The shelter was barely standing by the time the sun began to dip behind the blackened remnants of Veirdale, casting long, twisted shadows across the ruined village. The four walls made from drel bark were flimsy, and the partial roof didn't offer much protection from the elements. But it was enough to block the harsh wind and create the illusion of safety—a fragile refuge in a place that had forgotten the meaning of the word.
Kail sat near the firepit, the orange glow from the embers lighting his face in flickering warmth. His back ached, his palms blistered, and his arms felt like overcooked noodles. Each movement felt like dragging a boulder uphill. Yet, as the fire crackled and began to catch, something stirred deep inside him—hope, like a spark kindling in a cold, dark room.
Objective Complete:Shelter Constructed (Stability 41%)+5 KP EarnedCurrent KP: 5New Unlocks Available:
Basic Farming Techniques (10 KP)
Stone Masonry I (15 KP)
Tool Crafting (10 KP)
Scavenging Efficiency (5 KP)
Kail stared at the glowing menu in the air, his thoughts whirling as he considered his options.
"Farming can wait. I've got dried roots, and Rin's got a knack for scrounging. But if I'm going to make this place last, I'll need stone."
His mind made the decision before his fingers could. He tapped the Stone Masonry option, and the rest of the world fell away as a surge of knowledge hit him all at once.
Unlock Selected:Stone Masonry IKP Remaining: 0Downloading…
The knowledge rushed into him like a tidal wave—diagrams of mudstone layers, the architecture of stability, the physics of stacked walls. He saw the uses of sap as binding mortar, how to reinforce stone with broken roof tiles, how ancient civilizations had built their homes to withstand time. The memories from Earth twisted, reshaped to fit this new world, and the skills flowed into him seamlessly.
It was like remembering something he had forgotten, only this time, the lessons were useful. He saw his father in his mind's eye, working with him to reinforce the old goat pen back home. The scent of fresh-cut wood, the feel of a sturdy stone in his hands—it all rushed back.
Useful.
Kail leaned back, letting the fire warm his face. His gaze shifted to the treeline, where shadows gathered in the fading light. He thought he heard something—an almost imperceptible rustle of leaves. Then, she appeared.
Rin.
She stood half-hidden among the trees, arms crossed over her chest, her eyes locked onto the shelter.
"Looks worse than a corpse's shroud," she said flatly, her tone carrying a kind of biting honesty.
Kail grinned despite himself, the familiar sting of criticism almost comforting. "Yeah, well, it'll keep out the wind and maybe half the rain."
Rin stepped closer, her movements cautious, hesitant—like a wolf testing the waters before moving in.
"You're not afraid?" she asked, her voice low, almost challenging.
"Of what?" Kail asked, still poking at the fire with a stick.
"This land," she said, her voice softening. "The ghosts. The death."
Kail glanced at the flame, watching the orange light dance and flicker. "I'm used to death. What I'm not used to… is wasting second chances."
Rin was silent for a long while, her gaze distant, as if lost in thought. Finally, she dropped a bundle of what looked like dried fruit and half-charred mushrooms next to him, along with something else—something dead. A small, lizard-like creature, its skin still slightly scorched.
"Not poisoned," she said, almost matter-of-factly. "I ate the tail."
"Wow. Trust," Kail replied, quirking an eyebrow.
She gave him a sharp, calculating look. "Half-trust. Don't make me regret it."
Kail chuckled softly, though his eyes never left the bundle. He pulled apart a dried fruit, the leathery skin cracking in his fingers. As they ate in silence, Kail's mind wandered, drifting to places he didn't want to go.
He remembered his last day on Earth—not just the tunnel collapse, but the feeling. The creeping dread that no matter how smart he was, or how hard he worked, someone above him could always cut corners and screw everything up. And he couldn't stop it. No one could.
But here? Here, there were no corporate execs. No project managers fudging the budget. Just dirt, fire, and his two hands.
Maybe that was the most terrifying part of all.
Maybe that was what made it his.
"Hey," Kail said, breaking the silence. He glanced up at Rin, who had been staring into the fire, her expression unreadable. "You said you 'follow the dying.' Ever think of following the rebuilding?"
Rin frowned, shifting her weight. "What do you mean?"
Kail met her gaze, the firelight dancing in his eyes. "I could use someone who knows these woods. Someone who knows how to survive. You help me build this place into something better… and I make sure there's food, safety... even a future."
Rin's expression was unreadable, but Kail noticed her eyes flicker toward the shelter behind him. She didn't answer immediately, and for a moment, the silence stretched between them like an abyss. But she didn't walk away, either. That was a good sign, right?
Relationship Path:Rin – Trust Increased (7/100)Status: Tentative Ally
Later that night, Kail lay under the uneven roof, staring up through a hole in the wood at the stars above. They were different here—more clustered, tinted with violet—and yet they were beautiful in a raw, untamed way. Like everything else in this world.
"I'll do it right this time," Kail whispered to the dark sky above him. "Not for power. Not for revenge. For them."
For his parents. For their laughter, their hands guiding him through the hardest winters. For their screams—
He shut his eyes tight, pushing the thoughts away. The future needed him to move forward, not be trapped in what he'd lost.
Tomorrow, he'd start digging stone. Maybe he'd reinforce the well. Maybe even plant something.
One brick at a time.
End of Chapter 3