Jaxon opened his eyes slowly. The light from outside the hut was faint but enough to tell it was early. He blinked a few times and sat up. His body still felt a little sore from yesterday. He leaned back against the wall, rubbed his face with both hands, then reached out in front of him.
The system screen popped up. Just like always, it was quiet, no sounds, no sudden pop-ups. Just the clean boxes. He tapped on "Status" and stared at it. Nothing changed. No new updates. Same health, same skills. He closed it without a word. It didn't bother him. He just thought maybe something would show up. Maybe not today.
He stepped out of the hut. The air was soft and a little cold. The sun wasn't strong yet. He stretched his arms a bit and looked around. What surprised him was the campfire already burning. Lina was crouched beside it, stirring something inside the pot. Iris sat on a flat rock nearby cutting fruit. Kayla was tying something with vines. They were all awake. Earlier than him.
"You're late," Lina said without looking at him.
"Morning," Iris added.
Kayla glanced up for a second, then looked away.
Jaxon stood there and just looked at the pot. He saw chunks of something floating in it. Some root and maybe meat. It smelled strange but not bad.
"What are you doing?" he asked quietly.
"Cooking breakfast," Lina answered. "Trying something different."
Jaxon nodded once. Then turned and walked away.
"Hey, wait," Kayla said. She stood up quickly and followed after him.
Jaxon didn't say anything. Just kept walking. He reached the edge of the trees. The grass there was still wet from the night. He could hear birds far away. Not normal ones. They made strange clicking sounds. But it didn't matter.
"I'm coming too," Kayla said as she walked beside him. Her hands were empty.
He didn't answer. She didn't mind. They walked together into the trees.
They didn't talk much. Just moved quietly. The deeper they went, the darker it got. Tall trees with wide leaves blocked most of the light. They found some fruit hanging from a short tree. The shape looked like bananas, but the skin was smooth and had lines running across. Jaxon touched one and broke it off.
"Still weird," Kayla said.
He nodded. They picked a few more.
Later, they saw a small animal moving near the bushes. It looked like a mix of a rabbit and a lizard. Long body, short legs. Jaxon threw a rock at it. Missed. The thing ran fast.
"Tch, too fast," Kayla muttered.
They kept moving. The ground changed. Got soft and muddy. Trees were more spaced out. Then Kayla slipped.
"Ah!" she gasped and fell forward.
Jaxon turned and grabbed her arm before she hit the ground. His grip was strong but calm. He pulled her back up. She was red in the face.
"Be careful," he said quietly.
She looked at him, eyes wide. Her face got redder. "Y-yeah," she said.
He didn't let go right away. Held her hand a second longer. Then let go.
Kayla turned her head away. Her heart felt like it skipped. Her thoughts were messy. Why is he like this? Why is he so calm? He's always like this... but why does it feel different now? What's wrong with me? She shook her head and followed him.
They kept walking. Jaxon stopped when he saw something up ahead. Something didn't feel right. There was a structure. Hidden halfway behind thick trees and vines. Made of stone. But not like a ruin. It looked too clean. Not old.
They walked closer. It had sharp edges. Smooth walls. No moss or cracks. Just clean cold stone. It looked like it didn't belong here.
"What is this?" Kayla whispered.
Jaxon didn't answer. Just stared.
There was a door. But it had no handle. No markings. No windows. Just a rectangle. The air near it felt different. Still. Heavy.
"We shouldn't go in," Kayla said.
He nodded. They turned back.
When they reached the edge of the forest again, the light was brighter. The sun was fully up now. Smoke from the fire showed where the others were. Jaxon and Kayla walked slowly. Neither said much. But something felt different between them. A small shift.
When they got back, Lina waved a stick at them.
"Where did you two run off to?" she asked. "Food's almost ready."
Iris looked at them both and raised an eyebrow. "You took your time."
Kayla didn't say anything. Her face turned red again. She sat down quickly and grabbed a fruit to hide it.
Jaxon sat near the fire and looked at what they made. The pot was full. He could smell meat, roots, some kind of wild herb. He didn't speak but he took a bowl and started eating.
The day moved on slow. But the memory of that stone place stayed in his mind. The strange door. The cold air. And Kayla's hand. Warm. Shaking a little. But she didn't pull away.
He didn't understand what it meant. Maybe he didn't need to. Not yet.