Gaia's voice was calm, but the weight of her words carried a chilling finality. "I am the chosen one of Osborne, god of death."
She let that statement hang in the air for a moment, letting the importance settle.
The god of death.
Gaia hovered down, and when her platform reached step height, she stepped down and stood on the same ground as they did.
Fang didn't flinch as Gaia approached.
His eyes didn't waver either.
"I know who your patron is," Fang said calmly.
That name seemed to pulse in the air, like a drumbeat only the forest could hear. Gaia's eyes narrowed slightly, not in hostility but in sharpened interest.
"I heard him Briefly," Fang ran a hand through his hair,
"I met him on the old battlefield west of here.
I meditated there, and then, he came to me."
That earned a reaction. Gaia tilted her head slightly, the curiosity no longer hidden. Her aura intensified as her mana flared even louder.
"I find it quite hard to believe," she said, her voice quieter now.
"How have you managed to anger a god so quickly?"
"I didn't do anything to provoke him. He spoke to me..."
He paused. "And I just listened."
Gaia's mind drifted in silence for a few beats longer.
Then the darkness around her shifted.
Her posture remained queenly, but the weight of it slightly eased.
"You're not lying," she said softly, more to herself than to him. "He chose to speak to you? What did he want from you?"
"I don't know what it means yet, but he showed me horrors beyond comprehension," Fang replied. "But I know I walked away changed."
Gaia's gaze drifted toward the treeline where the rabbits had disappeared, then back to Fang. "You're using his magic," she said.
Fang gave a single nod.
Then her expression changed.
A flicker of amusement, sharp and cold.
"Well then," she said, folding her arms. "I suppose you're not a trespasser after all.
Not in the eyes of Osborne."
Isgram kept his gaze locked on her, and Fang raised a hand to signal him to release his spell.
Gaia locked eyes with Isgram, looking at him pridefully from above.
With a frustrated and strained exhale, the fire fist was dispelled.
Gaia smiled, and her gaze was now aimed at Fang again.
"Now, you're still in my forest. And power or not, I don't share territory lightly."
Fang didn't blink. "Then tell me your terms."
Gaia's smile widened more. This time, the edge in her smile didn't feel like a threat.
"Let's walk," she said. "We both lost our lives once.
I am sure you understand the importance of staying alive this time."
Isgram, who had remained silent since Gaia's claim, snorted and stepped forward, his boot crunching against the dirt.
Gaia turned, her expression unreadable.
Isgram met her gaze head on.
She turned back to Fang, the smallest trace of amusement tugging at her lips. "You surround yourself with interesting allies."
Fang shrugged. "We find each other."
"Let's walk then," Gaia repeated, this time straightening her gaze at Isgram, "All of us."
And with that, she turned and started walking.
Fang followed. Isgram fell in beside him, hand still warm with leftover flame. The shadow rabbits slunk into the underbrush, never far behind.
But three figures walked the path in silence: a dwarf with smoke on his sleeves, a pale young man with dim threads of mana trailing behind him, and a woman with devil horns.
Gaia drifted beside them, her presence neither hostile nor welcoming.
"You're calm for someone who's met a demon." she said, tone teasing but curious. "Most just scream or beg."
Fang didn't break stride. His gaze swept forward, scanning through the underbrush.
"Compared to what I've seen? You're almost relaxing."
A rare smile curled Gaia's lips. "You've seen Osborne, so I am not surprised."
She stopped and turned to him. "And what did you learn from death itself?"
"That no one is coming to save us." Said Isgram with a grunt.
He crossed his arms, the scent of ash still clinging to his beard.
Fang stepped slightly ahead, just enough to meet Gaia's eyes.
"That's right. That's why we plan on something bigger than us."
Gaia raised a brow and inquired with a suspicious tone:
"And what is it you desire with such fervor?"
"I'm building something here. A safe haven"
Gaia tilted her head, waiting for him to elaborate yet she never expected the next sentence.
"For chosen ones."
The wind held still. Not a single leaf moved.
Fang spoke again, voice calm but unyielding.
"We're hunted. Feared. The kingdoms treat chosen ones like armageddon prophecies. Screw that. I'm not a tool. I'm not a prophecy."
Isgram took a step forward, the fire in his veins still simmering under his skin.
"And I'm not an empire dwarf anymore. They made that clear when they burned my name out of their books. My only identity is being a chosen one. And so is yours."
Fang turned back to Gaia.
"This forest is unclaimed for all I know. I want it to be a sanctuary. For people like us. No thrones needed, no chains blocking our desires.
Just the space to live however we want."
Isgram's eyes flared with embers.
"Think of it this way: we've already been exiled by every place that ever mattered.
Might as well build one that does matter."
Gaia said nothing, but her lips trembled.
'Why do I feel so... alone?' Gaia's mind was feeling cloudy.
But confusion was soon replaced with rage.
The earth beneath her shuddered, and Stones cracked in half.
A large amount of mana coursed through the earth itself, alerting both Fang and Isgram.
Before Isgram could rile his mana, he heard her.
"You think this place is safe?" she snapped. Her voice didn't rise, but it hit harder than any scream. "You think your dream will stop the chains when they come dragging behind royal boots and temple banners?"
Her fists clenched. Iron dust sparked across her knuckles. Roots twisted out of the dirt, writhing like serpents before slamming back into the earth. Even the trees leaned away from her.
Fang stood still. Silent.
"They'll burn this forest to ash and salt it afterward just to make sure we never rise. They always do. This is the second hideout I've found this month!
The First, they burnt till nothing remained. Erased."
Her voice cracked. Just enough to show the truth behind the steel. "And when they find this one... You think you'll protect us all?"
Silence.
Then Isgram stepped forward.
"Not anger," he said flatly. "Fear."
Gaia turned to him, eyes flaring. "What?"
"You're scared," Isgram said, voice hard as hammered iron. "You've been alone so long, you forgot what hope sounds like. So now you attack it."
His tone sharpened. "But it's fear."
The metal around Gaia twitched—but didn't strike.
"I know fear when I see it," Isgram went on. "I've lived it. You're not lashing out because you don't believe in the dream. You're lashing out because you do. And you're terrified to lose it."
He stepped closer. His flame didn't rise—but his words burned hotter than any fire.
"We all are."
Gaia didn't respond. The metal spires slowly sank. The tremors softened, but didn't disappear.
Fang exhaled, steady.
"Then stay," he said. "Help us make it real."
Gaia's mouth opened, voice quieter now. "But it's too dangerous. If they hear we've grouped up, they'll—"
Isgram raised his hand. And with his other, he gently placed it on her shoulder.
Gaia froze. She didn't flinch—but something in her eyes shifted. The fury faded. What was left looked like a scared girl.
Isgram smiled—not wide, not cocky. Just real.
"I'd rather die trying," he said. "We got a second chance at life. Let's make it count."
The wind moved through the clearing again.
And this time, Gaia didn't fight it.