The next morning, as the camp lay quiet, Isaac was busy organizing his belongings.
Elder Peter approached him, his expression serious. "May I know what you're planning?"
While filling his water container, Isaac explained, "I plan to explore the surroundings and see what this area has to offer. If it's safe, I'll head to the Third Core."
"By yourself? That's extremely dangerous," Elder Peter said, concern evident in his voice.
Before Isaac could respond, a voice spoke up.
"I'll join you."
Isaac turned to see the one-armed man stepping forward.
"By the way, I'm Putol. I want to thank you for saving me from the howler yesterday. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead by now." Putol bowed slightly in gratitude.
"Your axe throw, it was right on target," he added with admiration.
Isaac didn't reply. He simply glanced at the stump where Putol's arm used to be.
Noticing the look, Putol quickly said, "I may only have one arm, but I can run really fast."
A scoffing voice cut in.
"Yeah, that's why no one could catch him when he was stealing in the market."
A man with a high forehead stepped forward, smirking at Putol. "Too bad the palace guards finally got him. They chopped off his arm as punishment."
Putol shot the man a glare and tossed a small stick at him.
"All I ever wanted was to eat every day!"
The man chuckled and turned to Isaac.. "I'm Nai, by the way."
"I also want to join you. You'll need someone who knows how to handle traps. And honestly? I'd rather take my chances with you than sit here waiting to die."
Isaac said nothing.
Then another voice spoke up.
"I'll join too," said a younger man.
It was Ben, a quiet but dependable kid. He nodded at Isaac. "I was a hunter before all this. I can track and scout."
While the three men tried to get Isaac's approval, Aiah stirred awake nearby. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, noticing the small group gathered around Isaac.
She turned to an elder standing nearby. "What's going on?" she asked.
"Isaac plans to explore the area," the old woman replied. "If it's safe, he'll head to the Third Core."
Aiah's heart skipped a beat. Excitement surged through her, but she hesitated.
'Should I ask to join?' she wondered.
'What if he thinks I'm just following him around?'
'No, I'm doing this for myself. Not for him. Right?'
Her mind spun.
'I just want to get stronger. I need to. That's all.'
She bit her lip.
'Would I even be brave enough to do this if he weren't here?'
She hated the answer forming in her mind
Before she could open her mouth, a voice cut straight through her spiraling thoughts.
"Do you want to come along?"
Aiah nearly jumped.
She turned… and Isaac was right beside her.
'When did he even get there?!'
Her brain scrambled for a response.
"Uhm, w-well, I actually had plans today, but… if you really want me to come, fine, I'll agree."
Isaac stared at her for a second, then flatly he said, "Never mind."
"Huh?" Aiah blurted.
"No one will be left to watch over your brother," he said. "I won't allow you to bring him, it's too dangerous."
Her thoughts went blank for a second. Then, panic mode activated.
'No, no, no!'
"Oh, that won't be a problem!" Aiah blurted out, quickly grabbing Elder Peter, who just happened to be passing by. "He'll take care of Didi."
Elder Peter blinked in surprise but quickly nodded. "Ah, yes. I'll watch over him."
Aiah turned to Isaac, forcing a confident smile, trying not to look like she was completely desperate.
Isaac exhaled. "Alright then. We leave soon. Get ready."
Then, he walked away.
Aiah barely held in a sigh of relief.
'That… was way too stressful.'
—-----
As Isaac leaned against a tree, waiting for his companions, his mind wandered to those staying behind. He couldn't shake the worry gnawing at him.
With a thought, he called for Hopper. The locust instantly emerged from his hair, perching on his shoulder.
'Yes, Master?' Hopper chirped.
'How far can I hear your voice?' Isaac asked, curious.
'Not too far, Master. As long as I can still see you,' Hopper replied. 'Why do you ask?
'I'm thinking of leaving you here to watch over them.'
'No problem, Master. I'll keep an eye on them,' Hopper assured him.
'Can you summon more locusts if the camp is attacked?'
'Yes, Master. As your general, I can,' Hopper said proudly. 'But… since your Swarm Authority isn't that strong yet, we can't do much damage.'
'I know, that's why I asked about our communication range, so you can alert me if something happens.'
'Master, that won't be a problem,' Hopper said confidently.
'We locusts can communicate with each other no matter where we are in the world.'
Isaac raised an eyebrow. 'Seriously?'
'Yes! That's what our antennae are for,' Hopper boasted, wiggling them.
Isaac thought for a moment. 'Call Tiny, I'll take him with us.'
'Tiny?'
'Yeah. Just tell him I need him.'
Hopper's antennae vibrated, sending out the call.
Within moments, a smaller locust buzzed into view.
'Master, what do you need?' Tiny asked eagerly.
'You're coming with me. You'll be my link to Hopper,'
Tiny's wings fluttered with excitement. 'Understood, Master!' He quickly nestled into Isaac's hair.
Isaac turned back to Hopper. 'Watch over them.'
'As you command, Master,' Hopper responded, standing tall on his shoulder before leaping away.
Isaac watched him perch on the tree.
Moments later, his companions arrived.
"Before we leave, let's make sure we're ready," he said, gathering the group near the edge of the camp.
Putol was the first to speak, patting the handle of a short, jagged dagger strapped to his waist.
"I already have my weapon," he said. "Had this for years. Never needed anything else."
Isaac glanced at the weapon. It was crude but sharp, the kind of blade meant for quick, decisive strikes. A thief's weapon. Putol wasn't a warrior, but he knew how to make every movement count.
Nai lifted the massive chopping knife strapped to his waist, gripping it with confidence.
"You know, I just realized something," he said.
Isaac raised a brow. "What?"
"I've been chopping meat since I was a kid. Why struggle with a sword when I can use something I already know?" Nai grinned. "Besides, if we find something edible, at least I'll be ready."
Isaac smirked.
Ben had already settled on a bow and a quiver of arrows. "I used to hunt," he said simply. "I'll stick to what I'm good at." He also had a small dagger at his waist for emergencies.
Aiah fastened a lightweight knife to her belt.
"You really need that?" Isaac didn't even look at her as he adjusted his own gear.
"Magic isn't unlimited," Aiah replied. "If I run out of energy, I need something to defend myself." She looked at him. "Or do you think I should just stand there and wait to die?"
Isaac didn't respond. He simply turned away and said, "Let's move out."
—------
As they walked through the forest, Nai smirked, teasing putol.
"Alright, be honest,". "Who do you think would win in a fight between the two of us?"
Putol scoffed. "You? With that oversized knife? I'd dodge once and you'd be too slow to keep up."
Ben chuckled. "I don't know, Putol. You might be fast, but Nai's got reach. That knife could take you down before you get close."
"I'd like to see him try." Putol grinned, crossing his arms.
They continued teasing each other, but Isaac barely reacted. He was lost in his thoughts, scanning the surroundings.
Seeing Isaac so deep in thought, Nai suddenly blurted out, "Hey, Isaac… you got a family?"
Isaac blinked, snapping out of his daze. "What?"
"You know," Nai grinned. "A wife? Someone waiting for you?"
Aiah, who had been listening silently, suddenly paid close attention.
Isaac didn't answer right away.
For a moment, his mind drifted back…
Mikaela's face, her warm smile from the past. Then, the memory shifted…. her cold stare, her voice like a blade slicing through him.
'I don't need you. I just used you. I could never live with you.'
His gaze darkens slightly before he replies, "None."
Aiah, without realizing it, felt a strange sense of relief. But before she could process it, she shook her head, scolding herself in her thoughts.
'The hell do I care,' looking away quickly. Pretending to focus on something else.
Putol, still curious, pushed further. "What about your parents?"
Isaac didn't hesitate this time. His voice was sharp, unwavering. "They were massacred."
Silence fell over the group.
The air felt heavier, as if something unseen had pressed down on them. An unexplainable tension radiated from Isaac, a faint, dark smoke seeped from his body, an energy so intense that none of them dared to speak.
Even Nai, who usually had a response for everything, remained quiet. For the first time, none of them wanted to ask anything more.
"…We should keep moving," Isaac finally said.
No one argued. They simply followed.
As they moved deeper into the Fourth Core, the forest felt unnaturally quiet. The usual sounds of rustling leaves, distant calls of beasts, were barely there.
Then they saw it.
A camp.
Or at least, what was left of one.
Scattered bedrolls. Burnt-out torches. Footsteps pressed deep into the dirt, as if people had been running. But there were no bodies. No blood. Just silence.
Isaac stepped forward and scanned the area. On the nearest tree, something was carved into the bark, a strange symbol made of sharp lines and twisting shapes. It looked deliberate. A message. A warning.
Nai gripped his chopping knife tighter. "This place feels wrong."
Ben pulled an arrow from his quiver and glanced around. "Whoever was here didn't leave by choice."
Aiah swallowed hard. "Could they still be nearby?"
Isaac ran his fingers over the carving. The rough edges were fresh. Someone had made this recently.
"We're not alone."