Grrrrr….grrrrrrr.
Zane sensed his body being dragged along the ground.
Voices, screams and hails defined his surroundings, some were touching him, the scolding of the leading troop interrupted them.
Echoes of burning torches were the first things his eyes interpreted, blinking twice.
He wasn't sure how long he was out. Time felt like a liquid here—slow in some moments, racing in others. His skull throbbed. A dull ache pulsed at the base of his neck, rhythmic and merciless. When his eyes fluttered open, he found himself bound, his wrists tied together with braided vine, his body slumped against a tree trunk damp with moss.
Distant murmurs echoed nearby. Shadows danced beyond the firelight—a flickering orange glow cast by a nearby flame.
Zane blinked again, letting his vision sharpen. The camp. He was in the middle of it. Or at least close enough to see the center, where the warriors gathered, speaking in hushed tones.
They hadn't removed his test suit, he feared but his HUD flickers erratically, like a broken signal.
"CORE? Are you there?" he whispered, his lips dry.
No response.
"CORE?" he repeated, more urgently.
Still nothing.
Panic coiled in his gut. No interface.No suggestions or probabilities. For the first time since logging in, he was completely alone.
Crunch.
Footsteps neared. He lifted his head slowly up ahead.
It was her, the red-haired warrior with the axe.
Up close, she was even more imposing. Her eyes were as bloody as her hair, and she bore scars on her cheek that looked almost ceremonial, not accidental. A long woven band decorated her hair, threaded with feathers and bones.
Zane could clearly see her curves sway with every step she took towards him. She wore a short woven thread of clothing,the upper gliding over the lower in an X sign that showcased her hips. Advancing majestically alongside three other men who seemed like guards.
Crouching before him,her eyes studied him like he was a riddle she was still deciding to solve or destroy.
Her soft hand reached forward and grabbed Zane's face like one would examine a good or bad fish of the vast ocean.
Left and right, she turned his head.
Fingers ran softly through his upper pale body, Zane could tell she was discouraged with his build. The guards were more durable than himself. Yet, the sensation made him uneasy.
Their eyes made contact for a brief moment before she let go.
"You don't speak our tongue," she said in accented English. "But you have magic in your eyes."
Zane tried to sit up straighter. "Not magic. Tech. I'm… not from here."
She raised a brow, hands weaved into together. "You are not the first outsider to say that."
He swallowed. "I didn't mean to cause trouble. The little ones... I didn't know they belonged to something— someone."
Her gaze remained neutral. "You picked up the beastlings. We don't touch what we don't own."
"I'm sorry."
Silence.
"State your realm then, intruder."
Zane stared, eyes blinking.
She stood, paced a step, then glanced over her shoulder. "What do they call you in your realm?"
"…Zane— Zane Everhart."
"Zane," she repeated, testing the name like a weapon on her tongue. "I am Kaia, daughter of the Gray hunter. According to custom, you should be dead meat to our babies."
"Well that would be… unfortunate—i quite taste bad ," Zane muttered under his breath, his head jerking as his eyes darted to the figures standing with unshaken resolve.
Kaia gave a half-smile, barely visible. "You are lucky I am curious."
Behind her, two other manlike figures approached. The elder warrior stood with his spear still stained in dried blood, beside the other who mirrored him in every hardened detail also stood, furious but silent.
He spoke something in their language to Kaia, and she nodded.
Walking towards Zane in a slow pace, his eyes searched for something like Kaia had done but nothing.
His gaze reflected intensity and more predatory.
He didn't spare Zane a second glance before returning with the others into the inner camp.
Kaia turned back to him.
"Those were my brothers Auricles and Astos, they somehow dislike you. Some think you are a curse. Others... a sign."
Zane furrowed his brows. "A sign?"
Kaia didn't answer. She stepped closer and pressed her palm against his chest, just above where his HUD implant would've been. The contact was startling—warm, firm and deliberate.
"What do you feel when this world shifts?" she asked.
Zane hesitated. "…Like it's alive. Like it's watching?"
Kaia nodded slowly. "Then you understand more than the last outsider."
"There were others?"
She paused. Her face, previously calm, darkened. " Yes—Multiple. One. He came from the sky. Said strange things. Tried to control what should not be touched. Then disappeared… or was he taken?" Her finger tip settled on her lips in thought.
Zane's heart raced. Another player? How is that even possible, I am Player One.
He let himself sink right into the tree he was tied to. First it was relatable human steps, now someone had been here?
Before he could ask more, CORE's voice buzzed faintly in his head—static-laced and weak.
{…ayer One… syst… reboot… 3%… hold on…}
"CORE?" Zane whispered urgently.
Kaia tilted her head. "You speak to yourself?"
He glanced up. "No. Not to myself.. like a part of myself." A fake smile followed.
She narrowed her eyes. " You truly are touched by the old spirits."
Zane winced. "Let's… go with that."
Suddenly, loud horns bellowed in the distance—three long blasts. Every warrior in the camp froze.
Kaia spun toward the sound. "Scouts," she muttered. "Trouble."
Zane twisted in his bindings. "Let me help."
Kaia turned back sharply. "Help? Last I remember you were running from a mother beast."
"I've dealt with worse. I just need my hands free."
She studied him. In the firelight, her expression warred between doubt and instinct.
Another horn blast. This time closer.
"Untie him," she ordered one of the younger warriors who stood nearby. The others had ran off into the inner tent.
The warrior hesitated. "He is unproven."
Kaia didn't repeat herself. Her glare was enough to sense danger.
With begrudging hands, the warrior sliced Zane's bindings. He immediately rubbed his wrists and rose to his feet, using the tree for support—legs shaky, but holding.
CORE's voice whispered again.
{System reboot… 37%... be careful. Not all threats are beasts.}
"Noted."
Kaia tossed him a short unusual blade. "If you betray us, I will carve out your soul."
Zane caught the weapon and managed a half-smile. "Good to know."
A sudden blow surged toward Zane before he could even register the attacker.
The blade fell.
Strong arms hoisted him by his suit pants, slamming him against the very tree he'd once been tied to.
"Why hand our blade to a stranger, Kaia?" Astos the Second asked, his tone sharp with accusation.
She didn't answer—only watched in silence.
A slow smile tugged at Astos' lips. A faint, healed stab mark marred his arm, and a battle-worn scar ran beneath it, testament to countless fights. At his side, two jagged swords rested against his muscular hip, like loyal beasts waiting to be unleashed.
"Brother says he's your meal," he muttered, eyeing Zane with mild amusement. "But he's far too skinny for an Ashath."
Kaia's gaze didn't waver.
"My touch is not your touch, Astos." She warned.
As if understanding the code, he let go.
Zane hit the ground with a jolt, but before he could gather himself, Astos flicked two fingers, first at Zane's eyes, then at his own—a silent signal: I'm watching you.
Astos let out a sharp whistle. A horse galloped to his side, he mounted and fell into stride with the others.
"If all your people are like this," Zane muttered, brushing dirt from his clothes, "I might as well be in danger."
"You've been in danger since the moment you stepped on our land," Kaia replied, stepping backward without taking her eyes off him. "The People of Fangs possess speed and strength, beyond your understanding."
Another whistle. A horse came thundering toward them, kicking up clouds of dust.
Zane's doubt deepened. Realm One? This couldn't be just a simulation. People like Kaia were supposed to be NPCs—mere lines of code. But these people... this place... this feeling—something was wrong.
"Can you ride… Zane?" Kaia asked. Her voice wavered slightly as she mounted with ease. Her attendant handed her a spear and her specialized axe, both gleaming under the fading sun.
The attendant shared a strange look with Kaia also in which a slight nod ended. One Zane couldn't understand.
"Yes—No. I mean… I can try."
She smirked, then charged off with the others, leaving a trail of dust behind her.
Zane turned to the remaining attendant….another silent figure wrapped in armor, eyes hidden beneath black charcoal that ran across the riders face.He couldn't tell whether the person was a male or the opposite.
"Am... am I riding with you, sir—or... ma'am?" he asked hesitantly, feeling the sharp gaze pierce right through him.
"Definitely an NPC," Zane muttered under his breath.
Before he could react, the warrior gripped him with a single arm despite his nearly six-foot frame and tossed him effortlessly onto the horse.
"Hyaaahhhhhh!" the rider bellowed, kicking the beast into motion.
Zane jolted in the saddle, barely holding on as they sped after the distant horde.
His HUD displayed:
{ Reboot….100%
CORE System Online}
{ Player One: You have a new message.}