The Weight Of Survival

"Survival isn't about strength or intelligence—it's about adaptability."

Ethan walked alongside Lucian, his mind still struggling to process everything. 

As Ethan calmed down, he finally began thinking normally again. 

"How am I even alive?" Ethan said to himself. 

Lucian glanced at him. "The system restores your body once you clear a stage, but if you die, you stay dead." 

"Will I be able to find my brother?" Ethan asked, turning to Lucian. 

"Like I said, if he survived, yes," Lucian replied. "The system keeps things balanced. There are always seven parties, and each one needs five members. If he made it, he's somewhere in one of the lobbies." 

"Can't we go check the other lobbies?" Ethan asked, raising his voice. 

"Don't get excited. We can't. Other parties are hostile toward us," Lucian said, looking a little sad. 

"Wait, why? Are we evil or something?" Ethan asked, worried. 

Lucian let out a short laugh, trying to sound like it didn't bother him. "No. In Stage 1, every other party got wrecked—most of them only had one or two survivors left. But we made it through with four." He shrugged. "So now, they've all teamed up against us." 

He kept smiling, but deep down, Ethan knew this was hurting him. 

They stepped outside, and a cool breeze brushed against Ethan's skin. The sky was a deep purple, and the sun was shining brightly. In the distance, he saw a huge wooden door glowing with letters. 

Twelve hours remained until Stage 2 began. 

"That's the lodging," Lucian explained. "It's safe inside, and it's where we prepare for the next stage. You'll get your gear there." 

Before Ethan could respond, a voice echoed from behind them. 

"Lucian, you're back," a deep voice called out. 

Ethan turned and saw a muscular man with dark skin and a large axe strapped to his back. He had a confident air about him, his eyes scanning Ethan from head to toe. 

"New guy?" the man asked. 

"Yeah," Lucian confirmed. 

The man nodded. "Name's Marcus. Hope you're not dead weight." 

"I survived being eaten alive. I think I'll manage," Ethan said nervously. 

Marcus raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Good. You'll need that attitude." 

Lucian stepped in. "Let's not scare him too much, Marcus. He's still adjusting." 

Marcus shrugged. "Just making sure he knows what he's in for." 

"Come inside. Meet the rest of the group. You'll need to know all of us to coordinate," Lucian said, taking Ethan inside. 

Ethan followed. *No more hesitation. No more second-guessing. I have to adapt.* 

From the inside, the lodging looked like a cozy house. There was a couch lying in the middle, stairs leading to the second floor, and even a fireplace. 

*Wow, this place looks so much better than our house,* Ethan thought, gasping. 

Lucian looked around, cleared his throat, and shouted, "Everyone, we finally have a full party!" 

Finally, three people came down from the second floor and took their seats on the couch. 

"Lucian, this is everyone you'll be working with. We'll be doing our best to protect you, and we expect you to do the same," Lucian said, pointing at the others. 

"So, you've already met Marcus. And Annie. The lady in red is Ashley." 

Marcus and Annie raised their hands as they were introduced. 

"Hi, I'm Ashley. Glad to have a pretty boy in the team," Ashley said, annoyed. 

*I fucking hate bitches like that,* Ethan thought, looking angrily at Ashley. 

"Who are you glaring at? You wanna fight?!" Ashley screamed as she got up. 

"Ashley, sit down. We are a party, not a fight club," Lucian said, his voice a little more aggressive than usual. 

*Holy— I didn't think Lucian could sound scary. Guess I judged him too early,* Ethan thought, startled. 

Ashley looked at Lucian's face, then quietly took her seat. 

"Okay, Ethan, introduce yourself," Lucian said, lightly slapping his back before taking a seat with the others. 

"Well, my name is Ethan. I am totally clueless about what's happening here or how I got here, but I really want to get out of this place—" 

As Ethan was speaking, he was interrupted. 

"This is not a job interview. Tell us what you are trained in or what skills you have," Marcus said. 

"Well, I don't understand what you want me to say," Ethan said, confused. 

"Martial arts that you are trained in, like Muay Thai, or any weapon training you have—knives, swords, anything," Marcus said, looking irritated. 

"Well, I'm just 17. You expect me—" Ethan continued. 

Marcus got up, irritated, looking at Lucian. "No way this guy is fit for our party. He's just a kid who doesn't know anything." 

Lucian sat there quietly, thinking about the situation. 

"Are you kidding me, Lucian? He's gonna be another dead weight. He'll just die as soon as Stage 2 starts. I don't want to get close to people like that," Marcus said, quickly leaving and climbing up the stairs. 

"I agree with Marcus, Lucian. I don't think a sheltered kid is fit for our party. We'll just hope that when he dies, we get a good one," Ashley said, quickly following behind Marcus. 

"Lucian..." Annie said as she saw Lucian looking a little sad. She patted him and whispered, "I know you can do this. You always make miracles come true." Then she left like the others. 

Ethan just stood there frozen, looking at Lucian, waiting for him to say something. 

Their eyes met. Lucian sighed, his expression a mix of frustration and sympathy. "It's alright, kid. Don't worry. Just don't die in Stage 2, and they'll come around." 

"I don't understand why they're getting angry at me. I didn't ask to be here!" Ethan said, clenching his fists and shouting in anger. 

"Neither did they. But they adapted, survived together, and got close. And, well… you can do the same," Lucian said, his eyes softening. 

"Well, how will I fight? I'm not like you or anyone else here! I just want to find my brother and get outta this place," Ethan said, tearing up. 

Lucian got up and rubbed Ethan's back. "You're right. You're not us. You're better than us." 

Ethan looked at Lucian and hugged him. *I don't even know him, but there's something about him… he just shines even brighter than the sun.* 

Lucian hugged him back and kept rubbing his back. "It's alright. When I came, I was scared—screaming, shouting, and crying. But when we first met, you were at least more confident than me. That's why I know you'll make it through." 

"Why are you being so kind? You know nothing about me," Ethan said, pulling away and wiping his tears. 

"Kindness isn't about knowing everything about someone; it's about recognizing their struggle and being there for them. We've all experienced hell in this place. You're not alone, Ethan," Lucian said, smiling. 

Ethan took a deep breath and finally straightened himself. *That was embarrassing, but… it was nice too,* he thought, smiling back at him. 

"Okay, now Ethan, tell me how you survived Stage 0. Maybe that'll help me figure out how you can survive the next one too," Lucian said, looking up, acting serious so Ethan wouldn't get embarrassed. 

Ethan rubbed the back of his head for a while and said, "Well, I don't really know. I just kept running, and then I tried fighting them… and they chopped me up." 

"Well, not what I was expecting, but let's look at the positive side. You outran goblins. That's no easy feat. So we know you're quick on your feet," Lucian said loudly, trying to act impressed. 

"I know I'm a liability right now. Everyone thinks that. But I'm sure I can make it through. There's one thing I know I'm good at—adapting," Ethan said, looking Lucian in the eyes. 

Lucian smirked. "That's exactly why you're better than us, Ethan. You are adaptability. Believe in that." 

Lucian grabbed his hand and took him outside. 

"I'll see how well you are physically, and then together, we'll come up with a strategy." 

Ethan's eyes widened with admiration. *This guy…*