Under the gentle glow of the campfire, Theo felt a rare stirring of something other than adrenaline—a quiet yearning to truly connect.
In the cool, starlit clearing, far from the ceaseless threats of the fantastical wilds, he longed to set aside his familiar fighter façade.
For so long, his sarcasm and brash retorts had been his armour and weapon. People either wanted to cheer for him or watch him get destroyed; either way, they would tune in.
He had plenty of time to think about what went wrong with Erasmus—hell, most relationships he had in his adult life, actually.
It wasn’t as much of a problem before the system came, but he was well aware he’d be nothing more than a chew toy for a toasty cat if he hadn’t run into this group.
Tonight, Theo resolved to ask questions that went beyond surface-level chatter—to learn about their pasts, their hopes, and the burdens they carried.
Dan was the first to catch his eye. The team’s de facto leader worked on securing the makeshift tent, his every movement radiating the kind of effervescent confidence that kept their ragged band together.
Setting aside his habitual quips, Theo approached him. “Dan,” he began softly, “how did you learn to lead in times like these?”
Dan paused, his hands stilling on the rope as he regarded Theo with a mixture of surprise and genuine warmth. “Well, Theo,” he said, his tone uncharacteristically reflective, “I don’t think I ever truly learned. Every day is a lesson—I get it wrong more than I get it right. But somehow, when we’re out here, still living, it feels like I’m doing okay.” He glanced around at the others, then added with a wry smile, “I mean, it’s easy to lead when the team is this elite, isn’t it?”
Theo opened his mouth, a sarcastic remark on the tip of his tongue—his default mode. Instead, he swallowed it, rubbing at the stubble on his cheek.
Ash snorted dryly from across the fire. “I think elite is a bit of an embellishment, Dan. Lucky beyond reasoning is perhaps a more appropriate designation,” he teased.
Theo’s gaze shifted to Ben, who had been quietly helping to arrange the sleeping mats. Though he spoke little, his presence was reassuring—a silent testament to his strength. “Ben,” Theo ventured, “you don’t say much, do you fella?”
Ben offered a small, thoughtful smile before answering in a deep, measured tone. “Ah, I mess things up when I talk too much. Don’t really have much of a filter.”
The colossal man scratched his head as if debating whether to continue.
Ash laughed before offering a helpful correction, “Much of a brain, you mean?”
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Everyone laughed as Ben threw a stick at Ash, who yelped as it crashed into his face, causing the group to laugh even more uproariously.
Across the circle, Jake’s wild eyes danced with mischief as Theo leaned in, his voice a low conspiratorial whisper. “And you, mate? You’re the man of many stories. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen out here?”
Jake’s grin widened into a theatrical smirk as he launched into an over-the-top tale. “Oh, Theo, you should’ve seen it! The moons were full, the shadows deep. It was the perfect night for my legendary escape. I was forced to outrun a pack of mutant hyenas, twice the size of your fire lion. With a single bound—”
He leapt to his feat dramatically and mimicked a powerful leap, almost stumbling into the fire.
“Ahem, I activated my ultimate ability—Shadow Sprint Technique! The hyenas stood no chance.” His laughter was infectious, yet beneath the exaggeration lay a sincere yearning for camaraderie that mirrored Theo’s own.
Finally, Theo turned to Ash, who seemed to be the odd one out of the group. “Ash,” Theo said curiously, “how did you end up adventuring? You don’t seem too enthusiastic about it.”
Ash’s eyes flashed with a momentary vulnerability before he masked it with a half-smile. “I’m not the biggest fan, obviously. I just want an easy life but apparently that’s too much to ask. We all went through our tutorial together and it just seemed to make sense that I’d stay… For now.”
Dan laughed and rolled his eyes as Theo thought more about that answer.
“What exactly happened during your tutorial ordeal? I never got one,” he asked, noting the shocked expressions rippling across the group.
Dan was the first to recover, frowning as he replied, “You never had one? I was under the impression everyone had to undergo a tutorial.”
Theo snorted bitterly. “No, mate. When the System kicked in, I got royally shafted. They skipped the magic, the enhancements—no tutorial at all. Instead, I was flung straight into the chaos at the doorstep of my surly great-grandad. Everything went to pot.”
The members of Team Hazard exchanged uneasy glances, clearly wrestling with more questions than answers—but they knew when to bite their tongues.
Ben then chimed in, his tone heavy with regret. “Truth be told, the tutorial was far from a walk in the park. We started as a team of six.”
Dan’s face fell as he murmured, “Our briefing had us split into groups of six, sent off on random quests. There was even this group of alien fuckers that had the gall to vote halfway through—and at the end—on who was the least entertaining. They were…”
Dan paused, running his hand over his mouth, before Ash, avoiding eye contact, muttered, “They were disposed of.
Theo’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Fuck me… That’s fresh out of a horror movie. Sorry to hear that.”
Jake nodded solemnly. “It was. You never knew whether to feel relieved for being alive or furious for losing Jez and Mark to some twisted peep show.”
Theo contemplated their story, a wave of emotions swirling within him. He truly felt he had the worst of it when he was thrown at Erasmus. Sure, his future was going to be an uphill battle. But that tutorial sounded like a goddamn horror show.
As the night deepened, the conversation meandered from leadership and loss to dreams and the burdens they carried.
Each exchange chipped away at the hardened edges of Theo’s fighter persona, revealing a man eager for genuine connection. It felt good to finally share and listen.
And beneath the tapestry of laughter, teasing, and heartfelt admissions, a new understanding began to take shape—one that promised that even in a world shattered by chaos, they could find solace in each other's truths.