Kael.
We had been walking for over four hours.
Four.
Hours.
That is an amount of time long enough for hunger, exhaustion, poor decisions… and Rael acting weird.
Rael was still acting weird.
Not dramatically weird. Just weird. Every time I looked at her she looked away. Every time she spoke she avoided eye contact. Also she kept turning red like she had a fever she was personally offended by.
I had decided not to poke the bear.
The bear was going to get poked anyway.
We reached the forest.
Tall trees. Thick canopy. The kind of place that looks peaceful and also like you could die very easily if you took one wrong step. The light through the canopy was the specific green of somewhere that had not seen full sun in a long time and had made peace with that.
Kairo stopped at the edge.
Looked at the tree line.
Looked at his party.
"From here on out we're going to run into monsters. Stay on your guard."
"Right," Jane, Liora, and Branik said at the same time.
Perfectly synchronized.
I stared.
Wow.
Kairo really had the leader energy going for him.
Rael glanced at me.
"Why can't you be a leader like him?"
I gasped.
"GASP."
"Excuse me? You know without me I wonder how many houses you would have burned down."
Rael froze.
The red on her face shifted from the weird morning red to the embarrassed red. These were different reds. I was beginning to develop a taxonomy.
"So I am a good leader," I continued. "In fact a great leader. A visionary. A revolutionary. A—"
"Shut up."
Punch.
THUD.
"GAH—!"
I went sideways.
"You talk too much," she said, softer.
Jane looked back.
"Oi. You two should quit your love language. You guys are behind."
Rael's face exploded red.
"IT IS NOT A LOVE LANGUAGE."
I pointed from the ground.
"THANK YOU."
Liora tilted her head.
"To be fair, this seems less like love language and more like targeted violence."
Kairo laughed.
Branik nodded once. "We are falling behind."
I stood up.
"This is workplace harassment," I muttered.
We kept walking.
Late afternoon slid into evening.
The light turned orange between the trees. The forest grew quieter. The kind of quiet that feels like the environment is waiting for something to happen.
Kairo found the clearing first.
Circular. Flat. Suspiciously convenient.
"Huh," Kairo said. "Looks like a good place to camp."
"I'll get food ready," Liora said immediately.
Kairo looked at the group.
"Rael, Branik — rocks for the fire ring. Jane, Kael — firewood."
"On it," everyone said.
He paused.
"I will remain here with Liora in case anything happens."
Liora blushed.
I looked at Kairo.
"Of course you will."
He turned.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh nothing," I said. "Just a guy saying his mind."
Jane grabbed my ear.
"OW—OW—OW—!"
She dragged me into the forest.
Jane released my ear.
I rubbed it.
"What was that for?"
She ignored the question.
"Do you even know what firewood is," she said. "Since your whole I am from another world thing you keep saying."
"I am from another world."
"Yeah yeah."
"So just because I came from another world doesn't mean I don't know what firewood is."
Jane looked at me.
"Even though I'm about to explain it in a way even an infant would understand."
"That seems kind of rude."
"Deal with it."
She picked up a piece of wood.
"Dry wood. This. We want this. Dry. Not wet. Not damp. Not recently rained on. Dry."
"I know what dry wood is."
"Good."
She handed it to me.
"Now you go that way. I go this way. We meet back here in five minutes."
"This seems overly organized for picking up sticks."
"You are from another world," she said. "I am not taking risks."
She walked away.
I looked at the wood in my hand.
I looked at the forest.
I went and got firewood.
Five minutes later we had enough and were heading back.
The forest was quiet.
"Hey Kael."
"Yeah."
"What do you think about Rael."
"That's sudden."
"Just answer."
"Hmm." I thought. "She's powerful. Aggressive. Solves minor inconveniences with violence directed specifically at me. But beneath all that I think she's just looking for a place to belong. She's kind even if she expresses it by punching me. She's one of our most valuable party members. I wouldn't trade her for anyone."
Jane stared.
"That wasn't my question."
"You clearly asked—"
"I meant romantically."
She stepped closer.
"And I know you knew exactly what I meant. You are just trying to avoid it."
"But I didn't—"
"You did."
She pushed me lightly against a tree.
THUMP.
My back hit the trunk.
"...That is attached to my head," I said.
She ignored me.
Her hand landed beside my face.
"You don't seem like the oblivious type. Not like Kairo."
"Kairo is oblivious?"
"Spectacularly. We've watched it for eight months."
She leaned closer.
"You are different. You are too self-aware to be oblivious. So tell me. What do you really think about Rael."
I tensed.
Closed my eyes.
Inhale.
Exhale.
"Okay. Fine."
I opened one eye.
"But could you not be this close. We look like we are about to kiss and I feel like the tree is judging me."
Jane blinked.
Turned red.
Stepped back immediately.
"Okay," she said quietly.
"The truth is… I don't know how I feel about her."
Jane frowned.
"But you know how she feels."
"I have an idea."
I looked away.
"But I can't treat an idea like truth. That would be delusional… pathetic. A guy deciding a girl likes him and building his whole world on that."
"So what are you saying."
"I'm protecting myself."
"From what."
I didn't answer immediately.
No sarcasm.
No joke.
"Just because you think someone likes you… doesn't mean she actually likes you."
I exhaled slowly.
"You might just be seeing something that isn't there. Something you want to see."
The forest felt quieter.
"Especially women…" I said, softer. "They're born manipulators."
Jane didn't move.
"They don't even have to try," I continued. "A smile. A softer voice. Standing a little closer than usual. Asking how your day went. Looking at you like you're the only person in the room."
I shook my head slightly.
"And suddenly you're the one filling in the blanks. You're the one thinking it means something. You're the one building expectations they never promised."
A pause.
"They don't even have to lie. They just… let you believe."
I exhaled.
"But not you guys though."
I hesitated.
"You, Rael, Liora, Senna, Mira… I have some level of trust. And a lot of respect."
My voice lowered.
"But this is me. And my past. Making the same mistake again… would be foolish."
Jane's expression softened.
"What happened?" she asked quietly.
I looked ahead.
"Long story."
I stopped walking.
"For now… we have company."
Jane stopped.
The forest had gone quiet.
Then—
FWOOSH.
A goblin lunged at my face.
I leaned back.
"WAIT—"
Another dropped from a branch.
"WHY ARE THERE MORE—"
Two stepped out from the bushes.
I stared.
"...You guys again?"