The air inside the cabin was tense, the only sounds coming from the crackling fire and the faint rustle of the wind against the wooden walls. Eren sat across from Serina, his expression unreadable as he waited for her to continue. The weight of her words from earlier lingered in the room, heavy and foreboding.
Serina, for her part, looked uneasy but resolute. She glanced around the sparse interior, her green eyes lingering on the neatly organized supplies and the weapons hanging on the wall.
"You've made quite the life for yourself out here," she said, attempting to break the silence.
"Get to the point," Eren replied coldly. "Why are you really here?"
Serina's lips tightened, and she leaned forward slightly. "I already told you. There's a group—an organization—operating in secret, and they're targeting the academy. Students are disappearing, and I think they're building toward something dangerous."
Eren's gaze didn't waver. "And what does that have to do with me?"
"I don't know yet," Serina admitted. "But I've been following leads, and everything points to this area. There's something going on in these woods, and you're the only person living out here. Even if you're not involved, you might have seen or heard something."
Eren leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "If I had, why would I tell you? You've got nothing to offer me."
Serina hesitated, her hands clenching into fists. "Because if this group succeeds, it won't just be the academy that suffers. They'll come for anyone who stands in their way. That includes you."
Eren raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. "You're assuming I'd care. I've managed just fine on my own."
"Have you?" Serina shot back, her tone sharper. "You might think you're safe out here, but isolation doesn't make you invisible. If they find out you're here, they won't hesitate to eliminate you."
Eren's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stood and walked to the window, staring out at the darkening forest. The shadows stretched long across the ground, and the distant hoot of an owl broke the silence.
"I've seen traces," he said finally, his voice low. "Unfamiliar tracks near my traps. The feeling of being watched. But nothing concrete."
Serina straightened, her expression a mix of relief and concern. "Then you've already been marked. They're scouting the area, trying to figure out who or what is out here. It's only a matter of time before they make their move."
Eren turned back to her, his cold demeanor unchanged. "And what exactly do you expect me to do about it?"
"Work with me," Serina said, her voice firm. "Help me figure out what they're planning and stop them before it's too late."
He let out a short, humorless laugh. "You're assuming I'm interested in being a hero. I'm not."
"This isn't about being a hero," she said, frustration creeping into her tone. "It's about survival. Yours and everyone else's."
Eren stared at her for a long moment, his expression inscrutable. Finally, he sighed and sat back down. "Fine. I'll listen. But if this turns out to be a waste of my time, you're on your own."
Serina nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "That's all I ask."
The two spent the next few hours going over everything Serina knew. She described the strange disappearances, the whispers of a group calling themselves the Veil, and the unsettling rumors of their experiments. According to her, the Veil was obsessed with unlocking forbidden magic, and they saw the academy's students as expendable resources.
Eren listened silently, his sharp mind piecing together the fragments of information. The Veil's activities were disturbingly similar to the darker plotlines of the novel he'd once loved, but the details didn't match perfectly. This world was different, and that made them unpredictable.
As the night wore on, Serina eventually fell asleep in the chair, her exhaustion catching up to her. Eren remained awake, his thoughts racing. He didn't trust her, not completely, but her warnings couldn't be ignored. If the Veil truly was operating nearby, his quiet life in the forest was in jeopardy.
He glanced at the faint glow of the Survival System's interface in the corner of his vision. The missions had grown more complex lately, and he couldn't shake the feeling that the system was nudging him toward something bigger.
For now, he'd play along. But if the Veil thought they could make him a target, they were sorely mistaken.
System Update: New Mission Unlocked: Objective: Investigate the Veil's activities in the forest. Gather evidence and eliminate any threats to your sanctuary. Rewards: 500 Survival Points, Skill Upgrade Opportunity. Penalty: Increased Veil activity in your territory.
Eren's lips curled into a faint smirk. If the Veil wanted a fight, they'd get one—on his terms.