I was close to the building.
As I approached, I heard laughter from inside. My father must've been back from his expedition.
I knocked.
A few seconds passed before the door swung open.
"Darian!?" my younger brother, Damian, blinked up at me. "You're back! The news has been exploding because of you!"
"Yes," I said, offering a small smile. "Nice to see you too, Damian."
My father appeared behind him.
The moment he saw me, he shouted and came at me, hugging me tightly.
"Darian! I missed you. Who would've thought you'd awaken while I was gone? Especially with a Legendary-tier ability."
He was still strong. Still solid. A Gold Sigil Explorer with a Forged-tier ability. Not the flashiest, but capable. Reliable.
He'd never cared for luxury. Even with the money he'd earned over the years, we lived simply. That was just the kind of man he was.
"You look good, son. Strong. Judging by those muscles, I assume you've been eating well?"
I hadn't eaten since the last time I saw my mother.
But I gave the answer he wanted to hear.
"Yes, Father."
"Come in, I want to hear all about your first expedition," he said, stepping aside. "We can talk better inside."
We sat in the main room. My father and mother sat across from me on the sofa, my brother beside me.
"So," my father said, tone calm but curious, "they gave you a mission already? Based on the news, you just returned from your last one."
I nodded. "Something serious. Deployment to the Amazon Expanse."
Damian's eyes widened. "That far? Already? You just awakened, like, two days ago!"
My father didn't flinch. He understood better than anyone how the Accord worked.
"Must be something big if they're sending you there," he said.
"It should lead to big things. Possibly."
I didn't elaborate. He didn't press.
Damian hopped to his feet suddenly, excitement lighting up his face.
"Then before you go, you've got to show me something! Your ability, anything. Or spar! Just a few minutes!"
I shook my head, pushing off the wall.
"Another time."
"Aw, come on, just once?"
"I mean it," I said, meeting his gaze. "I have to leave soon. And I will most likely be gone for more than a week."
He went quiet at that.
My father stood and placed a hand on Damian's shoulder.
"He'll be back," he said. "Let him go do what he needs to do."
I nodded once. Not a promise. Just acknowledgment.
Then I turned toward the door.
"Take care of each other," I said. "I'll be back when I can."
Damian looked disappointed, but he gave a small salute. My father offered a firm nod.
I left without another word.
The wind was quieter out here.
I crossed the pad without hurry, boots tapping against the steel. The aircraft sat waiting at the edge of Pad Twelve, matte-gray and angular, built for speed, not comfort.
Jackal was already there. He leaned against the ramp with his sword across his lap, hat pulled low over his face. He didn't look up.
"Took you long enough," he said.
I didn't answer. Just walked past him and boarded.
Inside, the jet was silent. The engines were active, but the mana dampeners made them feel distant, like a storm behind glass.
Jackal followed a moment later and slumped into the seat across from me. He didn't bother with a harness. Neither did I.
The ramp sealed behind us with a quiet hiss.
No words. No briefing. The jet rose smoothly into the air, climbing toward the clouds.
The jungle was waiting.
The flight was smooth.
Outside the window, the vast green of the Amazon Expanse stretched endlessly below. It seemed peaceful from up here. But you could sense how many creatures lurked beneath. It almost felt like the jungle was a creature itself.
Jackal sat across from me, one leg up on the seat, his blade resting on his shoulders. He hadn't said a word since takeoff.
Then, without warning, he stood and walked toward the front of the aircraft.
The pilot turned his head slightly as Jackal tapped the side panel beside the cockpit.
"Open the hatch," Jackal said, voice calm. Flat.
The pilot blinked. "Sir, we're not at drop altitude—"
"Open it."
There was a pause. Then the panel flashed green, and the back ramp began to lower.
Wind screamed into the cabin, loud and hungry. The pressure drop hit instantly.
I stood up just as Jackal approached the edge.
He turned back slightly, eyes glowing under the brim of his hat.
"See you down there."
Then he stepped off.
No countdown. No hesitation.
Just vanished into the sky.
I walked to the hatch, the roar of air flattening against my chest. Below, the jungle stretched wide and wild, veined with rivers and warped terrain. I couldn't even see where he'd landed.
I blinked once, then smiled.
"I might aswell..."
I stepped forward and let gravity take the lead.
The wind hit like a wall, and then everything turned quiet. Just me, the sky, and the drop.
Falling felt good. Almost familiar.
Somewhere far below, chaos waited.
We landed.
No sight of Jackal.
Then I felt it. A pulse, sharp and raw, ripping through the trees like a heartbeat too loud for one body. It carried something else with it. Fear. Not mine.
Something was already fighting for its life.
I ran.
Branches clawed at my arms, the air thick with heat and tension. The jungle felt alive—not in the way forests usually do, but like it was watching.
And then I saw it.
A clearing. A massive spider thrashing. Jackal, shirtless, calm, blade dragging beside him. He wasn't trying to kill it.
He was playing.
Every move calculated. Every dodge cruelly close. His presence sank into the creature like poison, growing stronger with every heartbeat.
He looked over his shoulder, eyes glowing.
"You coming," he said, "or just watching?"
I stepped forward, hand brushing the hilt of my katana.
This wasn't the real fight.
Just the welcome mat.