As Fenix soared through the air, his eyes swept over the half-sunken city below, scanning for any sign of movement. With the broom now feeling more natural under him, his search seemed smoother, more controlled. The wind tugged at his cloak, but he hardly noticed as he descended lower, hoping for a better view of the flooded streets and crumbling buildings.

  He banked around the corner of a once-grand golden tower, the structure barely holding together. As he gnced through a broken window, something caught his eye—three small Ili pika huddled together in the shadows of the tower room. Their tiny bodies quivered, their noses twitching nervously as they pressed close to one another.

  Fenix carefully edged closer, guiding his broom right in front of the narrow window. His fingers tightened around the handle of his net as he eased it inside. "Alright, easy does it," he whispered to himself as he positioned the net over the animals. With a quick flick, the glowing mesh unfurled, wrapping gently around the furry creatures.

  He pulled the net back, a satisfied grin spreading across his face as he looked at the three Ili pika safely caught inside. "Three for one," he chuckled, steering his broom toward a nearby rescue boat. He hovered just above the deck, lowering the net to release the animals into one of the cages.

  As the door snapped shut, a familiar notification blinked in front of him.

  [System: You have gained 15 points! You now have 30 points!]

  Once the Ili Pika was inside the cage, Fenix shot back into the air, his broom cutting swiftly through the sky. There was no time to waste. He needed to keep searching if he wanted to rack up more points.

  As he darted between the crumbling buildings, his eyes constantly scanning, a sudden blur of motion in his peripheral vision made him gnce over. At first, he thought it was an animal, but when he turned his head, he saw Maya zooming toward him. Her broom cut through the air effortlessly, and when she pulled up beside him, her face was lit up with a huge grin.

  “Hey!” Fenix called out over the sound of rushing wind and distant water.

  Maya stopped her broom, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Hey yourself," she shot back.

  "How's it going? Found anything yet?" Fenix asked, leaning on his broom slightly.

  “Tons!” Maya’s voice practically buzzed with energy. “You?”

  “Yeah, I’ve caught a few,” he chuckled.

  But before he could say more, Maya’s eyes locked on to something in the distance. She pointed excitedly. "Oh, a pig!"

  Fenix followed her gaze to see the pig stranded on a distant rooftop, snuffling around near the edge. Another pyer was already making a beeline for it. "Better hurry if you want it!" he urged.

  With a quick wave, Maya grinned and leaned forward, her broom accelerating in an instant as she sped toward the animal, leaving Fenix behind.

  "Guess I better not fall behind," he muttered, gncing around for his next target. He swooped between the glittering remains of ancient towers, their golden tips now just barely peeking out of the water, searching for another animal to rescue.

  Suddenly, his eyes nded on something—movement atop a crumbling sculpture. A ferret, quick and nimble, was scrambling up a strange, decaying statue of a woman with five arms and three eyes. The sculpture was cracked and weathered, its arms reaching out in all directions, and the intricate stonework barely held together as the ferret cmbered over it.

  Fenix swooped down, carefully steering his broom as he approached the statue. "Alright, little guy, stay put," he whispered, his net ready. But just as he got close, the ferret bolted, leaping off the statue’s shoulder and nding on a piece of floating debris in the water below.

  “Seriously?” Fenix groaned, pushing his broom harder as he gave chase. The ferret darted across the debris, hopping from one floating chunk of rooftop to another. Its movements were erratic and fast. Fenix had to stay sharp, swerving to keep up. His broom swayed beneath him as he closed in, the ferret making one st leap toward a drifting piece of wood.

  The wood wobbled under its weight, causing it to pause. The hesitation gave Fenix his opening. He swung the net, the glowing mesh expanding as it snared the ferret mid-leap. The little creature wriggled, but the net held firm.

  "Gotcha!" Fenix whispered, a smile spreading across his face as he flew toward the nearest rescue boat. He lowered the ferret into an open cage, watching as the system registered his catch.

  [System: You have gained 5 points! You now have 35 points!]

  Shaking his head Fenix let out a small sigh. Chasing that ferret across floating debris for only 5 points didn’t feel worth it. He wished it had been more.

  "Well, if wishes were kisses, I’d be one happy boy," he thought with a wry smile.

  A quick gnce at the clock showed only 13 minutes left. No time to dwell on low points. His eyes swept across the rooftops, scanning for any more animals. Just then, two otters caught his eye, floating on a door near a sinking blue house. Without hesitation, Fenix dove toward them, gripping his broom tight as he closed the distance.

  But before he could reach them, another participant swooped in, her net already out, and snagged both otters in one smooth motion. Fenix pulled up short, watching as the pyer flew off, leaving nothing behind but the door bobbing on the water’s surface.

  "Well, that sucks," he muttered, feeling disappointed.

  Just as he was about to move on, something else caught his eye—a red wooden crate sitting inside the blue house, visible through an open window. His heart skipped a beat.

  "That pyer might’ve gotten the Otters, but I’ve got something better," he thought with a grin.

  He hovered near the window, waiting until the other participant was out of sight before slipping closer. Carefully, he reached inside, his fingers brushing the crate's surface. As soon as he touched it, the box dissolved into shimmering particles.

  [System: You have gained a Rare Crate! It has been sent to your inventory!]

  A wide smile broke across Fenix’s face at the notification. A rare crate was way better than those otters could’ve been.

  Gncing at the timer, he saw only a few minutes remaining. Determined to score more points, he scanned the area for any signs of life. Flying fast, he darted between rooftops and towers, but nothing caught his eye. Just as he was about to give up, something bck flickered in the corner of his vision.

  A small bck cat was perched on top of a golden mppost, its tiny form silhouetted against the bright sky. Fenix’s heart skipped a beat as he quickly flew toward it.

  The closer he got, the louder the cat’s soft, sad meows became. It tugged at his heartstrings. “Hang in there, little buddy,” he whispered.

  With a swift motion, he swung his net, capturing the cat in one fluid swoop. The net glowed, wrapping securely around the frightened animal.

  “You're mine,” Fenix grinned, already heading for the nearest boat. He hovered above it and carefully dropped the cat into an open cage.

  [System: You have gained 5 points! You now have 40 points!]

  He gnced up at the clock—4 seconds left. Relief washed over him; he’d gotten the cat to safety just in time. Suddenly, a loud voice rang across the sinking city.

  "Time’s up, everyone!" Eric’s voice boomed.

  Before Fenix could react, he felt that familiar tug, the same one from the maze. In an instant, he was back on the rooftop where the event had started. The disorientation only sted a second before he felt someone nudging him.

  Turning around, he saw Maya. Her face lit up with happiness.

  "That was so much fun, wasn’t it?" she asked, shaking out her arms, still riding the excitement of the game.

  Fenix nodded. "It really was. I’d love to do something like this again."

  "Me too!" Maya agreed enthusiastically. "So, how did you do?"

  "Pretty good. I managed to snag a cute kitty at the end there," Fenix replied with a satisfied smile. "What about you?"

  "I did amazing. I caught so many animals!" she said, her grin stretching even wider.

  Before Fenix could ask if she thought she’d won, Eric’s voice boomed again, cutting off the chatter of all the participants.

  Author Note:

  Want to read 50 chapters ahead? You can do that here: ko-fi.com/momocatt If you’re happy reading at the current pace, that’s totally fine too—I appreciate every single reader.

  But if you feel like sending a little support my way (maybe for a coffee or some extra motivation), you can also do that here: ko-fi.com/momocatt

  No matter what, thank you for being here and enjoying the story! (????)