The cave stank of blood, acid, and dust. The three beasts lay broken, their Threads fading into nothing. Veyra stood among their corpses, her sword dripping, her breathing steady.
Then she turned, her expression softening as she looked at us. "We're safe now," she said, her voice gentle in a way that didn't fit the battlefield around us.
I should've felt relief. Instead, my eyes dragged over Lex clutching his arm, blood seeping through his bone-reinforced skin. Vivi was kneeling by Nolan, her hands shaking as she pressed cloth to his ribs. Phoebe's blade was snapped in half, her knuckles scraped raw. Even Lily, who never seemed shaken, had a tremor in her stance.
I told myself this was expected. Fights leave scars, and people get hurt. That's normal. But my chest tightened anyway.
If Veyra hadn't been here… no—if I hadn't hesitated, if I'd acted quicker—I forced the thought down. Useless. Dwelling changes nothing.
Still, when Nolan coughed blood into his sleeve and tried to sit up, my legs moved on their own. Steadying him with one arm. "Easy," I muttered. My voice came out rougher than I'd meant.
Did this whole incident happen because I was involved?
He gave me a weak smile. "Thanks, Sol."
He really was the protagonist who smiled through everything, although I was not the biggest fan of Nolan from the novel, I aspired to be even just a little like him. After all One of the antagonists did call him Creature of Hope.
Pulling me out of thought, I saw a bone glowing slightly with a pale blue light.
"Artifact, we got an Artifact," I said with a faint smile on my face.
Artifacts are dropped when a creature has somehow left its imprint on its Thread.
The instructor picked up the bone lying in blood and guts, and after observing, said in a relieved tone
"It helps create a space where sound doesn't leak. It will help us from beasts at night."
***
After healing our minor injuries from Vivi, we sat around a small fire. Besides, Fire was a small bone glowing slightly.
Everyone had gotten used to this atmosphere, even though Its only been two days, everybody seemed used to it.
While sparks of campfire flicked under a grey sky, Instructor Veyra spoke, breaking the silence.
"Since we'll be fighting together, we will share our Threads," she looked at us for confirmation, and we nodded. After seeing the response, she again said in an even tone.
"I'll go first, I have Thread of Chain and Thread of Gate. Both are layer 3."
Next, Lex leaned forward with his usual pride and said, "I have the Thread of a Majestic Mythical Beast Phoenix and Thread of Bone-"
Lily, next to Lex, cut in after a beat, interrupting him
"I have Thread of Eclipse and Thread of Oblivion. Neither of them has any offensive abilities yet. I can see clearly in any lighting and can make people forget the attack that has missed the mark."
After her, Vivi, who was sitting next to her, said with a smile on her face
"I have Thread of Heal, Thread of Decay, and Thread of Gate. I can heal minor injuries, but I have had to see the place myself. I can decay weapons...I try to focus on healing. Decay… scares me sometimes."
Next, Nolan, who was sitting next to her and his mother, leaned forward.
"I have Thread of Hope, Thread of Shield, and Thread of Separation. I can summon a protective shield around my body, and as you know, I can separate small substances from water and other items....." scratching his head, he added, "That's it."
No one asked Nolan's mother, as everyone had a grasp on their situation.
Now it was my turn, and I leaned forward
"I have Thread of Chain, Thread of Stillness, and Thread of Glass. I can blind people with right lighting, summon and control chains to bind, and I can add restrictions to one ability to either boost my physical stat or other abilities. I can also stop a small moving object like an enemy's limb for two sec....Yeah That's it."
Instructor Veyra looked at me a little longer and moved on to Phoebe
She leaned forward and stated
"I have Thread of Frost, Thread of Hunger....." She stopped for a few seconds and continued hesitantly, "Thread of Time and Thread of Eye."
For a moment, only the fire popped. Then Lex let out a sharp laugh, leaning forward. "Wait— four? You're kidding."
Phoebe just blinked at him, head tilted slightly. "No. Why would I lie about that?"
Vivi's lips parted, her eyes darting between us. Vivi: "Most people barely awaken one… I thought three was already rare."
Nolan shifted closer to the fire, brow furrowed, voice soft but steady. "It's not impossible, right? Just… uncommon. Really uncommon. "He sounded like he was trying to calm everyone, though his hand tightened around the hilt of his dagger.
Lily's tone was sharper, but not unkind. "Uncommon? It's unheard of." Her gaze stayed fixed on Phoebe, unreadable.
I glanced at Phoebe, who seemed more puzzled by the attention than anything. She sat straight, hands folded neatly in her lap, eyes reflecting the firelight. Nolan leaned forward and asked, "You've had them all since you awakened?"
Phoebe nodded once. Phoebe: "Since the beginning. "Her tone was flat, but her fingers toyed with the edge of her sleeve.
Lex shook his head, letting out a low whistle. "Damn. And here I was thinking I was special."
Even Instructor Veyra seemed shocked.
I mean, it is very shocking. There were a few cases of more than three threads, none of which this generation had seen.
Instructor Veyra composed herself and spoke
"We have pretty balanced Threads, But If we want to survive, you need to prioritize your advancement; we won't survive the mountain further."
That's true, where we are now is on the outskirts of the mountain, A relatively safe patch of forest. Going Further we have to go through the Chained Forest that covers the mountain, and then the mountain itself. If we don't advance before leaving this forest, we will most likely die. We have two or three weeks left.
'I am already stressed out about the situation. This was not supposed to happen. I don't know what to do. I don't have much information about the mount, Shit.'
On the other hand, I am also close to a breakthrough.
I also feel like, on my layer 2 advancement, I am going to unlock most of my locked Threads.
Well, anyway.
Instructor Veyra looked at our faces for a minute and said in a firm but gentle tone.
"Don't worry, I'll get you all home."
Hearing that, suddenly my heart started pounding. It reminded me of the faint memories that still cling to my brain.
Suddenly, A voice resounded in my head, an old and sweet voice, but laced with concern.
'Alex, don't cry. Let's get you home. Everything will be alright.'
"Grandma," I whispered while being reminded of those memories.
I was very little then, so when my parents passed, I didn't know how to feel. Or rather, I didn't know that feeling yet, yet I still cried. The only thing that brought comfort to me then was my grandparents.
But then again, various memories surfaced, not mine but of Solace's.
The faces of my family flashed before me, my stern Father, my gentle Mother, And My loving siblings. I don't know what led to this, but my eyes became a little moist.
A thought entered my mind.
'I wonder what they are doing now?'
After that conversation faded, and with a heavy heart, I went to sleep.