The building loomed before them, its silhouette sharp against the darkened sky. It was old—weathered and cracked from years of exposure—but it still stood, defiant against the changing world. Faded walls, a partially collapsed roof, and shattered windows told a story of abandonment, yet the structure remained intact enough to serve as shelter for the night.
Victor was the first to step forward, his grip firm on his spear as he scanned the perimeter. "Check the inside first," he said, his voice low but commanding. "Don't take risks."
The others nodded, following closely behind as they moved towards the entrance. The door had long since broken off its hinges, leaving only an open frame leading into the darkness beyond.
Ethan and Lily moved ahead, their steps cautious, scanning for any signs of movement. Maria and Sam stayed near the middle, whilst AJ lingered at the back, his form shifting slightly as he adjusted to the new terrain.
The air inside was thick with dust and the faint scent of mildew. Moonlight filtered through the shattered windows, casting eerie shadows across the floor. Broken furniture lay scattered throughout the room—remnants of a life long forgotten.
Papers, their edges curled and yellowed with age, littered the floor, the words were too faded to read. A collapsed staircase led to what remained of the second floor, though it didn't look safe enough to explore.
They carefully searched the house for any signs of life.
"It's empty," Walter murmured after a long pause. "Well, there's nothing living in here."
The group wasted no time setting up for the night. They gathered in the main room, using what little remained of the furniture to create makeshift bedding. They didn't light a fire, but the shelter of the house provided enough warmth to get by.
Before resting, they took precautions. Victor and Ethan worked quickly to block the entrances, stacking broken furniture and debris near the doorways to make it harder for anything—or anyone—to slip inside unnoticed.
Maria and Lily checked the windows, ensuring no easy access points remained exposed. It wasn't perfect, but it would slow down any threats long enough for them to react.
Despite their efforts, an unspoken tension hung in the air. The dangers of the outside world weren't forgotten, but there was some reassurance in knowing someone would be keeping watch at all times.
As everyone settled in for the night, Ethan's voice carried across the room. "That boost in ability we experienced during the fight earlier—it's probably the effects of Victor and Maria's wishes, right?"
Sam yawned before replying, "Yes, most of what we experienced probably came from the wishes. Though I get the feeling mana played a role as well. In fact, I'm starting to think that mana was introduced into the world to grant wishes like those."
Sam's words resonated with everyone. They were excited to see what they would be able to do with mana once they learned how to control it. They all imagined different scenes in their minds as they slowly drifted off to sleep, getting some well-deserved rest, except for Victor who took first watch as he usually did.
AJ remained near the edge of the room. Unlike the others, exhaustion didn't affect him in the same way. Even though the day had been long and filled with challenges, he didn't feel the same pressing need for rest. Instead, he watched as the others drifted off, their breathing slowing, their bodies finally allowed a moment to recover.
---
AJ slid silently through the abandoned building, his gelatinous form moving smoothly over the worn floorboards. He wasn't looking for anything in particular—perhaps he might find new things to consume.
Small pieces of wood, scraps of paper, and broken fragments of stone caught his attention, and one by one, he tested them.
The wood dissolved relatively easily, breaking down into a faint trace of energy. Paper was the same—easy enough to absorb, but the small amount of energy gained made it barely worth the effort. When he absorbed a small shard of concrete, the resistance was immediate.
It sat inside him, refusing to break apart. He focused, trying to dissolve it as he had with the bark and roots earlier that day. It took time, but slowly, the structure weakened, its energy releasing in faint trickles. It's working... but it's very slow.
The same thing happened when he tried metal—an old, rusted nail from a collapsed piece of furniture. The process dragged, his form straining against the foreign material. He could tell that something was happening, but it wasn't quick or efficient.
Frustration bubbled inside him, but he pushed it down. I just need more time. More practice. He then went around the house, sweeping up anything little he could find. The more he consumed an object, the quicker, easier, and more efficient it became.
He found bits of leather and plastic as well as the other items. After consuming at least a little bit of everything he could find, he turned to the next step—creation.
He focused on a single point in his body, recalling the feeling of bark dissolving inside him earlier that day. The texture, the density—he pictured it clearly. Slowly, he guided the energy, pushing it to take shape.
A thin layer of bark materialised on his surface, rough and uneven, but real. It took effort, far more than if he brute-forced it and made a shoddy replica. His concentration wavered for just a moment, and it vanished, reabsorbed into his body.
Although he could already create moss, the process of creating other objects required him to figure out their structure and attempt to recreate it using the mana inside him, meaning every time he wanted to make something new, he would have to go through this slow, gruelling process.
It's a start... but I can do better.
For the next hour, he repeated the process, refining it bit by bit. Each time, the form held longer. Each time, it came out smoother. He wasn't there yet—his technique was crude and inefficient—but progress was progress.
By the time he decided to rest, the night was quiet, the others still deep in sleep.
Tomorrow, they would continue looking for their people and the safe zone.
---
The first rays of sunlight crept through the broken windows, casting a golden glow over the abandoned building. The group stirred one by one, stretching sore muscles and rubbing the last remnants of sleep from their eyes.
Breakfast was simple—leftover berries, dried meat, and what little water they had collected the day before.
"We should scout the area before we leave," Victor suggested, standing and adjusting his gear. "Make sure nothing dangerous is nearby."
Walter nodded thoughtfully. "And if we're lucky, we might find something useful."
The group split into smaller teams—Victor and Ethan searched for signs that others had passed through the area, Maria and Sam searched around the house looking for anything salvageable, whilst Lily and Walter took stock of their remaining supplies.
AJ stayed close to the building, continuing his silent experimentation.
Some time later, they regrouped.
"Found some old cans, but they're rusted through," Maria reported. "Nothing worth carrying."
"No tracks nearby," Ethan added.
With nothing keeping them there, they packed up their supplies and set out once more, heading further into the unknown.
A few moments later, Ethan randomly looked back in the direction of the abandoned house they had stayed in. His face contorted, his expression shifting to one of extreme confusion and apprehension.
"Erm... guys, I don't mean to alarm you, but... that house we stayed in..."
"What about it?" Lily asked, frowning as she turned to look.
Ethan hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "It's not there anymore."
At that moment, everyone in the group's heads snapped back towards where they had come from—only to see exactly that. The house they had spent the night in was gone.
Maria's breath caught in her throat, her stomach twisting with unease. "That... that's not possible," she muttered.
Victor's sharp eyes scanned the area, searching for any logical explanation, but the clearing was just that—a clearing. No rubble, no remnants, not even a foundation. Just empty space where a structure had stood mere moments ago.
Lily swallowed hard. "We all saw it, right? It was real. We slept there."
Walter's normally composed expression had hardened, his grip tightening on his walking stick. "We need to move. Now."
Sam, unusually quiet, rubbed his temple as if trying to make sense of what he was seeing. "This world..."
A heavy silence followed before Victor took a step forward, his voice low but firm. "Pick up the pace."
No one argued.
Without another word, they quickened their strides, a steady jog carrying them away from the unsettling void where the house had once stood. None of them dared to look back again.
---
The journey was uneventful at first, the land around them stretching into rolling hills and sparse clusters of trees. The air was cool, carrying the distant scent of water—perhaps a river or lake nearby.
Just like that, a few hours had gone by. As Victor was surveying the path ahead, he spotted some movement.
A group of people—larger than their own—was gathered near a rocky outcrop. Men, women, even children. Some carried crude weapons, others makeshift backpacks filled with supplies.
Their clothes were worn, faces tired, but they were alive.
The group exchanged glances before cautiously approaching.
Ethan was the first to speak, his voice carrying easily across the distance. "Hey there! We come in peace. We're looking for information. Have you heard anything about a safe zone?"
A murmur ran through the crowd as they turned to face them. Some looked wary, others curious.
Maria stepped forward, scanning the unfamiliar faces with desperate hope. Is there a chance...?
"Has anyone seen—" she hesitated, her voice tightening with barely contained emotion, "—children? Two boys, aged ten and twelve?"
A heavy silence followed.
Then, one of the older men, his face lined with exhaustion, stepped forward.
"We've heard rumours," he said slowly, his voice carrying the weight of hard-won experience. "There's a place further north. A settlement. Some say it's safe. Others say it's just another trap."
The words sent a ripple of energy through the group. A lead.
It wasn't much, but it was something.
The same older man continued, his tone gentler now as he looked at Maria's desperate expression, "As for the children, what are their names?"
"Isaac and Noah," Maria replied hastily, her voice thick with hope and fear.
The group murmured amongst themselves again. There was an Isaac but he had already found his parents.
The older man's expression grew sympathetic. "I'm sorry, lass. The only Isaac here ain't yours."
Maria's shoulders sagged slightly, but she nodded, forcing herself to maintain composure. The search would continue.