Chapter Text
Wemmbu woke up to the sound of Eggchan arguing with Rejoicin.
Again.
He didn't open his eyes.
He knew better.
“I'm telling you, he needs to sleep.”
“He's been sleeping for six hours.”
“That is how sleeping works.”
“He doesn't normally sleep that long.”
“Maybe he's tired, I mean he was fighting yesterday.”
“He fights every day.”
“Exactly.”
Wemmbu pulled the blanket over his head.
The shelter they'd found for the night wasn't much.
It was an abandoned structure tucked between a stretch of forest and a ruined road, with enough intact walls to keep the rain out and enough floor space for the three of them.
That was good enough.
They moved often.
There wasn't really anywhere they could call home.
Wemmbu had never cared much.
A roof was a roof.
A floor was a floor.
And if either disappeared, he could find another.
Eggchan cared considerably more.
“We need to find somewhere better,” Eggchan said.
“We've said that every week.”
“Because you keep choosing terrible places.”
“I'm not choosing them.”
“You chose this one.”
“I found it.”
“That is choosing it.”
Rejoice laughed.
Wemmbu finally sat up.
“Can you two shut up?”
Both turned toward him.
Eggchan immediately smiled.
“Good morning.”
“No.”
Rejoice grinned.
“Morning, Wemmbu.”
“What time is it?”
“Late.”
“How late?”
“Late enough that Eggchan has already tried to make breakfast twice.”
Wemmbu looked over.
A half-burned piece of bread sat on a nearby block.
He pointed at it.
“That thing?”
Eggchan frowned.
“It's food.”
“It looks dead.”
“You're alive.”
“Barely.”
Rejoice laughed again.
Wemmbu grabbed his mace from beside him.
The weapon was worn from use, but Wemmbu kept it in good condition.
He'd rather trust it than most people.
Eggchan noticed him picking it up.
“You're not going out again, are you?”
“Probably.”
“You've been fighting nonstop.”
“That's because people keep trying to fight me.”
“You don't have to accept every fight.”
Wemmbu looked at him.
“Yeah, I do.”
“No, you don't.”
“Yes, I do.”
Rejoice leaned against the wall.
“Don't bother. He's going to do it anyway.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn't support.”
“I'll take it.”
Wemmbu stood.
Eggchan immediately reached for the bread.
“Eat first.”
“I ate yesterday.”
Eggchan stared.
“That is not how meals work.”
Wemmbu sighed.
“Fine.”
He took the bread.
Rejoice smiled.
For a few minutes, things were quiet.
This was normal.
This was what normal looked like for them.
Three people moving from place to place.
Three people sharing whatever shelter they could find.
Three people making something that resembled a home without actually having one.
Wemmbu didn't need anything else.
At least, he didn't think he did.
They left shortly after.
Wemmbu carried his mace over one shoulder.
Eggchan carried the supplies.
Rejoice walked between them, occasionally stopping to make sure neither of the other two had wandered off.
The Overworld was already awake.
People were everywhere.
That wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Wemmbu spotted Flame before Flame spotted him.
Flame was standing in the middle of a clearing.
Waiting.
Wemmbu stopped.
“Oh.”
Eggchan followed his gaze.
“Flame.”
Rejoice sighed.
“Again?”
Wemmbu grinned.
“Again.”
Eggchan shook his head.
“Don't break anything.”
“No promises.”
Wemmbu walked toward him.
Flame's ears perked.
“There you are.”
“You've been waiting?”
“Yes.”
“For me?”
“Obviously.”
Wemmbu lifted the mace.
“You want to fight?”
Flame smiled.
“Obviously bro.”
Wemmbu swung first.
Flame blocked.
The impact rattled both weapons.
Flame lunged.
Wemmbu stepped backward and brought the mace around again.
The heavy weapon struck the ground where Flame had been.
Flame laughed.
“Too slow.”
“That's my line.”
“You're allowed to share.”
“Generous.”
They moved.
Fast.
Wemmbu's fighting style wasn't graceful.
It didn't need to be.
The mace was heavy.
Brutal.
It rewarded commitment.
He swung with enough force to send pieces of stone flying when he missed.
Flame fought differently.
Precise.
Fast.
Relentless.
Their weapons collided again.
And again.
And again.
Eggchan watched from a distance.
Rejoice stood beside him.
“Do you think they'll ever stop?”
“No.”
“Fair.”
Wemmbu ducked.
Flame's attack passed over him.
Wemmbu struck Flame's side.
Flame stumbled.
Wemmbu grinned.
“Got you.”
Flame immediately attacked again.
“You wish.”
They kept fighting.
Neither seemed interested in ending it.
That was normal.
Flame and Wemmbu had always been like this.
Rivals.
Competitors.
Enemies when they needed to be.
Friends when neither of them wanted to admit it.
There was no clean line between the two.
There didn't need to be.
Wemmbu understood Flame.
Flame understood Wemmbu.
That was enough.
Then someone stepped into the clearing.
Jaden.
Flame stopped.
Wemmbu didn't.
His mace was still raised.
“Why'd you stop?”
Flame didn't answer.
His attention had locked onto Jaden.
Jaden stopped too.
“Oh.”
Wemmbu lowered the mace.
“What's wrong?”
Jaden gave Flame a cautious smile.
“Nothing.”
Flame's expression hardened.
Jaden immediately took one step backward.
Wemmbu looked between them.
“You two are still doing this?”
“He betrayed me,” Flame said.
“I know.”
“He's lucky I'm letting him stand there.”
Jaden raised his hands.
“I wasn't planning on fighting you.”
“You never plan on fighting me.”
“That's because you usually start it.”
Flame took a step forward.
Jaden took another step back.
“See?” Jaden said to Wemmbu. “This is what I was talking about.”
Wemmbu looked at Flame.
“Don't.”
Flame stopped.
The single word was enough.
He looked at Wemmbu.
Something about the way Wemmbu had stepped between them bothered him.
Not because Wemmbu was defending Jaden.
That was expected.
But because Flame suddenly wanted to pull Wemmbu away.
He didn't know why.
He didn't like the feeling.
Jaden noticed it.
His expression changed.
He knew Flame.
He knew what Flame looked like when he wanted someone dead.
This was different.
Not less dangerous.
Just different.
Jaden looked at Wemmbu.
“Can we go?”
“Yeah.”
Wemmbu turned.
Flame's voice came from behind him.
“Where?”
Wemmbu stopped.
He looked back.
“With Jaden.”
Flame's eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“Because we're going somewhere.”
“Where?”
Wemmbu stared at him.
“Why do you care?”
Flame opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Jaden blinked.
Even he hadn't expected that.
Wemmbu tilted his head.
“Dude?”
Flame looked away.
“I don't.”
“Then stop asking.”
Wemmbu walked off.
Jaden followed.
Neither noticed Flame watching them.
Or the way his fingers tightened around his weapon.
Jaden didn't speak until they were far enough away.
“Your rival is terrifying.”
Wemmbu laughed.
“You've known him for years.”
“I know.”
“And you're still scared.”
“I have survival instincts.”
“Barely.”
Jaden smiled.
He glanced back.
Flame was no longer visible.
Good.
Jaden could breathe again.
There had been a time when he and Flame had been inseparable.
Best friends.
Then Jaden betrayed him.
Everything after that had been ruined.
Jaden didn't expect forgiveness.
He didn't even expect civility.
He expected Flame to hate him.
That part made sense.
What didn't make sense was Flame's reaction to Wemmbu.
Jaden didn't know what to make of it.
He decided not to think about it.
He had other things to think about.
Like Wemmbu.
That was already enough of a problem.
Their friendship hadn't started normally.
Jaden had met Wemmbu during the Great Sea without even knowing who he was.
Wemmbu had been invisible.
His voice had been altered.
Jaden had no idea who was behind the strange voice.
It hadn't mattered.
They had clicked almost immediately.
They joked.
They argued.
They worked together.
They became friends.
Jaden had fallen for the person behind the voice before he even knew his name.
Then the invisibility disappeared.
The voice changer stopped.
And Jaden found himself staring at Wemmbu.
His enemy.
The realization had been horrible.
The friendship had somehow survived anyway.
Wemmbu had apparently decided that made them friends.
Jaden hadn't argued.
He couldn't.
He still couldn't.
“Hey.”
Wemmbu waved a hand in front of his face.
Jaden blinked.
“You're doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“Thinking.”
“I'm allowed to think.”
“Not around me.”
“Why?”
“You get weird.”
Jaden laughed.
“You're one to talk.”
Wemmbu smiled.
Jaden looked away.
He wasn't going to tell him.
Not now.
Probably not ever.
Wemmbu was happy.
That was enough.
At least for now.
They found Spoke near the river.
He was shouting at Mapic.
“I'm telling you, it was funny!”
“It wasn't.”
“It was hilarious.”
“You nearly blew up the entire area.”
“Exactly.”
“That isn't funny.”
Wemmbu walked closer.
“What did you do?”
Spoke immediately turned.
“Wemmbu!”
He ran toward him.
Wemmbu barely had time to react before Spoke grabbed him around the shoulders.
“There you are!”
“Why are you hugging me?”
“Because I found you.”
“You weren't looking.”
“I was spiritually looking.”
“That isn't a thing.”
“It is now.”
Mapic approached more calmly.
“You disappeared.”
Wemmbu frowned.
“I've been with Jaden.”
Spoke's expression changed.
“Jaden?”
Jaden waved.
“Hi.”
Spoke looked at him.
Then back at Wemmbu.
Then back at Jaden.
“Why?”
Wemmbu shrugged.
“We were walking.”
Spoke frowned.
“You could have told me.”
“Why?”
“So I knew where you were.”
Wemmbu stared at him.
“You're acting weird.”
“I'm not.”
“You are.”
Mapic looked at Spoke.
Spoke looked at Mapic.
Neither spoke.
Something about Wemmbu being gone had bothered Spoke.
He didn't know why.
He just knew that when he'd realized Wemmbu wasn't around, he'd wanted to find him.
Immediately.
Mapic had noticed.
He didn't understand it either.
But something in him had started reacting whenever Wemmbu disappeared.
A small pull.
A need to know where he was.
He pushed it away.
There was no reason for it.
Not yet.
Spoke smiled.
“Anyway, come with us.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere.”
“You're terrible at explaining things.”
“That's my charm.”
“You don't have charm.”
“Lies.”
Wemmbu laughed.
“Fine.”
Spoke immediately brightened.
Mapic followed.
Jaden followed too.
Spoke looked back.
“You too?”
Jaden raised an eyebrow.
“Problem?”
Spoke grinned.
“Nope.”
But his hand tightened slightly around his weapon.
By the afternoon, Wemmbu had somehow accumulated half the server around him.
He hadn't intended to.
It just happened.
Parrot landed beside him.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
Parrot folded his wings.
“You busy?”
“No.”
“Come with me.”
“Why?”
“I want to show you something.”
Wemmbu shrugged.
“Okay.”
Parrot smiled.
They walked.
Wemmbu glanced at his wings.
“Can I ask something?”
“What?”
“Are your wings always that big?”
Parrot laughed.
“Pretty much.”
“They're cool.”
“You've said that before.”
“They're still cool.”
Parrot smiled.
“Want to touch them?”
Wemmbu hesitated.
“Is that okay?”
“Yeah.”
Wemmbu reached out.
His fingers brushed the feathers.
Parrot went still.
Wemmbu's expression brightened.
“Damn.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“They're soft?”
“Really.”
Parrot smiled.
“Glad you like them.”
Wemmbu pulled his hand away.
“Where are we going?”
“You'll see.”
Parrot walked a little closer.
Wemmbu didn't mind.
He trusted him.
That was the problem.
Parrot liked that Wemmbu trusted him.
He liked it more than he should have.
He didn't know what that meant.
Not yet.
Lomedy found them later.
He immediately looked terrified.
“Wemmbu!”
Wemmbu turned.
“What?”
“There's something in my farm.”
“Again?”
“Yes!”
Lomedy grabbed his arm.
Wemmbu laughed.
“You have a mace.”
“I know.”
“You're stronger than most people.”
“I know.”
“So why am I fighting it?”
“Because I am a farmer, and I can't find Flame.”
Wemmbu stared.
“That makes no sense.”
“Please.”
Wemmbu sighed.
“Fine.”
He followed Lomedy.
Lomedy smiled.
It worked.
It always worked.
He had discovered something useful.
Wemmbu didn't mind being relied on.
And other people hated seeing it.
That was even better.
Lomedy was a farmer.
Everyone knew that.
They didn't need to know how strong he actually was.
They definitely didn't need to know how much he enjoyed getting under people's skin.
Especially when Flame was nearby.
Lomedy knew exactly how much Flame hated seeing people cling to Wemmbu.
So when they passed Flame, Lomedy deliberately moved closer.
Wemmbu didn't notice.
Flame did.
His eyes narrowed.
Lomedy smiled.
Oh.
This was going to be fun.
These people were going to regret stepping on his crops.
Wemmbu eventually returned to the shelter.
Eggchan was waiting.
Rejoice was sitting beside him.
“You're late,” Eggchan said.
“I got distracted.”
“By what?”
“People.”
Eggchan sighed.
Rejoice laughed.
“That sounds about right.”
Wemmbu dropped his mace beside the wall.
“I'm tired.”
“Then sleep.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because you two are talking.”
Rejoice grinned.
“Fair.”
Eggchan handed him food.
“Eat.”
“Again?”
“Yes.”
Wemmbu took it.
He didn't argue this time.
Eggchan watched him.
Rejoice watched Eggchan.
Neither said anything.
Wemmbu was exhausted.
He didn't notice how often people had been searching for him that day.
He didn't notice how many times someone had asked where he was.
He didn't notice how Flame had reacted to Jaden.
He didn't notice how Spoke had followed him.
He didn't notice Parrot's lingering attention.
He didn't notice Lomedy deliberately staying close.
He didn't notice Wifies observing from a distance.
He didn't notice Lettuce's interest.
He didn't notice any of it.
Because none of it was dangerous.
Not yet.
Wemmbu was still strong.
He still had his mace.
He still had Eggchan and Rejoice.
He still had the freedom to leave whenever he wanted.
And most importantly, he still believed that if someone tried to control him, he could simply walk away.
That belief would become very important later.
For now, it was just the truth.
He was free.
Outside, Flame stood in the darkness.
He had no reason to be there.
He told himself he was just passing through.
His eyes moved toward the shelter.
Toward Wemmbu.
Then toward the path Jaden had taken earlier.
Flame frowned.
He didn't understand why he'd followed them.
He didn't understand why he'd spent the entire evening thinking about it.
He didn't understand why he wanted Wemmbu away from Jaden.
He only knew that the thought bothered him.
A lot.
Inside, Wemmbu laughed at something Rejoice said.
Flame's ears twitched.
His expression softened for the briefest moment.
Then hardened again.
Something was wrong.
He just didn't know what.
And he wasn't the only one.
Morning came without warning.
There was no sunrise to wake them.
No alarm.
No convenient clock.
Just Rejoicin kicking a loose piece of stone across the floor and Eggchan immediately telling him to stop.
“I barely did anything.”
“You woke him up.”
“I didn't even touch him.”
Wemmbu's voice came from underneath the blanket.
“I hate both of you.”
Rejoice smiled.
“Good morning.”
“No.”
Eggchan crouched beside him.
“Wake up.”
“No.”
“We're leaving.”
“Then leave.”
“We're not leaving without you.”
“Then I guess we're staying.”
Eggchan sighed.
Rejoice laughed.
Wemmbu finally dragged himself upright.
His hair was a mess.
His clothes were still covered in dust from yesterday.
His mace rested against the wall beside him.
He grabbed it before standing.
Eggchan immediately noticed.
“You're carrying that?”
“Obviously.”
“You haven't even eaten.”
“I can eat while walking.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you will forget.”
“I won't.”
“You always do.”
Wemmbu opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Rejoice handed him a piece of bread.
“Just take the bread.”
Wemmbu took it.
“Thank you.”
“See? Was that so hard?”
“Yes.”
They packed what little they had.
There wasn't much.
Three people didn't need much when they were used to moving.
The shelter had served its purpose.
It wasn't theirs.
It never was.
By the time they stepped outside, Wemmbu had already finished half the bread.
Eggchan looked satisfied.
Rejoice looked amused.
Wemmbu looked annoyed that either of them cared.
They walked.
For the first few minutes, everything was quiet.
Then Rejoice stopped.
“Wait.”
Wemmbu turned.
“What?”
Rejoice pointed toward the road.
Someone was coming.
Lettuce.
Wemmbu's expression immediately soured.
“Oh, fuck off.”
Eggchan glanced at him.
“Want to go around?”
“No.”
Rejoice raised an eyebrow.
“You sure?”
“Why should I?”
Lettuce approached.
He wasn't alone.
Several members of Law were farther behind him, but Lettuce had walked ahead.
He stopped when he saw them.
“Wemmbu.”
Wemmbu stared.
“Lettuce.”
There was no warmth in his voice.
Lettuce didn't seem bothered.
“I've been looking for you.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to talk.”
“No.”
Lettuce paused.
“You didn't even hear what I wanted.”
“I don't care.”
Rejoice stepped closer to Wemmbu.
Eggchan did too.
Lettuce noticed.
His attention moved between the three.
“Still traveling?”
Wemmbu's eyes narrowed.
“Yeah.”
“You never stay anywhere.”
“Nope.”
“Doesn't that get tiring?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I like moving.”
Lettuce smiled faintly.
“Interesting.”
Wemmbu's grip shifted on his mace.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“I know that look.”
“What look?”
“The one where you're thinking something annoying.”
Lettuce laughed.
“You're perceptive.”
“Unfortunately.”
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Lettuce stepped closer.
Wemmbu didn't move.
“I've heard a lot about you.”
“I'm sure you have.”
“Some people say you're impossible to reason with.”
“Some people are right.”
“Others think you can change.”
Wemmbu's expression hardened.
“I don't need changing.”
Lettuce's smile disappeared.
“I didn't say you did.”
“You were thinking it.”
“Maybe.”
“Then we're done.”
Wemmbu walked past him.
Lettuce didn't stop him.
But his eyes followed.
Not because Wemmbu was dangerous.
Not entirely.
There was something else.
Something Lettuce couldn't quite explain.
He had spent years seeing people as pieces in a larger structure.
Power.
Loyalty.
Control.
Influence.
Wemmbu didn't fit.
That should have made him dismiss the boy.
Instead, it made him curious.
Very curious.
And curiosity had always been dangerous.
“You hate him.”
Rejoice said it casually.
Wemmbu didn't even turn around.
“Yeah.”
“Like, really hate him?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because he's Lettuce.”
Rejoice laughed.
“That explains nothing.”
“It explains enough.”
Eggchan looked back at Lettuce.
He was still standing in the road.
Watching them leave.
Eggchan's expression tightened.
“Don't worry about him.”
“I wasn't.”
“You were.”
“I wasn't.”
Rejoice nudged Wemmbu.
“He's still watching.”
Wemmbu looked back.
Lettuce was.
Wemmbu's eyes narrowed.
“Creep.”
He turned away.
Lettuce remained where he was.
He watched until Wemmbu disappeared around the bend.
Then he looked toward the members of Law waiting behind him.
“Don't follow them.”
One of them frowned.
“Why?”
“I said don't.”
Lettuce walked away.
He didn't know why he'd given the order.
He only knew that the thought of someone else following Wemmbu irritated him.
That was strange.
He pushed the thought aside.
They reached a small clearing near the river.
Rejoice immediately dropped onto a fallen log.
“I'm tired.”
“You've done nothing,” Eggchan said.
“I walked.”
“So did we.”
“I walked emotionally.”
Wemmbu laughed.
“That's not a thing.”
“It is now.”
Eggchan shook his head.
Wemmbu leaned against a tree.
For a while, nobody spoke.
The river moved quietly nearby.
It was peaceful.
Almost suspiciously peaceful.
Rejoice eventually broke the silence.
“Remember when we first got out of the Underground City?”
Wemmbu glanced at him.
“Yeah.”
“You thought everything was fine.”
“It wasn't.”
“No.”
Rejoice's smile faded.
“I thought it was going to be.”
Wemmbu didn't respond.
Rejoice looked toward the river.
He had spent so long believing in forgive and forget.
Let things go.
Move forward.
Don't hold grudges.
But the world they'd returned to wasn't the world he remembered.
People killed for almost nothing.
People destroyed things because they could.
Everyone seemed angry.
Everyone seemed afraid.
And Wemmbu had become one of the few people Rejoice could still rely on.
Eggchan was there too.
Always had been.
But Wemmbu was different.
Wemmbu understood him.
Wemmbu had been beside him through the worst of it.
Rejoice's hand tightened around the edge of the log.
“You're not going anywhere, right?”
Wemmbu looked at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You asked.”
“I know.”
Wemmbu shrugged.
“I'm not planning to.”
Rejoice smiled.
“Good.”
It was such a simple answer.
It shouldn't have meant anything.
But Rejoice felt something settle inside him.
A strange relief.
He didn't want Wemmbu to leave.
Not ever.
He didn't think much of it.
Not yet.
A sharp crack came from the trees.
All three immediately turned.
Wemmbu's mace was in his hand before the sound finished.
Eggchan stood.
Rejoice moved closer to Wemmbu.
A figure stepped out.
Wemmbu relaxed.
“Spoke.”
Spoke grinned.
“Miss me?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
Mapic followed behind him.
“Good morning.”
“Morning.”
Spoke walked straight toward Wemmbu.
Wemmbu raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you walking toward me?”
“I felt like it.”
Spoke stopped directly in front of him.
Then grabbed Wemmbu's shoulder.
“You're coming with us.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere.”
“Again?”
“Yes.”
“Do you ever have an actual answer?”
“No.”
Wemmbu sighed.
Spoke grinned.
Mapic shook his head.
“Leave him alone.”
“Why?”
“He's tired.”
“So?”
“So stop bothering him.”
Spoke looked at Mapic.
Then at Wemmbu.
Then back at Mapic.
“He can decide.”
Wemmbu nodded.
“Exactly.”
Spoke smiled.
“Then come with me.”
Wemmbu stared at him.
“You're persistent.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
Spoke paused.
For once, he didn't have a joke.
“Because you're fun.”
Wemmbu laughed.
“That's it?”
“That's it.”
It wasn't.
Spoke knew it wasn't.
But he didn't have a better answer.
He just liked having Wemmbu around.
He liked the way Wemmbu understood his jokes.
The way he never looked at Spoke like he was too much.
The way chaos seemed to make sense between them.
Spoke had Mapic.
He had Eggchan too.
He had people.
But Wemmbu was different.
He was someone Spoke didn't have to explain himself to.
And lately, whenever Wemmbu wasn't around, Spoke noticed.
He noticed far too quickly.
A few hours later, Wemmbu was fighting again.
Of course he was.
Spoke had challenged him.
Wemmbu had accepted.
Mapic was watching.
Rejoice and Eggchan had given up trying to stop him.
The fight wasn't serious.
Not really.
Wemmbu swung his mace.
Spoke dodged.
“Too slow!”
“You said that yesterday.”
“And it was true yesterday.”
Wemmbu swung again.
Spoke jumped backward.
Mapic laughed.
“Nice.”
“Thank you.”
“Don't encourage him.”
Wemmbu smiled.
Spoke attacked.
Wemmbu blocked.
The impact sent both of them backward.
They laughed.
Then Wemmbu noticed something.
Mapic was staring at him.
Not at the fight.
At him.
“What?”
Mapic blinked.
“What?”
“You're staring.”
“I wasn't.”
“You were.”
Mapic looked away.
“Sorry.”
Wemmbu shrugged.
“Whatever.”
He turned back to Spoke.
Mapic remained quiet.
He didn't know what had happened.
For a second, something inside him had pulled tight.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Something closer to instinct.
He wanted to be near Wemmbu.
He wanted to make sure Wemmbu was okay.
He wanted—
Mapic stopped himself.
No.
That was ridiculous.
Wemmbu was fine.
He was one of the strongest people on the server.
He didn't need protecting.
So why had Mapic's instincts reacted like he did?
He didn't know.
That evening, Jaden found Wemmbu near the river.
“You've been busy.”
“Apparently.”
Jaden smiled.
“You know everyone is looking for you, right?”
Wemmbu laughed.
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
“You're weird.”
“I'm not the one with half the server following me.”
Wemmbu looked around.
“Are they?”
Jaden stared.
“Yes.”
Wemmbu shrugged.
“Probably coincidence.”
Jaden laughed.
“Sure.”
Wemmbu picked up his mace.
“I'm going to find Eggchan and Rejoice.”
“Okay.”
Jaden followed.
Wemmbu glanced back.
“You coming?”
Jaden smiled.
“Yeah.”
Neither of them noticed Flame standing on a hill above the river.
He watched Jaden fall into step beside Wemmbu.
His jaw tightened.
Again.
That same feeling.
That same irritation.
Flame hated Jaden.
That was normal.
Flame wanted him dead.
That was normal too.
But the feeling wasn't just about Jaden anymore.
It was about Wemmbu.
About who was beside him.
Who got his attention.
Who made him laugh.
Who he chose to walk with.
Flame's claws dug into his palms.
He didn't understand it.
He didn't want to understand it.
He just knew one thing.
He didn't like Jaden being there.
Not beside Wemmbu.
Not that close.
Not anymore.
And this time, Flame followed them.
Mane came back quietly.
That was the first thing Wemmbu noticed.
There was no announcement.
No warning.
No dramatic entrance.
One moment Wemmbu was walking through the forest with Eggchan and Rejoicin.
The next, there was someone standing in the path.
A familiar figure.
A lion hybrid.
Wemmbu stopped.
Eggchan stopped with him.
Rejoice's expression changed immediately.
Manepear.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Mane didn't move.
Neither did Wemmbu.
The forest suddenly felt much quieter.
Wemmbu's hand slowly moved toward the mace strapped to his side.
Not because he intended to attack.
Not yet.
It was instinct.
Mane had left.
Not recently.
Not accidentally.
He hadn't even looked Wemmbu in the face, He called him a lost cause, and walked away.
And now he was standing there again.
Like nothing had happened.
Mane's ears lowered slightly.
“Hey, Wemmbu.”
Wemmbu stared at him.
“Hey.”
It wasn't warm.
It wasn't angry either.
That almost made it worse.
Mane took a step forward.
Wemmbu didn't move.
“I've been looking for you.”
“Why?”
Mane hesitated.
Because there were too many answers.
Because he'd regretted leaving.
Because he'd thought about Wemmbu more times than he wanted to admit.
Because every time he remembered that last conversation, he heard his own voice calling Wemmbu a lost cause.
Because he had been wrong.
Completely wrong.
“I wanted to talk.”
Wemmbu's expression didn't change.
“Talk.”
Mane swallowed.
“I was wrong.”
Silence.
“I shouldn't have left.”
Still nothing.
“I shouldn't have said what I said.”
Wemmbu looked away.
Eggchan watched him carefully.
Rejoice remained quiet.
Mane stepped closer.
“I know I don't deserve forgiveness.”
“You don't.”
Mane flinched.
Wemmbu looked back at him.
“But I'm not going to hold it over your head forever.”
Mane blinked.
“What?”
Wemmbu shrugged.
“I was angry.”
“You're not anymore?”
“I didn't say that.”
Mane almost laughed.
That was Wemmbu.
Still stubborn.
Still impossible.
Still himself.
“I missed you.”
Wemmbu's expression softened.
Only slightly.
“Yeah.”
Mane's tail moved behind him.
“You missed me too?”
“Don't get excited.”
Mane smiled.
“I won't.”
“You are.”
“A little.”
Wemmbu sighed.
Then stepped forward.
Mane froze.
Wemmbu wrapped his arms around him.
For a moment, Mane didn't react.
Then he hugged back.
Tightly.
Too tightly.
Wemmbu laughed.
“Dude.”
“Sorry.”
“You're crushing me.”
Mane loosened his grip.
“Sorry.”
Wemmbu smiled.
“It's fine.”
Mane closed his eyes.
For the first time in a long time, Wemmbu was in his arms again.
And something inside Mane settled.
Then another instinct rose beneath it.
Something older.
Something he'd spent years pretending wasn't there.
His tail curled unconsciously around Wemmbu's leg.
Wemmbu didn't notice.
He simply stepped away.
“Come on.”
Mane blinked.
“Where?”
“We're going back.”
“Back where?”
“Wherever Egg and Rejoice are taking us.”
Rejoice raised an eyebrow.
“We're not taking anyone anywhere.”
“Then wherever we're going.”
Eggchan sighed.
“You're impossible.”
Mane smiled.
He followed.
He wasn't leaving again.
Not this time.
The others noticed.
Flame noticed first.
He saw Mane walking beside Wemmbu.
His expression immediately darkened.
Mane noticed him too.
The two brothers stopped.
Neither smiled.
Wemmbu looked between them.
“Oh, right.”
He pointed at Flame.
“You two are brothers.”
Flame stared.
“Yes.”
Mane's ears flicked.
“Yes.”
“You guys should talk.”
“No,” they said simultaneously.
Wemmbu blinked.
“Okay.”
He kept walking.
Mane and Flame remained where they were.
Flame's eyes narrowed.
“You came back.”
Mane crossed his arms.
“I did.”
“You left.”
“I know.”
“And now you're back.”
“Yes.”
Flame's jaw tightened.
Mane stared back.
Neither moved.
Neither wanted to explain themselves.
Especially not to each other.
Flame finally spoke.
“Don't hurt him again.”
Mane's expression changed.
“I won't.”
“You'd better not.”
Mane's ears lowered.
“You don't get to tell me what to do.”
Flame stepped closer.
“And you don't get to come back after abandoning him and pretend everything is fine.”
“I apologized.”
“That doesn't erase it.”
“No.”
Mane's eyes flicked toward Wemmbu.
“He forgave me.”
Flame followed his gaze.
Wemmbu was already far ahead.
Laughing at something Rejoice had said.
Flame's expression hardened.
Mane noticed.
Something clicked.
“You like him.”
Flame looked at him.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Flame's eyes narrowed.
“Watch yourself.”
Mane smiled faintly.
“You're acting strange.”
“So are you.”
“I've always acted strange.”
“Not like this.”
Mane's tail flicked.
“Stay away from him.”
Flame laughed.
“Funny.”
“What's funny?”
“You're telling me that while you're following him around.”
Mane didn't answer.
Because he knew.
And Flame knew.
Neither of them said anything else.
Not yet.
Wemmbu didn't know any of that.
He was too busy trying to stop Rejoice from stealing his bread.
“Give it back.”
“No.”
“That's mine.”
“You have more.”
“That's not the point.”
Eggchan watched them.
“Both of you are children.”
“Tell him to give it back.”
“You started it.”
“I did not.”
“You did.”
“I literally didn't.”
Mane walked up behind them.
“What are you doing?”
“Rejoice stole my food.”
Rejoice held the bread above his head.
“It's mine now.”
Mane laughed.
Wemmbu pointed at him.
“Don't encourage him.”
“Sorry.”
“You're smiling.”
“I can't help it.”
Wemmbu lunged for the bread.
Rejoice ran.
Mane followed.
Eggchan sighed.
The group disappeared into the trees.
For a little while, things felt normal.
Almost.
Spoke found them later.
He had apparently decided that getting beaten up by Wemmbu the day before hadn't been enough.
“You!”
Wemmbu turned.
Spoke pointed dramatically.
“Rematch.”
Wemmbu stared at him.
“You're still bruised.”
“So?”
“You're going to lose again.”
“So?”
“You're an idiot.”
“Correct.”
Mapic stood behind him.
“I told him not to.”
“Traitor.”
“I'm trying to keep you alive.”
Spoke grinned.
“I'll be fine.”
Wemmbu raised his mace.
Spoke immediately raised his weapon.
The fight lasted approximately thirty seconds.
Wemmbu swung.
Spoke dodged.
Wemmbu swung again.
Spoke dodged again.
Then Wemmbu changed direction.
Spoke wasn't fast enough.
The mace connected.
Spoke went flying.
He landed in the grass.
Silence.
Mapic covered his face.
Wemmbu lowered the mace.
“Are you okay?”
Spoke sat up.
“No.”
“Want to stop?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm stubborn.”
“You're stupid.”
“Same thing.”
Wemmbu laughed.
Spoke stood.
His legs immediately wobbled.
Mapic grabbed him.
“Sit down.”
“I can walk.”
“You can barely stand.”
“I can walk badly.”
“That doesn't count.”
Wemmbu crouched beside him.
“You really aren't a fighter.”
Spoke looked offended.
“I can fight.”
“You got hit once.”
“Once very hard.”
“Exactly.”
Mapic laughed.
Spoke glared at him.
“You're supposed to support me.”
“I am supporting you physically.”
Wemmbu smiled.
Spoke looked at him.
For a second, everything else disappeared.
That smile.
That stupid laugh.
The way Wemmbu never treated him like he was useless just because he wasn't some unbeatable PvPer.
Spoke liked being around him.
A lot.
Maybe too much.
He pushed the thought away.
“Help me up.”
Wemmbu grabbed his arm.
Spoke leaned against him.
Mapic immediately noticed.
His expression changed.
He didn't like it.
He didn't know why.
He simply didn't.
“I'm fine,” Spoke said.
“You're not.”
“I am.”
“You're bleeding.”
“That's normal.”
“No, it isn't.”
Wemmbu looked at the cut.
“Come on.”
“Where?”
“Back to the others.”
Spoke smiled.
“Okay.”
Mapic followed.
He didn't say anything.
But he stayed close.
Very close.
Wemmbu's wings hurt.
He hadn't mentioned it.
They'd been sore since yesterday.
Nothing serious.
Just the dull ache that came from using them too much.
He flexed them once.
Immediately regretted it.
His wings were sensitive.
Everyone's hybrid features were different, but wings were especially easy to injure.
Even Wemmbu's.
He carefully folded them against his back.
Rejoice noticed.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Your wing?”
“Just sore.”
“Want me to check?”
“No.”
“Wemmbu.”
“I'm fine.”
Eggchan looked over.
“Let him rest.”
“I am resting.”
“You're standing.”
“That's resting for me.”
Eggchan sighed.
Mane watched from nearby.
His ears flicked toward the sound of Wemmbu's wings shifting.
He knew exactly what that movement meant.
Pain.
Mane's instincts reacted immediately.
Protect.
Stay close.
Don't let anyone touch him.
Don't let anyone hurt him.
His fingers curled.
He forced himself to relax.
Wemmbu was fine.
Wemmbu could handle himself.
He had always been able to.
But that didn't stop Mane from moving closer.
“You should sit.”
Wemmbu looked at him.
“Why?”
“Your wing.”
“I'm fine.”
“You said that already.”
“And I meant it.”
Mane frowned.
Wemmbu smiled.
“Seriously.”
Mane nodded.
“Okay.”
He didn't move away.
Wemmbu didn't notice.
Parrot arrived near sunset.
He landed beside Wemmbu.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
Parrot folded his wings.
Wemmbu smiled.
“You're here again.”
“Is that a problem?”
“No.”
Wemmbu shifted slightly.
His own wings brushed against the ground.
Parrot noticed.
He always noticed.
Wemmbu didn't think about what it meant when he let someone near his wings.
To him, it was just another part of being friends.
Parrot knew better.
He also knew Wemmbu had no idea.
And somehow, that made the moment feel even more precious.
Parrot sat beside him.
Neither spoke.
Wemmbu leaned back.
Parrot's wing brushed his shoulder.
Wemmbu didn't move away.
He smiled.
“Your wings are still cool.”
Parrot laughed softly.
“Yours aren't bad either.”
“Obviously.”
“You're ridiculous.”
“You like me.”
Parrot looked at him.
“Yeah.”
Wemmbu laughed.
“See?”
He didn't notice the way Parrot's expression lingered.
He didn't understand.
He didn't need to.
Not yet.
That night, Wemmbu slept between Eggchan and Rejoice.
Mane stayed outside.
Spoke and Mapic had left.
Parrot had flown home.
Jaden was somewhere nearby.
Flame was farther away.
Lettuce had returned to Law.
And yet, somehow, Wemmbu was still being watched.
Not by one person.
By several.
None of them had a reason.
None of them would admit it.
Not yet.
They simply wanted to know where he was.
Who he was with.
What he was doing.
And, increasingly—
when he would be alone.
Wemmbu slept peacefully.
He had no idea.
He still believed the world around him was normal.
He still believed his friends were just his friends.
He still believed Flame was just his rival.
He still believed Mane had come back because he regretted leaving.
He still believed Jaden was simply his friend.
He still believed Parrot's closeness meant friendship.
He still believed Spoke's constant need to find him was just Spoke being Spoke.
He still believed Lettuce hated him almost as much as he hated Lettuce.
He was wrong about some of those things.
Very wrong.
And none of them had realized just how far those wrong assumptions would eventually go.
By the next afternoon, Wemmbu had stopped trying to figure out why everyone seemed to know where he was.
It wasn't unusual.
People knew him.
He was loud.
He picked fights.
He wandered around with a mace and an attitude that made half the server want to punch him.
So if someone happened to recognize him across the Overworld, that wasn't strange.
At least, that's what Wemmbu told himself.
He was sitting on the edge of a ruined stone platform, one wing stretched carefully behind him while Eggchan inspected a small tear in the fabric near his shoulder.
“Hold still.”
“I am holding still.”
“You're moving.”
“I'm breathing.”
“Stop.”
Wemmbu stared at him.
“Do you want me to stop breathing?”
Eggchan gave him a flat look.
“Don't be dramatic.”
Rejoice laughed from nearby.
“You two sound married.”
Both of them turned toward him.
“No.”
“Absolutely not.”
Rejoice grinned.
“Didn't even hesitate.”
Eggchan finished fixing the fabric.
“There.”
Wemmbu rolled his shoulder.
“Thanks.”
Eggchan nodded.
His eyes stayed on the wing for another second.
Wemmbu noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You're doing that thing.”
“What thing?”
“The thing where you don't tell me what you're thinking.”
Eggchan smiled.
“Maybe I'm thinking about lunch.”
“You're always thinking about lunch.”
“Exactly.”
Wemmbu accepted that answer.
He shouldn't have.
A voice came from behind them.
“Wemmbu.”
Wemmbu groaned.
“No.”
Rejoice turned.
“Who?”
“Lettuce.”
“Oh.”
Lettuce walked into the clearing.
Wemmbu immediately reached for his mace.
Lettuce stopped.
“I am not here to fight.”
“Good.”
“I wanted to ask you something.”
“No.”
“You really don't like me.”
“You're catching on.”
Lettuce smiled.
There was something almost amused about it.
“You know, most people at least pretend to tolerate me.”
“I'm not most people.”
“I've noticed.”
Lettuce sat on a nearby block.
Wemmbu frowned.
“Why are you sitting?”
“Because I'm talking to you.”
“You can talk standing.”
“I could.”
“Then stand.”
Lettuce didn't.
Wemmbu sighed.
He hated him.
Not because Lettuce had done something particularly dramatic today.
Because there was something about the way Lettuce talked to him.
Like Wemmbu was a problem to solve.
A thing to understand.
Something that could be altered if enough pressure was applied.
Lettuce had been watching him for days.
He'd started noticing patterns.
Wemmbu traveled with Eggchan and Rejoice.
He trusted them.
He hated being told what to do.
He reacted badly to threats.
He responded surprisingly well to people asking instead of demanding.
He fought almost anyone who challenged him.
He hated being cornered.
And, most importantly—
he left.
Whenever something became uncomfortable, Wemmbu simply disappeared.
Lettuce found that fascinating.
Most people could be contained through loyalty.
Fear.
Power.
Wemmbu couldn't.
At least, not yet.
“Why are you staring at me?” Wemmbu asked.
Lettuce blinked.
“I wasn't.”
“You were.”
“I was thinking.”
“About me?”
Lettuce smiled.
“Yes.”
Wemmbu's face twisted.
“That's concerning.”
“It probably should be.”
“Great.”
Wemmbu stood.
Lettuce's eyes followed him.
Wemmbu pointed his mace toward him.
“Stay away from me.”
Lettuce's expression remained calm.
“For now.”
Wemmbu narrowed his eyes.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
“I hate when people say that.”
“I know.”
Wemmbu walked away.
Lettuce watched him go.
He doesn't understand.
That was the part that interested him most.
Wemmbu thought strength meant freedom.
Lettuce thought strength meant having the ability to decide what happened to everyone around you.
One of them was going to be proven wrong.
Wemmbu didn't get far before someone landed directly in front of him.
Parrot.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
Parrot folded his wings.
“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere.”
“Can I come?”
“Sure.”
Parrot smiled.
They walked together.
Wemmbu's wing brushed against Parrot's.
Wemmbu didn't think anything of it.
Parrot did.
He carefully moved his own wing away.
Not because he disliked the contact.
Because he knew exactly how easy it would be to misunderstand it.
Wemmbu trusted him.
That was enough.
For now.
They eventually reached a farm.
Lomedy was there.
He was staring at a damaged patch of crops.
Wemmbu stopped.
“What happened?”
Lomedy slowly turned.
“Someone stepped on my wheat.”
Wemmbu winced.
“That's tragic.”
“It is.”
“Do you know who?”
“No.”
Lomedy's ears twitched.
He looked past Wemmbu.
Parrot.
Then back at Wemmbu.
“Could you help me?”
Wemmbu sighed.
“Fine.”
Lomedy smiled.
He knew exactly what he was doing.
He led Wemmbu through the farm, pointing out every damaged plant.
Wemmbu listened.
Parrot watched.
A figure appeared on the other side of the field.
Flame.
Lomedy noticed first.
His smile widened.
Wemmbu didn't notice.
“Here,” Lomedy said, moving closer. “This one too.”
Wemmbu crouched beside the crops.
“That's barely damaged.”
“It's still damaged.”
“Farmer problems.”
“Exactly.”
Lomedy leaned against Wemmbu's shoulder.
Wemmbu barely reacted.
“Comfortable?”
“Very.”
“You're weird.”
“I've been told.”
Flame stood across the field.
His expression became increasingly murderous.
Lomedy saw him.
Perfect.
He didn't need to say anything.
He simply stayed close to Wemmbu.
Flame turned around.
“I'm leaving.”
Lomedy smiled.
“Bye.”
Wemmbu looked up.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
“You're smiling.”
“I'm happy.”
“Why?”
“Good crops.”
Wemmbu stared.
“You're suspicious.”
“I am a farmer.”
“That doesn't answer anything.”
Lomedy laughed.
Wemmbu shook his head.
He still didn't understand.
Lomedy did.
He was starting to enjoy this far too much.
Flame returned to his base.
He shut the door behind him.
He stood there for several seconds.
Silent.
His thoughts wouldn't stop.
Lomedy.
Wemmbu.
Lomedy touching Wemmbu.
Wemmbu allowing it.
Flame's jaw tightened.
He grabbed a piece of equipment from the table and tossed it across the room.
It hit the wall.
He stared at it.
“What the hell is wrong with me?”
No answer.
He sat down.
He tried to think about something else.
It didn't work.
He thought about Wemmbu laughing.
Wemmbu fighting.
Wemmbu disappearing.
Wemmbu standing beside Jaden.
Wemmbu standing beside Mane.
Wemmbu standing beside Lomedy.
The list kept growing.
Flame hated it.
He hated all of it.
And beneath the anger was something worse.
A desire to be the one Wemmbu chose first.
He didn't understand it.
He didn't want it.
But it was there.
Mane had his own problem.
He was back at his base, pacing.
He'd been doing it for almost an hour.
His tail kept moving.
His ears wouldn't relax.
His thoughts kept returning to the same moment.
The hug.
Wemmbu had forgiven him.
Just like that.
After everything.
Mane had expected anger.
He had expected resentment.
Instead, Wemmbu had opened his arms.
Mane had spent years believing he had thrown away his chance.
Now Wemmbu had simply given him another.
He couldn't waste it.
He wouldn't.
Mane sat down.
His instincts whispered something he refused to acknowledge.
Keep him close.
He frowned.
“I know.”
Don't leave again.
“I won't.”
Don't let anyone take him.
Mane's eyes narrowed.
That one made him uncomfortable.
He didn't need to protect Wemmbu from everyone.
Wemmbu could protect himself.
Wemmbu was one of the strongest players on the server.
Still—
Mane remembered the way Wemmbu's wing had twitched earlier.
The slight pain he'd tried to hide.
Mane's instincts had reacted immediately.
He wanted to know when Wemmbu was hurt.
He wanted to know who had caused it.
He wanted to be there.
That was all.
At least, that's what he told himself.
Prince Zam found Wemmbu near sunset.
She approached from behind.
“Wemmbu.”
He turned.
“Oh.”
Zam smiled.
“That's a disappointing reaction.”
“Sorry.”
“You don't sound sorry.”
“I'm not.”
She laughed.
“Fair.”
She walked beside him.
Wemmbu didn't move away.
That was useful.
Zam had spent a long time planning what she would do to him.
She'd thought about revenge.
Betrayal.
Information.
Timing.
She'd imagined getting close enough to make him trust her again.
Then she'd destroy everything.
That had been the plan.
Simple.
Beautiful.
Then Wemmbu had actually started talking to her.
And somehow—
the plan had become harder.
He laughed at her jokes.
He trusted her.
He let her sit close.
He didn't seem to remember every reason he should have hated her.
That was dangerous.
For her.
Not him.
She reached over and fixed a loose piece of fabric near his collar.
Wemmbu glanced at her.
“What?”
“You looked messy.”
“Oh.”
He kept walking.
Zam stared at him.
Her hand lingered for a moment before she pulled it back.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
She was supposed to be using him.
Not wanting him around.
Not wanting him to trust her.
Not wanting to be the person he looked for when things went wrong.
She swallowed.
The betrayal could wait.
A little longer.
Ferre watched from a rooftop.
He had been there for several minutes.
Wemmbu hadn't noticed.
Ferre had fought him before.
That first fight had been enough.
Wemmbu was strong.
Fast.
Unpredictable.
Ferre had lost.
He'd hated losing.
So he'd studied him.
How Wemmbu moved.
How he swung his mace.
How he reacted when pressured.
How he dodged.
How he attacked.
Where he was strongest.
Where he was careless.
Ferre had told himself it was preparation.
Nothing more.
Then he'd started noticing Wemmbu even when they weren't fighting.
Then he'd started looking for him.
Then he'd started remembering small things that had nothing to do with combat.
The way Wemmbu laughed.
The way he tilted his head when confused.
The way he trusted people too easily.
Ferre frowned.
That wasn't useful information.
He should stop thinking about it.
He didn't.
Wemmbu looked up suddenly.
Ferre ducked behind the roofline.
Wemmbu frowned.
“Thought I saw someone.”
Zam looked up.
“Who?”
“Nothing.”
Ferre waited until they left.
Then he smiled.
He'd found something new.
Wemmbu's attention could be distracted.
Useful.
Very useful.
Boosfer found Wemmbu later.
He didn't approach quietly.
He never did.
“WEMMBU!”
Wemmbu turned.
“No.”
“YES.”
“No.”
“I HAVEN'T EVEN SAID ANYTHING.”
“I know you.”
Boosfer laughed.
“You're learning.”
He walked up beside Wemmbu.
“You've been avoiding me.”
“I haven't.”
“You have.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Wemmbu sighed.
“You're annoying.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn't a compliment.”
“I'm taking it as one.”
Boosfer grinned.
He loved this.
Every reaction.
Every irritated expression.
Every time Wemmbu threatened him.
He'd always treated it like a game.
But lately, the game felt different.
He wanted more of it.
More time.
More reactions.
More Wemmbu.
And when Wemmbu walked away, Boosfer followed.
Not because he had to.
Because he wanted to.
Wifies watched from a distance.
He wasn't a hybrid.
There were no instincts whispering at him.
No animal side telling him to stay close.
That was what made his growing fixation feel different.
He simply noticed things.
Wemmbu was vulnerable in ways most people didn't realize.
Not physically.
Not yet.
But emotionally.
He trusted people.
He moved constantly.
He didn't have a permanent place.
He relied heavily on Eggchan and Rejoice.
And he hated being controlled.
Wifies had noticed all of that.
He shouldn't have.
He knew that.
Still, he kept watching.
He wanted to understand.
Not just Wemmbu's fighting.
Not just his habits.
Everything.
Where he went.
Who he trusted.
Who he avoided.
What made him angry.
What made him calm.
What made him stay.
Wifies wrote it down.
Then stopped.
He stared at the page.
There was far more information than he'd intended to collect.
He folded the paper.
He told himself he was only being careful.
That was all.
Night fell.
Wemmbu returned to Eggchan and Rejoice.
He had no idea how many people had spent the day thinking about him.
He didn't know Flame was still irritated.
He didn't know Mane was already planning how to stay close.
He didn't know Lettuce had started studying him.
He didn't know Ferre was memorizing his movements.
He didn't know Zam's revenge plan was becoming tangled with something she hadn't intended to feel.
He didn't know Boosfer had started wanting his attention more than the reactions themselves.
He didn't know Wifies was keeping notes.
He didn't know Spoke had spent half the day asking Mapic where Wemmbu was.
He didn't know Mapic had started answering before Spoke even finished asking.
He didn't know Rejoice was beginning to fear losing him.
He didn't know Parrot understood things about their friendship that Wemmbu didn't.
He didn't know Mane and Flame had both started thinking the same dangerous thought from completely different directions.
Keep him close.
Wemmbu simply sat down beside the fire.
Eggchan handed him food.
Rejoice complained about the weather.
Wemmbu laughed.
For him, it was another ordinary night.
For everyone else—
it was becoming something else.
And nobody had realized it yet.
Not even them.
The fire was almost out.
Wemmbu sat with his back against the stone wall, mace resting beside him, one knee pulled toward his chest.
Eggchan was sorting through their supplies.
Rejoice was trying to convince him that rotten bread was still technically bread.
“It isn't.”
“It absolutely is.”
“That's disgusting.”
“It's food.”
“It has mold.”
“Protein.”
“That's not how that works.”
Wemmbu laughed.
For a moment, everything was normal.
Then he heard footsteps.
He reached for his mace automatically.
Eggchan looked up.
Rejoice stopped arguing.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
Jaden.
Wemmbu relaxed.
“Oh.”
Jaden stopped a few feet away.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“You guys staying here?”
“For tonight.”
Jaden nodded.
“Good.”
Wemmbu frowned.
“Why?”
Jaden hesitated.
“I was just checking.”
“Checking what?”
“That you were here.”
Wemmbu stared at him.
“Why?”
Jaden opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
He didn't know how to explain it.
He'd spent the entire day wondering where Wemmbu was.
He'd told himself it was because they were friends.
That was normal.
Friends checked on each other.
Right?
“Just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said.
Wemmbu shrugged.
“I'm fine.”
“I know.”
Jaden smiled.
“Goodnight.”
He turned around.
Wemmbu watched him leave.
“Why was he acting weird?”
Eggchan didn't answer.
Rejoice did.
“He's Jaden.”
“That explains nothing.”
“It explains enough.”
Wemmbu laughed.
Then he turned back toward the fire.
Neither of them noticed Jaden stop once he was out of sight.
He leaned against a tree.
Closed his eyes.
And exhaled.
He hadn't realized how relieved he'd been to find Wemmbu.
That bothered him.
He'd never felt this desperate to know where someone was.
Not before.
Across the Overworld, Flame was still awake.
His base was quiet.
Too quiet.
He'd tried sleeping.
Failed.
He'd tried training.
Failed.
He'd tried convincing himself that Wemmbu wasn't worth thinking about.
That had failed spectacularly.
He sat at his desk.
His fingers tapped against the wood.
Lomedy.
Parrot.
Jaden.
Mane.
Spoke.
Everyone seemed to be getting closer to Wemmbu.
Flame hated it.
He couldn't explain why.
He'd spent years fighting Wemmbu.
He was supposed to want to beat him.
That was it.
A rival.
An equal.
Someone worth fighting.
So why had the thought of someone hurting Wemmbu made his stomach twist?
Why had seeing Lomedy touch him made his blood boil?
Why did he want Wemmbu to look at him instead?
Flame stood.
He walked to the window.
The moon illuminated the distant forest.
Somewhere out there was Wemmbu.
He knew that.
He could find him.
He could go there.
He almost did.
Then he stopped himself.
“No.”
He stepped away from the window.
“I am not doing that.”
He went back to his room.
But he left the window open.
Just in case.
Mane wasn't sleeping either.
He had returned to his base hours ago.
It hadn't helped.
He'd been staring at the same wall for several minutes.
Wemmbu's face kept appearing in his mind.
The hug.
The apology.
The forgiveness.
Mane touched his own shoulder.
He could still remember the weight of Wemmbu against him.
His instincts had reacted immediately.
The lion part of him wanted to keep what it had finally gotten back.
Keep close.
Protect.
Guard.
Claim—
Mane stood abruptly.
“No.”
He rubbed his face.
“Absolutely not.”
Wemmbu wasn't something to claim.
He was a person.
His student.
His old friend.
Someone Mane had failed.
He would not make that mistake again.
He wouldn't control Wemmbu.
He wouldn't trap him.
He wouldn't—
Mane paused.
A thought slipped into his head.
What if someone else does?
His expression hardened.
That was different.
Wasn't it?
In another part of the server, Lettuce sat with a map.
He had marked several locations.
Not because he was hunting Wemmbu.
Not yet.
He simply wanted to understand his movements.
Wemmbu never stayed in one place.
He moved with Eggchan and Rejoice.
Sometimes Spoke found him.
Sometimes Parrot.
Sometimes Jaden.
Sometimes nobody knew where he went.
Lettuce tapped the map.
There was a pattern.
There had to be.
He just hadn't found it.
Yet.
A member of Law entered.
“Lettuce?”
“Yes?”
“We found him earlier.”
“Where?”
The location was given.
Lettuce marked it.
Then another.
And another.
He stared at the map.
The points slowly formed a rough trail.
He smiled.
Not because he'd found Wemmbu.
Because he'd found a way to predict him.
That was useful.
Very useful.
“Don't tell anyone about this.”
The member nodded.
Lettuce returned his attention to the map.
For some reason, he didn't want anyone else learning Wemmbu's movements.
He didn't know why.
Wifies had the same problem.
His notes were getting longer.
He'd started with simple observations.
Moves frequently.
Travels with Eggchan and Rejoice.
Uses mace.
Dislikes confinement.
Then came the smaller things.
Gets irritated when people tell him what to do.
Trusts people quickly once he considers them friends.
Will return to help people even when it's inconvenient.
Doesn't notice when people become attached to him.
Wifies stopped writing.
He stared at that last sentence.
Then slowly added another.
Especially doesn't notice when it's obvious.
He put the paper away.
He didn't like how personal his notes were becoming.
Still, he kept them.
At the edge of the farm, Lomedy was watering his crops.
He heard footsteps.
He didn't turn.
“You're following me.”
“No.”
Lomedy smiled.
“Flame.”
Silence.
Lomedy finally looked over.
Flame stood there.
“You were near Wemmbu.”
“I was.”
“Why?”
“Why do you care?”
Flame's eyes narrowed.
“I don't.”
Lomedy laughed.
“Sure.”
Flame stepped closer.
“Stay away from him.”
Lomedy's smile widened.
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
“That isn't an answer.”
Flame stared at him.
Lomedy tilted his head.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“You don't know either.”
Flame's expression darkened.
Lomedy laughed.
“You have no idea why you're doing this.”
“Shut up.”
“Interesting.”
Flame turned away.
Lomedy watched him leave.
Then he looked toward the distant shelter where Wemmbu was staying.
He smiled.
This was getting much more entertaining than farming.
Morning came again.
Wemmbu woke before the others.
He stepped outside.
The air was cold.
His wings stretched automatically.
Pain shot through one of them.
He winced.
He stopped.
That was strange.
He hadn't injured it.
At least, he didn't think he had.
He carefully folded the wing again.
Maybe he'd overused it.
That was probably it.
He looked toward the horizon.
Something felt wrong.
Not dangerous.
Not yet.
Just—
wrong.
His instincts were uneasy.
He couldn't explain why.
Then he heard something.
A faint splash.
Wemmbu turned.
Nothing.
He frowned.
He stepped closer to the edge of the forest.
Another sound.
This time, behind him.
He spun around.
Nothing.
His hand closed around the mace.
“Okay.”
Silence.
“Who's there?”
No answer.
Wemmbu waited.
Nothing.
He lowered the mace slightly.
“Whatever.”
He turned.
And stopped.
There was a small object on the ground.
A glass bottle.
Wemmbu stared at it.
He hadn't seen it there before.
He crouched.
Picked it up.
The liquid inside shimmered faintly.
He frowned.
“Potion?”
He turned the bottle over.
No label.
No clue who had left it.
Wemmbu stared toward the forest.
Someone had been here.
Someone had gotten close enough to leave something beside him without being noticed.
That was impossible.
Almost.
He put the bottle down.
Then he heard a voice behind him.
“Wemmbu?”
He spun around.
Eggchan stood in the doorway.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
Eggchan walked toward him.
Wemmbu pointed at the bottle.
“Found this.”
Eggchan's expression immediately changed.
“Don't touch it.”
“I already did.”
“Wemmbu.”
“I'm fine.”
Eggchan picked it up carefully.
He examined it.
“I don't recognize it.”
“Neither do I.”
Rejoice stepped outside.
“What happened?”
“Someone left this here.”
Rejoice looked around.
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
The three of them stood silently.
Then Rejoice noticed something.
There were footprints.
Not theirs.
They led into the forest.
And there were more than one set.
Wemmbu's grip tightened around his mace.
Someone had been watching them.
For how long?
He didn't know.
He looked toward the trees.
Far away, hidden between the shadows, someone moved.
Wemmbu caught the movement.
“Hey!”
He ran.
Eggchan shouted after him.
“Wemmbu!”
Wemmbu disappeared between the trees.
He chased the figure.
Branches snapped.
Leaves scattered.
The stranger was fast.
Too fast.
Wemmbu pushed harder.
Then—
nothing.
The trail simply ended.
Wemmbu stood in the middle of the forest.
Breathing heavily.
His mace hung at his side.
There was nobody there.
He looked around.
Empty.
Then he noticed something hanging from a branch.
A piece of paper.
Wemmbu reached up.
Pulled it free.
There were only four words written on it.
I know where you sleep.
Wemmbu stared at it.
For the first time in days—
he didn't laugh.
Behind him, the forest remained completely silent.
And somewhere far beyond the trees, someone smiled.