The goblins lay lifeless at my feet, their crude weapons scattered across the bloodstained forest floor. After a quick search of their bodies, I stood, brushing my hands on my pants with a grimace.

  “Nothing,” I muttered, irritation flickering in my voice. No useful supplies, no tools worth keeping—just scraps of leather and brittle bones fashioned into weapons.

  And gods I made a mess

  Looking at the two bodies which I killed in the beginning was…damn like bad…their state was bad…even If they were enemies still it was senseless brutality.

  Need to get a grip…don’t wanna lose sight of myself there is already very little I know…remember of myself.

  With a sigh, I stepped back and surveyed the small clearing. Leaving the corpses here didn’t sit right with me. Goblins attracted trouble, and their rotting bodies would only invite scavengers—or worse.

  Reaching for Exira, I crouched near the bodies and them ablaze. The flames caught quickly, spreading across the pile of corpses with a satisfying crackle.

  The stench of burning flesh filled the air, acrid and heavy, but I didn’t flinch. I watched the flames until the last of the bodies had crumbled to ash, ensuring nothing was left behind that could lead others here.

  “Rest in ash, green fuckers…man, I don’t remember much I get the feeling I really hate their kind,” I muttered under my breath as I turned away, heading deeper into the forest.

  The day passed uneventfully as I moved further from the site of the fight. The forest here was dense but quiet, its calm broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or chirping of birds. It was almost easy to forget where I was—almost.

  Despite the peace, I stayed alert, my eyes scanning for tracks and my ears tuned to the sounds around me. The encounter with the goblins had been a reminder of how quickly things could turn, and I wasn’t about to let my guard down.

  But as the hours dragged on, there was nothing. No tracks, no signs of life, and no indication that I wasn’t completely alone.

  By the time the sun dipped low on the horizon, I decided it was time to set up camp.

  I found a small clearing near a cluster of trees that formed a natural windbreak, their thick trunks shielding the area from the evening breeze. After gathering wood, I lit a bonfire in the center, its warmth spreading across the clearing as the forest grew darker.

  Sitting cross-legged by the fire, I pulled out the food I’d collected earlier—a mix of tubers, berries, and dried meat. Skewering the tubers on a stick, I held them over the flames, watching as the skins darkened and the faint aroma of roasted starch filled the air.

  It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

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  As I ate, my thoughts drifted to the future.

  “So,” I muttered to myself, chewing on a piece of roasted tuber, “what’s the plan now, genius?”

  Slowing down had been the right decision, but that didn’t mean I had a clear path forward. The dungeon gate still loomed in my mind, its energy pulling at me even now, but I knew I wasn’t ready to face whatever waited inside.

  I needed more time. More strength.

  “Focus on the basics,” I said aloud, ticking off points on my fingers. “Rest and build my sanity. Build up slowly, step by step. No more rushing into shit.”

  “Maybe if I can find a cute little companion that would be awesome… really need a cuddle buddy”

  haaa

  The fire crackled softly as I leaned back against a fallen log, staring up at the night sky. The stars here were different—brighter, sharper—but they only reminded me of how far I was from home.

  “Get stronger,” I murmured, my voice barely audible over the flames. “And find a way back.”

  The words felt hollow, like a promise I wasn’t sure I could keep. But they were all I had.

  I had the means and the path to reach back home…I need a space based essence thats for damn sure.

  El was pretty clear there can be only 5 essence and I can somewhat tell now he was right…out of those 5 slots one I’ve used on gods knows what it is.

  But I wouldn’t have survived had I not absorbed this essence…that’s the problem I can’t be in a perilous situation, I can’t no I won’t be in a situation where I’m forced to absorb an essence.

  Okay need some healing based but space based is locked.

  After finishing my meal, I set up makeshift traps and alarms around the camp using twine and some scavenged bones from earlier. They weren’t much, but they’d give me a few precious seconds of warning if something—or someone—tried to sneak up on me in the night.

  Satisfied, I lay down near the fire, my swords within arm’s reach as I stared into the flickering flames.

  Let’s sleep for now Lexi…I probably have a long day ahead.

  Sleep came slowly, my mind restless despite the forest’s calm, clutching my heirloom useless as it was currently brought me comfort of home. The crackle of the fire was steady and soothing, but the weight of the day—and the unknowns of tomorrow—kept pulling at the edges of my thoughts.

  Eventually, exhaustion won out, and I drifted into a light, uneasy sleep.

  .

  .

  A faint but continuous sound jolted me awake.

  It was distant at first, a faint echo carried on the wind, but it grew louder with every passing second as I came into focus. Chanting—harsh and guttural, like a chorus of rasping voices rising and falling in a discordant rhythm.

  And then came the screams.

  Sharp, high-pitched wails that cut through the forest like a blade, twisting my stomach into knots.

  I sat up, my hand immediately going to the hilt of my sword as I scanned the darkness around me. The fire had burned low, its embers casting faint, flickering light across the clearing.

  “What the hell…” I muttered, my voice low as I crouched near the fire, every muscle in my body tensed.

  “Fuck,” I hissed, crouching low as my heart hammered in my chest. My eyes darted to the source of the noise, but the darkness stretched endlessly beyond the clearing’s edge.

  “What the hell is going on?” I muttered, gripping my sword tighter as I scanned the darkness. Splashing water on my face as I forced myself awake…whatever was happening it was big and I needed to be prepared.

  The sounds were coming from deeper in the forest, their volume rising and falling in waves. Whoever—or whatever—was making them wasn’t trying to be quiet.

  HOUSE OF END DISCORD

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