The seventh morning crept in on pale light and silence, the kind that made the air feel heavier than it should. Dew clung to every surface, soaking the makeshift lean-tos and turning the forest floor to sponge. The clearing stirred slowly—no urgency, just the creak of tired joints and the rustle of leaves underfoot.
Wren was the first one moving, poking at the fire with a bent fork she’d twisted into a crude poker. She added damp kindling and blew on it gently until it caught. Her hoodie was frayed at the sleeves, and her eyes carried the bruised shadows of poor sleep.
“Where’s Marcy?” she muttered.
“She went to check on the dried roots,” Vin said, appearing behind her with a chunk of charcoal in his hand. “Said the ones we hung near the south fence were molding.”
Wren just nodded and kept coaxing the fire. Nearby, someone stirred in the shelter next to hers—Theo, probably. He snored like he was still in a dorm room.
--
Alex was already up, crouched at the forest edge. He was inspecting one of Yusuf’s snares, the string tension loose, the loop collapsed.
“No catch?”
Alex turned to see Ellie approaching, bundled in her patched jacket. Her hair was tied back messily with twine.
He shook his head. “Something triggered it, but whatever it was got away.”
She crouched beside him. “Tracks?”
“Not clear enough. Could’ve been another rabbit. Maybe something bigger.”
She looked uneasy. “You think the goblins are still watching?”
Alex didn’t answer right away. “I think Camila was right to take the fight to them. But they’re not the only ones out there. Remember those larger footprints, haven't been seeing them lately which is good, but who knows where its gone.”
At the Obelisk, a small group had gathered. Raj was speaking with Jake, who held his notebook like a relic, flipping through pages as others leaned in. Ellie joined them shortly, hovering near the back.
“Any news on the other paths?” someone asked.
Jake nodded. “Yeah. We know One Piece unlocks haki, devil fruits, items—David confirmed that. I’ve got notes on Nen, magic systems, chakra—all of it. What we don’t know is how fast mastery comes. Whether time or effort makes the bigger difference, or whether talent plays a role. I mean i'd imagine it would, but purchasing the power could just make it a level playing field in respect of the power. Might be that only effort is the true determining factor, but I suppose we don't even know if you can grow the powers yet. David has been trying to gain points to unlock a haki, but it may still be some time.”
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“Fairy Tail sounds fun,” Ellie said, surprising herself. “But... dangerous. Magic’s unpredictable.”
Jake looked at her. “Every path’s dangerous. But if you can adapt, it might also be the most flexible.”
She didn’t answer, but she stayed nearby as the discussion moved on.
--
Camila returned from another scouting trip just before midday, her hands empty, her gaze sharp. She said little, only pausing to report to Miriam that the southern treeline had new claw marks on several trees—high ones.
“Too high for goblins?” Miriam asked.
Camila nodded. “Much too high.”
Jason, listening nearby, frowned. “If there's goblins, why not trolls or ogres. something worse.”
"Well lets hope not" Matt said clapping his hands as he got up to go and checks some snares.
--
The garden was still failing. Wren dug with her bare hands while Vin tried to sketch some kind of irrigation system on a piece of bark. Nothing they did seemed to make the soil yield. One of the sprouts had wilted overnight.
“We need fertilizer,” Vin muttered.
“Got any goblin poop?” Wren asked dryly.
Vin smirked.
--
David, Matt and Jason had days prior found and reconned the lake, the water was clean, but had found a number of trails nearby the lake, some heavy and wider than a man’s boot. This had been noted by Miriam, the lake itself was about 5 hours away, and the stream that had been found was still closer.
Anyways, they had just found some heavier set footprints near there usually water source, the stream two hours away.
“Shit” Matt said, rubbing his shoulder. “Thinking something much bigger then goblins, probably ogres or something alike”
Miriam recorded the information, then made a decision.
“Tomorrow, I want three scouting groups out. One to the lake. One to the stream. One east. No solo missions unless absolutely necessary.”
Camila didn’t argue, but her jaw tightened slightly. Yusuf gave Alex a look—one that said he’d be joining him again.
--
That night, the fire burned low, casting long shadows across the circle of tents and tarps. Jared sat with Miriam and Jake, mapping out patrol shifts while the rest of the camp settled into uneasy quiet.
David lingered near the Obelisk, reading the One Piece path again. He wasn’t close to affording haki yet, but he’d made progress—every scrap mattered.
Miriam passed by, pausing briefly. “Any closer?”
“Getting there,” David said. “Might try for a saber or den den mushi in the meantime. Something useful.”
She nodded. “Let me know when you do.”
--
As the sky blackened, the forest beyond felt alive in a new way. Not with movement, but pressure—an unseen weight, like breath held just out of reach.
Ellie sat at the fire with Alex, both of them sipping hot water steeped with bitter roots.
“You still leaning Naruto?” she asked.
He stared into the flames. “Yeah. But I think I’ll need a few more kills before I make the call.”
“You think the others are doing the same?”
“Most likely, nobody wants to make the first move, we have our theories but if wrong it could backfire. At least we know about the One Piece path”
She nodded and leaned back, letting the fire warm her face.
Across the camp, the Obelisk pulsed faintly.
Five names still glowed.
Naruto. One Piece. Bleach. Hunter x Hunter. Fairy Tail.
