The sun had barely crested the horizon when the group gathered their supplies and took one last look at the cave. It had been their home, their shelter from the unknown, but staying wasn't an option anymore. The world outside called to them, and with no other choice, they answered.
AJ glided forward, testing his manoeuvrability on the uneven terrain. He still lacked the precision of his human form, but the progress he had made was undeniable. No more slow, dragging movement. Now, he moved with control, adapting to the shifting ground beneath him.
The atmosphere was tense, yet filled with quiet determination. No one spoke much. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves, the distant calls of strange creatures, and the occasional crackle of twigs beneath their feet.
Walter and Victor took the lead, scanning the path ahead, their movements cautious but confident. Ethan and Lily trailed slightly behind, keeping an eye out for edible plants whilst taking mental notes of landmarks that could guide them back if necessary.
Maria and Sam walked together, their conversation revolving around mana—theories, applications, the unknown potential it might hold. Maria saw it as something practical, a tool to be understood and mastered, whilst Sam remained fascinated by its very nature, the science behind it still a mystery to unravel.
AJ moved separately from the others, still experimenting with his abilities as they travelled. He consumed small bits of moss, scraps of bark, even dirt, trying to gauge what energy, if any, he could pull from them. The results were varied. So far everything he absorbed had at least a little bit of mana.
As the sun rose higher, Sam suggested they try sensing mana on a deeper level. One by one, they paused, closing their eyes, attempting to focus on their surroundings.
Lily frowned in concentration. "I think... I think I feel something. But I don't know if I'm imagining it."
Ethan sighed in frustration. "I don't feel anything special. How are we even supposed to know what we're looking for?"
Victor and Maria both made an effort but remained sceptical. Walter, however, offered a different perspective. "Maybe it's not about 'looking' for mana. Maybe it's about letting it come to you."
They let the thought linger, but they weren't able to confirm anything.
The journey continued, the group pushing through the ever-changing landscape of this unfamiliar world. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the terrain shifted in subtle but unsettling ways.
The trees were twisted skyward at unnatural angles, their bark smooth and dark. Some bore deep grooves running along their trunks, as if something large had clawed through them, though no creatures lurked nearby.
They moved carefully, keeping a wary eye on the strange flora around them. At one point, Lily knelt beside a cluster of deep blue plants, their thin, spiralling leaves curling and uncurling as though breathing. She reached out but hesitated, exchanging a glance with Sam, who was already taking notes.
"Don't touch them," Sam warned. "I don't know what it is and who knows what it can do."
Lily pulled her hand back and stood up, giving the plants one last glance before moving on. Further along, Maria noticed thick vines hanging low from the trees, their surface covered in tiny, glowing specks that pulsed faintly in the dimming light.
They looked like fireflies trapped beneath the skin of the plant, though when Ethan brushed against one accidentally, the entire vine shuddered as if alive before retracting upward.
"Yeah... let's not mess with those," Ethan muttered, shaking off the lingering feeling of something watching him.
The land itself was no less bizarre. They passed towering rock formations, jagged spires that jutted from the earth like the remains of some long-forgotten ruin. Some of the formations glowed faintly, streaked with minerals that shimmered under the sunlight.
By midday, the heat was more noticeable, though there was a nice breeze. The group found a clearing and took a moment to rest, sitting in a loose circle as they shared a meal of foraged berries and the last of their cooked meat.
Conversation was light at first—memories of home, past lives before the Wish Event—but as they ate, the weight of their situation settled back onto their shoulders.
AJ sat slightly apart, consuming bits of moss and fallen plant matter. He was adapting, but he still had a long way to go before he was truly independent.
Once they were ready to move again, they resumed their slow trudge towards nowhere in specific. They had to keep their speed relatively slow to avoid Walter falling behind. While it wasn't ideal no one complained as he was doing his best.
As night approached, the trees grew taller and denser, their twisted roots stretching across the forest floor like grasping fingers. The undergrowth became thick, forcing them to move cautiously.
Then Victor stopped abruptly. He knelt, brushing his fingers against the ground. The faint imprint of something heavy had disturbed the earth.
"Tracks," he murmured.
Ethan crouched beside him. "That's not from us."
AJ felt a presence that was quickly closing in. He tried to warn the group, but before anyone could react, the silence of the forest shattered.
A blur of movement shot from the darkness. The creature moved unnaturally fast, its elongated limbs barely making a sound against the earth. Its body was lean but powerful, covered in dark, shifting patterns that let it blend seamlessly into the surrounding wilderness. A low, guttural snarl reverberated through the air as it stalked forward, a predator that had found its prey.
It lunged forward.
Victor barely had time to react before it was on him. He twisted at the last second, narrowly avoiding the swipe of razor-sharp claws. His heart pounded as he raised his weapon, his grip tightening. He moved faster than he thought possible, his body reacting on instinct rather than conscious thought.
The creature didn't stop. Its tail lashed out like a whip, aiming for his legs. He braced himself, trying to dodge, but his movement was just slightly too slow. The impact sent him stumbling back, barely keeping his footing.
Lily had no time to think—only move. She dropped into a roll as the beast's claws carved through the air where she had stood just seconds before. She felt the wind from the attack rush past her skin—a fraction slower and she would've been sliced. She pushed off the ground, her body snapping upright with a smoothness that startled her. Was I always able to move like that...?
Ethan roared, swinging wildly as the beast darted between them. His muscles coiled tighter than they ever had before, his swing coming down with such force that it cracked a thick tree root when the creature narrowly dodged. He barely registered the unnatural power behind it—only surprised by how fast the beast was.
The creature was relentless. It twisted mid-air, its claws flashing as it swiped at Maria, who threw herself backward. Pain flared through her arm as the tip of its claw sliced through her top, leaving a shallow cut beneath. She hissed but kept moving.
Walter, though slower than the others, kept his position at the edge, analysing the creature's movements. It was toying with them, striking fast and retreating before they could properly land a counterattack. "It's testing us," he called out, gripping his makeshift spear. "It's not fighting to kill yet."
The words sent a chill down Victor's spine. If it wasn't fighting seriously now, what would happen when it did?
The beast feinted toward Lily before spinning and launching itself at Sam. He barely had time to duck as the creature sailed over him, landing with a heavy thud, claws digging into the dirt. Without thinking, he swung his makeshift pack at its head, the impact barely fazing it.
AJ, watching from the edge of the fight, saw an opportunity. As the creature circled, he secreted a thin layer of his slippery substance onto the forest floor. He wasn't sure if it would do anything, but desperation pushed him to act. The beast, mid-charge, stepped directly onto it—and lost its balance.
Its body twisted unnaturally as it skidded, its claws digging into the earth to steady itself, but the momentary loss of footing was enough.
Victor didn't hesitate. He drove his spear into its side, feeling the sharp resistance of flesh and muscle before a shriek of pain tore from the creature's throat. It twisted violently, knocking him back with a swipe of its arm, but the damage was done.
Lily saw the opening. She dashed forward, her feet moving faster than they ever had before, quickly closing the distance. She jabbed her makeshift knife forward, aiming for its exposed side.
The creature reacted quicker than she thought it would, twisting away just enough to avoid a fatal wound—but not enough to escape entirely. Her knife tore through its skin, blood splattering against the ground.
Ethan, regaining his balance, lunged with all his strength, aiming a powerful strike at its head. But the beast, even wounded, was faster. It ducked low, its tail lashing out again, catching him in the ribs. The impact sent him tumbling, the air rushing from his lungs.
Maria, ignoring the stinging pain in her arm, grabbed a rock and hurled it with all her strength, aiming for the creature's already-wounded side. The stone struck true, causing the beast to let out a sharp hiss of pain.
The fight stretched on, each of them pushing beyond their usual limits. They were moving, reacting, striking—faster, stronger, more efficiently than they had any right to.
The sudden bursts of speed, the unnatural reflexes, the way their bodies felt—it wasn't simply the effects of Victor's wish. Something inside them was responding to the danger in a way they couldn't yet understand or control.
Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the creature let out a final, pained hiss and darted back into the shadows, disappearing into the night.
For a long moment, no one moved. The forest around them remained still, as if it had been watching the fight unfold.
Victor exhaled, gripping his spear tighter. His breathing was heavy, his arms aching. What was that? I shouldn't have been able to react that fast.
Lily wiped the sweat from her brow, her pulse still racing. "Did you feel that?" she asked, her voice quiet but urgent. "Like... like something was helping us move?"
Ethan clenched his fists, staring at them. The sensation of power still hummed beneath his skin, even as his muscles burned from exertion. "Yeah."
Maria glanced at Sam, who was already scribbling furiously in his notebook, his mind no doubt spinning with theories. Walter remained silent, looking toward where the creature had vanished.
AJ, still at the edge, let out a slow ripple through his form. He wasn't sure what had happened either, but one thing was certain.
Something inside the others had changed.
The group stood frozen, their breaths ragged, their bodies tense.
Walter's voice was calm, but tinged with unease. "This is dangerous. Strength without control is a risk."
Maria wiped the sweat from her brow. "We'll just have to learn to control it."
With injuries tended to and nerves still raw, they pressed forward, deeper into the unknown.
Not long later the group found a large clearing in the forest. As they approached a shape emerged. A structure—old, weathered, standing alone in the distance.
The first sign of civilisation since the Wish Event.
And with no better options, they headed toward it, uncertain of what awaited them next.