"So, you're the tourist who got lost in the woods?" Trisha asked with a teasing glint in her eyes as she tied her hair into a quick ponytail. "The one who got caught in the crossfire between the rebels and the military? You're kind of famous in the news, you know."
Callum blinked. "Wait, what? I'm in the news?" He rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Oh, bloody hell… so much for being incognito."
Alex chuckled. "Relax, mate. All they know is that you're a foreign tourist on a solo hiking trip. No one mentioned awakening or supernatural stuff."
"In fact," Trisha chimed in, sitting cross-legged on a fallen log, "they think you're dead."
Callum stared at them for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Well... that's a relief, actually. I wouldn't mind being presumed dead. Might even come in handy. No one will come looking for me anymore."
Trisha raised a curious brow. "Why? Don't you have any family? Where are you from, anyway?"
"I'm from Scotland," Callum answered with a nostalgic smile. "But my mum was French, and my dad—half Scottish, half German. My mother died giving birth to me, so it was just me and my father growing up. We're… well, we were a family of hunters."
"So your dad won't come looking for you?" Trisha pressed gently. "Did he know you were awakened or that you're here?"
"He passed away three years ago," Callum said, his voice softening. "Just a few weeks after I finished my studies at Oxford, he always wanted me to be someone else, something more… respectable, I suppose. But after he died and passed the estate to me, all I wanted was to honor his legacy."
"Sorry to hear that, mate," Alex said sincerely. "But wait—if you inherited an estate, aren't people going to notice when the heir goes missing?"
"Well…" Callum scratched his neck sheepishly. "It's not that big. My father was only a baron."
Trisha's eyes widened. "Damn. So you're actually royalty?"
Callum laughed nervously. "Technically, yes, but it's not as grand as it sounds."
Trisha's expression turned serious. "If people think you died in the mountains of Mindanao—possibly due to a military operation—that could create a diplomatic incident. Our country might end up in the international spotlight."
"Oh," Callum muttered, guilt creeping into his voice. "I hadn't thought of that."
"Well, it'll definitely spice up the news cycle," Alex added, stretching his arms behind his head. "Trisha's father is the mayor of Davao City, you know—the last place you were seen before the 'incident.' I think her dad's going to have a busy week handling media and fielding calls from international officials."
"Meh, don't worry about him," Trisha said with a shrug. "He can manage. And honestly, it works in our favor. It means he'll be too busy to come chasing after us once he finds out we eloped."
"You did what?" Callum asked, eyebrows arching in amusement. "So you two are practically a couple?"
"Nope. We just met a couple of nights ago," Alex replied quickly, raising both hands in defense.
"But we're engaged!" Trisha declared dramatically, fluttering her eyelashes. "Love at first sight!"
"Don't mind her. She's just high, probably from drinking too much evil blood," Alex said, shaking his head with mock disappointment.
Callum chuckled. "Well, I did see how you two fought earlier. You look like seasoned professionals. I've been hunting since I was ten, but I'm nowhere near your level."
"Well, I haven't even gone full throttle yet," Trisha said proudly, puffing her chest. "And that was my first real fight! I thought I'd be grossed out by the violence, but it turns out all those hours playing RPGs have completely desensitized me."
"See what I mean?" Alex said, gesturing at her. "Too much evil blood. She's delirious."
"Oh really?" Trisha said, standing up and aiming a playful punch at his ribs.
"Hey! Careful, sweetheart! You don't want to be a widow at such a young age," Alex protested, dodging.
"Be warned, Druid. One of these days, I will best you!" Trisha announced proudly.
Alex snorted. "I'll make sure your tombstone says, 'Here lies the girl who tried.'"
"Anyway," Alex turned to Callum, brushing imaginary dust off his pants. "I wanted to ask—have you swept this part of the mountain yet? I've noticed some heavy creature activity on my map."
"Actually, I've been deliberately avoiding this area," Callum admitted. "Just like you said, there are too many creatures here. I prioritized the southern sector—less populated, smaller targets. Easier to handle alone."
Alex nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense. Well, now that we're all here, we might as well join forces and clear the zone together. The night's still young. What do you say, mate?"
"You sound like a car salesman," Trisha said, sticking her tongue out.
Callum laughed. "Still, that's a good idea. Teaming up sounds ideal for me. I'm more of a long-range fighter. I can handle close combat when I have to, but not like you two."
"And speaking of teams," Callum added, "I think I just completed the mission my sentient gave me—to find other awakened. Have you completed yours?"
"Oh, we completed that the moment I found this nerd in a bar," Trisha said, nudging Alex. "What reward did you get?"
"Not sure. Let me check…" Callum closed his eyes, reaching into his mind for the sentient data. "I think… I got a new skill."
"Whoa," Callum said, awestruck. "Blasting Wind. Powerful, fires a spirit-infused arrow, exploding on impact to damage multiple enemies.
"That's amazing," Alex said, visibly impressed. "That'll be a huge help in battle."
"Can you try it?" Trisha asked eagerly.
"Sure," Callum said, using his bow, aiming casually at a massive tree. He pulled the trigger.
THOOM.
The arrow slammed into the tree and exploded, nearly blowing half of it apart.
Alex stared at the cratered bark, eyes wide. "Bloody hell."
Callum scratched his head. "Oops… sorry. Didn't realize it was that powerful."
"No worries," Alex muttered. "That's on her."
"What did I do?!" Trisha objected. "I just wanted to see the skill's effect!"
"What did you get?" Callum asked her.
"Burst Damage," Trisha replied smugly, pulling out her twin daggers, displaying the combination skill movement that she recently learned as a quest reward from the sentient.
"And he got a ring with storage space," she added, pointing at Alex. "Just like a proper fantasy nerd."
"Really?" Callum said, intrigued. "That explains how you conjured your dagger mid-fight."
"Oh, it's more useful than you'd think," Alex said with a grin.
"You should've seen his face when he got it," Trisha added. "He was grinning like Gollum—'My preciousssss…'"
"She's just jealous. I love the ring more than her," Alex said, shrugging.
Callum laughed, genuinely enjoying their banter. It felt natural, like old friends reunited. And something about the way they spoke, joked, and worked together made him feel… at home.
He glanced at the stars beginning to pierce through the jungle canopy.
"Alright," Alex said, standing and stretching. "I think we've rested enough. What do you say we start rolling?"
"Sure, Cap," Trisha replied exaggeratedly with a mock salute.
"Let's go then," Callum said, holding his glowing crossbow, his old longbow at his back.
Alex looked dramatically off into the distance, eyes gleaming.
"Okay then… Aveng—"
"Don't say it…" Trisha interrupted, smacking his arm.