The sun was beginning its slow descent, casting increasingly longer shadows through the thinning trees. The group trudged forward, their pace steady but tense, the weight of the last few hours hanging over them like an unwelcome guest.

  Theo was still on edge.

  It wasn’t just paranoia. It wasn’t just the sense that someone had forced them onto this path. It was the gnawing awareness at the back of his mind, a quiet whisper telling him that their every step was being watched.

  But by what?

  Or worse—by who?

  His shoulders burned with unease, but he forced himself to match Dan’s pace. Ash was still quiet, still scanning, his expression a mask of stone. The way he moved—the way his fingers wouldn’t leave his belt knife—it made Theo grip his own weapon just a little tighter.

  Then, the rustling came from behind them.

  Theo’s breath hitched, his muscles tensing.

  Everyone froze.

  A figure stumbled out of the treeline, arms raised in surrender.

  “Oh, thank God,” the man gasped, staggering forward. His clothes were tattered, streaked with dirt and dried blood. He had the look of someone who had been running for a long time. His breathing was ragged, his eyes wide, darting between them like a cornered animal.

  The group did not lower their weapons.

  But Theo… Theo hesitated.

  Because he knew this look.

  The exhaustion. The desperation. The kind of hollow, sunken expression you wore after spending too long alone, with nothing but survival and bad luck to keep you company.

  Theo had been that man.

  Before Dan and the others, he had been wandering, hungry, fighting just to stay one step ahead of something worse.

  And if he’d stumbled into the wrong group?

  If he’d made the wrong call?

  He wouldn’t be standing here now.

  Dan was the first to speak in a calm and welcoming tone. “Who are you?”

  The man swallowed, taking a slow step forward, careful not to make any sudden movements. “I—uh—I got separated from my group. We were heading for Dawnmere. I… I thought I was done for.”

  His voice shook, raw with exhaustion and fear.

  And Theo believed him.

  There was no hesitation, no awkward gaps in his words that made it feel rehearsed. Just a man, desperate and alone, looking at them like they were his last chance.

  Theo knew that feeling all too well.

  Jake gave Dan a wary glance. “Sounds like a familiar story.”

  Dan lowered his sword slightly, but his stance remained firm. “And where’s your group now?”

  The man hesitated, just for a second. “Dead. Or still out there. I don’t know.” He let out a deep breath. “Hopefully they made it to Dawnmere, thought maybe I could make it there and find them. I saw your group and… I just hoped you weren’t the wrong kind of people.”

  Theo’s stomach twisted.

  Because he wanted to believe him.

  If this was two weeks ago, if this had been him standing there, he would’ve wanted someone to believe him too.

  Dan exhaled, rubbing his temple. “Well, obviously we’re not gonna leave you to die out here, but—”

  Ash cut him off. “No way.”

  Dan turned, his brows furrowing. “What?”

  “No,” Ash repeated, eyes locked onto the stranger like a predator sizing up another predator. “Something’s off.”

  The man held up his hands higher, shifting his weight slightly. “I get it. You don’t trust me. I wouldn’t either. But come on, man. You really think I’m a threat?”

  Ash didn’t blink.

  Jake and Ben exchanged uneasy glances, waiting for someone else to make the call.

  Dan, clearly struggling with the concept of what Ash was suggesting, sighed. “We can’t just—”

  “I’ll walk in front,” the man interrupted, stepping closer. “No weapons, no tricks. Just let me stick with you guys, at least until we reach the settlement. Please.”

  “It’s not happening, guy,” Ash stated firmly.

  Theo wasn’t entirely happy with the attitude on display from Ash. He stepped in front of the stranger and faced Ash. “I get you’re nervous but you need to calm down. I was in exactly the same boat as this guy and I’d probably be dead if it wasn’t for you all,” he said, staring defiantly at Ash.

  “You had a hell demon chasing you. He snuck out of the bushes after we were being tracked, and you know we were. Very different,” Ash stated bluntly.

  A cold weight settled in Theo’s gut.

  Then, the man’s hand was on his shoulder.

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate you trying. Really.”

  The voice was warm, grateful.

  But the knife was already moving.

  Theo felt it before he saw it.

  A shift in weight. A flicker of motion.

  Silver flashed in his peripheral vision.

  A knife, aimed clean for his throat.

  It should have been instant. A clean kill.

  The blade dragged across his skin—

  —and scraped against the mesh.

  Not deep enough to cut. Not deep enough to kill.

  But the pressure, the force behind the strike—that was real.

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  Theo didn’t think—his body reacted.

  His hand snapped up, grabbing the man’s wrist in a vice grip.

  The man’s eyes widened in shock. He had expected Theo to drop.

  Instead, he was stuck.

  For the first time, there was real emotion in his expression. Fear.

  Then, the group exploded into action.

  Ash moved first.

  Before the man could rip his arm free, Ash slammed into him, tackling him to the ground. The knife clattered from his grip, disappearing into the grass.

  Theo didn’t let go. His grip stayed tight, muscles locked like iron. More than that though. His mesh locked into place, supported by energy from the reserves as it enforced his vice-like grip.

  Jake and Ben piled on, pinning the man down as he thrashed violently beneath them.

  Dan, normally composed, looked furious.

  Theo could feel his own pulse hammering in his ears. His breathing was ragged, but not from exhaustion.

  From realization.

  He should be dead.

  That was a clean execution strike.

  And the only reason he was still standing was a piece of tech Erasmus had slapped onto him.

  Erasmus had explained various tricks stealth users would use to get their kill, yet still, he fell for it hook, line and sinker. The situation was so close to home, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of empathy.

  Without the mesh, he would have been killed immediately, without even knowing why.

  And that scared him more than the attack itself.

  The man coughed, glaring up at them from the dirt, his mouth curling into something sickly amused. “Well, shit. That wasn’t expected,” he said, as if resigned to his fate.

  Ash, jaw tight, spoke first. “We should kill him.”

  Theo still hadn’t let go of the man’s wrist. He could feel the tendons beneath his fingers. He could snap them if he wanted to.

  Jake, still catching his breath, looked between them. “We aren’t really going to kill him, are we?”

  Ben moved most of his considerable weight onto the stranger, yet remained silent. Only a shake of his head conveyed his thoughts on the matter.

  Theo had never hesitated in a fight before.

  Never.

  But here he was. Holding back.

  His fingers were locked around the man’s wrist, vice-like, unrelenting. His breathing was uneven, but not from exertion—from realisation.

  He should be dead.

  If not for the mesh, if not for instinct, if not for pure, stupid luck, he wouldn’t be standing here.

  The man, still pinned beneath Ben’s weight, had the audacity to grin, blood staining his teeth. “Quite the grip you’ve got there,” he rasped, nodding at Theo.

  Theo’s grip tightened. His knuckles went white.

  Then, finally, he let go.

  His arms felt heavier than before, but his mind felt worse.

  He swallowed, trying to regain some sense of control. “What exactly was your plan here?” he asked, voice tight. “You thought you could take all of us?”

  This wasn’t just some desperate survivor.

  This was calculated. Deliberate.

  And for the first time, Theo truly understood how dangerous people could be.

  Not in combat—he already knew how to fight.

  But in deception. In how even emotions could be weapons.

  The stranger groaned as Ben adjusted his position, casually crushing him further into the dirt.

  "Oof… The plan," the man wheezed, "was to kill you, take the experience, and get out before anyone knew what happened. Obviously."

  Ben leaned in just a little more, forcing another pained grunt out of the man. “And how’s that working out for ya?”

  Dan knelt beside them, his usual easy-going nature nowhere to be found. His expression was unreadable. Calculating. “Do you have any friends with you?”

  The man’s smirk didn’t falter. If anything, it widened. “I couldn’t possibly say.”

  Ash scoffed. “He doesn’t. I’d bet good money that this guy doesn’t play well with others.”

  “Yeah,” Jake added, voice slightly unsteady. “He literally just said he wanted to kill Theo for the experience, even with the odds against him. Who the hell would camp with that guy?”

  Dan sighed and stood back up, deep in thought. “Good points. But we can’t kill him. That wouldn’t sit right with me.”

  Theo exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. It was his life on the line. His throat should've been cut.

  "We can’t let him go either,” Theo said, his voice quieter than before. Steadier. “If that was any of you guys, you’d be dead. He wasn’t forced into this—he chose it. And he’ll do it again. I don’t see how we can leave him alive.”

  He wasn’t comfortable saying it.

  He wasn’t comfortable with any of this.

  Theo had always been a fighter. He’d taken punches, broken ribs, left people unconscious in the ring. He’d heard critics call it barbaric—beating a man already down after a knockdown, breaking someone when they’re trying to recover.

  But that was sport. That was a system.

  Both fighters knew the risks. Both signed up for it.

  And at the end of the day, the ref was there to call it when it was over.

  This?

  There was no ref.

  No rules.

  Could he be part of actively ending someone?

  Maybe.

  Because this bastard tried to kill him. And God knows how many he’d already killed before.

  But where did the line get drawn?

  Dan looked to Jake and Ben, searching for backup. Then back at Theo.

  “I understand why you feel that way,” Dan said carefully. Genuinely. “I do. Especially you, Theo. But I simply can’t be part of murdering someone when they’re defenceless.”

  The man sniggered derisively.

  Theo’s jaw clenched. That was the word, wasn’t it?

  Murder.

  Jake hesitated before speaking. "We aren’t far from the settlement. Even with the detour, we can’t be more than an hour away. M… maybe we can take him back for the guards to handle?” There was a hint of hope in his tone.

  Ben nodded, solid as ever. “Aye. We can’t just go around killing everyone. Where do we stop?”

  Theo dragged a hand down his face, exhaling sharply. “I mean, it’s not like he insulted my cousin. He literally tried to cut my throat. I don’t want to be here killing people, but what if he escapes on the way back and manages to get someone else?”

  "He won’t," Ben promised. Completely confident. "I’ll tie him up nice and tight, then carry him myself."

  Ash, still arms folded, shook his head. “And if we come across some massive beast looking to chew on us? We’d be a man down. A huge man.”

  Ben shrugged. Completely unfazed. “Then I’ll just throw him at the beast while we run.”

  The group shared a moment to consider.

  "Fine," Ash muttered. "If Theo backs that plan, I’m okay with it."

  Theo took a moment. Thought it through.

  Then shrugged, wide and loose. “Yeah. Fine by me.”

  The man chimed in, “I still vote you let me go. I am deeply sorry.”. His voice was laced with sarcasm, which Theo found strange. He truly seemed to not care if he lived or died. That was dangerous.

  With that, the group set about securing the man in a frankly ridiculous number of restraints from Dan’s storage. By the time they were done, he looked less like a prisoner and more like an escape artist’s final exam.

  Jake stepped back, inspecting their handiwork. “Alright, this is either overkill or someone’s very specific weekend plan.”

  Ash didn’t look up. “If he kinks his way out of this, I’m stabbing him. Also, I need answers as to why Dan had all this.”

  Dan looked like he had just been accused of fondling the local wildlife. “I… It’s just… good to be prepared.”

  Jake nodded solemnly. “Uh-huh. That’s what they all say.”

  Dan groaned. Theo almost smiled.

  But beneath all the humour, beneath the ridiculous situation, the weight of that hesitation hadn’t left him.