The night had passed quickly, giving way to dawn. The second day had come and gone, and a new one was just beginning. The morning chill crept into their bones, making them shiver down to their core.
Dylan hadn't slept a wink. He'd been keeping watch, pacing now and then to fight off the pull of sleep. But in the end, he held strong.
His striking grey eyes lifted to the sky, where darkness was being gently pushed back by the radiant light of day. He closed his eyes, letting the sunlight brush against his face.
Now that morning had broken — and like any man — knowing the sun wasn't the only thing rising, he looked for a spot to get a bit of... privacy.
"Nature calls, as they say."
When he came back, he saw his two companions curled up together, sharing warmth against the cold. He couldn't help but give them a long look.
"Lucky…"
As expected, Maggie was the first to stir. Her eyes opened, and she spotted Dylan sitting across from them, leaning against a tree, still watching them sleep.
He saw her get up and shake the sleepiest one awake. Even though she groaned in protest, half-asleep, she eventually came to.
Maggie stretched in front of him, her joints popping in a way Dylan would never have dared if he were injured like her. And yet, she did it — chaining together a series of ridiculous stretches, while he had to put up with the noises she made… which were questionable, to say the least.
"Well, that's what it's like traveling with women," he thought. Even if he hadn't quite admitted to himself that he kinda liked it.
Today marked over five days since they'd landed in this world. But for Dylan, it had only been two — he'd spent the first three unconscious. And right now, he was facing the moment he dreaded the most.
He was starting to feel... grounded. And his body, surprisingly, was adjusting fast to these new conditions. Now, he was feeling everything that adrenaline had kept at bay.
Earlier, he'd gotten solid confirmation that he was still a man. But now, he was being reminded that he was still a creature of flesh and blood.
He was starting to feel hungry.
It wasn't urgent — not yet. Just a tingling in his stomach, and that odd sensation of a slow-growing air pocket. Nothing unusual for someone who had spent most of his adult life on the front lines.
He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had a proper meal. For the past three years, military rations had been the only "feast" he'd known.
"Speaking of military rations…" he muttered as he rushed to his suitcase, digging with maybe a little too much hope through his clothes and the few belongings he'd managed to bring along.
But sadly, all he found was a bottle of water… and another, half-full.
The world seemed to freeze for a second. A dramatic silence fell as he lifted his confused — almost betrayed — gaze toward Maggie. She simply nodded… in the elf's direction.
The culprit sat calmly, perched like a queen on her makeshift throne. When she saw Dylan hunched over his suitcase like he'd just lost a treasure, she gave him a mischievous smile.
Without even pretending to feel guilty — and yes, it was a crime — she shrugged and said in an innocent tone that fooled no one:
"What? Why are you staring at me like that?"
Then, shamelessly, she added:
"There was food… and I was hungry."
Dylan just stood there, mouth ajar. A sigh escaped his lips as he let himself fall backward, lying flat on the cold ground.
"Great… not even a priority list like 'combatant first'… Nope, of course not."
He mumbled a few more words, but neither Maggie nor the elf really cared. The elf calmly took another bite of what looked like a dried root, while Maggie muffled a laugh into her sleeve.
At that moment, a loud and awkward noise erupted from Dylan's stomach. A deep, desperate growl, worthy of a slow volcanic eruption. Even Maggie flinched, her eyes widening slightly before a sly grin crept onto her face.
Dylan closed his eyes, head tilted skyward.
"This is really not the time…" he thought, regretting not locking up his suitcase in a booby-trapped cage.
An awkward silence settled over them — awkward for him, hilarious for the others — until Élisa suddenly jumped to her feet, ears twitching.
"Well, we're not just gonna starve to death, are we?"
She tapped the blade at her hip, full of confidence.
"Before we move on to phase two of the plan, we should hunt a bit. This forest isn't only full of beasts that could gobble us up in one bite, you know?"
And without waiting for a reply, she went on:
"There are also plants with super nutritious fruits, and medicinal ones humans would pay a fortune for. This forest is just as wonderful… as it is insane."
She brushed the dust off her behind.
"If I remember correctly, there's a tree with edible fruit not far from here. Wait for me."
And just like that, she dashed off into the trees, graceful like a breeze, vanishing in an instant.
Dylan raised a hand, tired.
"Thanks for the subtlety…"
Maggie, still crouched near the dead fire, shrugged and glanced sideways at him.
"I think she's pretty easy to live with."
Dylan grumbled, but didn't reply. Not right away, anyway.
Élisa had gone off to find food.
Dylan didn't like sitting around doing nothing. But he also knew moving too much might worsen things — he was hungry, and his body was starting to protest.
So he stood still, leaning against a tree, arms crossed, grumpy.
A little farther off, Maggie was redoing her bandages. The old ones were too worn out, soaked with dried blood. He'd stepped away to give her a bit of privacy.
"Well, it's what any self-respecting gentleman would do," he told himself, though he knew full well that with Maggie's attitude, not many men would dare see her as prey.
She'd always been the one who booked the gym just for herself. When she trained, it wasn't just sport — it was passion, almost trance-like. So seeing her now, weakened by injuries, needing support… That was new.
He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. They'd been open long enough. A quick micro-nap wouldn't hurt.
"Of course not," he thought immediately, sensing that treacherous curve where your mind slips between waking and sleep.
But right then, three gunshots rang out in the distance.
His eyes flew open. He immediately turned toward the direction Élisa had gone.
She was in danger.
He met Maggie's gaze. She was on high alert too, her senses sharpened.
"That's my pistol… I lent it to her so she could defend herself while I went to get you—"
But he didn't get to finish. Two more gunshots rang out — more urgent, more frantic.