The cave stank of blood, acid, and dust. The three beasts lay broken, their Threads fading into nothing. Veyra stood among their corpses, her sword dripping, her breathing steady.
Then she turned, her expression softening as she looked at us."We're safe now," she said, her voice gentle in a way that didn't fit the battlefield around us.
I should've felt relief. Instead, my eyes dragged over Lex clutching his arm, blood seeping through his bone-reinforced skin. Vivi was kneeling by Nolan, her hands shaking as she pressed cloth to his ribs. Phoebe's blade was snapped in half, her knuckles scraped raw. Even Lily, who never seemed shaken, had a tremor in her stance.
I told myself this was expected. Fights leave scars, people get hurt. That's normal. But my chest tightened anyway.
If Veyra hadn't been here… no—if I hadn't hesitated, if I'd acted quicker—I forced the thought down. Useless. Dwelling changes nothing.
Still, when Nolan coughed blood into his sleeve and tried to sit up, my legs moved on their own. Steadying him with one arm. "Easy," I muttered. My voice came out rougher than I'd meant.
Did This whole incident happened because I was involved?
He gave me a weak smile. "Thanks, Sol."
He really was the protagonist who smiled through everything, although I was not the biggest fan of Nolan from the novel, I aspired to be even just a little like him. After all One of the antagonist did call him Creature of hope.
Pulling me out of thought, I saw a bone glowing slightly with a pale blue light.
"Artifact, We got a Artifact" I said with a faint smile on my face.
Artifacts are dropped when a creature had somehow lefts its imprint onto its Thread.
Instructor picked up the bone laying in blood and guts, And after observing said in a relived tone
"It helps creating a space, Where sound doesn't leak, It will help us from beasts at night"
***
After healing our minor injuries from Vivi, We sat around a small fire. Besides Fire was a small bone glowing slightly.
Everyone had gotten used to this atmosphere, Even though, Its only been two days, everybody seemed used to it.
while sparks of campfire flicked under a grey sky, Instructor veyra spoke breaking the silence.
"Since we'll be fighting together, We will share our Threads with each other" she looked at us for confirmation, And we nodded. After seeing response she again said in a even tone.
"I'll go first, I have Thread of Chain and Thread of Gate, Both are layer 3"
Next Lex leaned forward with his usual pride and said "I have have the Thread of a Majestic Mythical Beast Phoenix and Thread of Bone-"
Lily next to Lex cut in after a beat interrupting him
"I have Thread of Eclipse and Thread of Oblivion, Both of them don't have any offensive abilities yet. I can see clear in any lighting and can make people forget the attack that has missed the mark"
After her Vivi who was sitting next to her said in a smile on her face
"I have Thread of Heal, Thread of Decay and Thread of Gate. I can heal minor injuries, Open gate in area of km but I have had to seen the place myself, I also can decay weapons...I try to focus on healing. Decay… scares me sometimes."
Next Nolan who was sitting next to her and his mother, leaned forward.
"I have Thread of Hope, Thread of Shield and Thread of separation. I can summon a protective shield around my body and as you know I can separate small substances from water and other items....." scratching his head he added "That's it"
No one asked Nolan's mother as everyone had grasp on their situation.
Now it was my turn, I leaned forward
"I have Thread of Chain, Thread of Stillness and Thread of glass. I can blind people with right lighting, summon and control chains to bind, I can add restriction to one ability to either boost my physical stat or other abilities. I also can stop a small moving object like a enemy's limb for two sec....Yeah That's it."
Instructor veyra looked at me a little longer and moved onto Phoebe
She leaned forward and stated
"I have Thread of Frost, Thread of Hunger....." She stopped for a few seconds and continued hesitantly "Thread of Time and Thread of Eye"
For a moment, only the fire popped. Then Lex let out a sharp laugh, leaning forward. "Wait— four? You're kidding."
Phoebe just blinked at him, head tilted slightly. "No. Why would I lie about that?"
Vivi's lips parted, her eyes darting between us. Vivi: "Most people barely awaken one… I thought three was already rare."
Nolan shifted closer to the fire, brow furrowed, voice soft but steady. "It's not impossible, right? Just… uncommon. Really uncommon. "He sounded like he was trying to calm everyone, though his hand tightened around the hilt of his dagger.
Lily's tone was sharper, but not unkind. "Uncommon? It's unheard of." Her gaze stayed fixed on Phoebe, unreadable.
I glanced at Phoebe, who seemed more puzzled by the attention than anything. She sat straight, hands folded neatly in her lap, eyes reflecting the firelight. Nolan leaned forward and asked "You've had them all since you awakened?"
Phoebe nodded once. Phoebe: "Since the beginning. "Her tone was flat, but her fingers toyed with the edge of her sleeve.
Lex shook his head, letting out a low whistle. "Damn. And here I was thinking I was special."
Even Instructor Veyra seemed shocked.
I mean it is very shocking, There were few cases of more than three threads but, no one of this generation that had seen.
Instructor Veyra composed herself and spoke
"We have pretty balanced Threads, But If we want to survive, You need to prioritize your advancement, Otherwise we won't survive the mountain further"
That's true where we are now is on the outskirt of the mountain, A relatively safe patch of forest. Going Further we have to go through, The Chained Forest That covers The mountain, and Then the mountain itself, If we don't advance before leaving this forest we will most likely die, We almost have two or three weeks left.
'I am already stressed out about the situation, This was not supposed to happen. I don't know what to do. I don't have much information about the mount, Shit'
On the other hand I am also close to a breakthrough.
I also feel like on my layer 2 advancement, I am going to unlock most of my locked Threads.
Well, anyway.
Instructor Veyra looked at our faces for a minute, And said in firm but gentle tone.
"Don't worry, I'll get you all home"
Hearing that suddenly my heart started pounding, It reminded me of the faint memories, that still cling to my brain.
Suddenly, A voice resounded in my head, A old and sweet voice, but laced with concern.
'Alex, Don't cry, Let's get you home. Everything will be alright.'
"Grandma" I whispered while being reminded of that memories.
I was very little then, So when my parents passed, I didn't know how to feel? Or rather I didn't know that feeling yet, Yet I still cried. The only thing that brought comfort to me then, were my grandparents.
But then again, various memories surfaced, Not mine but of Solace's.
The faces of My family flashed before me, My stern Father, My gentle Mother And My loving siblings, I don't know what led to this but my eyes became a little moist.
A thought entered my mind.
'I wonder what they are doing Now?'
After that conversations faded and with a heavy heart, I went to sleep.