The Brothers of Nexus

Kael sat beside Draven after the wolf attack, his face etched with concern. Sure, the scratch wasn't deadly - they just needed to clean it up and wrap it before tomorrow's heat hit - but seeing his brother hurt made his stomach churn. They had only been in these woods a week, and their supplies were dwindling into nothing.

"Those mushrooms," Draven broke the quiet, nursing his bandaged arm, "what do you reckon they're worth?" His voice was trying for hopeful but didn't quite make it.

Kael's forehead wrinkled. "Can't say for sure. Just remember seeing them in Mom's garden. She always said they were special." He cracked a small smile, trying to lift the mood. "Maybe enough for some decent meat?" "Ha, I'd kill for just a proper loaf of bread," Draven let out a weak laugh, still looking pretty rough. "We'll sort something out. Get some sleep - we'll figure it out tomorrow." Kael squeezed his brother's shoulder. After Draven dozed off, Kael stayed up, eyes fixed on the strange glow coming from their wrapped mushrooms. It wasn't much, but it was something to hold onto. That night, Draven shot up gasping, drenched in sweat. The dream felt so real - he'd been watching himself sleep in his old room when a spark jumped from his finger, setting everything ablaze. His heart was still racing as he looked over at Kael's sleeping form. Sleep wouldn't come back, so he just laid there until sunrise, his mind spinning.

"Morning," Kael yawned, stretching. "How's the arm?" "It's... okay," Draven mumbled, exhausted and shaken. "We hitting town today? For the mushrooms?" "Think we should wait till you're stronger. I'll hunt today - you rest up. Tomorrow, if it's healing right, we'll go." Draven nodded slowly. "Hey... remember Dad's stories? About that tower where people with magic train?"

A smile tugged at Kael's lips. "Yeah, 'course. Always dreamed of going there. But magic's pretty much unheard of these days." Draven thought about that spark in his dream but kept quiet, not sure what to make of it all. Kael busied himself getting ready for the hunt while Draven limped off to the stream to deal with his wound. It wasn't far - maybe a five-minute walk - but Draven couldn't get that nightmare out of his head. The guilt ate at him: what if he really was responsible for their parents' deaths? For losing everything? The thought made him sick. He was almost at the stream when something caught his eye - a nasty trail of blood smeared across the ground. Dropping into a crouch, he took a closer look. Not human blood, thank god, but his gut clenched anyway. Had to be that beast from last night. Goosebumps prickled his arms, and after quickly splashing some water on his wound, he practically ran back to the den.

 Kael was all geared up when Draven got back, bow hanging off one shoulder and his precious two arrows tucked away. He'd been busy - there was a little jar on the ground filled with some homemade medicine. "Here," Kael said, pushing it into Draven's hands. "It's pretty rough - wasted most of the herbs figuring it out - but it should help that cut." Draven felt a lump in his throat. Their dad had been the healer, and while Kael only knew the basics, just trying meant everything. "I'm heading out," Kael said. "Don't wait up - it's going to be a late one. Just... take it easy, okay?" Draven shook his head, saying, "Watch your back, brother."

 Kael tracked the blood trail to the stream, thinking about the wolf's pelt and what it might fetch in town. The blood was thick by the water but vanished on the other side. He splashed across, picking up faint traces that led him deeper into the woods than he'd planned. The trail was getting harder to follow with each step. The truth was, Kael was no hunter. His bow was held together with hope and whatever he could scrounge up. Still, he'd somehow nailed that wolf in the eye last night. Pure luck, he figured, though there was something weird about how that arrow had flown exactly where he wanted it... Lost in thought, Kael suddenly realized he'd wandered into a part of the forest he didn't recognize.

 The trees were thick here, barely letting any light through. Getting hungry, he started looking for anything edible and spotted some bright red berries. Figuring they couldn't be too dangerous, he popped one in his mouth. Holy moly - it was like lightning in his veins. Some kind of energy surged through him, leaving him gasping. He quickly pocketed the rest instead of risking another one. Whatever these berries were, they were definitely not normal. As he pressed on, the forest it got increasingly eerie. No animals, no breeze - just unsettling silence. Even in daylight, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

 The sun was starting to dip, so he decided to head back. That's when he noticed disturbed undergrowth with traces of blood and broken branches. Following this new trail, he pushed through thick brush into a clearing.

 There lay the massive wolf, breathing heavily, Kael's arrow still buried in its eye. Heart pounding, he reached for an arrow, hands shaking as he drew his bow. As he crept closer, the wolf's eyes suddenly opened, freezing him in place. It rose unsteadily but then did something impossible - it moved like it was floating, barely touching the ground as it ran. Magic! It had to be. The wolf vanished like a ghost, leaving Kael stunned. He lowered his bow, mind reeling from what he'd witnessed. "Draven needs to hear about this," he muttered, clutching the pouch of berries. "And he needs to try these - maybe he'll feel it too."

 The sky had turned deep orange and purple. "Better hurry back before Draven worries himself sick." As their den came into view under the last rays of sunlight, Kael's tired legs carried him home. He might not have caught anything, but he'd stumbled onto something far more intriguing - a mystery begging to be solved. Still shaken by the wolf's sudden disappearance, he found himself lost in thought about what other secrets might be lurking in the depths of those ancient woods.