They sat quietly for a mont under the tree, the wind carrying the sound of distant traffic and rustling leaves that started to be active.
The world still looked normal right now, peaceful even but it was a lie. Because both of them know it.
"You really think the apocalypse is coming?" Mina asked after a long silence, voice tight with worry.
Clyde nodded. "Yeah. I saw it."
She turned to him, eyes sharp. "What do you an?"
He hesitated just a beat, then shrugged, playing casual. "It was a dream. One of those dream that feels like real ones, you know? I saw fire falling from the sky. Cities cracking open. People turning into monsters. It felt real."
He hated lying but there was no way he could tell her the truth about his other life, about the Selection Stages he had experienced, about the World Masters and the higher beings watching from above.
Mina swallowed hard. "So it really is coming..."
Clyde didn’t say anything. What could he say? She still had parents. People to protect, people to lose.
Jack hadn’t had that. Neither did Clyde. And in a way, that made surviving easier. No one to carry. No one to worry about. No one who could die screaming in your arms.
He glanced at Mina who looked down at her hands that trembling just a little.
Having soone to care about... that was a weight, a risk. A vulnerability. But he didn’t say that aloud. He just watched her silently.
Then her voice ca again, quieter this ti. "What should I do, Clyde? I don’t want to die. I want to be strong and protect my parents."
He turned his head and t her gaze. "Keep training. Get your body stronger. But that’s not enough."
He reached into his pocket and pulled the Silvercoil Spear tube halfway out again, holding it in the light.
"You need sothing like this. Artifacts, weapons. I’m certain that there are more out there that still hidden and waiting."
Mina leaned in, eyes fixed on it. "How do I find one of those?"
Clyde hesitated. In truth, he had no idea.
"This never happened in my last life. I never found this thing before. That event at that morning when I found this was a complete accident." he thought.
He wasn’t even sure how he had sensed it. Is it his magic power? A leftover instinct? Dumb luck?
"I’m not sure," he admitted. "I just... found this by chance. But if there’s one, there has to be more."
Mina looked discouraged, her shoulders sagging. "So we just wait and hope?"
Clyde shook his head. "No. We need to start searching. We need to find more of them. One weak artifact won’t cut it in the end. I need better gear. You do too."
He paused, rembering the glorious weight of his old Elderglass Sword. That incredible haul from the first Package in his past life from the system. His powerful weapons and useful items were all gone now.
"Now I have to find them on my own piece by piece."
"We need to be ready before the real chaos starts," he said firmly. "So we’ll look for artifacts and hidden things. Anything that gives us a head start."
Mina looked at him. "Where?"
Clyde scanned the park, then turned slowly to look at the tree-covered mountains beyond the city edge, cloaked in green and morning mist.
"Places like that," he said, pointing. "The wilderness. Forests or caves. Remote ruins. The one I found was in a bush with no obvious signs. Just hidden there."
Mina frowned. "You think there’s more out there?"
"I do," he said. "I can’t really prove it, but I feel it. Like a pull. I might be able to sense them if I’m close enough."
Mina looked at him, surprised. "Then we should go. As soon as we can."
Clyde smirked faintly. "Yeah. But not right now."
"Why not?"
"School," he said dryly. "If we suddenly disappear, your parents and everyone else will get suspicious. That’ll be a pain in the ass."
Mina groaned. "You’re right... They already worry about . And if I say anything about monsters or the apocalypse..."
"They’ll think you’re crazy," Clyde finished. "Or worse, they’ll lock you down. Ban you from eting with and think I’m so bad influence corrupting their sweet daughter."
Mina gave him a wry smile. "You kind of are."
He smiled faintly but didn’t deny it.
"Let them think what they want. Just play normal for now. Go to school. Smile. Listen in class. But we keep our eyes open. The world’s cracking underneath and we’re maybe the only ones who know it for now."
Mina nodded slowly. Her hands still trembled, but there was a new light in her eyes now, not just fear, but resolve.
They eventually stood from under the tree, brushing off leaves and dirt. The mont of stillness had passed. The weight of what they knew about what was coming hung between them like a quiet vow.
The walk ho was mostly silent.
Clyde headed straight to his room and began preparing for school. He changed clothes, slipped the Silvercoil Spear tube into the hidden side of his bag, then sat on the edge of his bed for a mont, eyes distant.
His mind was already planning the next move. Where to search next. What signs to look for. How to stay unnoticed by the World Master.
The ti to go to school ca quickly.
He and Mina boarded the sa bus, taking their usual seats near the back. The city rolled by outside the window. Bright and noisy like usual and also unaware. Just another school day for everyone else.
They reached school, passed through the gates and filed into the building with the crowd.
Clyde went straight to his class, blending in as background character like usual. Mina wasn’t so lucky.
Her friends sward around her the mont she entered the classroom.
"Hey, hey, Mina. What’s going on with you and Jack now?"
"I saw you two talking after school yesterday. You walked ho together."
"Are you two a thing now?"
Mina sat down slowly, her eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. "No. We’re not a thing."
"But you two weren’t even speaking before. What changed?"
"We just... made up. That’s all," she said flatly.
One of them leaned closer with a smirk. "So you like him now?"
Mina gave a long, tired sigh. "I’m seriously not in the mood for this today."
That shut them up for a mont. The teasing faded. They exchanged glances and backed off, sensing sothing heavier under her tone.
Mina stared ahead at her desk, her fingers tense on the wood.
Don’t panic. Stay calm. You know what you have to do." she told herself.
This wasn’t about crushes or rumors she used to hear or experienced before. The world was shifting beneath their feet and she didn’t have ti for pointless gas.
She had to prepare her mind, body, and heart.
—
When they finally got ho that afternoon, there was no ti wasted.
They barely spoke, both moving with silent urgency. In their ho they grab what they need, changing into sothing lighter and tougher.
The mountains weren’t too far, just beyond the edge of the suburban sprawl, but they couldn’t go in unprepared.
Clyde wore a grey windbreaker with a dark hoodie underneath, durable black pants, and worn sneakers that had seen better days.
A slim sling bag crossed his chest, the Silvercoil Spear tube hidden inside, cushioned between spare gloves and a half-filled water bottle. Around his wrist, he wrapped a strip of cloth.
Mina wore a navy sports jacket over a long-sleeved T-shirt, leggings with reinforced kneepads, and a pair of trail shoes that still had a trace of last sumr’s dirt.
She carried a small backpack, rope, flashlight, snacks, and a small survival knife tucked discreetly into the side pocket. No high-tech gear. Nothing flashy.
Just enough.
They t at the bus stop just few minutes later.
Clyde glanced at Mina’s bag. "You brought snacks?"
She nodded. "Two energy bars. Also, duct tape. No idea why, but I brought it."
He smirked faintly. "Good."
The bus rolled up. Half-empty and quiet. They climbed aboard and took seats near the back again, this ti with a different kind of weight in the air between them.
They arrived at the mountain trail ten minutes later. The air was crisp, the slope quiet and peaceful with barely another soul in sight.
As they started their climb, the gravel path crunched underfoot. After several minutes, Mina’s breath grew ragged, her steps slower.
Clyde glanced back. "You good?"
She nodded, though sweat clung to her brow.
He slowed his pace and stayed close.
Eventually, they reached an old picnic area nestled between trees.
Clyde motioned to rest. They sat on a stone bench, catching their breath.
Then, like a distant vibration in his chest Clyde felt a pull. It was faint but it feels similar to when he found the spear before.
—
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