As Dorne and Nero stepped into the forest, Dorne suddenly stopped.
Nero looked at him. "Why did you stop?"
"There's another person joining us today," Dorne said.
"Who?"
"Jaren."
Nero frowned. "Jaren?"
"Yeah. You remember him, right? The guy with the twins."
Nero shook his head. "Not really."
Dorne chuckled. "No worries. You'll remember when you see him." Then he added, more quietly, "Also… roll down your sleeves. He might freak out if he sees the cracks."
Nero nodded and pulled them down. "Good thing I had them rolled up earlier, when I walked into your death room."
Dorne let out an awkward laugh. "Yeah… if your left sleeve had been down, it would've gotten sliced too. You'd be walking around with one long sleeve and one short one."
Nero looked at him seriously. "We need to go to Dr. Anika as soon as possible."
Dorne raised an eyebrow. "Dr. Anika? Using her first name so soon?"
"What else am I supposed to call her? I don't know her last name."
"Oh. Right. That's on me—I haven't told you. It's Merrow.Anika Merrow."
"So, Dr. Merrow, then."
"You can still use her first name if you want," Dorne said casually.
"I've only known her for a few hours," Nero replied, deadpan. "Using her first name feels too familiar. And you were the one who pointed it out like I shouldn't use it."
"Fair enough," Dorne said with a smirk. "Call her whatever feels right."
Before the conversation could go any further, Dorne spotted someone approaching.
It was Jaren.
He looked to be in his late thirties, a bit on the skinnier side, with a sharp beard. He waved with his right hand as he came closer.
Dorne pointed. "Here comes our guy."
Nero tilted his head. "Oh. That guy. Yeah—I remember seeing him when I first arrived in town."
Jaren walked up and gave Dorne a nod. "So, you brought the new guy today?"
Dorne grinned. "Yep. You remember his name, right?"
Jaren shot Nero a playful grin. "Yeah. It was… Crackedface, wasn't it?"
Dorne burst out laughing, and even Jaren chuckled at his own joke.
Nero gave them both a flat look. "Seriously?"
"Alright, alright," Jaren said. "Sorry. It's Nero, right?"
"It's Nero Angelo," Dorne cut in. "I gave him the 'Nero' part. Cool, huh?"
Jaren nodded. "Yeah. That is cool."
Nero sighed internally. He was now stuck with two Dornes.
Jaren extended a hand. "I'm Jaren Vos. This time I'll try to remember your full name. Hope we get along, Nero Angelo."
Nero shook it. "Likewise."
Dorne clapped his hands together. "Great. Now that we're all here, let's get moving."
The three of them headed deeper into the woods. Dorne led the way, Nero stayed in the middle, and Jaren covered the rear. They moved carefully, avoiding anything that might make noise.
After a while, Dorne raised a hand.
Nero and Jaren stopped instantly.
Nero glanced around, his voice just above a whisper. "What is it? Did you see something?"
Dorne nodded and pointed ahead.
Jaren whispered, "Is it the thing?"
Dorne shook his head. "No. Just its footprints. Look—there."
They moved closer. Large prints were embedded deep into the dirt.
Nero crouched. "So this is what its tracks look like?"
"Yeah," Dorne said. "By the looks of it, it went northeast. Which means we're not going that way today."
Jaren nodded. "Let's head west. That area hasn't been checked in a while."
"Agreed," Dorne said. "Let's hope we find something useful this time."
They turned and started westward, weaving through thick underbrush and scattered trees. Branches brushed against their arms as they pushed through, leaves crunching softly underfoot. The sun peeked through the canopy above in broken shafts, casting warm, golden light that made everything feel strangely peaceful—despite the massive monster footprints scattered all around them, pressed deep into the earth like warnings no one could erase.
After some time, Nero broke the silence. "You said you scout later in the day to avoid the creature. But…" He hesitated, then continued, "didn't Dr. Merrow and her son go out early this morning? Isn't that dangerous?"
Dorne shook his head without slowing down. "Nah. Don't worry about them. They went to a different part of the forest. That thing doesn't go there."
"Why not?" Nero asked.
Dorne glanced back with a crooked smirk. "I don't know. Ask the monster."
Jaren let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head as he stepped over a fallen log.
Eventually, they came across a wide patch filled with mushrooms—sprouting in clusters, scattered like spilled paint across the forest floor. Reds, blues, pale whites, some tall and thin, others squat and thick.
Dorne's eyes lit up immediately. "Hell yes. Look at all those mushrooms, just waiting to be eaten."
Nero frowned, scanning the patch warily. "Are you sure they're safe? What if they're poisonous?"
Jaren flashed him a grin. "You worry too much, kid. That's why I'm here—to make sure you idiots don't eat something that'll kill you."
Dorne pointed at him. "Exactly. Jaren's the expert. Lead the way."
Jaren moved ahead, crouching down and pointing things out as he went—what to avoid, what to pick, what looked harmless but definitely wasn't. They worked together, carefully gathering a decent amount. The air was cool, carrying the faint earthy scent of damp soil and moss. For a moment, everything felt… normal. Like a break from the strange.
After a while, Dorne straightened and hoisted his backpack onto his shoulder. "Alright. That's enough for today. Let's head back."
As they returned to the village, Anika spotted them from a distance. She walked over, her gaze settling on Nero with quiet curiosity. "So, you joined them today," she said with a small smile. "What did you three find?"
Dorne lifted the backpack slightly. "A whole lot of mushrooms. There's more back there too."
Anika leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "Thom said you and Nero were looking for me earlier?"
"Yeah," Dorne replied quietly. "Something weird happened to Nero. You need to check him out as soon as possible."
Anika's expression shifted. She nodded once. "Alright. Drop off the supplies and bring him to the house."
Once everything was in place, Nero and Dorne headed to her home. Dorne knocked, and Anika opened the door almost immediately. They stepped inside and sat down.
Then, piece by piece, they told her everything.
The name Nero recalled this morning.
About the tracker.
The severed arm.
How it had reattached itself.
Anika listened without interrupting, her expression darkening with every word. When they finished, her eyes settled on Nero. "Show me the arm."
Nero rolled up his left sleeve. The black line around his forearm was still there—unnatural, like a scar carved from shadow rather than flesh.
Anika gently touched the skin. "And there was no blood? No pain?"
Nero shook his head. "And inside—it wasn't flesh. Just void. Pitch black. When I touched it, I couldn't feel anything in there. It was like…" He searched for the words. "It was empty."
Anika leaned back in her chair and exhaled slowly. "I've never heard of anything like this. Not in all my years of studying. I'm sorry… I don't think I can solve this."
Nero's shoulders lowered slightly. The hope in his eyes flickered.
But Anika looked at him again, softer this time. "Hey. You're regaining your memories, right? Piece by piece." She paused. "Maybe when you remember everything, you'll find your answers."