Aryn kept the map active in the corner of his vision, minimized but constantly updating as they moved. The road leading toward Hollowfront Mall was clear for now, free of red markers, but the area surrounding the structure itself was another story entirely. Clusters of hostiles lingered in irregular pockets around the building, thick enough to make his jaw tighten.
The red markers around the mall pulsed faintly, shifting as groups repositioned. It wasn't static. Whatever was inside wasn't just waiting… It was organizing, moving with purpose.
The mall loomed in the distance, a dark silhouette against the skyline, and the three of them moved toward it in uneasy silence.
It didn't last.
"I know there's a high chance our parents are…" Kaia finally said, her voice faltering just slightly. She swallowed before continuing. "You know. But if they're alive, I'd die trying to save them. I want you both to know that."
Her hands trembled slightly at her sides, not from fear, but from restraint. If she let herself think too long, she knew she'd already be running.
Jaxon snorted softly, shaking his head. "You think I'd just sit around and watch? Come on, you know me better than that, sis."
Aryn stayed quiet, eyes focused on the shifting map. He extended the scan outward, letting the UI brush the outer perimeter of the mall. The surrounding grounds registered at a threat level F, but the building itself pulsed back a much heavier reading.
Threat level D.
He couldn't tell yet whether that was because of sheer numbers or something stronger lurking inside.
"One thing's for sure," Aryn said at last. "There'll be a fight just to get inside, and another once we're in. We'll need Gregk's help. Maybe he can find us a cleaner way through."
Without breaking stride, Aryn triggered the summon.
A wolf-headed totem flared into existence, Spirit energy spiraling outward in a low, smoky vortex. The air thickened as the summoning circle stabilized, its edges flickering before locking into place. Gregk emerged from the center, solidifying as the portal faded, and immediately dropped to one knee in salute.
"Welcome back, Gregk," Aryn said. "Are you healed enough to help? I didn't want to call you unless I had to, but we could use the extra eyes."
Gregk rose smoothly, rolling his shoulders as if testing his body. "I was treated by the shaman of my village. My wounds are closed." His nose twitched, lip curling in irritation. "I smell many enemies ahead. Goblins, damn pests."
His gaze lifted toward Hollowfront Mall.
"They are numerous, but weak," he continued. "Even our children hunt such creatures for sport. This is not a horde of concern. However…" His eyes narrowed slightly. "There are stronger presences within that structure."
Aryn grimaced. Of course there were.
He glanced back at the map, wishing for the hundredth time that it could show civilians or survivors, not just hostiles and himself. Still, he tried to force the thought aside. But his curiosity got the better of him.
'Spirit, why can't the UI's [Map] show my friends… Or just regular people? Why only monsters and hostiles?'
[Spirit: The [Map] displays the user by default. Enemies are shown automatically due to hostile intent. Friendlies can be displayed, but only after direct contact. A mark of Spirit must be left willingly on the target. This allows their position to be viewed.]
'Oh… so it's like sharing your GPS location,' Aryn thought. 'You don't just leave that open for anybody to see. You choose who gets it. Can't just let people slide on you.'
"If that's the case according to Gregk," Aryn said aloud, "then we can push through the outer goblins. It'll be messy, but manageable. The real issue is stamina. If we're already drained before getting inside…"
"You will die," Gregk replied calmly. "Slowly. Goblins are cruel when they sense weakness."
That earned a quiet look between the three of them.
Aryn knew neither Jaxon nor Kaia would back down. He also knew he wouldn't abandon them, even if logic said to retreat. The thought of failing them tightened his chest more than the fear ever could.
The moment the decision settled in his mind, he felt the weight of it press down on him. Giving orders didn't feel natural but neither did standing still while everything burned around them.
"This is another trial," Aryn thought grimly. "And I don't get to walk away from it."
"Gregk," Aryn said, shaking the thought off. "Scout ahead. Most of them should be in the parking lot. Find us an entry point that won't tire us out too much."
Gregk nodded once and vanished without a sound, his presence fading as if it had never been there at all.
Kaia broke the silence again, glancing at Aryn. "Do you think you can summon more orcs like Gregk?"
Aryn hesitated. "Maybe. When I summoned Gregk, I had to fight him first. Some kind of trial." He exhaled slowly. "I nearly got beaten senseless."
Jaxon stared at him. "You had to fight that?"
"Yeah. And he mentioned Generals… Chiefs." Aryn shook his head. "The way he talked about them? They're way stronger than him."
"And Gregk's just a newly blooded scout. Whatever that means," Aryn added more quietly. "There are others above him. But… they can die. Plus I'm not too sure about everything he can 'do'."
The part of death sat heavy in the air.
"I know I'm summoning them," Aryn continued, "but when I think about one of them dying because I needed help…" He paused, searching for words. "I feel it. Like a bond. It's hard to put into words."
Neither Jaxon nor Kaia laughed. Instead, they stepped closer, each placing a hand on his shoulders in quiet reassurance.
Eventually, they reached an elevated entrance overlooking the parking area. From here, the scale of the situation became obvious.
The lot stretched wider than Aryn remembered, goblins crawling across it like an infestation that had finally found a nest worth defending. Dense clusters packed the asphalt lot… Seven, ten, and sometimes fifteen in a single group. Far more than the scattered packs in Piedmont Park.
"That's a lot of them," Jaxon muttered. "Can we really take this head on?"
"Gregk says we're strong enough," Aryn replied. "And apparently orc children treat these things like insects."
Kaia straightened, her voice steady despite everything. "It doesn't matter. We have to get inside."
Before Aryn could respond, Gregk reappeared beside them.
"Little Chief," he said. "There are humans on the eastern side of the structure. They are fighting goblins. Most are weak, but one may not be."
Aryn blinked. Both a 'duh' moment and a spark of genius came to Aryn.
"…Why didn't I try this before?"
His friends watched as his focus turned inward, eyes unfocusing slightly.
"UI," he murmured. "Scan Jaxon and Kaia."
[Scan]
[Scan complete]
The results filled his vision.
[Entity]:
Jaxon Redd
Empowered, Physical
[Threat level]:
S
[Physical output]:
Enhanced
[Physical integrity]:
Enhanced
[Control]:
High
[Power types]:
Physical
Energy
[Abilities]:
[Kinetic Amplification]
[Kinetic Burst]
[Kinetic Discharge]
[Skills]:
[Advanced hand-to-hand combat]
[Enhanced mobility]
[Improvised combat awareness]
[Close-range power control]
[Scan complete]
[Entity]:
Kaia Redd
Empowered, Magical
[Threat level]:
A
[Physical output]:
Enhanced
[Physical integrity]:
Enhanced
[Control]:
High
[Power types]:
Mana
Construct
Restorative
[Abilities]:
[Luminous barrier]
[Light shaping]
[Restorative light]
[Skills]:
[Barrier shaping I]
[Sustained manifestation I]
[Area protection I]
[Precision control I]
[Emergency stabilization I]
As Aryn took it all in, something finally clicked. Jaxon's overwhelming physical dominance. Kaia's refined control and versatility. Their threat levels.
It all made sense now… They weren't just surviving.
They were dangerous. As the world shifted into something harsher, it wasn't just the monsters that were changing the world.. But the people would as well!
And for the first time since this nightmare began, Aryn felt something solid settle into his chest… Confidence.
"And they use mana," he realized. "Not Spirit. Different sources. Same strength."
His gaze shifted to Gregk.
"Scan."