Andrew noticed her pained expression and asked, "It hurts when you heal people? Do you take on the pain from their injuries?"
"Not exactly," she replied, her voice strained. "But close enough, I guess."
"So... that's why my body feels so weak all of a sudden. That was the cost for my power."
"What is your power, anyway?" she asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"I can go back in time," he said. "But only in short jumps. And... I can't control exactly where in time I land."
Her eyes widened. "Holy shit! Your active flaw must be insane!"
"Active flaw?" Andrew repeated, confused.
"Yeah," she said, nodding. "The drawbacks for using your power. The pain stuff? That's my active flaw."
Andrew frowned. "Wait, wait. How many drawbacks do we get?"
"Two, as far as I know," she explained. "An active flaw that only kicks in when you use your ability and a passive flaw that's always on."
"What's your passive flaw?" he asked.
She hesitated for a moment before answering, "Nightmares. Super realistic ones. If I don't conquer them, I don't wake up."
Andrew's jaw dropped. "Holy... That doesn't seem fair! I mean, I have a powerful ability, but you're stuck with that?!"
She laughed softly, the sound bitter. "It's fair enough. I can only repair things, but my healing can do a lot if I push it. Trust me, the potential is worth the trade-off. The problem is, the more I use it, the worse it hurts."
Andrew nodded slowly. "I don't think I know what my active drawback is yet."
"Whatever it is," she said with a shrug, "it's probably going to be a pain in the ass."
"Yeah..." he murmured.
She stretched, rolling her shoulders, and stood up. "Let's pack up and move. There's probably a party waiting to attack us in our sleep."
Andrew glanced at the sky. The sun was still high, with at least six hours of daylight left. "For our food and gear?"
"Those, and our ability cards," she replied, kneeling to tap the meats. They vanished into her inventory with a shimmer of light.
Andrew followed her lead, receiving a prompt: [Store items in inventory?]
He confirmed, and the food disappeared.
"How the hell can they steal that?" he asked, confused. "I can't even summon it unless I interact with it."
She smirked and tapped the side of her neck, mimicking a slicing motion. "When you die, card fragments pop out of your body. Collect enough fragments, and you can fuse them into a new ability, upgrade your existing cards, or trade them."
Andrew frowned, remembering the fragments he'd collected earlier. "Why didn't the deer have any?"
She chuckled. "Because that deer didn't have a card. Animals don't always carry them."
Realizing how stupid his question was, Andrew's face flushed. He turned away and started crafting a new spear, using a stone he found nearby for the tip. It wasn't perfect, but it was sturdier and straighter than his previous attempt.
He tapped the ground with the base of the spear, scanning the forest. "I don't see anyone."
"That's the point," she said, tightening her pack. "Let's move. I'm paranoid by nature, and for good reason."
A voice interrupted them, low and too close for comfort. "Are you two lost?"
Andrew and Lequi spun around, searching for the source.
"Look at the tree," the voice said.
Their eyes locked onto a face embedded in the bark. Its wooden features shifted as it spoke. "Don't freak out. I'm just a skill, used by someone else."
Lequi's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"
"Help," the tree-face pleaded. "My friend's injured. He needs a healer."
Lequi's expression darkened. "Where are you?"
"Area 1, Section 12," the voice said.
Her lip curled in disgust. "Go to hell. That's two sections away from that damn camp I barely escaped. If you think a cheap trick like this will work on me, you've lost your damn mind."
"No, no!" the voice protested. "I've been jumping from tree to tree, looking for someone--"
Lequi didn't wait to hear more. She turned and walked away.
Behind her, the voice grew desperate, crying. "I'm not lying! He's dying! He's my little brother! I'll pay you! I'll give you skill fragments!"
***
Far away, a boy sobbed beside a masked man seated in a crude wooden chair. The boy wiped his tears and looked up. "She didn't fall for it, sir."
The masked man's fist slammed into his thigh, metal gauntlet clanging against armor. "Gather a force and drag her back, even if you have to break every bone in her body!"
A tall, slim man standing nearby remained silent. The masked man rose, pacing toward a clearing where small, hastily-built huts stood.
He stopped and turned to the slim man. "Has my daughter's condition improved?"
The man shook his head. "No, sir. The healers have worked tirelessly, but she's only getting worse. We need Lequi back as soon as possible."
The masked man clenched his fists, his fury radiating through the camp like a storm.
***
"I'm guessing healers aren't common," Andrew asked.
"Nope. That camp has about three of them. They struggled to get them, but they did. It just so happens that they aren't even half as powerful as me, which is good for them, not the big man."
"Right. You really think it's a trap?"
"Yes."
"And what if it isn't?"
"Then his brother will die. That much is obvious."
Andrew couldn't help but feel bad for the individual.
Lequi noticed that and said, "But the chance of it not being a trap is lower than 1%. Everyone is trying to kill you. You can barely even trust your old friends."
"Your friends. Not mines. Well, maybe some would I guess. But I got a couple that has my back like no other."
"Oh, yeah?"
She used to think the same. Then she was beaten up and sold to a small camp for fishes in turn. She wasn't mad at his naivety. He was new to this world. But give him a week or two, he will see everything differently. She was sure about that.
"You know, if I can't trust even my friends, then why should I trust you?"
"What do you mean? I never asked you to trust me."
"But we are working together. I mean, of course, I don't fully trust you, but I don't think you would have a reason to betray me."
"And I don't think you would have a good reason to betray me, either. We formed this partnership not just to survive, but because we need what we both provide. I can heal your unhealable body, and you can defend and provide for my pathetically weak body. A fair trade."
Andrew clicked his tongue. "I knew that already. You basically stated that when we agreed to team up."
"Yeah yeah."