The forest was silent, save for the faint rustle of leaves in the cold morning breeze. The first rays of sunlight had yet to break through the dense canopy, leaving the clearing cloaked in a dim, gray haze.

  Reed stood motionless beside the lifeless body of the giant, his chest rising and falling in slow, measured breaths.

  The creature's innards were strewn across the ground, a grotesque tapestry of violence. Reed's hands, his clothes, his face—all were drenched in crimson. The metallic tang of blood clung to the air, thick and suffocating.

  He felt no triumph, no relief. Only guilt. It gnawed at him, a heavy weight pressing down on his chest. It hadn't even been a full day, and already he had witnessed three deaths.

  Death was no stranger to him—he had walked through the horrors of war, seen men fall by the dozens. But this was different. These were young lives, cut short in a fight they never chose. They hadn't signed up for this. They hadn't asked for it.

  With a sigh, Reed turned away from the giant's corpse. His boots squelched in the blood-soaked earth as he moved toward the tree line, where Spike had been hiding.

  He took two steps, then he found Spike. Spike's body was half-visible, protruding awkwardly from the hollow of a tree trunk.

  "What are you doing?" Reed asked, his voice low and gravelly.

  Spike emerged slowly, one cautious step at a time, his eyes darting between Reed and the dead giant. His face was pale, his expression a mix of awe and unease.

  "You killed that thing?" Spike asked, his voice trembling slightly.

  Reed didn't answer. Instead, he walked back to the giant's corpse, pulling a knife from his belt. He drove the blade into the creature's hide, but the knife barely scratched the surface. The skin was like iron.

  Reed frowned and gestured for Spike to help him flip the body over. Together, they heaved the massive corpse onto its back, revealing the gaping wound in its belly.

  Ignoring the mess of entrails, Reed moved to the creature's lower chest. He pulled out a dagger—a different blade, heavier and sharper—and plunged it into the flesh. This time, the blade sank in easily. With practiced precision, he began to carve open the corpse, his movements methodical and deliberate.

  Spike watched in stunned silence, his mouth slightly agape. Reed could feel the boy's eyes on him, but he didn't look up. He was too focused on his task.

  "I'm looking for its stomach," Reed explained, his tone matter-of-fact. "The stomach usually contains acid. Capable of melting flesh if you're not careful."

  Spike didn't respond. He just stood there, staring as Reed knelt beside the corpse and sliced through thick, sinewy tubes. He pulled out a few large organs and tossed them aside, his hands steady despite the grisly work.

  Reed was about to start skinning the creature for meat when Spike suddenly stepped forward.

  The boy moved to the giant's chest, his movements hesitant but purposeful. He reached into his boot and pulled out a small, hidden dagger.

  Reed glanced at him but said nothing, his expression unreadable. Spike hesitated, then plunged the dagger into the creature's chest. After a moment of digging, he pulled out a dark, unfamiliar object. It was small, about the size of a finger with dark roots branching out of it.

  "Here," Spike said, holding it out to Reed.

  Reed frowned and took a step back, his eyes narrowing. "What is that?"

  Spike blinked, surprised by Reed's reaction. "It's a void sprout," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

  When Reed didn't respond, Spike's confusion deepened and he muttered quietly to himself. "Your experience and actions really contradict your knowledge."

  Reed stared at the object, his brow furrowed. A void sprout? He shook his head, pushing the thought aside for now. There would be time for questions later.

  "Let's just harvest what we can and find somewhere safe," Reed said, his voice firm. "You can tell me about it then."

  Spike nodded, though he still looked uneasy. He tucked the void sprout into his pocket and stepped back, giving Reed space to work.

  The forest was beginning to lighten, the first rays of sunlight piercing through the trees. Reed glanced at the horizon, then back at the giant's corpse. There was no time to waste. The hunt was over, but the danger was far from gone.

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  ***

  "Bring me his clothes," Reed commanded Spike.

  Spike opened his mouth but no voice came out. There wasn't a point in questioning Reed. He had just witnessed this man hunt a creature capable of killing hunters in a matter of seconds. He didn't dare to annoy Reed further.

  The way Reed skillfully skinned and harvested the creature also added to the fear factor for Spike. As a hunter, Spike could tell this was an experienced hunter.

  A hunter itself is scary to deal with, but a hunter capable of close head-to-head combat is not an enemy he could face.

  Spike did as instructed by Reed and stripped the shirt off the dead man and handed it to Reed.

  After half an hour of dissecting the monster, Reed used the dead man's clothes as a makeshift bag and stored some of the creature's meat.

  Then he tossed some of its useful parts, such as the creature's hide and bone parts, to Spike.

  Just when everything looked settled and done, and Spike was ready to move on and travel deeper into the woods, Reed suddenly stopped and walked towards the boots on the ground.

  These boots belonged to the dead woman from before. The air felt sad. Reed picked up the bloody boots and walked towards the dead man. Then he sat the dead man leaning back on a tree trunk, making sure that he rested on a spot where the sun could shine on him, and placed the boots on the man's arm.

  After a few moments, Reed turned back, grabbed the bow and quiver dropped by the man, and ventured into the woods again.

  ***

  The venture was silent, and there wasn't any other soul. They both journeyed silently, still recovering from the experience they had. This especially took a toll on Reed due to his lack of rest and sleep.

  Not before long, they both heard the sound of water flowing up ahead. They silently approached the sound and found a river.

  They hid in the shadows, checking for danger. Then Spike impatiently jumped out of hiding and greedily drank the water.

  After a few minutes of nothingness, Reed walked out and refilled his leather bottle.

  They decided to make camp near the river, finding a spot where the trees provided some cover but still allowed them to see any approaching danger.

  Reed gathered some dry wood and started a fire, the kindling catching quickly as the flames licked hungrily at the dry branches.

  The warmth of the fire began to seep into the cold morning air, and the smell of burning wood mingled with the earthy scent of the forest.

  Spike, meanwhile, prepared the monster meat for cooking, slicing it into thick strips and skewering them on sharpened sticks.

  The meat was dark and marbled with veins of fat, its surface glistening faintly in the firelight. Neither of them spoke as they worked, the silence between them heavy but not uncomfortable.

  As the meat began to sizzle over the flames, the aroma filled the air—rich, savory, and unexpectedly enticing. Reed’s stomach growled audibly, and he realized just how long it had been since he’d last eaten. Spike, too, seemed to perk up at the smell, his earlier unease momentarily forgotten.

  The two of them sat close to the fire, their faces illuminated by the flickering light, their shadows stretching long behind them.

  When the meat was finally ready, Reed pulled a strip from the fire and blew on it gently before taking a bite. His eyes widened slightly, and he chewed slowly, savoring the flavor. The meat was surprisingly tender, with a smoky richness that melted on his tongue.

  It was unlike anything he’d ever tasted before—gamey but not overpowering, with a faint metallic undertone that reminded him of the creature’s blood. Despite its origin, it was delicious.

  Spike watched Reed for a moment, then took a bite of his own portion. His expression shifted from cautious to surprised, then to outright satisfaction. “This is… really good,” he muttered between bites, his voice muffled by the food in his mouth.

  Reed nodded in agreement, his earlier tension easing as he ate. For a brief moment, the weight of their situation seemed to lift, replaced by the simple pleasure of a warm meal.

  As they ate, Reed’s demeanor softened. The hard, calculating edge in his eyes faded, replaced by something warmer, more human.

  Spike noticed the change and found himself studying Reed more closely. In the firelight, Reed looked younger than he had before—less like a hardened killer and more like someone who had been thrust into a situation far beyond his control.

  It was a stark reminder that Reed, too, was a victim of this place, just as much as Spike was. The thought lingered in Spike’s mind, unspoken but heavy.

  When the last of the meat was gone and the fire had burned down to glowing embers, Reed leaned back against a tree, his notebook resting on his knee. He flipped it open to a blank page, his expression thoughtful.

  The warmth in his eyes remained, but there was a new intensity there now, a quiet determination.

  “Where did the monster come from?” Reed asked suddenly, breaking the silence. His voice was calm but probing, his gaze fixed on Spike.

  Spike froze, his earlier relaxation evaporating in an instant. He felt as though he’d been accused of something, though Reed’s tone held no accusation.

  “My fated ability has two modes,” Spike began hesitantly, his voice low. “It passively attracts danger to me. But I can also activate it to lure weaker creatures to me.”

  Without waiting for Reed to reply, Spike continued, his words tumbling out in a rush. “When I activate this ability, it makes me vulnerable. In exchange, more creatures become a threat to me—sometimes even a small dog.” He paused, his hands fidgeting in his lap. “It wasn’t my intention to attract the monster. In fact, a creature that strong doesn’t even require me activating my ability to be pulled to me.”

  Reed listened quietly, his expression unreadable. When Spike finished, Reed nodded slowly, his gaze shifting to the fire. “Who were those two from before?” he asked after a moment.

  Spike relaxed slightly, relieved that Reed didn’t seem angry. “They’re Joel and Joey, twins,” he explained. “If you’re asking if they were on Caspian or Cassie’s side, I have no way of knowing. None of us do.”

  Reed absorbed this information in silence, his fingers tapping lightly against the cover of his notebook.

  After a few moments, he pulled out a pen and began to write, his movements deliberate. Then he looked up at Spike, his eyes sharp but not unkind. “Tell me about the void saplings,” he said, his tone firm but not demanding.