The vines were catching up.

  Or more accurately, she was slowing down. Her stamina wasn’t that great to begin with — she wouldn’t be able to keep up this chase for much longer.

  The soft bell resonated again. The same message was there on the screen, the silver letters bold and shimmering.

  [Remain still

  Control respiration]

  She knew what it wanted her to do but…should she listen? Was it real? Was it actually trying to help? Or could it be setting her up?

  A flash of green shot past her leg, narrowly missing. Fuck. It seemed like she was out of time. Indecision be damned — she had to do something.

  Muttering a silent prayer she dove down into the carpet of moss as the vines rushed past, their momentum carrying them forward a ways before they stopped and turned.

  She took that brief moment of distraction as her chance to go completely still, forcing her breathing to slow despite the burn in her chest. There was no person here. She was a stone. An inanimate object that does not move or breathe.

  The vines slithered back towards her, the sound slow and deliberate as they searched. She held her breath as one came to a stop just before her. Black ooze dripped from its tube-like mouth, splashing lightly on her cheek — the remnants of its earlier meal. She did not move.

  After a moment that felt like eternity, the vines gathered themselves and sunk back into the undergrowth, their rustling fading into the distance as they returned to their original prey.

  She continued to hold her breath for another thirty seconds before she felt safe enough to exhale, her body shuddering in relief at the resumed oxygen flow. As soon as she was able she wiped her cheek with her trembling hand, flicking away the putrid fluid before it made her sick.

  Ding

  The screen materialized again.

  [User: Lila Firenca

  Race: Non-native Human

  Task: Shard Collection]

  It darkened, erasing the words, before showing a new message.

  [Shard detected

  Location: Southeast

  Proceed]

  A little arrow appeared next to her in the air, pointing back to the way she came.

  Lila shook her head, incredulous. Why in the hell would she go back towards the killer vines? Real or not, she was not willing to take any more chances. Dusting the front of her simple grey dress off, she stood silently for a moment before confidently heading in the exact opposite direction from where the screen pointed.

  The screen shimmered as it moved to follow her line of sight. It now read:

  [Task Reward: Wish Fulfillment]

  This made Lila pause. She reassessed the screen, choosing her words carefully as she responded in a soft whisper.

  “Will you help me go home?”

  The screen remained unchanged — return must be a viable option.

  “What are you?”

  [Designation: System]

  “Alright System, where am I?”

  [Nerim

  Region: Melaine]

  After being chased by vines she was now talking to a sentient screen. She had really lost it, hadn’t she? Still, this ‘System’ at least gave her directions on how to deal with the vines…maybe it was her way out of this delusion?

  “Fine.”

  Lila turned, decisively heading back the way she came so she could complete this ‘task’ as soon as possible. She was tired of whatever the hell was going on — from her body to the forest to the plants, it was all simply ridiculous.

  She barely made it ten steps before she noticed something: a sliver of silver between the trees.

  Suspicious. Were there more creatures nearby?

  Stepping from toe to heel, Lila quietly made her way towards the color. She had always preferred the enemy she knew to the one she didn’t — if this was something potentially dangerous, she wanted to know about it now.

  Arcing around the tree, she maintained distance as the shape slowly came into view.

  There was something leaning slightly...oh.

  Disappointment. That was all that registered within her as soon as she realized it was just another damn body.

  This one was noticeably more intact, possibly even fresh given the color still present in the skin. It had short silver hair with shockingly pointed ears — almost elf-like? And it was small. Lila felt a slight tinge in her chest at that thought. Had it been a child?

  Green stems extended from the corpse into the undergrowth below, sending a shiver down her spine. More vines? She continued to watch as they slowly shifted about, noting the lack of pulsation. Were they not feeding?

  Ah.

  The tube. They could only ingest liquids…blood wouldn’t be as nutritious as the byproduct of soft tissue breakdown. Disgustingly intelligent.

  Lila noted the characteristics of the vines in her head and was about to leave when she saw it — a twitch. Not like that of rigor mortis. No, it was actual neuromuscular activity. It was a small sign of life.

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  Damn.

  Was this kid alive?

  She began to approach, slow and steady so as to not startle the vines. The closer Lila got the more she noticed things: the rise and fall of his chest, the dampness of his skin, the slight groan escaping his lips. The boy was most definitely still alive.

  Ding

  Lila's eyes immediately focused on the vines, anxious. They remained docile. Could they not hear the bell? Her brows knit in slight confusion, she raised her head to read the message in the air.

  [Proceed with task]

  Hm.

  Yes, that would be the best wouldn’t it? How was she going to save someone else? She couldn’t even tell how much of this was real or fantasy. There was no benefit to helping this boy — it’s not like he could help her return home. It was time to move on and complete her task.

  Lila prepared to leave.

  Prepared to leave.

  Leave.

  Why wasn’t she moving?

  She stared down at the boy — fragile, weak, dying — in quiet contemplation. What was she doing? She had no relation to this boy. Her priority was getting back to her family, back to her life. Plus she didn’t even know the first thing about these vines. How can she treat something she can’t understand?

  It was time to go.

  Her mind was clear, her logic sound and yet…why wouldn’t her feet move?

  Move!

  Before she fully understood what she was doing she knelt before the boy, taking stock of his condition.

  Febrile. Vines seem to burrow in the skin. Parasitic? Removal may be dangerous. Best course of action is to cut them and relocate for further treatment.

  There was a small dagger clutched in the boy’s hand. He had gone down fighting. Lila gently pried his fingers open to remove the dagger, careful not to make too much noise. When she successfully prised it free she paused, questioning the wisdom of her decision. Why was she acting? This was not the time for heroics. He wasn’t Drew. He might not even be real.

  “Sav…”

  The sound cut through her like a knife. It was barely audible, softer than even a whisper but she still heard it. Heard his plea.

  Lila grabbed the nearest vine and swiftly sliced it in half, detaching it from the boy. It hissed and writhed as she grabbed the next vine and repeated the process.

  Snap. Snap. Snap.

  Every cut was responded to with a hiss, the sound building upon itself until it became a quiet roar. Lila was undeterred as she dispatched the last attachment and bent down before the boy, hoisting him onto her back and away from the creeping vines. He was so light, lighter than a boy of his age should be. And warm. No, more than warm — his body was on fire. Dammit.

  The vines, recovering from their wounds, slowly began to rise towards the boy as if reaching for him. Lila needed to get him away from here. Now.

  She backed away calmly, not wanting to stimulate the vines’ instincts. This group was surprisingly more docile than the last, merely continuing to reach for the boy rather than chase. It was while she was studying the new behavior that she felt it — a sharp pain digging into the back of her right ankle. A vine. It was attached to her. Her stomach dropped as she shifted the boy to one side, using the other to swing the dagger towards the creature.

  It fell back in pain, writhing with an intensity distinctly stronger than before. Was it more vulnerable when making first contact? Regardless of the reason, this was an opportunity. While they were distracted Lila broke into a sprint, heading away from the vines towards where the forest seemed to thin. The rush she heard behind her this time was delayed and notably slow — she could make it.

  The terrain changed significantly as she ran — the lushness became average, the soft moss became packed dirt, the sea of trees became distinct. With each stride she felt the presence of the vines behind her lessen, their pursuit weaken. She was escaping their territory.

  It was only when the slithering completely faded that Lila slowed to a stop, shooting a quick glance over her shoulder. The vines were still. She could feel their desire, their hunger for the boy…but they did not continue. Both sides remained there for a moment, tensions high until ultimately, the vines relented. They began to retract into the undergrowth, settling back into their domain without a sound.

  Lila knew this wasn’t surrender.

  It was a strategic retreat.

  She continued to walk northwest, eyes peeled for some form of shelter she could use while she treated the boy. If only she had a better grasp of the area—

  Her thoughts were interrupted by a distinct noise. A familiar call. A song.

  Relief flooded her system as she recognized the presence of nearby birds. This was the first truly healthy sign of life she had heard in hours. It was beautiful. Her steps quickened as she headed towards the sound, involuntarily hugging the child tighter against her chest.

  Lila found the birds nestled gently in the canopy of a particularly strange set of trees. The bark of each tree curved outward, forming a dome of wood. There were three circular gaps between them — one large one that allowed entry and two smaller ones that formed what appeared to be windows. A literal tree house.

  Lila was unsure how such a structure could form naturally but didn’t have time to ponder the thought. She rushed into the thicket, performing a quick visual assessment for safety. The interior was unique — chairs and shelves formed of roots, a pool of water trickling down a large leaf, a bed of moss in the corner…but all covered in a thin layer of dust. The home was abandoned. Perfect.

  She carefully shifted the boy’s weight from her back onto what looked like a relatively clean wooden table. Using the dagger, Lila cut open the boy’s tunic to give him a proper assessment.

  He was in a dire state.

  There were six dime-sized pods embedded in his torso, the skin around them inflamed and leaking yellowish pus. A network of greenish-black vines extended from each pod, burrowing deeper into him with every passing second. It was a severe infestation.

  Lila didn’t know what to do. If she tried extracting the vines it could damage the boy further… but if she did nothing the boy would most certainly die.

  Fuck, she should’ve just left him behind — all her actions did was prolong both their suffering.

  Agh.

  She needed to get more information.

  Lila placed two fingers on his wrist to assess pulse — rapid, irregular, and weak. She swiftly moved to his face and forced open an eye. Dilated pupils. Those things combined with the fever, infection, flushed skin, and shallow breaths…

  Could it be septic shock?

  Okay, that’s something. Emergency treatment for sepsis was…

  Lila smacked her own head in an attempt to jolt her brain.

  Fluids! He needs fluids to raise blood volume and pressure. Ripping off a large leaf from the wall, she rushed over to the flowing water in the corner of the room, using the leaf to capture as much of it as she could. When she returned to the boy she grabbed the back of his head with her hand to lift him. His eyes fluttered at the sudden movement — good, he was still somewhat conscious.

  “Drink if you want to live!” Lila hissed through her teeth as she tilted the leaf towards his mouth.

  The boy looked at her then, a wisp of clarity returning to his soft gray eyes as he slowly began to drink. Lila remained there, holding him, until he took in every last drop.

  “Good,” she whispered, gently setting down his head as she scanned the room for something to prop up his feet. That should also raise his blood press—

  Lila froze as a shadow crept across the entrance.

  “Identify yourself!”

  A deep voice boomed, startling Lila into snatching up the dagger she had set on the table.

  A tall, thin man stood in the doorway, long blonde hair falling past his shoulders, the cascade of gold interrupted only by the sharp points of his ears. He wore a similar tunic to the boy — cream-colored with floral embroidery — though the leather bracers, vest, and forest green cloak hinted at a difference in status.

  Lila stayed silent, reluctant to give any hint of her disorientation.

  The man studied her just as much as she studied him. When his blue eyes finally landed on the boy on the table, they shimmered, all signs of hostility melting away.

  “Aleydis!”