The road stretched before them, winding through the increasingly dense forest. The trees loomed taller, their gnarled branches twisting like skeletal fingers against the twilight sky. As the last remnants of sunlight faded, the shadows thickened, swallowing the path ahead.

John adjusted his pack and sighed. "You know, in my world, this is about the time people start making really bad decisions in horror movies. Like splitting up."

Kaia arched a brow. "Why would they do that?"

"Because they have a death wish, apparently."

Thorin chuckled. "Seems foolish. A good team stays together."

They walked in silence for a while until Kaia tensed, her hand drifting to her staff. "Something’s watching us."

John felt the hair on his arms rise, a primal warning before the first set of burning red eyes emerged from the darkness—then another, and another. Three dire wolves slunk into the firelight, their massive forms barely making a sound despite their size. Their thick, shadowy fur rippled with an eerie sheen, and the glow of their eyes reflected the flickering fire.

"Oh, great. Sequels are always worse," John muttered, flipping his knife into a ready grip.

Thorin hefted his axe, rolling his shoulders. "We know how to handle them."

The wolves fanned out, their muscles coiled, tails twitching in anticipation. John recognized the tactic—they were hunting as a pack, herding their prey into a corner before going for the kill.

Then, without warning, one sprang at Kaia. She barely twisted aside in time, her staff coming up to block the snarling beats wicked teeth. Thorin swung his axe towards the dire wolf's flank causing it to release the staff and back away before fixing its glowing eyes on her once more.

"It seems to like you Kaia," John said

John had no time to watch as another wolf lunged at him. He dove sideways, feeling the rush of air as his jaws snapped shut where he’d just been. The heat of the beast’s breath washed over him, thick with the scent of blood and earth. Before he could rise, the wolf wheeled on him, claws digging into the dirt as it prepared to pounce again.

Thinking fast, John snatched up a handful of dirt and flung it straight into the wolf’s face. The beast snarled and recoiled, its burning eyes blinking furiously as it tried to shake off the dust.

"Nice trick," Thorin growled, taking the opening. He stepped in and swung his axe in a brutal arc. The blade cleaved through muscle and bone, the wolf letting out a strangled yelp before collapsing into the dirt. Its massive body convulsed once before the glow in its eyes faded, leaving only a heap of lifeless fur.

With the death of one of its pack mates, one wolf went after Thorin for revenge. The other one still only had eyes for Kaia. She turned her focus to the last wolf, already weaving divine energy through her fingers. The beast crouched low, lips peeling back in a snarl. It charged, and Kaia thrust her hands forward, releasing a surge of brilliant light. The blast struck the wolf dead in the chest. It froze up in mid-step body tumbling. As it came to rest Kaia released her staff which bobbed up and down in the air. Walking towards the creature she unsheathed the dagger she always carried.

"I'm sorry your life has been corrupted with vile magics to turn you into this cursed creature you are and hope you can find peace the in eternal woods," Kaia said as she drew the dagger across the wolf's throat.

A terrible howl tore from its throat as its body convulsed violently. Its form shimmered, flickering between shadow and substance, before finally bursting apart in a spray of embers and ash.

John was distracted from watching Kaias fight as Thorin fended off the last creature. Realizing this he turned and snuck up for a backstab. As the large wolf spun to face John Thorins Axe came down on it finishing the fight.

"These things are getting annoying," he grumbled.

Kaia exhaled sharply, brushing strands of hair from her face. "You’re telling me."

Thorin prodded one of the fallen wolves with his boot before they began to dissolve. "They’re hunting in larger packs now. That’s not a good sign."

John dropped his knife into his pocket glancing into the trees. "Yeah? Well, I’m starting to get the feeling something worse is out there pushing them our way."

Kaia nodded. "And we’re getting closer to their territory. We should make camp soon."

The three of them stood still for a moment, listening to the forest beyond the firelight. The night stretched on, dark and silent—but the feeling of being watched never faded.

They found a clearing near a patch of dense, thorny bushes. John’s eyes lit up. "Hey, I have an idea. I saw something like this on a survival show once with my wife. We can build a boma."

"A what?" Thorin asked, puzzled.

"A boma. It’s a type of shelter used in Africa. Basically, we stack thorn bushes around us in a circle. Predators don’t like pushing through them, so it’s extra protection."

Thorin stroked his beard. "Clever. I’ll gather branches."

John and Thorin spent the next hour building the barrier while Kaia cleared the ground and set up a fire. By the time they finished, they had a sturdy ring of thorns enclosing their small camp.

"Not bad," Kaia admitted.

John dusted off his hands. "See? Watching TV isn’t a complete waste of time and we didn't even have to get naked."

Kaia and Thorin both ignored John at his last words getting used to his nonsense.

As the fire crackled and the last vestiges of twilight faded into the deep blue of night, Thorin returned to camp carrying a freshly snared rabbit. Its fur was still damp with dew, its body limp in his hands. He grunted in satisfaction, holding it up.

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"Not much, but it’ll do."

John, still adjusting to their reality, raised an eyebrow. "So, we’re really going full survivalist, huh? Next, you’re gonna tell me you know how to tan leather and make bone tools."

Thorin chuckled as he began dressing the rabbit with practiced efficiency. "My father taught me how to trap when I was a boy. Back when game was plentiful." His voice held a note of nostalgia, but there was something else beneath it—an edge of loss.

Kaia, kneeling nearby, carefully sorted through a small collection of wild mushrooms she had gathered. "It's good you remember. Food is harder to come by these days."

Thorin nodded, setting up a simple spit over the fire. "Aye. Since the Grandfather disappeared, it’s been getting worse. It started slow—fewer deer, fewer hares—but it’s been speeding up. Bjornfell’s been lucky, but there are places where hunting’s almost impossible now." He turned the rabbit on the spit, the fat beginning to sizzle.

John, absently pulling apart a chunk of bread, frowned. "This missing Grandfather. Did he just up and leave? Or did something… kill him?"

A heavy silence settled over them, broken only by the pop of the fire.

Kaia and Thorin exchanged a glance before Thorin shook his head. "Nobody knows."

John exhaled, staring into the flames. "That’s… not exactly comforting. I mean, if something could kill an all-powerful god, I want nothing to do with it." He gestured vaguely. "I didn’t get some crazy overpowered ability like in the stories. I’m just me."

Kaia smirked. "This isn’t a story, John. This is real life."

John snorted. "That’s exactly what book characters would say."

They sighed in unison, making John grin. "See? You’re not convincing me otherwise."

As the rabbit cooked, the scent of roasting meat filled the air. Thorin carved off thick strips, handing them out alongside the bread and mushrooms. The meal was simple but satisfying, and for a while, they ate in companionable silence.

Then John sat up, brushing crumbs from his hands. "You know what we need? Dessert. Back home, when we camped, we’d make s’mores. Roasted marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers

The night passed without incident, but as dawn broke and they set out again, something felt... off.

***

The forest had fallen into an eerie stillness, the only sounds were the crackle of the dying fire and the occasional distant howl. John stretched, still adjusting to sleeping outdoors. The cold had crept in overnight, and despite the fire and the boma’s protection, he woke up feeling stiff.

As he took another sip of wakeroot brew, a branch snapped in the undergrowth.

His instincts kicked in. He placed his mug down slowly, hand drifting to his dagger. Kaia and Thorin had already stirred, eyes alert as they scanned the dark woods.

Then, a sound slithered through the air—an unnatural clicking, rhythmic and deliberate.

John frowned. "Please tell me that’s just a really weird bird."

Kaia shook her head. "It’s not a bird."

The clicking grew louder, joined by the soft rustling of many legs. John’s stomach twisted as something massive shifted in the trees, just at the edge of their vision. Then, the first one stepped into the dim morning light.

A spider—easily the size of a horse—emerged from the brush, its chitinous legs tapping against the ground. Its many black eyes gleamed, and when it moved, its fangs twitched in anticipation.

John inhaled sharply. "Oh, hell no. We are not doing Aragog’s extended family today."

Two more spiders followed, their grotesque forms moving with unnatural precision. A low hissing sound filled the air as their fangs dripped with thick, glistening venom.

Thorin grunted. "I hate spiders."

John took a step back. "Yeah? You and Ron Weasley both."

The first spider lunged, its movements impossibly fast. John barely had time to dodge, rolling aside as its fangs struck the ground where he had just stood. Venom sizzled against the dirt, hissing like acid.

"Okay, nope!" John shouted, scrambling to his feet. "They have corrosive venom?! That’s cheating!"

Thorin swung his axe, catching the second spider across its abdomen. Green ichor splattered across the ground as the beast let out a shrill screech, its body twitching.

Kaia raised her staff, a soft glow forming at its tip. She muttered a quick incantation and a blast of holy light struck the third spider, Its movements slowed to a crawl and it unleashed an enraged hiss.

John pivoted, his dagger flashing as he struck at the first spider’s leg. The blade barely cut through the tough chitin, but it was enough to make the beast recoil.

"These things are built like tanks!" he growled.

The wounded spider reared up, front legs flailing. John ducked under a wild strike and drove his dagger into its underbelly. The creature shrieked, flailing violently as green, glowing ichor poured from the wound. It staggered back, its body convulsing—then, in a burst of sickly green light, it disintegrated, dissolving into nothingness.

Thorin hacked into the second spider, cleaving its head in two. It let out one last screech before it, too, vanished in a swirl of eerie green light. Kaia paralyzed the last one and John came in cutting it to pieces. As the last spider vanished A small chime echoed in his ears, followed by a notification flashing across his vision:

Loot Acquired: Spider’s Fang Dagger – Level 7

Stats: Moderate Damage, Poison Effect

John blinked. "Oh. Ohhh. This will be fun. I can try dual-wielding now."

John let out a slow breath, shaking his head. "You know, I don’t hate spiders, but I was really hoping I’d never have to fight one the size of a car."

Kaia gave him a look. "Welcome to our world."

He exhaled and turned his attention to his new weapon. The Spider’s Fang Dagger had a curved, serrated edge, dark chitin replacing steel. It pulsed with a faint green light, and when he tested its weight, it felt unnaturally light in his grip.

Thorin suddenly stiffened, his gaze locked on something deeper in the trees. John followed his line of sight and spotted it—another spider, smaller than the ones they’d just fought, skittering away.

"It’s running," Kaia said.

John narrowed his eyes. "Or leading us somewhere."

Thorin gripped his axe. "We follow?"

John twirled his new dagger, nodding. "Oh, absolutely. Because we’re clearly not done dealing with this nightmare yet."

Silently, they stalked after the retreating spider, deeper into the woods. It weaved through the trees with startling agility, but it never strayed too far, always keeping just within sight.

After several minutes, the terrain changed. The trees thinned out, giving way to jagged rocks and uneven ground. Then, they saw it—a gaping cave entrance, its mouth wide and dark as if the earth itself had been torn open.

The spider hesitated at the entrance, then vanished inside.

John sighed. "Of course. Of course, there’s a creepy cave."

Thorin smirked. "Afraid of the dark?"

John huffed. "No, I’m afraid of what else might be in there. I mean, what’s next? Giant centipedes? Maybe an even bigger spider?"

Kaia adjusted her grip on her staff. "Only one way to find out."

John let out a long exhale. "Yeah. That’s what I was afraid of."

Without another word, they stepped forward, disappearing into the darkness.

***

Thorin reached into his pack and pulled out a pair of torches, striking them against the cavern wall until they flared to life. The warm glow pushed back the suffocating darkness just enough to reveal the entrance of the cave. Jagged rock formed an uneven archway, and a faint, musty stench wafted out—a mixture of damp earth, decay, and something more acrid.

John took a deep breath and muttered, "Why is it always caves?"

Kaia smirked. "Would you prefer a haunted ruin?"

John pointed at the cave. "This is a haunted ruin! Just, you know, haunted by spiders instead of ghosts."

Thorin handed John one of the torches. "You talk too much. Let’s move."

They stepped inside, their footsteps muffled by the damp stone. The tunnel quickly opened into a massive cavern, the ceiling disappearing into darkness. Stalactites hung like jagged teeth, and the floor was uneven, broken up by large boulders and deep cracks.

Then John noticed the bones.

They littered the ground, some half-buried in dust, others picked clean and glistening in the flickering firelight. He squatted down and picked up a skull. The size and shape suggested goblin, but further in, he spotted something unmistakably human.

His grip tightened on the torch. "Yeah, okay. I'm officially voting we burn this whole place down. Anyone else?"

Kaia let out a breath. "That would be… difficult."

John turned to her. "Why? Because caves aren’t flammable? That sounds like quitter talk."

Kaia shook her head. "Because none of us can use fire magic."

John blinked. "Wait. That’s an option? You have actual fire spells?"

She nodded. "Yes. But neither Thorin nor I can use them. Only certain mages can. A black mage, specifically."

John ran a hand through his hair. "Great. Well, if we live through this, let’s hire one. I want all the fire. I want excessive fire. Like, irresponsibly large amounts of fire."

Thorin grunted. "If we live."

John gave him a look. "Yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy."

Kaia examined the bones and then pointed toward the far side of the cavern. "The spiders went that way."

John followed her gaze. Several dark tunnels yawned open, leading deeper into the underground. Thin strands of webbing clung to the walls, swaying gently in some unseen draft. The tunnel they needed was clear—the one with the most webbing.

John exhaled sharply. "Of course. It’s always the worst possible option."

Thorin adjusted his grip on his axe. "Then let’s get on with it."

They pressed forward, tracking the spiders deeper into the abyss.