into the dark mouth of it.

  Xander stayed where he was.

  The moon hung high and pale, washing the forest in silver. For a few minutes, he just stood there, letting the quiet settle into him. Letting his thoughts slow.

  Then...

  The sky flickered.

  A low hum rippled through the air, subtle but wrong.

  Xander’s head snapped upward.

  Light fractured across the clouds, forming sharp lines of blue-white energy. The forest floor glowed faintly as the illumination intensified.

  And then it stabilized.

  A massive hologram stretched across the sky.

  80 PARTICIPANTS LEFT

  The words hovered in cold, sterile lettering.

  Xander’s chest tightened slightly.

  Eighty.

  He exhaled slowly.

  Twenty people gone.

  On the first day.

  No names. No faces. Just a number reduced.

  The forest felt different now, heavier. Less like wilderness, more like a graveyard that hadn’t finished filling.

  Xander stared at the glowing text for several long seconds, jaw set.

  The hologram flickered once more.

  Then vanished.

  The sky returned to its natural darkness, as if nothing had happened.

  Only the quiet remained.

  Xander lowered his gaze, inhaled deeply, and finally turned back toward the cave.

  By the time he lay down again, his expression had hardened just slightly.

  Morning would come.

  And with it, fewer chances.

  Morning light filtered through the trees, thin beams slipping through the forest canopy.

  Xander slowly opened his eyes.

  For a second he just lay there on the cave floor, staring at the rocky ceiling.

  Then he heard voices outside.

  Muffled at first. Casual. The sound of people talking... and something being tossed or picked.

  He pushed himself up and rubbed the back of his neck before walking toward the cave entrance.

  When he stepped outside, the cool morning air hit him immediately.

  The group was already awake.

  Crystal and Marvel sat on a couple of flat rocks, a small pile of blueberries between them. Erron lounged nearby on another stone, lazily tossing berries into his mouth one at a time.

  Woods was the only one standing.

  He leaned against a nearby tree with his arms crossed, silently watching the surrounding forest like he always did.

  Erron noticed Xander first.

  His face lit up immediately.

  “Hey!” He called, waving him over. “Sleeping beauty rises!”

  He held out a handful of blueberries.

  “Breakfast?”

  Xander walked over and nodded, taking a few. He popped one into his mouth.

  They were tart.

  Crystal looked up at him. “How did you sleep?”

  Xander shrugged lightly. “It was fine.”

  Marvel suddenly leaned forward a little.

  “Hey,” He said. “Can I ask you something?”

  Xander glanced at him. “Sure.”

  Crystal immediately shot Marvel a sharp side-eye.

  She already knew exactly what he was about to ask.

  Marvel noticed the look but ignored it.

  His curiosity had clearly been building since last night.

  “You’re a Greydon, right?” He said. “So that means you’ve got a devil in your head… right?”

  Xander slowly chewed the blueberry.

  Erron stopped mid-bite, suddenly interested.

  Woods didn’t move, but his eyes shifted slightly toward them.

  Marvel continued, leaning forward a bit more.

  “So like… what’s it like?”

  Crystal sighed quietly under her breath, rubbing her temple.

  She had known this question was coming the moment Marvel opened his mouth.

  Xander sat down on one of the rocks beside them, rolling another blueberry between his fingers before eating it.

  He looked around at the group briefly, then back at Marvel.

  “It’s a devil that talks to me,” He said simply. “And it makes me able to fight.”

  He gave an awkward shrug.

  “I don’t really know what else to say.”

  Marvel leaned forward, clearly unsatisfied with that answer.

  “So like... what does it talk to you about?”

  Xander popped another berry into his mouth.

  “Uh… anything, I guess.”

  He scratched the side of his head. “Most of the time he’s just making fun of me.”

  Marvel blinked.

  “So it’s a guy?”

  Xander nodded. “Yeah.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Espud.”

  Marvel repeated it slowly. “Espud...”

  He made a small face.

  “That’s a weird name.”

  Erron chimed in from the side without missing a beat.

  “I mean, it’s a devil,” He said, tossing another berry into his mouth. “Not like it’s gonna be named Bert or something, y’know.”

  Marvel ignored him and kept going.

  “So are you guys like… friends?”

  Xander immediately shook his head.

  “Uh... no. Not really. I wouldn't say that."

  Marvel tilted his head.

  “What does he look like?”

  Xander shrugged again.

  “I’ve never seen him.”

  Marvel blinked in surprise.

  “Really?”

  Xander nodded.

  “He only talks.”

  He paused a moment, staring down at the blueberries in his hand.

  “And it’s never anything good.”

  Crystal finally stepped in, turning toward Marvel.

  “Alright, that’s enough questions,” She said gently. “Let him eat. He just woke up.”

  Marvel’s shoulders sank a little.

  “Sorry,” He said sheepishly.

  Erron grinned at the exchange.

  “Aww, cute.”

  Crystal immediately shot him an irritated look.

  “That’s enough out of you too.”

  Erron raised his hands slightly in surrender and looked away, continuing to eat his berries.

  Xander shook his head lightly.

  “It’s alright,” He said. “He’s just curious.”

  He nodded toward Marvel.

  Crystal still seemed unconvinced, but she let it go.

  “Regardless,” She said after a moment, standing up from the rock, “We should get going now.”

  Erron looked up.

  “Where we going?”

  Crystal adjusted the strap of her bag.

  “The last vision I had of our father... it was in the desert.”

  Xander slowly nodded.

  Erron immediately groaned.

  “Oh come on, not the desert. I was just starting to like this scenery.”

  Woods spoke without even looking at him.

  “Feel free to stay.”

  His tone was thick with sarcasm.

  Erron turned his head toward him.

  “You know what? Now I’m gonna tag along happily just to spite your homeless ass.”

  Woods responded by silently flipping him off.

  Erron jumped to his feet.

  “You wanna go, pal? We can go round two!”

  Marvel hurried between them again, nervously pushing them apart.

  “Woah, guys, relax!”

  Crystal sighed, rubbing her temple.

  Xander stood up from the rock and brushed his hands off.

  “Let’s focus,” He said calmly. “We’ll follow Crystal’s lead.”

  Crystal gave a small nod.

  After a moment, Woods nodded too.

  Erron shrugged.

  “Fine, fine.”

  And just like that, the group began preparing to move.

  They moved through the forest together, the ground soft with fallen leaves and the canopy above letting thin rays of sunlight slip through.

  For a while, the only sound was footsteps and the rustling of branches.

  Then Erron broke the silence.

  “This is fun,” He said casually. “It’s like we’re on an adventure... and totally not in a massive arena where people are fighting to the death.”

  Marvel nodded in agreement.

  “I agree.”

  Woods glanced ahead toward Crystal as they walked.

  “How far is the desert biome exactly?”

  Before Crystal could answer, Erron chimed in.

  “Not that far actually. Me and Xander saw it close by yesterday.”

  Xander gave a small nod to confirm it.

  Woods slowly turned his head toward Erron.

  “I didn’t know you were a girl, Erron.”

  Marvel snickered at that.

  Erron immediately snapped back.

  “Well I’d still look ten times better as a girl than your funky looking ass.”

  Marvel snickered even harder.

  Crystal, still walking ahead of everyone, rubbed her forehead in irritation.

  “Quit bickering for one second, ugh!”

  Erron immediately quieted down, walking with his hands behind his head.

  Woods just smiled faintly to himself.

  Xander walked silently beside them, listening but not saying anything as the group continued deeper through the forest toward the distant desert.

  As they walked, the forest slowly began to thin out.

  Leaves crunched beneath their boots while shafts of sunlight pushed through the tall trees above. The group moved in a loose line, Crystal leading at the front while the others followed behind her.

  After about an hour of walking, something unusual appeared through the trees to their right.

  A massive stone structure.

  It rose out of the forest like an old fortress, its tall walls dark and weathered. Towers extended upward from the corners, their windows narrow slits like the eyes of a giant watching the woods. Vines crawled up the stone and parts of the outer wall looked cracked with age, but the building itself still stood strong and imposing.

  Erron slowed his walk, staring at it.

  "What the hell is that?"

  Marvel looked just as curious, squinting toward the structure.

  "It looks like a fortress or something."

  Woods didn't even slow down much as he glanced at it.

  "Probably a death trap."

  Xander nodded slightly.

  "Yeah. Most likely."

  Crystal didn't even look toward it for long. She kept walking ahead.

  "Too bad we won't find out."

  Erron tilted his head, still eyeing the building.

  "It could have supplies though. Weapons. Food. Something useful."

  Crystal shook her head.

  "Or traps. Or other participants waiting inside."

  She glanced back briefly.

  "It's best if we keep moving."

  Xander nodded again.

  "Agreed."

  Erron shrugged and continued walking with them.

  "Alright, alright. I tried."

  They continued past the massive fortress, the building slowly disappearing behind the trees as they moved deeper through the forest.

  For a few minutes, nothing happened.

  Then...

  Marvel suddenly stopped walking.

  "...Wait."

  The others continued for a step before realizing he had stopped.

  Xander turned back.

  "What?"

  Marvel tilted his head slightly, listening.

  "...Do you guys hear that?"

  Everyone paused.

  The forest was quiet.

  Birds, leaves moving in the wind… nothing unusual.

  Erron shrugged.

  "Hear what?"

  Marvel frowned, concentrating harder.

  "It's like…"

  He looked deeper into the forest.

  "...chanting."

  The others listened again.

  Still nothing.

  Woods crossed his arms.

  "I don't hear anything."

  Crystal also shook her head.

  Marvel opened his mouth to reply...

  Then the faintest sound drifted through the trees.

  Low voices.

  Soft.

  Rhythmic.

  Chanting.

  Now everyone heard it.

  Erron’s joking expression slowly faded.

  "...Oh."

  The chanting grew louder.

  Not just one voice.

  Several.

  All repeating the same low rhythmic sound.

  And it was getting closer.

  Woods immediately turned.

  "We should probably run."

  No one argued.

  They all began moving quickly through the forest, pushing through brush and weaving between trees.

  But they had barely taken more than a few steps when...

  A man stepped out from behind a tree directly in front of them.

  Everyone stopped.

  Then another figure stepped out to the left.

  Another to the right.

  Then a fourth.

  Then a fifth.

  Five people now stood blocking their path.

  The chanting instantly stopped.

  The man in the center raised one hand slightly.

  The others immediately fell silent at the gesture.

  It was clear who the leader was.

  He stepped forward slowly.

  He was tall, wearing a long black military-style coat that flowed behind him as he moved. The coat was tightly fitted with belts across the waist, layered over a dark suit and tie that looked strangely formal for a place like this. Heavy boots stepped calmly against the forest floor.

  His hair was pale blond, slicked back neatly, giving him a clean, controlled appearance. His face was sharp and composed, with narrow eyes that calmly studied the group before him.

  At his side rested a sleek pistol in a holster, but his hand remained nowhere near it.

  Behind him, the four others stood quietly.

  Waiting.

  Watching.

  The blond man let his gaze pass across the five of them one by one.

  Then a faint smile appeared.

  "My apologies."

  His voice was smooth and controlled.

  "I didn't mean to startle you."

  He clasped his hands behind his back.

  "My name is Kaiser."

  The party immediately tenses.

  Marvel’s fists clench, Erron grips his revolvers, Woods’ hands simmer with heat, Xander’s own fists tighten, and Crystal summons a bow in her hands, ready and alert.

  The leader steps forward, keeping his gun sheathed at his side. His sharp eyes scanning the group with a calm intensity, and his posture exudes authority. He speaks smoothly.

  "Who is your leader?"

  Crystal steps forward confidently, her bow still raised.

  Kaiser’s smile is calm and assessing.

  Crystal meets his gaze steadily. “I am,” she replies.

  Kaiser nods, intrigued. "What is your name?"

  “Crystal,” She answers evenly.

  “And your companions?” He inquires.

  Crystal narrows her eyes. “Why do you want to know that?”

  Kaiser chuckles softly. “How rude of me. I’ll go first, then.” He gestures to the allies standing beside him and begins introductions:

  “This is Tsuneo,” He says, nodding toward the armored figure with the serious expression. His helmet resting in his hands. His hair long and black. His skin an olive tone.

  “This is Gioia,” Indicating the young woman with long, wavy brown hair and fur-lined attire. Her skin a fair tone.

  “And this is Charles,” He finishes, pointing to the man with the dark cloak, messy hair, and tense glare. His skin pale as a vampire.

  “And finally,” He says, nodding toward the last figure standing slightly behind the others, “This is Nuru.”

  She is draped in dark clothing that almost blends with her deep black skin, a patterned scarf covering the lower half of her face. Only her striking purple eyes are visible, observing everything with a calculating calmness.

  The two groups now stand face-to-face, each sizing the other up under the tense, muted forest light.

  The air is thick with anticipation, every movement measured, every glance carrying weight.

  Kaiser’s piercing gaze remained locked on Crystal, waiting for her response, but she didn’t flinch. Her bow was drawn, the string taut, ready for any sudden move. The tension between the two groups was palpable, each party assessing the other with careful calculation.

  Erron finally broke the silence, leaning slightly forward with a smirk. “So… you guys a cult?”

  Kaiser chuckled, the sound low and smooth. “We prefer the term Order. We are an order of people, destined to spread our message throughout the lands, and the universe.”

  “Uh huh,” Erron replied, his tone flat but curious. “So, what’s your guys’ message?”

  “Why, I’m so glad you asked,” Kaiser said, his voice rising slightly with fervor. “Our message is to spread the message of the end times. They are near.”

  Erron nodded slowly, letting a dry laugh escape. “Classic one.”

  Kaiser’s smile didn’t waver. “But it is true, my friend. The end times are near. That is why we joined the Death Wish, to have our wish granted, and save this world from a great danger that is coming.”

  “Uh huh… so what’s the danger?” Erron asked, still watching carefully.

  Kaiser’s expression turned grave, almost reverent. “The return of the Great Centipede, of course. The one who started it all. It is coming back to reclaim its power and finish the job once and for all.”

  Erron blinked slowly. “The Great Centipede? You mean the one that died, fell, and whose bones are in some museum now?”

  “It is not dead, my friend,” Kaiser said firmly. “It is merely waiting.”

  The forest around them seemed to hold its breath. Xander, Woods, Crystal, Marvel, and Erron all remained on edge, watching the five members of the Order intently. Five faces stared back at them, calm and unreadable, their leader’s words hanging in the air like a storm cloud waiting to break.

  The standoff continued, tense and silent, each group sizing the other up, the distant chanting of the Order now replaced with an eerie, anticipatory quiet.

  Kaiser’s gaze swept over the group, calm but commanding. “So will you join us?” He said, his voice resonating with authority. “There’s a place for each of you in our Order. Together, we can prevent the end times.”

  Silence fell over the clearing. The tension was thick, like the air before a storm. No one moved. No one spoke.

  Then, almost in perfect unison, Xander, Woods, Erron, Marvel and Crystal all glanced at one another, their eyes briefly meeting in mutual understanding.

  “No.”

  Kaiser’s sigh was slow, deliberate. He looked down at the ground for a moment, as if disappointed, before lifting his head to meet Crystal’s eyes. “What a shame,” He said coldly. “Prepare to die, then."

  The air seemed to tighten, charged with hostility, as both sides readied themselves for the inevitable clash.

  "Heathens."

  CHAPTER 4 END