The days blended together after that, marked by an unrelenting emptiness. Caelum barely moved from the nest. His once bright curiosity had dulled, replaced by a heavy, suffocating numbness. It felt like the world had grown colder, more unforgiving, and no matter how hard he tried to shake it, the weight pressed down on him.

He lay in the burrow, curled up on a patch of earth that was slightly softer than the rest. His once eager spirit that longed for adventure had faded, leaving him hollow. The small comfort of their burrow, which had once felt like a safe haven, now seemed like a prison. The walls of the tiny shelter closed in around him, trapping him with his thoughts.

His mind wouldn’t stop racing. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the snake again—its cold, piercing eyes, its fangs sinking into Aurelia, the way it had almost crushed them both. They had barely made it out alive. Barely.

Why did I think we could survive this?

The question haunted him, gnawing at the back of his mind. He had been so naive, so foolish to believe they could carve out some semblance of peace in this forest. Every day was a fight for survival, every moment filled with danger. And yet, there had been times—stupid, reckless times—when he had allowed himself to believe they could make it. That they could live here, grow stronger, and maybe, just maybe, enjoy life.

But the truth was far more brutal.

This world doesn’t care if we survive. It’s designed to kill us.

He was just a tiny, fragile larva. Aurelia, too. What were they compared to the predators that lurked around every corner? They were nothing. Weak, insignificant, vulnerable. The constant pressure to grow stronger, to fight, to survive—it was suffocating.

Caelum’s body felt heavy, like the air itself had thickened and was pushing him into the ground. He was tired—so, so tired. Not just physically, but in his soul. The exhaustion ran deep, gnawing at the edges of his thoughts. Every breath felt like a struggle, every movement a reminder of how fragile he truly was.

He tried to dream of mastering all types of magic, of exploring this world and uncovering its secrets. But now those dreams seemed laughable. How could he have ever believed that was possible? They were living in a world that wanted nothing more than to crush them, to grind them into the dirt.

Caelum stared at the dirt floor of the nest, feeling nothing but an aching emptiness inside. What was the point? Why should they keep fighting? Why should they keep struggling against a world that was so clearly determined to see them fail?

Maybe we were never meant to survive here. Maybe we’re just prolonging the inevitable.

He could feel his chest tighten at the thought, but it was the only one that made sense. The constant battles, the injuries, the near-death experiences—it all felt pointless. No matter how hard they tried, no matter how much they trained or leveled up, there would always be something bigger, stronger, more dangerous waiting to tear them apart.

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His mind flashed back to Aurelia, lying motionless, the venom coursing through her body. He had almost lost her. And the thought of that—of losing the only companion he had in this terrifying world—was unbearable. But it was also inevitable, wasn’t it? If they kept fighting, kept pushing themselves to survive, one day they would reach their limit. One day, there would be no more desperate last-minute victories, no more lucky level-ups. One day, they would lose.

We’re only delaying the end.

The thought chilled him to his core. Every victory felt hollow, every level-up a fleeting reprieve. The endless cycle of danger and survival—it was wearing him down. And for what? What were they even fighting for? To live another day in a world that offered nothing but pain and fear?

Caelum closed his eyes, his body sinking deeper into the nest’s earth. He couldn’t shake the despair that clung to him, that pulled him down further into the darkness. He was beginning to understand that this world wasn’t just dangerous—it was relentless. And he wasn’t sure he had the strength to keep going.

Maybe it would be easier to just give up.

The thought came unbidden, but it settled over him like a shroud. The constant fight for survival had stripped away the last of his hope. He didn’t want to fight anymore. He didn’t want to struggle. He didn’t want to feel this pain, this fear, this crushing sense of hopelessness.

Aurelia, his one friend, his only companion in this nightmare of a world—he wasn’t strong enough to protect her. He had almost lost her so many times. And he was certain it would happen again. The knowledge was like a knife in his chest, twisting deeper with each passing second.

I can’t do this. I can’t keep doing this.

His mind spiraled further into the darkness, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him until it felt like he couldn’t breathe. The memories of their battles, the constant near-death experiences, the fear that never seemed to leave—it was all too much.

Maybe we were doomed from the start.

The despair was overwhelming now, pulling him down deeper into the abyss. His thoughts were clouded, his mind heavy with the weight of everything they had endured. The brief moments of happiness, the simple joys they had found in their new life—it all seemed so distant now, so far away from the reality they were living in.

As Caelum lay there, lost in his thoughts, a small movement caught his attention. He blinked, slowly turning his head toward Aurelia, who had been resting quietly beside him. She was stirring, moving sluggishly.

For a moment, Caelum thought she was just shifting in her sleep, but then he noticed something. She wasn’t just moving—she was holding something.

Aurelia had brought something to him.

What… is that?

Caelum’s mind, foggy with despair, barely registered the sight of it. His heart, still heavy with hopelessness, couldn’t fathom what it could mean. But there was something in the way she presented it to him, something in her slow, deliberate movements that made him pause.

A glimmer of something—a faint spark of curiosity—flickered in the back of his mind. It was small, barely noticeable, but it was there.

And as Aurelia pushed the object toward him, Caelum felt a strange, unexplainable feeling stir deep inside.

What could she have brought me?