We made our way back through the trees, the sounds of the camp growing louder. Joey had turned on his music player, blasting some ancient rock tune. The scent of smoke and charred meat drifted toward us; it looked like Ryan and Joey’s hunt had been successful. That, or they''d burned the whole damn forest down.


    As we broke through the line of trees, the camp came into view. The center was dominated by a makeshift firepit, flames flickering and crackling as Ryan, ever the boy scout, flipped strips of meat on the grill. Nearby, Joey was setting up plates and utensils on a folding table. On another table lay an animal, already skinned and prepared for cooking. Mystery meat special.


    The fire before us was safe. [Bonfires], once the System arrived, were different from normal ones, you didn’t just get warmth and light. Once the fire reached a specific potency, a safe zone anchored itself around the flames, stretching outward in a protective radius. For the next eight hours, nothing was getting near us that we didn’t want. No prowling creatures, no stray mobs. It meant we didn’t have to power up the Peregrine’s shielding and didn’t have to sleep in shifts. Just one night where we could relax.


    But what really caught my attention, and Emily’s, too, judging by the way she took off like a shot, was Chris. He was awake and sitting in the only real chair in camp, his face lit up by the glow of the fire. He looked tired but alert, his bandaged arm resting in his lap. The moment Emily spotted him, she broke into a run, Zoe following close behind.


    "Chris!" Emily called out. She reached him first, throwing her arms around his shoulders, careful not to jostle his arm too much. Zoe was right behind her, ruffling his hair playfully before pulling him into a tight hug. Seriously, does the guy have a gravitational pull or something?


    "Look who’s back from the dead!" Zoe said, grinning as she pulled away. "How’s the arm, tough guy?"


    Chris chuckled, his voice still a bit hoarse but steady. “Better than it was, that’s for sure. Med pod did its job. Feels stiff, but I’ll take stiff over missing any day.” And he''s already making jokes. Some things never change.


    Emily stepped back, her eyes scanning his arm, noting the smooth, new skin peeking out from under the bandages. “You scared the hell out of us, you know that?” she said, her voice softer now, but still carrying a hint of scolding. “I’m glad you’re okay.”


    “Yeah, yeah,” Chris said, smiling as he waved her concern away with his good arm. “I wasn’t going anywhere. Had to stick around just to see you all worry about me.” What a tool.


    I approached more, giving the others a moment before I spoke. “Chris,” I said. “Good to see you up. You feeling alright?”


    Chris nodded, flexing his hand and wincing slightly. “I’m good. Still a bit sore, but it’s all there. Joey did a hell of a job patching me up.”


    I turned to Joey, who was now setting out the last of the utensils and gave him a nod of appreciation. “I mean it, Joey. Thank you. We’d have been in a real mess without you.”


    Joey looked up, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks. “Hey, don’t thank me. Thank the med pod. I just followed the instructions.”


    “Don’t sell yourself short,” Ryan chimed in, flipping another piece of meat onto the tray. He didn''t say anything about the waterfall, but he didn''t have to. The way he was so focused on the grilling, avoiding looking at me or Emily, said it all. He knew. And, yeah, I felt bad for the guy. But he''s too damn nice to do anything about it. “You were the one who kept him stable until we got him into that pod. That’s more than most could’ve done.”


    Emily, still standing next to Chris, turned to Joey, her expression sincere. “Really, thank you. We don’t say it enough, but we’re lucky to have you.”


    Joey shrugged, a sheepish smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Well, someone’s gotta keep you all in one piece, right?” We would have been screwed without him.


    Zoe grabbed one of the plates from the table, loaded it up with freshly grilled meat, and handed it to Chris. “Here. Eat up. You look like you could use about a dozen of these.”


    Chris took the plate. “I missed this,” he said, digging in without hesitation. “And by ‘this,’ I mean everything, being out here, with all of you, instead of stuck in that med pod.”


    “Well, get used to it,” I said, pulling up an empty crate to sit on. “You’re back, and we’re not letting you slack off just because you had a close call. We’ve got a long way to go yet.”


    Chris laughed, but there was a gratefulness in his eyes as he looked around at the crew gathered around him. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”


    As everyone settled around the fire, the atmosphere began to lighten, the earlier tension of the day fading away, the meat was good. Ryan passed around plates, and soon the camp was filled with the sounds of eating and laughter.


    “So,” Chris said between bites, looking up at me, “I hear you’ve been playing chauffeur while I was out. How’s it feel driving this rowdy bunch around without me?”


    I smirked, leaning back against the crate. “I’ve managed. But it’s a lot quieter without you being a backseat driver.”


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    “Yeah, well, you’re welcome. We''ll see how you do tomorrow.” Chris shot back, grinning.


    Zoe nudged Danny, who was sitting beside her, and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, “If Chris is back, does that mean he’s joining poker tonight? ‘Cause I’m not letting him win just because he’s injured.”


    Chris raised his eyebrows. “Who said anything about letting me win? I plan on wiping the floor with all of you.”


    Ryan shook his head, pretending to be disappointed. “Great. Just what we needed: another overconfident player. I’m starting to think we should make Joey the dealer, so at least someone stays honest.”


    Joey scoffed, grabbing a piece of meat for himself. “Hey, I’m not getting dragged into this. I’m just here to make sure none of you end up needing my help again tonight.” Smart man.


    As the conversation flowed, I glanced around the camp, feeling a sense of warmth settle in my chest. Damn, I''m getting sentimental in my old age. Seeing Chris up and eating, Ryan and Joey joking as they prepped dinner, and Emily and Zoe teasing each other over the meal was a reminder of why we kept pushing forward, why we were out here in the first place.


    The discoveries, the portals, the constant risks, none of it would matter without moments like this to ground us, to remind us of the bonds we had built even if Ryan was left out.


    <hr>


    Emily caught my eye, her expression softening as she noticed the way I was looking at the group. She nudged me lightly with her elbow. “You okay?”


    I nodded. “Yeah. Just... glad we’re all here.” And that I finally got some action, even if the whole camp probably knows about it now unlike poor Ryan. I leaned in, lowering my voice. "What do we do with Ryan, though? He needs some TLC, stat. Poor bastard''s too nice for his own good."


    Emily followed my gaze, landing on Ryan, who was currently laughing at something Joey sai, but still seemed... off, somehow. She smacked her lips thoughtfully, then a slow, almost predatory smile spread across her face. "I don''t know," she whispered back, her voice a little husky. "He''s a grown man. We can''t exactly force him to... you know."


    "Yeah, but he''s like a puppy dog, Em," I said, keeping my voice low. "A big, clueless puppy dog. I bet he''d jump if either you or Zoe even looked at him sideways." Shit, I''d put money on it. A funny idea occurred to me. "Speaking of, who do you think would crack first? You or Zoe?"


    Just then, Zoe sauntered over, overhearing the last part of our conversation. "Crack first at what?" she asked, a glint in her eye.


    "Luca''s taking bets on who''ll be Ryan''s first," Emily said, smirking, but her eyes were fixed on Ryan in a way that made me shift uncomfortably. "He''s got 50 credits on you."


    I did not say that.


    Zoe raised an eyebrow, looking amused, but then she, too, turned to look at Ryan, her expression shifting. It was like watching two lionesses sizing up a particularly juicy gazelle. "Oh, really? And what makes you so sure, Luca?" she whispered, but she wasn''t even looking at me.


    I cleared my throat. Shit. “Uh, I dunno, Zoe. You’ve been on a roll lately. Newfound confidence and all that. Plus, you’ve got that look in your eye, like you’re not done conquering yet.”


    "Confidence is key, isn''t it?" Zoe mused, her eyes still fixed on Ryan. She groaned softly. "But have you seen those shoulders? And that sandy hair, just begging for someone to run their fingers through it..."


    "Oh, I''ve noticed," Emily chimed in, her voice low and thick. "He''s got that roguish, bad-boy thing going on, but underneath it all, you can tell he''s a total softie. The kind of guy who''d be rough in all the right ways, then cuddle you after and tell you how much he adores you."


    "And those eyes," Zoe added, with a dreamy sigh. "So blue. Like you could just... fall right into them."


    I shifted uncomfortably, feeling a blush creep up my neck. What is going on? Are they seriously doing this right now? "Uh, yeah, he''s great," I mumbled, trying to regain control of the conversation. "So, fifty credits, Zoe?"


    “Fifty credits is insulting for a man like that," Zoe said, shaking her head, finally turning away from Ryan, but only to wink at Emily. "Make it a hundred.”


    “A hundred?” I feigned shock, though honestly, I was just trying to distract them from their Ryan-fest. "You trying to clean me out?"


    "Maybe," Zoe winked.


    Emily smacked her lips again, loudly, and I swear both of their eyes darkened, "I bet he''s amazing in bed," she said, thoughtfully licking her lower lip. "All that muscle... he''d have stamina for days."


    I choked, feeling my face burn. "Okay, seriously?" I said, a little louder than I intended. "Can we not do this right now?"


    "Do what?" Emily asked, all innocence, but the smirk on her face told a different story. "Just admiring our friend. You started it."


    "Yeah, Luca," Zoe added, with a playful pout. "Don''t tell me you''re jealous."


    "Jealous? No!" I said, maybe a little too quickly. "Just... not hungry anymore. That''s all."


    Zoe giggled, then leaned closer, conspiratorial. "So? You in?"


    I exhaled heavily, feeling like I was walking into a trap. "Fine. A hundred credits."


    Zoe grinned triumphantly. "Good boy."


    "But," I added, pointing a finger between them, "if Emily ends up with him, you both owe me two hundred."


    Emily laughed outright. "You''re both unbelievable."


    "Hey now, you didn’t deny it," Zoe pointed out, all smug satisfaction. "So what do you say, Em? In or out? If you get him first, Luca and I will both owe you."


    Emily pretended to think it over, then shot me a wicked grin. "Fine. But I want two hundred from both of you if I win."


    "Done," Zoe said without hesitation.


    I immediately regretted everything. Who would win how much? I was so confused.


    Wait. Wait. What the fuck just happened?


    Emily was my girl, right? My girlfriend? We were exclusive-ish, or so I thought. I guess it was an open thing, but not that open, not casually-making-bets-about-sleeping-with-Ryan open. We hadn''t really committed to anything, had we? And Zoe? Zoe just lost her virginity to Danny. Literally hours ago. Where the hell did this energy come from?


    I glanced between them, trying to read their faces, half-expecting them to start laughing and tell me they were screwing with me. But no. They were dead serious.


    Was this a bit? A joke? A power move?


    Or was I just still too blissed-out from Emily rocking my goddamn world by the waterfall to process anything properly?


    Emily caught my expression and smirked, all teasing, but her eyes flickered with something... like she was enjoying watching me struggle. “Something on your mind, Luca?”


    Yes. So much.


    “No,” I lied, keeping my tone even. “Not a damn thing.”


    Zoe and Emily exchanged a look, and I did not like it.


    I was so screwed... still, who would win what?


    A few hours later, and 1,500 credits poorer, we put away the Poker game and got ready to turn in. I still wasn''t sure how Ryan kept winning, but at this point, I wasn''t asking questions. My wallet hurt.


    <hr>


    Everyone was asleep. Or pretending.


    I lay there in the middle of the bed, as usual, a prisoner to these two girls. Emily’s arm was draped across my chest. Zoe’s back was warm against mine. It should’ve felt perfect.


    Captain’s log, I muttered to myself, today I have unleashed the banshees. I''m not sure if it was a good idea.