The forest had changed.
Nime could feel it.
It wasn't the trees.
It wasn't the wind.
It was something else.
Something subtle.
Something watching.
"…You feel that too, right?" Nime asked quietly.
The lion stood ahead of him, unmoving.
"Yes."
That was all he said.
And somehow, that made it worse.
—
They moved deeper into the forest.
Nime's steps were slower now—not from exhaustion, but awareness.
Every sound mattered.
Every movement meant something.
The crack of a twig.
The shift of leaves.
The silence in between.
"…You said there are others," Nime said. "What does that mean exactly?"
The lion didn't look back.
"It means you are no longer alone."
"…That doesn't answer anything."
"It answers enough."
Nime frowned. "…You really enjoy being vague."
"Yes."
"…Of course you do."
—
They stopped.
Suddenly.
The lion's body tensed slightly.
Nime felt it immediately.
That same instinct.
That same pressure.
Someone was close.
Very close.
"…Where?" Nime whispered.
The lion's voice dropped.
"Behind you."
—
Nime turned—
Too slow.
A figure burst from the trees.
Fast.
Faster than anything he had seen so far.
A blade flashed.
Nime barely reacted—
CLANG!
The sound rang out as something invisible deflected the strike just inches from his neck.
The attacker landed a few steps away, sliding slightly across the ground.
Silence.
Nime's heart pounded violently.
"…That was close," he muttered.
The figure stood up straight.
Human.
Or at least—looked human.
A boy.
Around his age.
Dark clothing. Sharp eyes.
And a presence that felt… wrong.
"…So it's true," the boy said.
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"There are others."
Nime narrowed his eyes. "…You attacked first."
"You hesitated."
"…What?"
"That's why you're still alive."
Nime's expression hardened. "…You're crazy."
"Maybe."
The boy lifted his blade slightly.
"But you're weak."
—
The air shifted.
Danger rose instantly.
Nime felt it.
That same pressure from the river.
But worse.
This wasn't instinct.
This was intent.
Pure and sharp.
"…He's serious," Nime whispered.
"Yes," the lion replied.
"…Are you going to help?"
"No."
Nime blinked. "…What?"
"This is your fight."
"…I just learned how to catch fish!"
"Then improve."
"…This is insane."
"Yes."
—
The boy moved first.
A blur.
Nime reacted—
Barely.
He stepped back as the blade cut through the space he had just occupied.
Too fast.
Way too fast.
"…I can't keep up," Nime thought.
Again.
The boy attacked.
Nime dodged.
Messy.
Unstable.
But enough.
"…You're adapting," the boy said.
Almost impressed.
"But not fast enough."
Another strike.
Closer.
Nime felt the edge brush his skin.
"…Think," he told himself. "Think!"
The world slowed—
Just slightly.
That feeling again.
That unstable awareness.
There.
Movement.
Pattern.
Intent.
Nime moved.
Cleaner.
More precise.
The blade missed.
For the first time—
Completely.
The boy's eyes narrowed.
"…Interesting."
—
Nime didn't wait.
He stepped forward—
Punch.
The boy blocked easily.
Too easily.
"…You're predictable," the boy said.
He countered—
FAST.
Nime didn't dodge in time—
—
BOOM!
The ground beneath them cracked.
A shockwave burst outward.
The boy was forced back, sliding across the ground.
Silence fell.
Dust filled the air.
Nime stood frozen.
His fist still extended.
"…I did that again…"
The pressure.
That power.
It wasn't controlled.
But it was there.
—
The dust cleared.
The boy stood up slowly.
Uninjured.
But different.
His expression had changed.
"…So you have one too," he said quietly.
Nime frowned. "…One what?"
The boy's grip tightened on his blade.
"A fragment."
Nime's heart skipped.
"…You too?"
The boy smiled slightly.
But there was no warmth in it.
"Yes."
—
The air grew heavier.
Two presences.
Two unknown forces.
Clashing.
"…This just got worse," Nime muttered.
"Yes," the lion said calmly.
"…You sound happy."
"I am observing."
"…Of course you are."
—
The boy stepped forward again.
Slower this time.
Measured.
"…Let's see," he said, "which one of us deserves to keep it."
Nime clenched his fists.
His body screamed in protest.
But his eyes sharpened.
"…I just learned how to survive," he said.
The air around him shifted slightly.
Unstable.
Dangerous.
"…I'm not dying here."
—
Far away—
Something stirred.
Stronger.
More awake than before.
"…Two vessels…"
—
Back in the forest—
The fight wasn't over.
It had just begun.