Ah, morning.
The peaceful chirping of birds, the smell of dew on the grass, the distant chime of Bella the Bell Beast…
and the blood-curdling scream of Sylas.
The healer dreamed sweetly at first.
Soft clouds.
Endless food.
A rainbow.
Maybe a butterfly or two.
It was perfect — finally, a relaxing dream after weeks of chaos.
Then, in the dream, something heavy crawled onto his chest.
"...oh, maybe a cute pet," he thought in sleepy bliss.
Then eight legs.
Eight.
Hairy.
And clicking.
His eyes opened.
Sylas (screaming): "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—!"
Vespera, in full spider form, blinked awake directly on top of him, all fangs and sleepy confusion.
The poor healer flailed like his soul was trying to leave his body through his ears.
The scream instantly triggered Code Red:
Nyxar, instinctively awake, grabbed Ember like a human shield while summoning Bella in the same motion.
The Bell Beast burst out of the ground with a deep metallic CHIME that rattled every bird out of the trees.
Vespera, meanwhile, skittered into a full combat stance, claws out, eyes glowing, scanning for danger — completely forgetting she was the danger.
Narrator: "And thus, the morning began with a heart attack and a small earthquake. Typical Tuesday."
Everyone stumbled out of bed.
Bug had his dagger upside down.
Spirit had his blanket wrapped like armor.
Sebastian looked like he aged three years in three seconds.
Belos was clinging to a pillow like a life raft.
Silence.
Then all eyes turned to Sylas.
Ember: "...what happened?"
Sylas (embarrassed beyond measure): "...Sorry. I just… got scared by… Vespera's… figure."
There was a long pause.
A very long pause.
Then, like a shared sigh of cosmic exhaustion, everyone dropped their guard at once.
Bella: [Chimes softly, almost disappointed.]
Sylas realized too late that Vespera was still holding him in her arms like a toddler.
Which didn't help the situation.
Sylas (turning red): "Oh—uh—uhm—you can—uh—put me down now."
Vespera: [Calmly sets him down.] "You were comfortable."
Sylas: "Y-yeah, that's not helping."
Vespera shifted smoothly back into her humanoid form, dusting off her armor like nothing happened.
At almost the exact same time, Ember noticed she was still being held by Nyxar — again.
Ember (internally): Not the first time… doesn't make it less embarrassing.
She quickly wriggled free, pretending to adjust her cloak while her face silently combusted.
Narrator: "Our two emotionally constipated idiots have achieved synchronized awkwardness. Congratulations."
Everyone stretched and started preparing for the day — well, everyone except Belos and Sebastian, who were still grumpy from being startled awake by what sounded like an exorcism.
Belos (grumbling): "I hate mornings."
Sebastian (grumbling harder): "I hate my life."
Bug and Spirit, however, were already back to normal levels of annoying.
Spirit: "What a way to start the day, huh?"
Bug: "Yeah, nothing says 'good morning' like internal screaming."
Nyxar and Vespera went back to their usual tag-team breakfast operation.
Nyxar summoned his travel kitchen again (still confusing everyone except Ember), while Vespera stood beside him, mirroring his every move like a deadly culinary understudy.
Ember (staring, dead inside): "He's teaching her…"
Spirit: [Smirking.] "Hey Ember, look — they're both cooking. And they're both better than you!"
No reaction.
Just a slow, thousand-yard stare.
Bug and Spirit exchanged looks.
Then looked at Sylas.
Then back at Ember.
Both Ember and Sylas looked deeply uncomfortable.
Bug: "...What are you two doing?"
Both (in unison): "Nothing."
They didn't elaborate.
They didn't need to.
They both looked like survivors of the same emotional car crash.
Narrator: "Anyway, moving on before anyone dies of secondhand embarrassment."
Breakfast was coming along nicely — delicious smells, faint sizzling — when Nyxar looked over at Belos.
Nyxar: "Belos. Come here."
Belos: [Still half-asleep.] "M'kay…"
The kid shuffled over, rubbing his eyes, still clutching a blanket.
Nyxar: "Show me your hands."
Belos lifted them. The black bear sigils gleamed faintly under the morning light.
Nyxar nodded.
Nyxar: "Good. They didn't disappear."
He summoned his grimmoire again.
The book flipped open, glowing faintly.
Nyxar: "Is it the same method as yesterday?"
Book: "Should be."
Nyxar turned to Belos.
Nyxar: "Try imagining the two steel bears."
Belos frowned, concentrating.
Then—POOF!—both mini steel bears appeared in bursts of dark mist.
Belos: "They're back! …WAIT WHAT?! Did I do that?!"
Nyxar: "Yes."
Belos froze, then broke into the biggest grin imaginable.
Belos: "YEEESSSSSS!!!" [Jumps in the air.]
Everyone turned, startled.
Belos blinked.
Belos: "Oh. Sorry."
Nyxar didn't react, just continued reading his grimmoire while calmly instructing:
Nyxar: "Now, de-summon them. Imagine them turning to black mist."
Belos nodded, focused, and the two mini bears dissolved into smoky wisps.
The marks on his hands dimmed back to black.
Nyxar: "Good. Now, try summoning one to its true size."
Belos took a deep breath. One sigil glowed red. The air shimmered—
and with a heavy THUD, one full-sized steel bear appeared.
It let out a low growl, shook the ground, then vanished after a few seconds.
Belos immediately dropped to his knees.
Belos: "Ugh… so tired…"
Sebastian was instantly at his side.
Sebastian (panicked): "Master! What's wrong?!"
Ember and Sylas both jumped up in alarm.
Nyxar, meanwhile, just nodded calmly.
Nyxar: "Good to know."
Sebastian: "GOOD TO—?! What the hell is going on here?!"
[Everyone freezes.]
Sebastian glared, voice sharp and accusing.
Sebastian: "Since yesterday you've been off! You gave Belos two black marks, and now he's collapsing! What are you doing to him?!"
The camp went silent.
Even the fire crackled quieter.
Nyxar looked up slowly, expression blank — that kind of blank that made your survival instincts start praying.
Narrator (whispering): "Uh-oh."
Nyxar (coldly): "I only helped him."
That tone sent shivers through the group.
Bug and Spirit both scooted back a few inches.
Sebastian (angry): "How is him on the floor 'helping'?"
Nyxar: "I gave him the two bears. We were simply… stress testing his abilities."
Bug: "Okay, hold up. Two things." [Raises hand.]
"One: how the hell did you give him two of your summons?"
Nyxar: "You remember how I got Bella?"
Bug: "Oh yeah, the… uh… murder-contract thing?"
Nyxar: "Contract."
Bug: "Right, right. So that's one."
Bug: "Two: Stress testing? Really? Your 'stress tests' are not normal, Nyx."
Spirit: "He's not wrong."
Bug: "So what were the results?"
Nyxar: "He can summon both bears in mini form, but can only sustain one in true form briefly."
Bug: "Ah, a size test! Totally normal."
Sebastian stared at them like they were all clinically insane.
Sebastian: "How is any of this normal?!"
Bug: "Spirit, Ember — remember when Nyxar tried to super-size Bella?"
Spirit: "Oh yeah! He collapsed."
Ember: "Right! He was coughing up black liquid for a whole day."
Bug: [Turns to Sebastian.] "Exactly."
Sebastian: "..."
Bug: "Belos's reaction is mild in comparison. He's fine."
Nyxar: "Yes. He simply lacks enough… what did Ember call it?"
Ember: "Mana."
Nyxar: "Right. Mana. Not enough to sustain the bear's true size."
Narrator: "And that, dear readers, is how a child learned to summon industrial-grade murder bears before breakfast."
As Belos dozed off again, resting against Sebastian's side, Nyxar calmly went back to cooking, unbothered by the morning drama.
Vespera joined him, flipping something in a pan with perfect synchronization.
Bug sighed.
Spirit sat cross-legged, shaking his head.
Spirit: "So… we almost died, had a mana crisis, and breakfast isn't even ready yet."
Bug: "Yep. Normal day."
Narrator: "Some groups start their mornings with yoga. This one starts with screaming, spiders, and light arcane experimentation."