My face was splattered with spider guts.
They coated my arms for a heartbeat before dissolving into dust, leaving me coughing and gagging. I blinked hard, clearing my vision—something glowed a block away.
An XP orb.
It drifted lazily toward me. My brain kicked back online, and I snatched it mid-air.
Warmth seeped into my chest as I clutched it tight. I felt a little stronger, just enough to smile despite myself. XP felt good—like eating did.
Then came the sound of a sword slashing through air.
I rolled from beneath the table on instinct, scrambling to my feet, ready to bolt through the broken wall—but a voice stopped me.
"What do we have here?" A boy's voice—young, amused.
I froze mid-stride and turned.
He stood among the wreckage like it was his throne. Ragged in the kind of way that earned respect—matted brown hair, patchwork armor, sharp eyes.
When our gazes met, he smiled. Not warmly. It was the smile a cat gives a mouse before it pounces.
Rotcastor.
"What's a little newbie doing all the way out here?" he asked, stepping closer. He stopped three cubes away—too close.
Too casual.
I knew better.
I braced to run.
But then he said something that rooted me to the spot.
He raised a hand, eyes narrowing with focus, and spoke in a flat, familiar tone:
"Alis De Aura. Age sixteen. Non-native to this Cradle. Stats level one. Days survived: one. Runner status: Codewright."
My breath caught.
"You're a Codewright?"
His smug smile deepened. "Don't look so surprised."
"Are there more of you here? A community, maybe?" The hope in my voice was embarrassing. "Have you seen a little girl? She looks like me—"
His smile grew almost patronizing.
"Stop looking at me like that," I snapped. "Just answer. Have you seen a girl named Vivid?"
"To answer your first question: no. Second question?" He tilted his head. "Also no. Not many kids make it out here."
For a moment, something shifted in his face. A flicker of real sadness—then gone.
I studied him more closely. He couldn't be more than seventeen, but his eyes were old. Tired. Always watching.
He kicked aside the broken table, revealing an overstuffed inventory belt—more than any solo runner should be carrying.
It clicked.
"You're a looter," I breathed.
The urge to run surged in me again, but I didn't. Instead, I turned back to him, face burning.
"You're supposed to be fixing the world—not tearing it apart!"
He barked a laugh, loud and cruel.
"'Fix the world?'" he echoed in a mockery of my voice. "Fix this?" He gestured to the ruins around us. "Oh, the young and naïve…"
My turn now.
I focused, letting the code seep into my mind. His readout shimmered in my vision.
"Rebel Ray. Age seventeen. Native to the Cradle. Runner status: Rotcastor… modified?"
I frowned. "Modified? That what they call traitors now?"
I turned for the exit.
But before I could climb out, he caught my arm.
"You're welcome."
I paused, half turning. My hand twitched—maybe I should slap him.
"Let go of me," I said, low and warning.
"I saved your life. You'd be spider food without me. If I wanted your loot, I'd have waited and picked your bones clean."
I flinched.
"You see, not all Rotcastors are evil." He released my arm, and I rubbed the skin where his fingers had dug in.
"I need you, Alis," he said. "In return for saving your life. Since you've got no currency, I'll settle for a favor or two."
I groaned. "So you are a mercenary. You run around saving people so they owe you?"
"Think of it as job training," he said. The amused edge vanished from his voice. "I need someone to track for me. A rival clan stole something from my people. I felt you tracing someone—you're good."
"You want me to be your personal bounty hunter?" I raised an eyebrow. "Fine. Who am I tracing?"
"Rotcastor. Call sign Hexa Quell. Female. Twenties. Normal runner status. I tracked her to this area, but I lost her in the corrupted forest."
"What did she take?"
"Not important," he snapped. "Just find her."
I sighed, sat on the dusty floor, and slipped into the layer beneath—digital tracework embedded in the Cradle.
I filtered the static, discarded two false matches, and locked onto a third. It started near the house and veered into the forest—joined by three more threads.
She wasn't alone.
"She's traveling with three others. Still in the forest," I said, opening my eyes. "I can show you."
His eyebrows rose. "Impressively fast, for a low-stat runner."
I opened my mouth to retort, but my stomach grumbled. My stats were dropping again.
He noticed.
"Hungry?" he asked.
I eyed him warily, wondering what the price would be this time.
He pulled out an apple from his pack and handed it to me. "Free of charge. I need you alert."
I took it. It was bright and sweet. Energy rushed through my limbs.
"Thanks," I muttered. I slung my multitool over my shoulder. "This way."
He nodded and followed.
"What'll you do when we find them?"
I tensed.
"Depends on who they are," he replied coolly. "Could get messy."
"I'm just your tracker. I'm not killing anyone." I clenched my jaw. "So don't expect me to fight."
"Never asked you to," he said evenly. "Just lead the way."
We had only gone a dozen blocks when a voice boomed behind us.
"Stop!"
Rebel cursed and spun. "There's nothing illegal here, Cael. Just clan business."
I peeked around his elbow and saw the newcomer—Cael—in gleaming white armor. His helmet reflected the flickering light.
He turned toward me, hand raised.
"Who's this?"
"A newbie," Rebel said stiffly. "You know I like my strays."
Cael's visor turned back to me. "Name? Status?"
"I told you," Rebel growled. "Clan business. Go find real trouble."
"I'd watch your tone with me, Rebel Ray."
They stepped toward each other, tension spiking.
"I'm Alis," I said quickly.
Cael paused. "Alis of…?"
"Alis De Aura."
"I don't believe I've ever met a De Aura. Home village?"
"Don't have one," I said quietly. "Just a stray. Like he said."
Something in his stance softened. He stepped forward and offered his hand.
"Pleased to meet you, Miss De Aura. I'm Cael."
I took his hand. He gave a slight bow before letting go.
Then he turned back to Rebel. "You're cleared. Go."
Rebel guided me away, grumbling under his breath.
"Hope I see you again soon, Alis," Cael called after me.
I nodded, cheeks flushing slightly.
Once Cael was out of sight, I finally exhaled.
Rebel, on the other hand, was still muttering curses like a storm cloud at my side.