The deeper they moved into the forest, the darker it became—not just from the setting sun but as though the very trees conspired to steal away the light. Ethan struggled to keep up with Aelira's pace. Despite her compact frame, she moved with practiced agility, barely disturbing the underbrush beneath her boots.
Every few minutes, she would pause, listening, scanning. Ethan could feel the tension in her movements a hunter's awareness. The forest wasn't just dangerous. It was alive, watching.
"Stay close," Aelira whispered, barely audible. "The Shrouded Wilds are a borderland half-tame, half-lost. If you stray, you may not find your way back."
Ethan nodded, too out of breath to reply. The System still buzzed faintly in the back of his mind, passively processing data and tracking his vitals.
[Vitals: Stabilizing. Minor Internal Damage.]
[Adrenal Response: Moderated.]
[XP Gained: +15 (Survival + First Combat Encounter)]
[New Skill Seed: Awareness (Dormant)]
They finally emerged into a hollow where a stone outcrop jutted from the earth, overgrown with moss and luminescent fungi. Aelira knelt, brushed aside a flat rock, and tapped a hidden rune beneath it.
The cliffside groaned, and a section of stone shimmered—then dissolved. Behind it lay a narrow tunnel, lit with dull amber lamps embedded in the walls.
"A Nexus Cache," she explained as they entered. "An old scouting outpost. Not many left."
Inside, the tunnel opened into a compact chamber reinforced with steel and stone. There were signs of wear claw marks, dried blood but it held warmth and a faint sense of safety.
Ethan collapsed onto a padded bench. For the first time since waking, he let himself breathe.
Aelira handed him a sealed flask. "Drink. It's a minor regen tonic. Won't fix everything, but it'll keep you alive."
He nodded gratefully and took a sip. The liquid was thick and metallic, but the warmth that spread through his chest was instant.
"You said others like me came here ? " he asked after a moment. "People who woke up in new bodies?"
Aelira leaned against the wall. "Some. Not all with Systems like yours. But enough to know the signs. You're a Transmigrant. And that's rare."
Ethan frowned. "What does that even mean here?"
She looked him over. "It means you're walking around with someone else's face and probably their past too. If the wrong people find out, they'll want to use you. Or destroy you."
Ethan clenched his fists. "I didn't ask for this."
"No one does," she said. "But you have a System. That gives you a chance."
A silence settled between them, heavy but not hostile.
[New Objective Unlocked: Learn the Truth of Kaelen Varros]
[Side Objective: Begin Training – 0/3 Combat Drills Completed]