Chapter 7: The First Expedition

Dawn on the Island

Lena woke before the sun.

The hut was dim, the air thick with ocean moisture. Outside, the sky was still dark, the stars fading as the first hints of light bled into the horizon.

Her muscles ached—a dull, familiar soreness. She stretched, rolling her shoulders, shaking off the remnants of exhaustion. She had slept lightly, as always. Never fully. Never deeply.

Across the hut, Riven was already awake.

Not stretching. Not shifting. Just watching.

(Does he even sleep?)

Lena ignored the thought and picked up her knife. "We need food. Water. Weapons."

Riven inclined his head slightly. "Then let's move."

---

The Island is Bigger Than It Looks

By the time they stepped outside, the sky had lightened to a dull gray. The wind carried the scent of salt and damp earth.

The island had seemed small at first—five acres of overgrown trees, jagged rocks, and damp soil. But now that Lena was moving through it, she realized how much the thick vegetation concealed.

There were paths here. Not natural ones.

The undergrowth had been disturbed in places, flattened in others. The trees bore faint scratches—not from animals, but from something with claws large enough to reach high above her head.

And then, the footprints.

Lena crouched, brushing her fingers over the damp soil. The prints were deep, humanoid—but too large.

(Not mine. Not Riven's.)

Something—or someone—had been here before them.

She glanced up. Riven was watching the tracks too, expression unreadable.

"You've seen these before," she said. It wasn't a question.

A slight pause. "Yes."

She stood, gripping her knife tighter. "And?"

Another pause. Then—"They don't belong to anything you want to meet."

(Unhelpful. Again.)

But she stored the information away. She'd find out eventually.

For now, she kept moving.

---

The System Expands

An hour into their search, Lena's vision glitched.

For a split second, everything shifted—a flash of blue light, lines of text flickering in the corner of her sight.

Then—

---

[New Function Unlocked: Survival Stats]

Name: Lena

Strength: 7

Agility: 9

Endurance: 6

Perception: 10

Abilities: [Locked]

---

Lena froze.

The screen had appeared out of nowhere—faint, almost transparent, hovering just at the edge of her vision.

She blinked. It didn't disappear.

(A system menu? Why now?)

Riven noticed her hesitation. "What?"

Lena didn't respond immediately. She was too busy scanning the screen, testing if it would respond to her thoughts.

(Expand Abilities.)

Nothing.

(Still locked. Damn.)

She exhaled through her nose. Fine. She'd figure it out later.

She dismissed the menu and kept walking. Riven didn't press, but his gaze lingered for a second too long.

(He knows. Or at least, he suspects something.)

---

Finding Food & Water

Lena kept moving.

The trees thickened the deeper they went, twisting into unnatural shapes. The ground grew damp, almost swamp-like in places.

Then, finally—she saw movement.

A creature.

Small, rabbit-sized, covered in sleek dark fur. Too many eyes.

Lena didn't hesitate. She moved fast, knife flashing—a clean, practiced kill.

Riven watched, unimpressed. "Efficient."

Lena wiped the blade clean on her sleeve. "I don't waste energy."

The creature's body twitched once before going still.

Then—a notification.

---

[New Resource Acquired: Unknown Beast Meat]

---

Lena frowned.

(The system is tracking everything. Even this.)

She exhaled. She could deal with that later. Right now, she needed a fire.

But before that—water.

---

The Well

They found it at the center of the island.

It wasn't natural. The stones were old, covered in moss, but still intact—too precise, too structured to be made by chance.

Lena stepped closer. The water inside was still. Too still.

A soft pulse rippled through the air. Faint. Barely noticeable.

Lena's breath slowed. (Not normal. Not natural.)

She looked at Riven. "This was built."

He nodded. "A long time ago."

Her jaw tightened. "By who?"

This time, he didn't answer.

(That tells me everything I need to know.)

---

Something Lurks

The wind shifted.

Lena felt it before she heard it—a presence.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The air around the well felt… different. Charged.

Then—a whisper.

Faint. Unintelligible.

She turned sharply. "Did you hear that?"

Riven didn't react at first. Then, after a long pause, he said, "We should go."

Lena narrowed her eyes. (He heard it too.)

But he wasn't questioning it.

Which meant he already knew something.

Lena didn't push—not yet. Instead, she crouched near the well, touching the stone. It was cold. Too cold.

And beneath the moss—markings.

Carved symbols.

Not English. Not anything she recognized.

But Riven…

He looked at them like he did.

Lena exhaled through her nose. (I'll ask later.)

For now, she stood. "We have what we need."

Riven nodded once, and they turned away from the well.

But as they left, Lena felt it again.

The whisper.

Closer this time.

And watching.

---

End of Chapter 7