---
John closed his eyes, letting the fire crackle and the forest murmur. His body relaxed, but his mind remained alert. The last mana particle pulsed faintly in his awareness, somewhere southeast, calling to him in the darkness.
Tomorrow, they will continue. Tomorrow, he would step closer to unlocking the black hole inside him.
But for tonight, the world was still. And for once, even Fizz went quiet.
The fire crackled softly, throwing orange light across the rocks and branches. Smoke curled lazily upward and was swallowed by the night sky, where a scattering of stars peeked through shifting clouds. Fizz was already snoring on John's chest. His fluffy and furry belly was rising and falling with each absurdly loud breath. Every few seconds he muttered nonsense in his sleep, things like "mushroom die" and "I am the king of roasting."
