Weeks had passed since my first visit to the settlement, and I’d grown accustomed to blending into the background. The tavern was my usual spot for gathering information—a dimly lit, noisy place where people talked freely after a few drinks. I sat in a corner, my hood pulled low over my face, listening intently to the conversations around me.

The news wasn’t good. An Insurgence point had appeared not far from the settlement, and it was growing stronger. Insurgencies were unpredictable phenomena—monster-spawning hotspots that appeared out of nowhere. At first, they produced fast, resilient creatures like the Calamity Hounds we’d encountered. But given enough time, they started spawning more varied and dangerous monsters. If left unchecked, they would eventually amass into a horde capable of wiping out entire settlements.

This particular Insurgence was already shifting its output. Fewer Calamity Hounds were being reported, and in their place were Calamity Shades—ghostly figures with gaping mouths and an eerie ability to phase through solid objects. The settlement was on edge, and rumors of evacuation plans were starting to circulate.

Another piece of information caught my attention: a Zenith caravan was scheduled to pass through the area. The Zenith, with their robotic animal constructs, were a mysterious faction. This caravan was described as a throng of giant caterpillar-like transports, guarded by numerous Zenith units. It was carrying supplies, though no one seemed to know what kind. The caravan’s route would take it close to the settlement, and I made a mental note to avoid it. Getting caught in the crossfire between the Zenith and whatever monsters might attack them was not on my to-do list.

I listened for a while longer, picking up random bits of information—rumors of metahuman uprisings, sightings of strange creatures in the forest, and the occasional conspiracy theory about the UPF. When I felt I’d heard enough, I quietly slipped out of the tavern, careful not to draw attention to myself.

As I stepped into the dim light of the settlement’s streets, I noticed the cat girl and her group. They were standing near the entrance of the tavern, deep in conversation. The cat girl—Mia, as I’d learned—was gesturing animatedly, her tail flicking back and forth. Her giant companion, Garth, stood silently beside her, his massive frame casting a long shadow. With them were two others: a man with a sniper rifle slung across his back and a woman who didn’t appear to be carrying any weapons.

I kept my distance, but as I turned to leave, the man with the sniper rifle suddenly looked in my direction. His eyes narrowed, and I felt a pang of unease. I quickened my pace, weaving through the crowded streets, but it wasn’t long before I heard shouting behind me.

“Hey! Stop right there!”

I didn’t look back. Instead, I ducked into the marketplace, using the stalls and throngs of people to my advantage. The market was a maze of narrow alleys and hidden corners, and I knew it well from my previous visits. I darted between stalls, slipping past vendors and shoppers, trying to lose my pursuers.

For a moment, I thought I’d succeeded. The shouting grew fainter, and I allowed myself a brief sigh of relief. But as I turned into a nearby alley, I froze.

The woman from the group—the one without any visible weapons—was standing at the other end of the alley. She had a calm, almost bored expression on her face, but her eyes were sharp and focused. Before I could react, she moved. Her fist shot past me, slamming into the wall with enough force to crack the concrete.

I instinctively raised my hands behind my head, my heart pounding. “Whoa, whoa! I’m not looking for trouble!”

She didn’t respond, but her stance made it clear that running wasn’t an option. A moment later, the rest of the group arrived, blocking the other end of the alley. The cat girl, Mia, stepped forward, her ears twitching as she studied me.

“You’ve been following us,” she said, her voice sharp but not hostile. “Why?”

I swallowed hard, trying to think of a convincing lie. “I wasn’t following you. I was just… in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The man with the sniper rifle snorted. “Nice try, kid. We’ve seen you around before. You’re not exactly subtle.”

Garth, the giant, crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. The woman who’d punched the wall tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. “You’ve got five seconds to explain yourself before I decide you’re not worth the effort.”

I hesitated, weighing my options. Lying might buy me some time, but these people didn’t seem like the type to fall for it. On the other hand, telling the truth could be just as dangerous.

“Alright,” I said, lowering my hands slightly. “I’m not from around here. I’ve been trying to gather information—about the Insurgence, the Zenith, anything that might help me survive. I didn’t mean to follow you. I was just… curious.”

Mia’s tail swished as she considered my words. “Curious, huh? About us?”

I nodded. “You’re metahumans, right? I’ve never seen anyone like you before. I wanted to know more.”

The woman who’d punched the wall smirked. “Kid’s got guts, I’ll give him that.”

Mia sighed, her expression softening slightly. “Look, we’re not looking for trouble either. But if you’re going to skulk around and eavesdrop on people, you’re going to attract the wrong kind of attention. Understand?”

I nodded quickly. “Yeah, I get it. No more skulking.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The man with the sniper rifle chuckled. “Good. Now get out of here before we change our minds.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I edged past them, keeping my hands visible, and hurried out of the alley. As I disappeared into the crowd, I couldn’t help but glance back. The cat girl and her group were still watching me, their expressions a mix of curiosity and caution.

I didn’t stick around to find out what they were thinking. Instead, I made my way back to the cabin, my mind racing. The encounter had been too close for comfort, but it had also given me something to think about. Metahumans were clearly a force to be reckoned with, and if I was going to survive in this world, I needed to learn more about them.

Mia leaned against the wall of the alley, her arms crossed and her tail flicking impatiently as she watched the hooded figure disappear into the crowd. The kid had been skulking around for weeks now, always lurking in the shadows, always listening. She didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“What do you think?” she asked, turning to her companions. “Was he telling the truth?”

Garth, her towering companion, grunted. “Hard to say. He seemed scared, but not lying. Could just be a kid trying to survive.”

The man with the sniper rifle—Kai—shrugged. “Kid or not, he’s a liability. If he’s been eavesdropping on us, he might’ve heard something he shouldn’t have.”

The woman who’d punched the wall—Lena—rolled her eyes. “Relax, Kai. He’s just a kid. Probably doesn’t even know what he’s listening to. Besides, if he was a threat, we’d know by now.”

Mia sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Either way, we can’t afford distractions. Not with what’s coming.”

The group fell silent, the weight of their mission pressing down on them. They’d been planning this for weeks, and the stakes were higher than ever. If they failed, it wasn’t just their lives on the line—it was the lives of everyone in the settlement. Maybe even everyone on Pangea.

Later, in their safehouse—a small, fortified building on the edge of the settlement—the group gathered around a makeshift table. A map of the area was spread out, marked with notes and symbols. Mia stood at the head of the table, her ears twitching as she listened to the others.

“Alright,” she said, tapping the map. “Let’s go over the plan one more time. We need to make sure everything’s perfect. No mistakes.”

Kai leaned forward, pointing to a spot on the map. “The Zenith caravan is scheduled to pass through here in two days. It’s a throng of those caterpillar transports, loaded with supplies. They’ll be heavily guarded, but if we can lure them into the Insurgence point here—” he pointed to another spot, “—we can weaken both forces. The Zenith will take out a good chunk of the monsters, and the monsters will thin out the Zenith. Then we sweep in, clean up what’s left, and destroy the Insurgence point before it can amass into a full horde.”

Lena nodded, her arms crossed. “Two birds with one stone. We get the supplies we need, and we take out a major threat. But it’s not going to be easy. The Zenith aren’t stupid. They’re not going to just walk into an Insurgence point.”

“That’s where I come in,” Mia said, her tail swishing. “I’ll create a diversion—something big enough to make them think they’re under attack. If we can make them believe there’s a bigger threat ahead, they’ll reroute straight into the Insurgence.”

Garth grunted, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. “And if they don’t take the bait?”

“Then we’re screwed,” Kai said bluntly. “But we don’t have a choice. This is our best shot.”

Mia nodded, her expression grim. “He’s right. We’re running out of time. The military’s pulling out of Pangea. We got word that a ship’s heading to Pearl Harbor in a few weeks, and it’s not coming back. If we don’t get on that ship, we’re stuck here. And if we’re stuck here…” She trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence.

The room fell silent, the weight of their situation settling over them. Pangea was dying. The Insurgence was spreading, the monsters were getting stronger, and the UPF was barely holding things together. Airdrops of supplies were becoming rarer, and the settlements were running out of resources. If they didn’t get off this continent soon, they’d be left to fend for themselves in a world that was rapidly falling apart.

Lena broke the silence, her voice softer than usual. “We’ll make it work. We have to.”

Mia nodded, her determination hardening. “We will. But we need to be smart about this. No mistakes. No loose ends.” She glanced at the door, her mind drifting back to the hooded kid. “And no distractions.”

The group spent the next few hours going over the details of the plan. They discussed every possible scenario, every potential obstacle, and every contingency. By the time they were done, the sun had set, and the safehouse was lit only by the flickering light of a single lantern.

Mia stood by the window, staring out at the settlement. The streets were quiet now, the bustle of the day replaced by an eerie stillness. Somewhere out there, the hooded kid was probably doing the same thing she was—trying to survive in a world that didn’t care whether they lived or died.

She sighed, her tail drooping slightly. “We’re so close,” she murmured. “We just have to hold on a little longer.”

Garth stepped up beside her, his massive frame blocking out the light. “We’ll make it,” he said, his voice steady. “We always do.”

Mia smiled faintly, leaning against him. “Yeah. We always do.”

But as she looked out at the darkened streets, she couldn’t shake the feeling that their luck was running out. The plan was risky, and the stakes were higher than ever. If they failed, there wouldn’t be a second chance.

"ACHOO!"

I sneezed suddenly, the sound echoing faintly through the dense forest. I froze, my hand instinctively reaching for the M1911 pistol tucked under my cloak. My Mind Map ability flickered in my mind, scanning the area for any signs of movement. Nothing. Just the usual rustling of leaves and the distant calls of birds.

“Someone talking about me?” I muttered under my breath, half-joking but still uneasy. The forest had a way of playing tricks on your mind, especially when you were alone. I shook off the feeling and continued walking, my boots crunching softly against the forest floor.

The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the trees. The golden light filtered through the canopy, painting the forest in hues of orange and red. It was beautiful, in a haunting kind of way. But I didn’t have time to admire the scenery. I needed to get back to the cabin before dark.

I adjusted the satchel slung over my shoulder, the weight of the provisions a comforting reminder of why I’d risked going to the settlement in the first place. The others were counting on me to keep them safe, and I wasn’t about to let them down.

The forest grew quieter as the sun dipped lower, the usual sounds of wildlife fading into an eerie silence. I quickened my pace, my Mind Map ability still active, scanning for any potential threats. The last thing I needed was to run into a monster or, worse, another group of bandits.

As I rounded a bend in the trail, I heard it—a faint whisper, barely audible over the rustling leaves. I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart pounding in my chest. The whisper came again, this time clearer, though I couldn’t make out the words. It sounded like… my name.

“Si Xin…”

I spun around, my pistol drawn, but there was no one there. Just the trees, their gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. My breath came in short, shallow gasps as I scanned the area, my Mind Map flickering wildly. Still nothing.

“Get a grip,” I muttered to myself, lowering the pistol. “You’re hearing things now. Great.”

But the whisper came again, louder this time, and I felt a chill run down my spine. It wasn’t just my imagination. Someone—or something—was calling my name.

I turned and broke into a run, my boots pounding against the forest floor. The whisper followed me, growing louder and more insistent with every step. I didn’t dare look back. I just ran, my mind racing with possibilities. Was it a monster? A metahuman with some kind of mind-control ability? Or was I losing my grip on reality?

The forest seemed to close in around me, the trees growing thicker and the shadows darker. My Mind Map flickered again, and this time, I saw it—a faint, gray marker moving rapidly toward me. Whatever it was, it was fast.

I skidded to a stop, my back against a tree, and raised my pistol. The whisper was deafening now, echoing in my ears like a siren’s call. My hands trembled as I aimed into the darkness, waiting for the thing to reveal itself.

But nothing came.

The whisper faded, replaced by an oppressive silence. My Mind Map showed no signs of movement, and the gray marker was gone. I stayed there for what felt like an eternity, my heart pounding in my chest, before finally lowering the pistol.

“What the hell was that?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

There was no answer, of course. Just the forest, silent and still, as if nothing had happened. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves, and continued walking. The cabin wasn’t far now, and I needed to get back before whatever that was decided to show itself again.

As I walked, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched. The forest had always felt alive, but now it felt… predatory. Like it was waiting for the right moment to strike.

When I finally reached the cabin, I was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Emma was waiting by the door, her arms crossed and a look of concern on her face.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head, too exhausted to explain. “You have no idea.”