Chapter 25 - This Might Change Everything

Ren awoke to the sound of metal turning.

Soft. Steady.

It wasn't a dream.

Morning light poured into the tent, gentle and golden. He blinked slowly, each breath weighed down by an exhaustion that even sleep hadn't eased.

He turned his head slowly. Outside… the people. They were still working.

The relic drill turned, faint wisps of steam rising from its side.

A young man steadied the controls, hands firm. Another sat nearby, eyes half-closed, waiting for the moment the device would pause.

A woman slept on the ground, using a bundle of cloth as a pillow, her arms still smudged with dust.

Others had formed a quiet rotation. Coordinated. Calm. No one barked orders. They simply watched the relic. Felt its rhythm. Waited. Acted.

Ren pushed himself up on his elbows, heart tightening at the sight.

They hadn't stopped.

Even after he collapsed, they had kept going.

Not because anyone told them to.

But because they believed.

Tobren stepped into the tent, a wooden bowl in hand.

"You're awake," he said softly. "Don't try to stand just yet. You were out cold."

Ren sat up straighter, groaning at the pull in his back.

"How long?"

"Almost a full day." Tobren placed the bowl beside him, thick porridge with a bit of broth. "They've been working in shifts. Feeding each other. Sleeping in turns. It's... something to witness."

Ren glanced outside again. A young girl he barely knew carried a bucket of clean water across the path, a tired but unmistakable smile on her face.

"How did they…?"

"You gave them a reason," Tobren said simply. "Some of them have been waiting their whole lives for one."

Ren looked down.

He didn't speak.

He didn't need to.

Outside, the village was still rough. Half-ruined. But something had changed.

A rhythm had taken root. Not just in the relic, but in the people.

A will to move forward.

Together.

And that... that was more powerful than any magic.

Let them be, Ren thought. Those who work without being told... let them be. One day, they'll tell their children: I was there. I helped build it. I dug it with my own hands.

That kind of story mattered.

A story that would become a myth.

***

The sun climbed lazily over the horizon, casting a soft gold across the camp. For the first time in weeks, the air felt… calm.

The villagers gathered around makeshift tables and cooking pits, sharing breakfast. Laughter flickered between bites. Tired faces, but lighter.

They were eating not just from hunger, but because something inside had shifted.

There wasn't much to do today. Not immediately.

The relic drill could only be used by one person at a time, and the villagers had already worked out a smooth rotation.

Enough volunteers waited patiently for their turn. No pushing. No shouting. It simply worked.

Ren stood at the edge of the gathering, a warm mug in hand, watching.

Then he raised his voice just enough to carry.

"All right. The water's flowing. Now we move with it."

Heads turned.

"For those not on drill duty today, your task is wood. As much as we can get. We're starting the next phase, public baths and proper homes."

A murmur spread.

"Start with the trees by the east ridge. Nothing too close to the streambed," Ren added. "We'll need logs for walls, beams, firewood for boiling water. I want at least one proper wash station built by the end of the week. Two if possible."

Someone raised a hand.

"What about roofs?"

"Leave the bark intact when you chop," Ren said. "We'll use it for thatch layering. If not, we'll figure out clay tiles later. Tobren will organize cutting lines and crew rotations. No one burns out."

There was a pause.

Then someone clapped.

A few more joined in.

A ripple of energy moved through the crowd.

They weren't just surviving anymore.

They're building.

Building things they never dared dream of.

Ren turned to Tobren.

"We build it one by one, starting with the elders."

Tobren gave a firm nod, already grasping the intent.

"Understood."

And with that, he moved off to organize the work.

Just then, Caden approached, calm as always.

"Ren. It's almost a week. Our time's up, tonight is the last night we're here."

Ren nodded.

"Yeah. I know." He look for tobren, "Wait here. I need a word with Tobren before we settle this."

Before leaving, Ren paused near the drill site, where clear water had begun to collect in wooden buckets and shallow trenches. A few villagers stood nearby, unsure of what to do next.

Ren turned to them.

"This changes everything," he said. "But only if we take care of it."

He walked to the edge of the well, where the relic still pulsed faintly.

"If this collapses, we lose our only stable source. First priority, stabilize the structure. Stone and timber reinforcement. Tobren will lead it."

Tobren gave a nod from nearby.

"Next, we need a basin. Wide. Deep. Close enough to catch overflow. Dig a channel from here to there. That'll be our reserve."

"What about storing it?" asked one of the elders.

"Use barrels, crates, whatever holds water. Clean them first. Cover them. If we run short, hollow logs. And build up stone walls around the basin to prevent runoff."

He surveyed the worksite, sharp-eyed, quiet.

"We'll need fire pits near the baths. Boil the water before drinking. No exceptions. We'll look into better filtration later, but for now, treat it like gold."

A small boy crept too close to the well. Ren gently pulled him back.

"We'll fence this off. No kids. No animals. Only assigned workers."

The villagers fell silent.

They understood.

This wasn't just water.

This was life.

Hope.

Tobren turned to the crowd, "You heard him. Half of you head east for lumber. The rest, with me. Let's move!"

As the crowd dispersed into organized motion, Ren lingered, watching the slow, steady drip of water into the earth.

They have a heartbeat now.

Time to build the body around it.

A short while later, Ren jogged over to Tobren, then slowed his step.

"Tobren," he called. "A moment."

Tobren turned, still issuing instructions to younger workers.

Ren lowered his voice, "The guild's contract actually ended the day they arrived. I only extended it by a week. That week's up. I can't hold them here any longer. We need to move, faster."

Tobren frowned. "Move faster… how?"

"I need two people who can drive wagons. Find them. Have them ready by midday."

Tobren raised an eyebrow. "And then?"

"I'm going back to Ironpeak."

Tobren blinked. "Already? You just came back—"

"I know," Ren said. "But listen. We need more than what we can gather here. Seeds, nails, tools, rope, food, cloth. Everything."

He hesitated, then tapped the map at his side.

"And the map... it might react again. That abandoned mine, it could be something important. Something buried. If it does it again… we might find something that changes everything."

Tobren didn't reply right away.

"I have to go on foot," Ren continued. "Same route. Same path. I think the map responds to presence… to purpose. Not shortcuts."

"And the village?" Tobren asked quietly.

"That's why I'm telling you now. You'll lead while I'm gone. Prioritize the one who sick and elders. Bathrooms first, then real homes. Stick to the rotation schedule. Keep the relic running. You know where the water is, we marked the places together, remember?"

Tobren gave a slow, thoughtful nod.

"I'll speak with Caden and the others," Ren said. "Give them a proper farewell. Fair pay. I'll take only what I must. But if the map shows something again… I have to follow it."

Tobren didn't argue.

He simply said,

"Then let's get it done."