Kurai watched the four strangers warily. The youngest among them—an unsteady voice trembling in his throat—spoke first.

"Who… who are you?"

Kurai weighed his words, then gave a short bow. "I'm Kurai," he said simply. His tone was as flat as his expression.

The bronze-skinned man, still catching his breath from the close call, exhaled slowly. "We owe you our lives, Kurai. Thank you."

Kurai only dipped his head in acknowledgment, remaining a few cautious paces away. He'd seen such scenes before: desperate survivors clinging to any shred of salvation. Normally, he would have walked away the moment he was sure no more threats lingered. But there was something about this fighter's stance and bearing that made him pause—a veteran's skill, not the flailing of some hapless wanderer.

He considered the group a moment longer, then asked, "Are you traveling alone?"

The bronze man nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. "I'm Gaius," he said. Gesturing to each companion in turn, he added, "That's Aera, Joran, and Darin. We've got a camp, some distance off."

"I see..." Kurai murmured. Silence stretched as he studied their injuries, the nervous set of their shoulders. Eventually, the younger man—Darin—spoke up.

"Listen, if you're on your own, you can… maybe join us? We've, uh, got a fire and a bit of shelter."

Darin's hesitant tone echoed memories of Theo, and for a moment Kurai was reminded of their predicament, these people could bring some safety to their camp, and this Gaius could prove to be quite the addition. He pondered for a moment, then he replied, "I already have a camp. A group of my own."

Hope flickered and died in Darin's eyes—until Kurai added, almost begrudgingly, "However… you can come with me. But we need to leave now. Nightfall isn't far."

The four exchanged uncertain looks. Darin glanced at Gaius, who wore an unreadable expression, while Aera pressed her lips tight in clear reluctance. Finally, the older man, Joran, spoke in a quiet but firm tone:

"I believe we should go with him." The group seemed surprised by his words.

Aera frowned. "Are you sure?"

Joran offered a faint smile, deep lines in his face betraying years of hard-won wisdom. "I believe myself a decent judge of character. If Kurai intended us harm, he would've done it already."

While Aera's expression remained reluctant. Gaius finally spoke: "I think it would be an advantage to group up with more people," he said slowly. "However, I won't leave anyone behind. Are we all okay with this?"

A murmur of agreement passed through the group, each face a mixture of relief and wariness.

Gaius inclined his head, his brown eyes flicking to Kurai in a final assessment. "Very well. Lead on."

Kurai said nothing more, only motioned for them to follow. Soon, they were moving into the dense undergrowth, the promise of safety—or at least, the closest thing to it in this hostile world—drawing them onward.

***

Earlier that same morning.

Mira paced by the dying fire, arms wrapped around herself as though warding off a chill. "He's been gone too long," she muttered. Her eyes were red from lack of sleep.

Theo sat nearby, fiddling with the crude spear he'd forged. He looked up at Mira but said nothing. He simply nodded, a silent echo of her concern.

Jace and Elias stood a short distance away, going through halfhearted spear drills as though clinging to routine. Yet both men kept glancing toward the same spot in the undergrowth—the path they'd seen Kurai vanish into.

Finally, Jace spoke in a low voice. "We still don't know what happened to him," he said, letting the spear rest against his shoulder. "Or if he's even coming back."

Elias gave a slight, terse nod. His brow furrowed, but he kept his tone measured. "He's tougher than any of us. If he's not back yet, it might be by choice."

"You think he's… abandoned us?" Mira asked shakily.

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The question hovered in the hush, each of them wearing the same uneasy expression. They'd relied on Kurai for guidance—his knowledge of combat, of survival, had become their lifeline. But the man was a riddle at best; aloof and inscrutable even when he was around.

Theo swallowed hard, finally finding his voice. "He said he wouldn't babysit us. He wanted us to learn to stand on our own."

Jace's jaw tightened. He remembered all too well the last conversation before Kurai vanished: the tension, the half-accusations. He slammed the blunt end of his spear against the ground, frustration crackling in his eyes. "Fine. But there's a difference between that and leaving us entirely in the dark."

In the hush that followed, Elias exhaled, nodding toward the jungle's edge. "Whether he comes back or not, we still need food and supplies. We can't sit here doing nothing."

Jace straightened, letting his own spear rest against his shoulder. "Elias is right. We should go out and continue getting points and Aether." He paused, shifting his weight as though trying to convince himself as much as the others. "If he comes back, he'll be surprised to see we're all well on our way to catching up… if we haven't already." The last words rang hollow, even to his own ears.

Mira looked from one man to the other. She still wore the anxious lines of a sleepless night on her face, but she managed a nod. "All right," she agreed softly. "We… we should be doing something."

Theo swallowed, glancing around as if half-expecting Kurai to step from the trees at any moment. But there was no sign of him—only the humid hush of morning. "Let's get ready, then," he murmured.

***

By the time they returned to camp, darkness was settling over the jungle in earnest. The crickets and distant shrieks that replaced the birdsong felt sharper, more foreboding without Kurai's shadowy presence to reassure them.

They heaped the two slain beasts near their makeshift fire pit, they had hunted two each, but with no way to store the them, two would suffice. As Elias began arranging tinder and kindling, Mira helped Theo lash together a crude spit to cook the cuts of meat. Jace took a moment to walk the camp's perimeter, spear in hand, every snapped twig setting his nerves on edge.

At last, the fire crackled to life, casting warm, dancing light across the weary faces of the four. They sat around the flames, the low hiss of roasting flesh mingling with their subdued conversation.

Mira absently twisted a lock of her hair. "Well… we survived another day." Her voice trembled on the last syllable.

Jace wiped sweat from his brow, eyes flicking around. "We did. And we will continue to do so."

Theo nodded, gaze lingering on the flicker of embers. "I thought he'd be back by now."

Elias rested his elbows on his knees, looking into the heart of the fire. "The day's done," he said, not quite answering the implicit question.

Some time after finishing their meal and the exhaustion of the day tugging at their limbs, they considered turning in—despite the tension that still lingered in the air.

Mira prodded the coals with a branch, half lost in worry. Jace paced in a slow circle around the campsite, spear at the ready. Theo and Elias exchanged few words, the former restless but resigned to the knowledge that Kurai might not reappear at all.

Suddenly, a rustling in the brush made them freeze. Jace held up a hand, eyes narrowing. "Weapons," he whispered.

Elias and Theo snatched up their spears, moving carefully around the fire. Mira rose to her feet, heart pounding, bracing for another night ambush.

A single shape emerged from the shadows—lean, bare-chested, spear in hand. Kurai.

"Kurai!" Mira let the branch clatter to the ground as her eyes went wide with relief. She started forward but stopped short when four more figures stepped through the undergrowth behind him.

Kurai inclined his head toward his original companions, voice low but calm. "I see you're all still in one piece."

Elias raised a brow, scanning Kurai's ragged clothes and fresh scars. "You've been busy."

"Something like that," Kurai said flatly. He turned slightly, gesturing to the four who had followed him. "They'll be staying for a while. We came across each other in the jungle."

Uneasy silence held sway for a heartbeat. Aera and Darin hovered at Gaius's shoulder, uncertain how to greet these strangers. Joran rested a careful gaze on Mira, Theo, Jace, and Elias, as though weighing what sort of allies—or threats—they might be.

Finally, Mira swallowed hard and forced a polite nod. "Welcome. I'm… Mira. This is Theo, Jace, and Elias."

Gaius inclined his head in return. "I'm Gaius," he said giving the same short introduction to the others in his entourage whilst stepping forward with a measured calm. "We're grateful for the shelter. Kurai says you have a camp here—where we might rest safely?"

Theo exchanged a quick glance with Elias, who gave a slight nod. Then Theo cleared his throat. "We don't have much, but… yes, you can stay."

Jace shifted his weight but didn't object. He merely turned to Kurai, gaze flicking from the bare-chested warrior to the new faces. "We can catch up once we're sure nothing's sneaking around." His tone lacked warmth, but there was no mistaking the acceptance in his words.

Kurai glanced over his shoulder, scanning the treeline as if expecting movement. Satisfied there were no immediate threats, he returned his gaze to the circle of weary survivors. "We'll talk more in the morning." he said. "Until then, stay on guard."

One by one, they settled into an uneasy arrangement around the fire. Gaius and his group kept to one side, close enough to share the warmth but not so near as to spook their hosts. Slowly, conversation buzzed in low murmurs— notes about their different experiences, creatures they've seen and half-formed introductions.

For the first time in days, the camp held more than four people; it felt both reassuring and dangerously crowded. In this savage new realm, trust was a scarce resource—and for better or worse, they had no choice but to extend a measure of it to one another, hoping their combined strength might see them through another dawn.