The forest was thick with shadows, moonlight barely piercing through the tangled branches overhead. Smaller fallen branches creaked in the night breeze, and dry leaves whispered beneath their boots as Caelan and Keira moved through the usual calm night.

  Keira skipped ahead, spinning her sniper as if it weighed nothing, her grin wider and more confident.

  “This thing’s outrageous, big bro. Takeshi complains about the price, but what does he know? The balance, pure perfection. Honestly, the bar should just make me their mascot already. I’m clearly the cutest girl in this whole mess. Unlimited booze for all of us. Who could possibly refuse?”

  She kept going, voice brightening even more. “Anyway, this bad boy will pay for itself in no time. One shot, one kill, and they’ll all be bragging about how smart I was—you’ll see.”

  Caelan just walked in silence, gaze distant, boots crunching softly in the underbrush. Keira eventually slowed down, nudging him with her shoulder.

  “Big bro? Are you mad I spent all the scrap again?”

  Caelan shook his head, snapping back to the present. “No, no, sis. You get whatever you need. The best sniper in the war needs the best gun. Just… try not to break the next one over someone’s head.”

  She laughed. “He lied about hot chocolate. I mean, come on, that’s just cruel. This whole place is rubbish—no chocolate, food’s a joke that tastes like cardboard.” She gave him a side-eye, her tone shifting. “But really, what’s up with you? You’ve been off since I got to the bar.”

  Caelan hesitated. Should I tell her? “What did you think of that red-haired woman today? Something about her is just… off.”

  Keira snorted. “Aww, your girlfriend, bro? She looked wrecked. But I didn’t stare at her like a stalker the way you did, though.”

  Caelan looked at her, letting out a low laugh. “Don’t say things like that, sis. People are going to think I’m a creep.”

  She beamed at him. “You can’t be a perv, bro. You’ve got a smoking-hot cutie like me on your team, and you haven’t made a single pass.” She stuck out her tongue. “Yet.”

  Caelan raised an eyebrow. “First—ew, not happening. Second—hell no.”

  Keira started skipping again. “Your loss, bro. Don’t worry, I’m just pulling your pisser.”

  Caelan sighed. She really can’t pull off that accent.

  Keira shot him a grin. “What, ‘pisser,’ Mr Scotsman?”

  Before Caelan could answer, a scream cut through the night somewhere up ahead.

  He started, “Sis—” but before he could say anything else, Keira was already darting deeper into the trees, waving over her shoulder.

  “Yeah, yeah, bro—wait for the signal, like we haven’t done this a million times before. Have fun, bro!”

  Caelan couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head as he strolled in the direction of the scream. He slipped his hands into his pockets, trying to look like he was just out for a casual evening walk.

  Why the hell do I get myself into these situations? Well, let’s see how well your thrown-together plan goes this time, Caelan.

  The forest grew darker, denser. The trees twisted into unnatural shapes, their roots clawing at the ground like grasping fingers. With every step forward, it became harder to see, until finally—he broke through.

  Caelan stepped out into a ragged clearing—and stopped cold.

  The ground was littered with weapons, blood smeared in broken arcs, and golden orbs floated away in every direction like tiny haunted lanterns. In the centre stood a monster: massive, all rippling power, white fog swirling around its body like a storm. Honestly, Caelan thought, it looked like someone had been juicing up a lion on steroids for years. The thing didn’t even look tired.

  But what really caught his eye wasn’t the beast—it was the red-haired woman from earlier. She was still standing, battered but unbowed, staring the monster down. Her sword was slick with blood, her clothes torn. If she was afraid, she didn’t show it.

  Neither of them even glanced his way. Typical.

  Caelan, never one for subtlety, cleared his throat loudly and called out, “Damn, I knew that guy was going to fuck this up, but I didn’t think they’d mess it up this spectacularly.” He let out a rough laugh, deliberately obnoxious. “Well, one less idiot for me to deal with.”

  The woman, eyes still fixed on the monster, didn’t blink. “Why are you here? Get out of here. This thing is no joke. Run while I hold it off.”

  Caelan flashed a cheese-eating grin. “Shut the hell up—who the hell are you to tell me to run? I’m a big boy. I’ll do whatever the fuck I want.”

  She finally cut him a sideways look. “Do you need to swear so much?”

  She barely finished the sentence before the monster lunged—huge and fast. Caelan, already moving, appeared at her side in a blur, grabbing her hand and yanking her straight into the trees.

  The woman, still reeling, found herself in shock as Caelan dragged her through the thick trees, barely giving her a chance to process what was happening. Twigs snapped underfoot as he hauled her in the direction of the town. She twisted in his grip, trying to break free.

  “What in the stars are you doing?” she shouted, her voice raw. “I can finish it—let me go!”

  Caelan just grinned without looking back. “Aww, shut up. It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

  The woman, catching her breath, was stunned by how fast he’d moved. He was twenty feet away a second ago, she thought. How the hell did he reach me and pull me clear before that thing even moved? Is he actually faster than me? But what’s his game here? she wondered, her mind racing. He could have left me, but he didn’t. Why?

  After a few moments, the woman abruptly yanked her hand free, stopping in the darkness and glaring at Caelan’s back.

  “Let go,” she snapped, breath ragged. “I didn’t ask for your help—I don’t need it. You don’t even know me. Just leave me alone.”

  Caelan didn’t even bother to turn around. He kept walking, gaze fixed ahead, his voice drifting back with a crooked grin she could hear but not see. “Please, don’t flatter yourself. I’m not saving you—I just don’t want to watch my new plaything get broken before I’ve had my fun.”

  As the woman whirled, determined to head straight back into the fight, she snapped, “I’m going to defeat that monster. Don’t try to stop me.” But before she could take a single step, Caelan caught a flash of movement in the corner of his eye—a massive white claw slicing silently through the trees, faster than any warning.

  Damn, no wonder it’s called White Death. That quick and that quiet, he thought, moving before he could even process the risk. He hurled himself between her and the oncoming attack, shoving her hard into a small clearing just as the monster’s claw crashed down. Caelan took the full brunt of the blow to his back, the force flinging him to the ground next to her.

  Before either of them could move, the White Death landed in the clearing, glaring straight at Caelan. The monster roared, low and thunderous. Caelan, still sprawled on the ground, grinned up at it.

  “Well, this is going to be fun,” he muttered.

  The red-haired woman stepped between him and the monster, her stance unwavering. That’s when he really saw it—the sword she wielded was magnificent: a flawless, almost pure white-gold longsword. Caelan mumbled under his breath, “Where the hell did she find that? I’ve seen nothing like it in all my years here.”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  She raised the blade, pointing it at the monster with steady hands. And then, as she turned, Caelan finally noticed her eyes—bright, golden, and actually sparkling. He blinked. How didn’t I notice those before? It wasn’t his imagination—her eyes genuinely sparkled.

  Still lying on the ground, he heard her say, “I don’t need you to save me. I never asked. But since your ego is clearly out of control, sit back and let me save you for a change.”

  As the monster lunged at her, she moved with almost gentle grace, deflecting its blows. The beast swung faster and faster, claws blurring, but not a single strike landed—no matter the angle, she was already there, a step ahead, every movement precise and efficient.

  Caelan watched, transfixed. She’s not like most of the so-called champions I’ve met here. Some just use raw power; others rely on numbers. But she—she’s got the one thing almost everyone else lacks. She’s not the strongest I’ve seen, but… don’t tell me she’s already figured out the monster’s whole attack pattern?

  It could only have been ten minutes before I found them… How the hell does she do it?

  The woman, still darting around the monster, called out, “You know, you can get out of here instead of lying there watching, you idiot!”

  Caelan just stretched out, making himself comfortable on the ground. “What, are you kidding me? This is awesome as hell to watch. Man, how did you learn to fight like that?”

  She leapt away from a swipe, breathless, barely dodging. “I’m a little busy here—four more minutes and I’ll win.”

  Caelan laughed, hands behind his head. “Well, sorry, my plan will finish in under two minutes. Too slow, buddy.”

  From the darkness, a faint whistle carried through the night. The woman went in for another attack, but just as she moved, Caelan—who’d seemed in danger only moments ago—sprang to his feet, scooped her up, and tossed her over his shoulder.

  She sputtered, “What is wrong with you? What show?!”

  Caelan, already sprinting for the tree line as she kicked and screamed against his back, just laughed like a madman. “Aww, shut up for once and just enjoy the show.”

  He flashed her a wild grin. “I’m going to defeat that thing without lifting a finger. Just enjoy it.”

  The woman, still slung over Caelan’s shoulder, watched in disbelief as the monster began to charge after them—its massive paws gouging the earth, white mist swirling in its wake. Caelan dipped and weaved through the trees, the beast getting close enough at times that she could feel the heat of its breath. Every time its claws slashed or jaws snapped, Caelan twisted just out of range, grinning like a lunatic.

  She shouted over the pounding of the monster’s footsteps, “So what’s actually your plan here, or are you just going to keep running away?”

  Caelan didn’t answer right away, just dodged another swipe and yelled into the night, “Like we planned, guys!”

  The monster lunged, gaining ground. But this time, Caelan didn’t veer aside—he sprinted straight ahead.

  Out of nowhere, something massive smashed into the monster with a thunderous clang. The woman barely caught a glimpse—a shield—before the beast staggered back, dazed and even angrier.

  It shook itself, roared, and charged again. This time, gunfire erupted from two different angles, slamming into the monster and driving it back. The woman twisted to look, eyes wide. Where the hell did that come from? Where are they?

  The monster, now panicked, looked around in confusion. Caelan just stood there, the woman still over his shoulder, shouting at the beast with a huge grin, “Come on, big boy. That’s all you’ve got?”

  The monster, now growing careless—whether from its wounds or pure frustration—abandoned all pretence of caution. This time, it didn’t bother weaving through the trees; it ploughed straight through them, splintering trunks and sending branches crashing down in its wake.

  Caelan just stood there, grinning. She twisted to look and saw the beast barreling right for them.

  At the very last second, Caelan sidestepped with an easy, practised grace. As the monster thundered past, a bowshot whistled through the dark—burying itself deep in the creature’s eye. The beast howled, flailing wildly.

  With its vision ruined and fury boiling, the monster reared up just in time for a blinding flash of light to explode across its face, leaving it staggering and momentarily blinded.

  Caelan, still cackling, dashed into a wide clearing, calling out, “Aww, damn, thought this might be somewhat of a challenge.”

  The woman, still kicking and protesting, smacked him in the back. “Are you completely insane? What in the stars is your problem?”

  He finally set her down in the middle of the field. She immediately started smacking his arm—not hard, just enough to vent her annoyance. “Honestly, what is with you?”

  Caelan winced, shielding himself. “Oww, oww—will you fucking quit it?”

  She gave him one last, extra-hard smack. “Fine, but that one was for swearing again.”

  He yelped, “Oww. Fine, fine, I’ll stop.”

  She crossed her arms, satisfied. “Finally.”

  Just then, the monster, having cleared the forest, began limping toward them with murder in its eyes. The woman went to lift her sword, but Caelan reached out and grabbed her hand.

  As he stood in the clearing, the monster began to circle just inside the tree line. The woman glanced at him, exasperated. “Come on, we need to either fight it or get out of here—pick one.”

  But Caelan just stood there, face calm and utterly resolved, still holding her hand as the monster readied itself for another charge.

  He spoke softly, voice cool and steady. “We don’t need to do a thing. We’ve already won this.”

  The monster lowered its head and charged across the opening. Caelan started to smile, almost to himself, and murmured under his breath, “Go on, sis. One shot.”

  The beast launched itself through the air at them. Caelan never flinched—he stood there with utter faith, that same wild grin on his face. Even the woman, tense and ready to run, thought, What the hell is this idiot doing? We need to move. But… for some reason, somehow, I believe him. Ha. Show me what you’ve got, then, you complete idiotic show-off.

  Caelan never broke the monster’s stare.

  A flash—

  A single bullet whistled right between Caelan’s and the woman’s heads, punching a hole the size of a watermelon straight through the creature’s skull. The monster flopped to the ground, dead before it hit the earth.

  The woman stood there in shock. She didn’t even know how to process what she’d just witnessed. Did he actually plan all this? He didn’t even draw his weapon… How the hell does he do that? It’s impossible.

  As Caelan stood there grinning ear to ear, six figures emerged one by one from the shadows of the forest, each of them closing in with that relaxed, familiar swagger—the kind that only came from a team who’d survived hell together.

  They walked right up to Caelan and the woman, forming a loose semicircle in front of them.

  “Damn, that was so—” Caelan started.

  Before he could finish, Takeshi stormed up and grabbed him by the collar, actually lifting Caelan a foot off the ground and shaking him like a rag doll. “What the hell were you thinking, you idiot? You said next week, and what do I wake up to? You and that damn sniper—” He jerked his head toward Keira, who was currently kissing her rifle like it was the love of her life. “She’s goddamn kissing it now. Why did you run in without telling us?”

  Still shaking, Caelan managed, “But this was the plan. I knew you’d all come when you noticed.”

  Takeshi dropped him unceremoniously. “Yeah, it’s official—I’m following the most reckless idiot and his goddamn sniper-obsessed sister. Why did it have to be me?” He dropped to his knees and started pounding the ground with his fist. “And we’re still broke.”

  Caelan lazily leaned over and pointed behind him to where the monster’s body had vanished—leaving behind several huge bricks of scrap. Takeshi’s eyes lit up instantly. He scrambled over to the pile on hands and knees, mumbling excitedly, “Finally, I can build it. Oh, I wonder if that’ll work—and maybe I can fit someone else on that as well…” The others just watched him like he’d lost his mind.

  Braen walked over, ruffling the red-haired woman’s hair with a gentle smile. “Aww, so did our little captain help this nice little girl?” she teased. “Sorry about our captain—he gets carried away sometimes.”

  Veyra stood to the side, yawning and grumbling to Caelan, “I’m tired, and you’d better give me tomorrow night off to make up for this. And I swear I saw a new wrinkle—look what you’re doing to me.”

  Caelan just laughed. “Veyra, shut up—you look amazing. You haven’t aged a day. Trust me, I’d tell you.”

  Veyra’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “So you do think I’d look worse if I were getting wrinkles? Why the hell are you looking at me like that, Captain?” She grabbed him by the shirt as her eyes flashed red.

  Meanwhile, Keira was too busy dancing with her new sniper, spinning it gleefully as Milo joined in, shouting, “Like—honestly, blam. Its head was just gone. You could probably take out two floors of the bar with that beauty if you wanted.”

  Keira spun her rifle overhead, grinning. “Hell yeah, that asshole better start sliding me more free drinks—I mean, we all know they just stay for the Keira show.”

  Aidan, rubbing his eyes with one hand, just groaned. “Honestly, why do you even need something that big? Can we at least talk about taking it out of your share—you owe us.”

  Keira and Milo kept dancing, pretending not to hear a word he said.

  Takeshi suddenly shouted, dropping to his knees in front of the pile. “There’s at least twenty times what that lunatic over there spent—we’re goddamn loaded.”

  Keira came flying in out of nowhere, booting Takeshi away from the pile with a cackle. “Damn, this has to be enough to buy the bar. Watch and learn, idiot.” She planted her foot proudly on the biggest brick. “No one can stop the mighty Keira and Friends Alliance. Onwards, my subjects—we have a damn bar to buy.”

  Milo started applauding dramatically. Takeshi scrambled up, face red, and karate-chopped her right on the head. “Not on my watch, you goddamn chaos demon.”

  They both spun toward Caelan, grinning with wild anticipation. Caelan just paused, thinking for a second, then sighed. “We’re not buying the bar this time. But you can go wake that asshole up and buy us some booze.”

  Keira snapped to attention, mocking a salute. “Aye aye, Captain,” she chirped in her most sarcastic voice.

  With that, they packed up the bricks and began skipping back toward town, leaping around like kids at Christmas. The red-haired woman stood quietly nearby. Caelan handed her a bag with her share, and she watched the whole spectacle in stunned silence.

  He hesitated for a second, then said, almost shyly, “So, hey… we have this firepit thing—we make fires, drink, hang out. Would you want to join us?”

  The woman opened her mouth, about to decline, but paused as Caelan smiled and held out his hand. She looked at it for a moment, then softly said, “…Do you have any nice teas? I’ve never really gotten drunk before.”

  He grinned. “Don’t you worry—Keira will find anything in this war. Nice tea? She’ll hunt it down in a heartbeat.”

  She opened her mouth, closed it again, then snorted. “So… have you always been an idiot?” she asked as they fell into step behind the others.

  Caelan laughed. “Fuck yeah—ouch, will you stop that?”

  She smacked his arm once more. “If you stop swearing.”

  They both laughed a little as they wandered off behind the group, following the trail of noise back toward the quiet, firelit night.