Do you have coffee?

As the group darted through the dense foliage, the forest seemed alive, its overgrowth shifting with their hurried steps. A low growl, distant yet bone-chilling, echoed behind them.

Nora, her eyes wide with alarm, turned to Daniel. "Hey, Daniel, can't you do something with it?" she asked breathlessly.

Fumbling with a gadget, Daniel replied without looking up, "Oh, you mean control a heavyweight dog? No!"

"My bad," 

They zigzagged at a breakneck pace, dodging fallen branches and leaping over gnarled roots. Without warning, Hayden faltered, his face ashen. "I can't move," he gasped. 

Soren, without breaking stride, swung back and hoisted Hayden onto his back. "Hang on," he grunted, accelerating.

Up ahead, Helios, clutched the flower in his hand. His grip tightened as the ground shook with the heavy footsteps. In the chaos, the flower slipped from his fingers, floating towards the earth.

With a swift, almost imperceptible motion, Soren extended a hand, and the flower halted mid-air, suspended by an unseen force. 

The scenery blurred around them - rusted swings, dilapidated slides, and small, lifeless trees. As they rounded a corner, a massive tree loomed, blocking their path. It was a dead end. The growls of the breast echoed, closer now, a sound filled with hunger and rage.

"That's it," Soren declared, his voice steady. He focused his gaze on one of the dead trees. With a flick of his wrist, the tree shuddered, then lifted from the ground, its branches trembling.

The breast, now visible, thick, matted fur, dark as the shadows of the forest, covered its body. It's gaping maw, lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth, each one glistening and ready to tear into flesh. Saliva dripped from its jaws, sizzling slightly as it hit the ground. 

The breast feast it's eyes on the tree and immediately tilted its head and whimpered. 

Soren's eyes narrowed, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "Here, boy, here. Wanna stick?"

The beast, its eyes fixed on the levitating tree. It crouched low to the ground, muscles tensing, its tail wagging in anticipation. 

"Well, get it!"

With a powerful thrust, he hurled the tree into the distance. The dog bounded after the makeshift toy, disappearing into the thick underbrush.

For a moment, the group stood in silence. Before they released a deep heavy sigh. Soren gently set Hayden down, his eyes scanning the forest.

Surrounded by the dense, eerie forest, the group stood near a colossal tree, its gnarled roots sprawling like ancient fingers. The tree's bark was rough and weathered, a silent sentinel in the midst of chaos.

"What was that?" Nora's tone was accusatory. 

"Oh, well you see, that was a game called 'fetch' where dogs—"

"You dick, not that, what was that thing you do?"

Soren considered not answering at all, or better yet bullshit his way, but his gaze was drifting towards Helios in the group. 

With a resigned sigh, he answered, "That was my special skill, telekinesis. Do you need me to explain it to you too?"

Before Nora could reply, a thud sounded. Hayden collapsed. Panic ensued; the group rushed to his side. Daniel checked his pulse, Nora scanned their surroundings, her eyes searching for something, anything that could help.

Then, she heard it—soft giggling from behind the tree. Curious, she peered around its massive trunk and discovered a door embedded in the bark.

"Guys, over here!" she called urgently, with Soren carrying Hayden, they hurried through the door.

Inside, they found a quaint living room, its walls lined with shelves of herbs, potions, and various oddities. Nora's eyes darted over the contents, "These are…Quick put him down here," she pointed to a clear space on the floor.

Soren gently laid Hayden down, her hands moved quickly, snatching a handful of dried lavender, and reached for a small bottle. Uncorking it, she took a quick sniff, the sharp, tangy scent of citrus filling her nostrils. The potion was potent, just what she needed. 

"The flower," she demanded

Without a word, Soren held out his hand, the flower floating towards Nora. 

Nora caught it and got to work, she crushed the petals, mixed them with other ingredients,

—————

In a wooden room, filled with the tranquil presence of flora, Hayden slowly opened his eyes. The soft rustle of leaves and comforting ambiance surrounded him. Soren entered, his footsteps quiet, a steaming cup of tea in his hands. "How are you feeling?" he inquired.

"Eh, better. My poison is weaker," Hayden responded, his voice slightly hoarse, yet still better than what it was a few hours ago.

Soren's nod was slow and deliberate,his shoulders soon relaxed. He set the tea down gently beside Hayden, the clink of the cup a soft note in the quiet room.

An unspoken understanding filled the room, heavy with shared experiences and unvoiced thoughts.

A silence fell, both men unsure what to say next.

 "You did well back there," Hayden finally broke the silence with a small grin, "using your telekinesis. Who would've thought a creature that big would like to play fetch?"

"I did." He said matter-a-factly, "Creatures in this world, they evolve, but their core remains the same."

Hayden gave a nod, "Right, well, you still did well."

Soren's gaze shifted to the floor, "You weren't surprised?" he asked softly, his eyes lifting to meet Hayden's.

"Surprised?" Hayden's eyebrows arched slightly.

"About my telekinesis. Out of everyone in the group you seemed the least surprised," Well excluding Helios of course.

Hayden gave a light shrug, "Wild guess," he replied, "I figured you could hold your own, that Helios wouldn't bring along someone who couldn't."

"Oh..right, um," He sighed, "look, I..I should have done something. I could have stopped them. I..I'm so…I'm..I apologize." Soren looked away, his hands clasped onto the hem of shirt, he almost winced at that shittest apology known to man.

Hayden's hand reached out, his large hand placed on his shoulder, "It's alright. Don't dwell on 'what I could've done.' It's like the saying, 'You couldn't have done better because at that time you already thought that you did the best you could do. What matters now is how you can do better next time."

"That's not a common saying." Soren was deadpanned. 

"I know. It's mine," Hayden laughed, a hardy one at that, but even that breaks a smile onto Soren's face.

"That's very wise of you. Thanks."

As Soren turned to leave, "And um, hey," Hayden spoke up, "I get that you have a really powerful and great special skill and everything, really it's incredible. But you don't have to take everything on yourself. The team has a good head on their shoulders, they can handle whatever comes their way." He said with a smile.

Soren paused at the doorway, his back turned, he didn't reply for a few moments. "Oh, y-yeah, the team handled themselves well on their own back there. I'll…noted." he finally finished, then stepped out. 

Hiis footsteps echoing softly in the hallway. He made his way to the middle room, which served as a makeshift kitchen. It was a small, cozy space, filled with the scent of flora and dotted with colorful flowers that brightened up the room. Daniel was sitting at a wooden table, a cup of honey tea in his hands. Helios stood near a small stove, heating more tea. He turned as Soren entered.

"Well, you guys seem awfully relaxed after what we've been through," Soren's voice was as dry as the desert. 

Helios chuckled, pouring the hot tea into a cup. "Hey, don't blame us for being able to relax. You should try it sometime. Tea?"

Soren shook his head. "Pass. Do you have coffee?"

Before Helios could reply, Daniel interjected, "I'm afraid not, but how is he?"

Soren paused, a brief look of hesitancy crossing his face. "He seems better," he said, then very reluctantly added, "And Nora?"

Helios placed the teapot back on the stove. "Still asleep. She's been worn out."

Soren nodded, his gaze drifting towards the window, the night sky visible through the glass. "It's been a long day for all of us."

Helios sipped his tea, his eyes meeting Soren's. "You should get some rest too, Soren. We can take turns keeping watch."

Soren considered this, "No, I'll take the first watch. Rest up."

"What? Are you sure?" Helios asked.

"Of course, plus you guys seem more worn out than me." He gestured to the dark circles under their eyes. 

Helios and Daniel glanced at each other before eventually nodding and heading to bed. Soren made his way to the lookout point, a quiet spot near the edge tree, thing. The night was peaceful, the sounds of the forest a soothing backdrop to his thoughts.

As he settled in, a faint sound caught his attention – soft giggling, barely audible. He glanced around, searching the shadows for any sign of movement. Finding nothing, he shook his head slightly, must be his imagination playing tricks after a long, strenuous day. With a deep breath, he refocused on the task at hand, keeping watch over the night.