The moment Lein-Da finished speaking—
Nobody moved.
The massive circular platform overlooked the hidden civilization below like the edge of another world. Ancient stone stretched beneath their feet, cracked with age and glowing faintly from symbols carved so deeply into the rock they almost looked melted there instead of etched.
Wind drifted softly through the jungle canopy overhead.
Far below—
The Sunken Demon Island breathed quietly with hidden life.
Bridges swayed gently between impossible cliffs.
Lanterns glowed green-blue through mist.
Distant voices echoed upward from the concealed city beneath the jungle.
And standing in the center of all of it—
Raymond suddenly looked deeply concerned.
"...I don't like how dramatic this feels."
O'Nux scratched lightly at one dreadlock.
"Aye, fair."
Lein-Da ignored both of them.
Her ocean-blue eyes shifted first toward Raymond.
"You will face Elijah."
Raymond immediately pointed at the chipmunk.
"Oh thank Anarchy Below."
Elijah blinked.
"...What does that mean?"
"It means you look emotionally stable."
O'Nux barked out laughing instantly.
Elijah looked mildly offended.
"...That's not usually an insult."
"It wasn't."
Raymond pointed toward O'Nux next.
"THAT guy looks like he bites people."
"...Only once," O'Nux muttered.
Lein-Da slowly turned her head toward him.
"...Once?"
The echidna boy paused.
"...Recently?"
Raymond looked horrified.
"WHY WOULD YOU ADD THAT."
Tillie yawned sleepily from where Lein-Da held her against one shoulder.
The older echidna woman immediately softened.
"Oh. Tiny yawn."
Raymond stared.
"...The emotional whiplash you cause should be illegal."
Lein-Da ignored him completely.
Her eyes shifted toward Measly now.
"And you."
Then finally toward O'Nux.
"You will face each other."
The grin slowly faded from O'Nux's face.
Not entirely.
But enough.
Enough for Measly to notice.
The older echidna rubbed awkwardly at the back of his neck before looking at him again.
"...Ah."
Measly blinked.
"...What?"
O'Nux shrugged slightly.
"...Don't really wanna hurt ye."
That surprised him.
Not because O'Nux seemed weak.
The exact opposite.
The six-year-old moved like fighting was as natural to him as breathing.
Everything about him screamed confidence.
Strength.
Training.
But now—
Standing across from Measly—
He suddenly looked unsure.
Raymond noticed too.
"Wait."
He pointed dramatically.
"HE has morals?"
"I'll throw ye off the platform."
"You keep proving my point!"
Lein-Da sighed softly.
"Enough."
Instant silence followed.
Mostly because somehow she made one word sound like a threat against reality itself.
The echidna woman carefully adjusted Tillie's blanket again while speaking calmly.
"The purpose of this test is observation."
Elijah folded his arms quietly.
"We need to understand what both of you are capable of."
Raymond frowned immediately.
"...That's ominous."
"It is intended to be."
"...Well congratulations."
Measly swallowed slightly.
Because suddenly—
This didn't feel like simple training anymore.
It felt important.
Like everybody here expected something to happen.
O'Nux seemed to feel it too.
The older boy looked toward him again before sighing.
"...Ye ready?"
Measly hesitated.
Then nodded once.
"...Yeah."
O'Nux nodded back.
"...Aye."
Meanwhile Raymond awkwardly raised his fists toward Elijah.
"...So are we doin' this like actual fighters or—"
Elijah immediately moved.
FAST.
Not flashy.
Not dramatic.
Just sudden.
The chipmunk darted forward low and precise with practiced movement that instantly made Raymond panic.
"OH THAT'S REAL—"
Wind exploded outward.
WHOOOOOSH.
Everybody froze.
A powerful burst of air erupted around Raymond hard enough to shove Elijah backward several feet across the platform.
Dust blasted outward.
Loose leaves spiraled violently upward.
Even O'Nux stumbled slightly before catching himself.
"...Anarchy Below," he breathed.
Raymond stared at his own hands in horror.
"...I DIDN'T DO THAT."
Elijah slid backward before planting his feet again.
His expression remained calm.
But more focused now.
"The wind reacted when you panicked."
"Yeah that's the PROBLEM."
Lein-Da's ocean-blue eyes narrowed faintly.
"...Again."
"NO."
"Again."
"I DON'T KNOW HOW."
Elijah lunged forward once more—
And Raymond moved instinctively.
Perfectly.
Not trained.
Natural.
Like his body already understood movement before his brain caught up.
He twisted sideways beneath Elijah's arm smoothly enough to make O'Nux whistle.
Then Raymond accidentally kicked off the ground too hard—
And launched himself halfway across the platform.
"AAAAAAAA—"
Wind burst beneath him instinctively.
Not enough to stop him completely.
But enough to slow him before he crashed badly into a roll.
THUD.
"...Ow."
Silence.
Elijah blinked once.
"...You adjusted midair."
"I adjusted into the FLOOR."
"But you survived."
"I WASN'T PLANNING NOT TO."
O'Nux snorted loudly.
Meanwhile—
Neither he nor Measly had moved yet.
The older echidna shifted slightly.
Then finally raised his fists properly.
Not mockingly anymore.
Seriously.
Measly mirrored him uncertainly.
"...I ain't trained," he admitted.
"Aye."
O'Nux nodded once.
"...I know."
Then—
He attacked.
Fast.
Far faster than Measly expected.
O'Nux rushed forward with practiced precision and threw a direct punch toward his guard—
And Measly blocked it instinctively.
CRACK.
The platform shattered beneath both of them.
Everyone froze.
Including Measly.
Because the impact—
Actually matched.
O'Nux's eyes widened instantly.
The older echidna shoved harder automatically—
And Measly held him there.
Stone cracked further beneath their feet.
The force between them sent fractures spiderwebbing across ancient carvings in the platform.
Measly's arms shook violently from the pressure.
Not because he was weaker.
Because he lacked control.
Technique.
Experience.
But raw strength?
They matched.
Exactly.
O'Nux slowly stared at him in disbelief.
"...Yer kiddin'."
Measly blinked.
"...What?"
The echidna boy suddenly pushed backward harder.
Measly got launched several feet anyway before skidding across the stone.
Not because O'Nux overpowered him—
But because O'Nux actually knew how to use his strength.
The difference became obvious instantly.
Measly caught himself awkwardly before standing again breathing hard.
O'Nux remained perfectly balanced.
"...Okay that's weird," Raymond announced immediately.
Elijah nodded once.
"...Very."
Measly frowned.
"...What?"
O'Nux stared openly now.
"...Yer as strong as me."
Silence.
Measly blinked.
"...No I'm not."
"Aye ye are."
The older boy flexed one hand slightly like he still couldn't quite believe it himself.
"I've trained fer years."
That answer hit strangely hard.
Because O'Nux didn't sound proud.
He sounded unsettled.
Measly slowly looked down at his own hands.
Small.
Scuffed.
Still scraped from burying his parents.
And somehow—
Strong enough to match somebody who'd trained his whole life.
"...That ain't normal," Raymond said softly.
"No," Elijah agreed.
"It isn't."
Raymond immediately pointed at him.
"You saying things calmly makes them scarier."
Lein-Da had gone very still now.
Not alarmed.
Focused.
Watching both boys carefully.
Tillie grabbed lightly at one of her dreadlocks again.
The older echidna absently untangled it while continuing to observe Measly and Raymond.
O'Nux slowly lowered his fists slightly.
"...Ye feel different since arrivin' here?"
Measly hesitated.
"...Yeah."
Raymond immediately answered too.
"VERY."
Elijah looked toward him.
"The wind?"
"The EVERYTHING."
Raymond pointed wildly around himself.
"I jump too far now. I move weird. Air keeps explodin'."
Another small gust spiraled unconsciously around him as if proving the point.
"...And that keeps happening!"
Lein-Da finally stepped forward now.
The symbols beneath the platform glowed faintly beneath her feet.
"...Again," she ordered quietly.
Raymond looked horrified.
"No."
"The wind responds to your instincts."
"I don't WANT instincts anymore."
Elijah immediately rushed him again.
Raymond screamed.
And the wind answered.
This time it didn't explode outward randomly.
It curved.
Spiraled.
A controlled burst of air twisted around Elijah's movement and redirected him sideways just enough for Raymond to slip past effortlessly.
The flying squirrel boy stopped dead afterward.
Breathing hard.
Eyes wide.
"...I did that."
Not fear this time.
Realization.
O'Nux looked between them now.
Between Measly matching his strength—
And Raymond somehow controlling the wind itself.
"...Lein-Da," he said quietly.
The older echidna woman didn't answer immediately.
Her ocean-blue eyes remained fixed on the boys.
Sharp.
Ancient.
Calculating.
Finally—
She spoke.
"...Interesting."
Raymond pointed immediately.
"NO."
A beat.
"Don't say mysterious things like that."
Tillie sneezed loudly.
Everyone looked toward her automatically.
The baby blinked sleepily.
Completely unbothered by the magical child fight happening around her.
Raymond stared at her.
"...How is the baby the calmest person here?"
"Because she is smart enough not to speak," Elijah replied.
Raymond gasped dramatically.
"I HAVE BEEN INSULTED."
O'Nux burst out laughing again.
Even Measly smiled slightly despite himself.
Only slightly.
Because underneath the jokes—
Underneath the weirdness—
One terrifying thought kept settling deeper into his chest.
Something had happened to them.
And everybody here knew it.
-------
Morning on the Sunken Demon Island arrived strangely.
Not because of the light.
There barely was any.
The island sat buried beneath layers of jungle, cavern systems, ancient stone ceilings, and glowing crystal formations that turned day and night into vague suggestions more than actual facts. Instead of sunrise, the hidden civilization slowly brightened through enormous veins of pale green and blue crystals embedded throughout the cliffs and cavern walls.
The effect made everything feel dreamlike.
Like the world was waking up underwater.
Measly blinked blearily as he sat up from the woven mat he'd apparently fallen asleep on sometime during the night.
His entire body hurt.
Not injured hurt.
Worked hurt.
The kind of ache that settled deep into muscles after pushing them farther than they had ever gone before.
"…Ow," he muttered.
Beside him, Raymond groaned dramatically without opening his eyes.
"I'm dead."
"You're talking."
"Ghost."
"That ain't how ghosts work."
"Says who?"
Measly opened his mouth.
Paused.
"…Actually fair."
A few feet away, Tillie was already awake.
Unfortunately.
The tiny armadillo had somehow managed to crawl halfway out of her blanket cocoon and was currently chewing determinedly on the corner of a pillow twice the size of her head.
Lein-Da sat nearby watching her with the exhausted expression of someone who had not intended to become emotionally attached to a baby but had tragically failed.
The echidna woman looked up as the boys stirred.
"You survived."
Raymond cracked one eye open.
"Debatable."
O'Nux snorted loudly from where he sat against the wall eating something wrapped in leaves.
"Aye, ye did better than expected."
Measly rubbed lightly at one sore shoulder.
"…You punch too hard."
"Ye punch hard too!"
"That ain't a compliment!"
"It absolutely is!"
Elijah sat quietly nearby reading from an old book while pretending not to listen to the conversation.
Which fooled absolutely nobody.
Raymond pointed weakly toward him.
"He's scary."
Elijah looked up calmly.
"You lost."
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT LESS SCARY."
"It objectively does."
"No it don't!"
"Yes it does."
Raymond sat upright finally before immediately regretting it.
"Ohhhhhh no."
Measly frowned.
"What?"
"My everything hurts."
"You literally controlled wind somehow."
"That doesn't stop pain!"
O'Nux looked genuinely impressed again.
"Still cannae believe ye did that."
Raymond threw both hands up.
"I CAN'T EITHER."
That was the weirdest part.
Nobody really seemed shocked anymore.
Concerned?
Interested?
Absolutely.
But not shocked.
Like strange powers appearing around children on this island barely even ranked in the top ten weirdest things people had seen recently.
Which honestly terrified Raymond a little.
Lein-Da carefully adjusted Tillie against her lap as the baby attempted once again to eat something that was definitely not edible.
"Stop consuming fabrics," she informed the infant calmly.
Tillie ignored her entirely.
Raymond pointed immediately.
"She got that from Measly."
"I DID NOT EAT FABRIC."
"You ate dirt once."
"I WAS THREE."
"You were curious."
"I was stupid!"
"Same thing sometimes."
Measly threw a pillow at him.
Raymond caught it without looking somehow.
"…Okay that was cool."
"Thank you."
"You weren't even facing me!"
"I got instincts."
"That's not how instincts work!"
Elijah quietly turned a page in his book.
"I think we established yesterday that normal rules stopped applying awhile ago."
"…Y'know what?" Raymond admitted. "Fair."
For a little while, things stayed oddly peaceful.
Not safe.
The island never really felt safe.
Too ancient.
Too powerful.
Too full of secrets hidden behind every glowing corridor and broken ruin.
But peaceful enough.
Enough for tired children to sit around arguing about nonsense after surviving something terrifying together.
Enough for Tillie to aggressively attempt eating another blanket while Lein-Da gently redirected her tiny hands with visible resignation.
Enough for O'Nux to nearly choke laughing after Raymond tried standing too fast and immediately collapsed again.
Then—
Footsteps approached from outside the chamber.
Lighter than Lein-Da's.
More measured than O'Nux's.
Elijah looked up first.
"Oop," O'Nux muttered immediately.
Raymond blinked.
"What 'oop'?"
The echidna boy grinned.
"My cousin's here."
"Why are you saying that like we should be worried?"
"Because it's funny."
"That's not reassuring!"
Lein-Da sighed softly.
"O'Nux."
"Aye?"
"Behave."
"Nae promises."
The footsteps stopped outside the chamber entrance.
Then a voice echoed inward.
"You say that every single time and somehow it always gets worse."
The newcomer stepped inside.
Measly blinked.
Raymond blinked harder.
The girl standing there looked around their age.
Maybe exactly their age.
She was an echidna like Lein-Da and O'Nux, though shorter than Lein-Da by a decent amount and lacking the older woman's overwhelming terrifying presence.
Not that she looked harmless.
Nobody on this island looked harmless.
But she looked… calmer.
More grounded.
Her dreadlocks were tied back loosely with strips of cloth, and she wore light training wraps around her hands and forearms alongside practical travel clothing that looked worn but maintained carefully.
Ocean-blue eyes swept across the room.
Sharp.
Observant.
Then narrowed slightly at O'Nux.
"…Why does the squirrel look like he lost a fight with gravity?"
Raymond pointed indignantly.
"I LOST A FIGHT WITH A SIX-YEAR-OLD."
"A talented six-year-old," O'Nux corrected proudly.
"That somehow makes it worse!"
The girl sighed.
"Anarchy Below…"
Then she looked toward Lein-Da.
"…You actually did the tests already?"
"Yes."
"And?"
Lein-Da glanced toward Measly and Raymond.
"Promising."
The girl's attention shifted fully toward them now.
Not hostile.
Just evaluating.
"…Those are the kids?"
Raymond waved weakly from the floor.
"I am in immense pain."
"That answers literally none of my questions."
"Then ask better ones."
Measly buried his face in his hands.
"You are gonna get us killed someday."
"Worth it."
The echidna girl stared at Raymond for several seconds.
Then unexpectedly snorted.
"…Alright. I kinda like him."
"YES."
Lein-Da rubbed lightly at her temple.
"You encourage him too easily."
"I learned from O'Nux."
"That explains so much," Elijah muttered quietly.
O'Nux looked offended.
"Rude."
Lein-Da gestured calmly toward the newcomer.
"This is Julia-Su."
Julia gave a small wave.
"Hi."
Then Lein-Da added:
"My younger sister."
Raymond blinked.
"You got siblings?"
Julia immediately looked offended.
"What kinda question is that?"
"I dunno! You just seem like the type to emerge fully formed from a lightning storm or somethin'!"
O'Nux burst into laughter so suddenly he nearly dropped his breakfast.
Even Elijah covered his mouth suspiciously fast.
Lein-Da stared at Raymond.
Long.
Slowly.
"…I am choosing not to kill you because Tillie likes you."
Tillie immediately squeaked happily at hearing her name.
Julia looked between them.
"…You adopted children."
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
"I am temporarily tolerating them."
Raymond pointed dramatically toward Tillie.
"She has maternal instincts now."
Lein-Da's eyes narrowed.
"You are very brave for someone who can barely stand."
"I fear nothing."
He tried standing again.
His legs gave out instantly.
"Ow."
Julia stared flatly.
"…That might be the saddest thing I've ever seen."
Measly finally pushed himself properly upright despite the soreness.
Julia's attention shifted toward him.
And immediately sharpened.
Because unlike Raymond—
Measly carried himself differently now.
Still awkward.
Still obviously young.
But steadier.
Grounded.
Like yesterday had changed something inside him.
Not hardened exactly.
Focused.
Julia tilted her head slightly.
"…You're the strong one."
Measly blinked.
"Uh…"
O'Nux grinned proudly before Measly could answer.
"He matched me."
Julia immediately looked at him.
"…Excuse me?"
"Aye."
"He's six."
"Aye."
"You're six."
"Aye!"
"That's concerning!"
"It was GREAT."
Julia looked back toward Measly with renewed disbelief.
Measly immediately looked uncomfortable.
"I ain't stronger than him."
"Nae," O'Nux admitted cheerfully. "But ye hit hard enough ta matter."
Julia folded her arms.
"…That should not happen naturally."
Raymond pointed weakly from the floor again.
"THAT'S WHAT I SAID."
Elijah finally closed his book.
"Their abilities are abnormal."
The room quieted slightly at that.
Because joking aside—
Everyone knew it.
Measly and Raymond exchanged a brief glance.
Julia noticed.
And her expression softened just slightly afterward.
Not pity.
Understanding.
"…Well," she said finally, "welcome to the island then."
Raymond blinked.
"That's it?"
"That's what?"
"You ain't gonna interrogate us or threaten us or dramatically test our souls or somethin'?"
Julia looked genuinely confused.
"…Why would I do that?"
O'Nux immediately raised his hand.
"Lein-Da did."
"I did not test their souls."
"It sounded like ye wanted ta."
"That is because you are incapable of understanding nuance."
"Big word."
"Thank you."
Raymond leaned toward Measly slightly.
"I think her and O'Nux share one brain cell."
"Probably."
"We heard that," Julia and O'Nux said simultaneously.
A pause.
Then Julia sighed.
"…Okay maybe he's right."
"HA!"
Lein-Da looked exhausted already.
Tillie reached upward toward Julia from Lein-Da's lap.
The younger echidna blinked.
"…Oh no."
Lein-Da's mouth twitched faintly.
"She likes you."
"That sounds ominous when you say it like that."
"It should."
Julia carefully accepted the baby into her arms.
Tillie immediately grabbed one of her dreadlocks.
"…Alright well now I'm trapped emotionally," Julia admitted.
"Ye get used ta it," O'Nux said solemnly.
"I hate this family."
"No ye don't."
"…No," Julia admitted quietly while adjusting Tillie more comfortably. "I really don't."
For a moment—
The room settled again.
Children.
Family.
Found family.
Survivors.
People trying very hard to remain people despite the world constantly giving them reasons not to.
And somewhere deep beneath the island—
Ancient power continued humming softly through stone older than kingdoms.
-------
Measly squinted at Julia-Su for a long moment while the group continued walking through one of the lower pathways carved into the island cliffs. Morning light filtered faintly through cracks high above the jungle canopy, mixing with the strange glowing crystals embedded throughout the stone walls. The result made the pink echidna almost look like she was glowing slightly around the edges. Measly eventually tilted his head.
"…Okay, serious question." Julia-Su looked over cautiously. "What?" Measly pointed directly at her without hesitation. "I didn't know echidnas could be pink." There was exactly half a second of silence before Julia-Su smacked him across the back of the head hard enough to make him stumble forward with a yelp. "OW—" "We come in more than one color, genius!" Julia-Su snapped immediately, though there wasn't actual anger behind it. Mostly embarrassment.
O'Nux instantly burst into laughter loud enough to echo off the stone walls while Raymond nearly folded in half beside him. Even Elijah looked dangerously close to losing composure again. Measly rubbed the back of his head dramatically. "How was I supposed to know?!" "By using your eyes!" Julia-Su shot back. "I WAS!" "Clearly not very well!"
Raymond pointed between them with delight. "Oh this is great. She's meaner than Lein-Da." "Nobody's meaner than Lein-Da," O'Nux said solemnly. "That's physically impossible." Somewhere ahead of them, Lein-Da's voice echoed calmly down the corridor without her even turning around. "I can still hear all of you." Raymond immediately pointed accusingly at the ceiling.
"See?! She keeps DOIN' that!" Julia-Su crossed her arms before glancing back toward Measly with a faint smirk tugging at her mouth now. "And for the record," she informed him, "just because I don't like fighting doesn't mean I won't hit you again." O'Nux nodded approvingly. "Aye. That's the family spirit." "You literally apologized to a tree yesterday after punching it too hard," Julia-Su reminded him. "The tree did not deserve that." "IT WAS A TREE." "And now it's a hurt tree."
Raymond stared at the echidna boy for several seconds before quietly leaning toward Measly. "…This island is full of insane people." O'Nux gasped dramatically. "I am deeply wounded by that accusation." Raymond pointed at him immediately. "YOU TALK TO TREES." "They've got feelings!" "NO THEY DON'T." "How d'ye know? Ye ever asked one?" Raymond opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. "…I hate that I don't got a comeback for that."