Part 1: The Air Is Changing
The thick forest air was getting colder. Not the kind of cold that made you shiver—but the kind that made you feel… watched. Max rubbed his arms, not because of the breeze, but because something didn't feel right.
They'd been in the forest for weeks now. What started as a group of hungry adventurers chasing quests and beast cores was slowly turning into a group of strangers.
Max walked at the front, as always. He wasn't the leader—at least not officially. But the others followed him, even when they didn't say it out loud. Maybe it was because he always stayed calm. Maybe it was because of how he saved Yuro from that wild vine beast. Or maybe it was something else entirely.
The system inside him had been quiet lately. Too quiet.
> [SYSTEM NOTE]
Special ability: Locked.
Unlock conditions: Unknown.
Hidden Rank: Unreadable.
He didn't tell anyone he had a system. Not even Dira, the girl who always stayed closest to him. She once joked he had "crazy luck," but Max wasn't laughing. His powers were growing—and deep down, he was afraid of them. They didn't feel normal.
---
They reached a clearing by sunset. A small stream cut through the grass, clean and drinkable. The group dropped their bags with a tired sigh.
"I'll get wood," said Lin. He was always the first to offer.
"I'll help," said Yuro, already stepping away.
Dira sat beside Max. Her eyes were dark, thinking about something.
"You okay?" Max asked.
She looked at him. "Yeah… just tired of the trees. I want to see walls again. A tavern. Real food."
Max smiled slightly. "We'll find a town soon. Maybe even tomorrow."
"Sure," she said. But her smile didn't reach her eyes.
---
That night, as the fire cracked and the moon slipped above the leaves, Max felt that strange cold again.
Something in the group had changed.
Lin spoke less and less these days. He avoided eye contact. Yuro had stopped asking Max for advice. And Dira? She still sat beside him, but something in her voice had started to fade. Not hate. Not fear. But distance.
Max laid down on his blanket and stared at the stars.
The same ones from his old world.
"Why did I come back?" he whispered. "Why did I get reborn into this?"
He didn't have answers. Just memories of pain… and the power inside him he barely understood.
---
The next morning, they packed in silence.
A trail led east—according to the old map Lin found in the last ruin. It promised a town, maybe even a guild outpost. The group followed it, though their footsteps were heavy.
As they walked, Max couldn't shake the feeling of being studied. Not by monsters.
By his team.
---
Around noon, they reached a broken road—ancient stones swallowed by moss and roots. It looked like no one had used it in years.
"We're close," Lin said quietly, pointing ahead. "Smoke. That way."
They moved fast. Max could smell it too—burning wood. But as they stepped through the trees, what they found wasn't a village.
It was a wagon. Burned. Torn apart. Blood smeared across the wood.
Max knelt beside it. "Fresh."
Yuro backed away. "We should go—this is cursed."
"Something attacked them," Max said. "Bandits? Beasts?"
"No," Dira said softly. "Look."
She pointed to the ground. Tracks. Deep, clawed. Not human.
A creature.
---
"Let's not waste time," Lin said. "There's no loot here."
Max stared at him. "Someone died here."
"And that's not our problem."
Dira stepped in. "Lin—"
"Don't. We've been following Max around like lost dogs for weeks. He's not our leader."
The words hit hard. Max said nothing. He didn't need to. The way Lin looked at him—cold, sharp—said everything.
Yuro added, "He's right. We've been risking our lives for no gain. No coin. No guild points. What are we even doing?"
"We're surviving," Max said calmly. "Together."
Yuro laughed bitterly. "Yeah. For now."
They moved on.
---
Hours later, they spotted it: a watchtower, half-broken, standing in the distance.
"Scouts post," Dira said. "If it's still active, someone's inside."
They approached carefully. The stairs creaked as they climbed. Max went first.
Empty. Dust. Old maps. A dry bedroll.
But a lantern was still warm.
"They left recently," Max said. "We're close to civilization."
They camped by the tower. No fire this time. Just quiet.
---
Late that night, Max woke suddenly.
A sound.
Footsteps… near his bag.
He didn't move. Just listened.
Whispers.
"Not yet—he's awake."
A pause.
Then silence.
Max pretended to sleep until sunrise.
---
The next day, no one mentioned anything. But something had broken.
As they walked, Max lagged behind, watching all of them.
Not one of them looked back at him.
---
They reached the town gates by midday.
It was small, surrounded by wooden walls and simple guards. Smoke rose from chimneys, and laughter could be heard inside.
Dira smiled genuinely for the first time. "We made it."
Max felt nothing.
Just a weight in his chest.
---
The gatekeeper looked them over. "New to Serin Town?"
Yuro answered. "Been in the forest a while. Any quests posted?"
"Plenty," the man said. "Visit the Hall. You'll find what you need."
They passed through.
Children played in the mud. Blacksmiths pounded iron. Farmers shouted about vegetables. Life was normal.
But Max felt like a stranger.
Even in safety, he couldn't relax.
Especially now.
---
They found an inn. Max paid for everyone's rooms.
As they sat at the table, drinks in hand, Dira leaned closer. "Thanks… for everything out there."
Max nodded.
"You don't trust me anymore, do you?"
He blinked.
She was smiling—but her eyes were wet.
"I don't know," Max admitted. "Something's changed."
Dira sipped her drink. "People change when they're hungry. When they're scared."
"I never asked them to follow me," Max said.
"I know."
A long pause.
Then she whispered, "Just… stay alive."
And walked away.
---
Max sat there, alone.
His hand clenched the table.
> [SYSTEM WARNING]
Emotional Stability: Shaken.
Hidden Ability Resonance: 3%
Danger Detected.
He stared at the blinking system message.
And for the first time in weeks… he was afraid of what might come next.
Part 2: shadows Grow
---
The next morning, sunlight spilled weakly through the inn's small window. Max lay still, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing. The warmth of the room did little to chase away the chill inside him. The weight of yesterday's unease pressed down hard.
He sat up slowly. The others were still asleep in the adjacent room. He could hear soft breathing, the calm after a restless storm.
Max ran a hand through his hair. What was happening to them? To himself? The trust he once felt seemed to crack with every step they took.
> [SYSTEM UPDATE]
Emotional Stability: Critical
Danger Detected: Increasing
His heart beat faster. The system's warnings were clear—but no one else seemed to notice.
He pulled on his boots and slipped quietly outside.
---
The town was waking slowly. Smoke curled from chimneys, and vendors set up their stalls. Children's laughter echoed down the dirt streets.
Max walked toward the edge of town, away from the noise. He needed space. He needed air that didn't feel like a cage.
Near the river, he found a small wooden pier. The water was clear and cold. Max knelt and ran his fingers through it, watching the ripples fade.
His thoughts spiraled. Was he imagining things? Paranoia? Or was the darkness really closing in?
A voice broke through the quiet.
"You shouldn't be out here alone."
Max turned sharply. It was Dira. Her eyes were cautious, guarded.
"I needed to clear my head," Max said, trying to sound steady.
She sat beside him, her gaze on the water. "I know how it feels."
He glanced at her. "Do you?"
She hesitated. "Yes… and no. I want to trust you, Max. I really do. But it's getting harder."
Max swallowed. "Me too."
---
They talked until the sun climbed high. Dira shared stories about her family, about why she left her village—about fear, loss, and the things that change a person.
Max listened, feeling something crack inside. Maybe he wasn't alone in this after all.
But just as hope flickered, a shadow crossed the water.
They both looked up.
Lin and Yuro were walking fast toward the riverbank, voices low but sharp.
Max's chest tightened.
---
Lin spotted them and scowled. "What are you two whispering about?"
Dira stood, tense. "Nothing."
Max stepped forward. "We just needed some air."
Lin's eyes flicked between them. "Looks like secrets."
Yuro laughed—a cold, bitter sound. "Maybe some secrets should stay secret."
Max clenched his fists but held his tongue.
Lin's sneer deepened. "You're not the leader anymore, Max. Not here."
Max's voice was calm but firm. "I'm still with this group. Whether you like it or not."
"Maybe we don't want you anymore," Yuro said.
The words hit like a blade.
Dira took a step back, her face pale.
---
That night, the inn was quieter than usual.
Max lay awake, staring at the ceiling again.
Memories clawed at him.
The faces of those who once smiled at him now twisted with doubt and anger.
The system inside him pulsed faintly—locked, unreadable—but something deep stirred.
> [SYSTEM WARNING]
Hidden Ability Resonance: 7%
Emotional Stability: Shaken
He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on.
---
The next morning, they prepared to leave Serin Town.
At the gate, a messenger approached with a sealed letter.
Lin grabbed it without waiting.
"From the guild," he said, breaking the seal.
His face changed as he read.
"There's a bounty nearby," he announced. "Beasts terrorizing a village."
Yuro smirked. "Finally, a real hunt."
Dira looked worried. Max's heart sank.
---
The journey to the village was tense.
Lin and Yuro led with sharp eyes and sharper words.
Dira stayed close to Max but said little.
Max's mind raced, trying to read every glance, every pause.
Trust was a fading ember.
---
They reached the village as the sun dipped low.
Smoke rose from broken huts.
Villagers huddled behind makeshift barricades.
Fear filled the air like a thick fog.
Lin turned to Max. "Stay back. We handle this."
Max shook his head. "We face it together."
Lin's laugh was harsh. "You don't decide anymore."
---
The battle was brutal.
Monsters unlike any they'd faced before—massive, clawed beasts with glowing eyes.
Lin and Yuro fought fiercely, but Max saw the hesitation.
A look passed between Lin and Yuro—a silent message Max didn't understand.
Suddenly, one beast broke through the line.
Max moved to protect Dira.
Lin shouted, "Step back!"
But Max stood his ground.
The beast lunged.
---
Max dodged, but the claw grazed his arm, burning like fire.
Pain flared, but he held firm.
Then he saw it—Yuro moving away, eyes cold.
Lin wasn't fighting the beast—he was watching Max.
A seed of betrayal bloomed sharp and ugly in Max's mind.
---
After the fight, the village was saved, but the cost was clear.
Max's arm throbbed, but his heart ached more.
He looked at Lin and Yuro—once comrades, now strangers.
Dira approached quietly.
"We can't stay here," she whispered.
Max nodded.
---
That night, as they camped under cold stars, Max's system pulsed faintly again.
> [SYSTEM ALERT]
Hidden Ability Resonance: 12%
Emotional Stability: Critical
He closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
And Max knew he had to be ready.
________________________________________
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