Mist rolled in from the trees, silver and damp, curling around ankles like smoke. The fire from the night before had smoldered out sometime before dawn. People huddled close in loose clusters, their breath visible in the morning air. A few had stripped bark from trees and tried weaving rough mats of leaves for bedding. Most had just curled up in coats or whatever they’d been wearing.
Miriam stood near the Obelisk, arms crossed. Her hair was tied back now, and she wore a calm expression that didn’t quite reach her eyes. The calm of someone balancing on the edge of a very thin line.
"We need to start cataloging supplies, other then just food and water" she said, addressing a group of about twenty gathered near her. "Check your pockets, your bags, your clothes—anything useful. Bandages, knives, lighters, even string. We’re going to need all of it."
Someone—a guy with a skateboard and a cracked phone—grumbled under his breath. "This is like a scout camp run by the PTA."
"And you’re welcome to go survive on your own," Miriam replied without looking at him. "But I suggest you stick with the people who want to make it to next week."
The guy fell quiet.
--
Alex was with the group assigned to triage, early on he's wanted to make himself, useful and whilst they have the energy its better to get the necessary work done for survival. He didn’t have medical training, but he followed along when the EMT—Jared— who had asked for help carrying supplies. Jared was short, with deep-set eyes and a matter-of-fact tone that didn’t leave room for argument, he was clearly experienced and would be a solid asset to the group.
A basic camp was set up near a fallen log that served as a bench. Nearby lay two injured people: a woman who’d badly twisted her ankle, and an older man who had cuts down his arm from falling into thorny underbrush during the confusion.
"We don’t have antibiotics," Jared muttered, wrapping gauze strips torn from a shirt. "If these get infected, we’re screwed."
"What about boiling water and cleaning with that?" Alex offered.
"Helps, but not enough. Especially out here. We’ll need something stronger eventually."
They've managed to scrounge some basic medication, but nothing like antibiotics. Luckily they had managed to scrounge some alcohol and things like honey. Some had been transported on their way back from shopping, which gave them a nice amount of supplies, albeit with 100 people it wont last that long. More long terms practices would need to be set up, as the suppliers are only a temporary commodity.
--
By midday, someone brought in a rabbit, dead and half rotten, no shot that they can eat it, unless they want to get food poisoning.
"We can't eat that man"
The speaker was a tall man, ex-military from the looks of him. Broad shoulders, buzz cut, calm but blunt. His name was David.
"What if there is something salvageable, I mean what if its not all rotten, and if we cook it enough shouldn't it be edible? " someone else replied.
"It’s not. Your welcome to try if that's what you want".
Its is clear some desperation is creeping in, from those that know how screwed their situation is, how long will the rations last?
Then, a pulse from the Obelisk. Everyone turned, and within their mind a message was conveyed -
**Welcome. Make your name known, Sacrifice to the Obelisk, in return power is yours **
Now this had everyone stumped. People where in uproar
"What in the fuck does that mean, sacrifice?!?! Like what, each other?" A panicked man shouted.
"Shut up, now. Don't rush to conclusions and stay away from the damn Obelisk" Miriam brought everyone under control again, but it was becoming tiresome for her, the mob panic was a major nuisance and a threat to everyone if it allowed to rule.
**Touch the Obelisk with your sacrifice, earn your currency **
Seeing people start riling themselves up again Miriam, walks up to and touches the Obelisk. Risky yes, potentially very foolish on her part, however she needed to do something to cut the cloth of panic.
**Choose your Sacrifice **
-
Watch - 3 points
-
Phone - 7 points
-
Clothing items - 2 points total
-
Necklace - 4 points
-
Rings (3 total) - 3 points per ring
It was everything on her person.
So it wasn't necessarily living organisms, but could be her own personal items as well. Miriam removes her hand, everyone is watching in silence. A breath of relief seeing nothing bad happen to her. She conveys her findings to the crowd, which is much calmer now, but new questions present themselves. What are these points for?
David, with this new information picks up the rabbit carcass and makes his way to the Obelisk, laying a hand on the Obelisk.
The rabbit vanished.
A soft hum rippled through the air, like distant thunder behind a wall.
Words appeared on the Obelisk’s surface. Glowing faintly.
+0.3 Points — Small Wildlife (Rabbit - rotten)
David staggered back. The light faded. The stone returned to matte black.
Silence.
Then chaos.
"What the hell was that?" "Did it just take it?"
Even with Miriam already having had conveyed that items can be sacrificed for points, seeing it is still a shock to most, and ultimately that organisms can be sacrificed is a cause to alarm for most.
David was breathing hard, staring at his hands.
Someone else tried. A guy named Raj found a beetle under a rock. He pressed it to the Obelisk.
+0.03 Points — Insect
“Okay,” Miriam said quietly, “so items, dead things and even living things, seems anything can be sacrificed"
She stepped forward. “We need to log every result. Everything sacrificed. Every point gained. We need to try and understand what we are getting into."
Someone near the back asked, “What do the points do?”
Nobody answered.
Others also started making sacrifices although of negligible things they found on the floor, nothing of note. Although many still were hesitant. Alex not out of hesitance, hadn't approached the Obelisk, he was just taking in what others were saying, what something is worth points wise. It died down and Miriam got people back on track. The reality that they aren't going to be saved had finally set in for most people, it is time for survival.
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By the end of the day a number of basic tasks had been completed, most items catalogued although this wasn't to say that others couldn't keep there own things. Toilet paper was shared, same with toothpaste, but again how long will that last.
The Obelisk, It stood in the center of the clearing like a sentinel, unmoving and absolute. People began treating it like a campfire without warmth—sitting around it, it had become the focus point of the group. Its mystery a distraction from their own peril.
Alex lay awake, back against a cold root, pretending to rest. The phrase still echoed in his skull like a riddle: "Points." A measurement. But what does it buy? If it buys anything at all.
People sat around a few campfires that dotted the clearing. Speaking quietly to each other.
Miriam sat focused on a fire, running through what they would need to do tomorrow. They'll have to start hunting and gathering in earnest, she'd asked around and there are those with some experience when it comes to hunting, but this would be with a gun. Luckily they knew how to set up snares and to track so she planned to form a small group to head out in the morning and get a kickstart, before rations start to run low. They also needed to find a water source so another group will have to be formed to achieve this.
--
Morning didn’t bring answers, but a deep fog. This ruined Miriam's plans as it would be foolish to head out into an unknown forest in such conditions, you would just be asking to get lost. She hoped it would clear up at some point throughout the day, they can't afford to wait and lost daylight.
A soft mist hugged the clearing like breath held in suspense. Somewhere, someone had scrawled a ledger in the dirt with a stick. Crooked letters formed a crude table.
Name | Sacrifice | Result
David | Rabbit | +0.3 pts
Raj | Beetle | +0.03 pts
Murmurs followed the list. The rabbit had been dead, held in both hands against the Obelisk. The beetle had been alive, held between thumb and stone. Someone tried again—this time, a frog caught just an hour ago. It squirmed lazily in cupped hands. The result: +0.4 Points.
Then a man brought in a crow—dead already, feathers matted from rain. He laid it gently on the stone and pressed down. For a moment, nothing. Then:
+0.6 Points — Small Avian (Dead)
It glowed faintly, then vanished. The man stared at his empty hands.
"What are we doing? Do you understand our situation. We have rations but for how long? I get that the Obelisk is interesting, but we can't afford to sacrifice potential food like that" Miriam was getting frustrated by others lack of foresight. A few lucky encounters and they immediately went on to sacrifice potential food.
This was a wake up call to most, having briefly been enamored with the Obelisk. Reality slapped them in the face, and it was with Miriam's sharp words. Those that had sacrificed felt foolish to say the least.
--
Later that afternoon, the fog cleared and Miriam sent out her two groups, both led by someone with tracking experience, this was Jason as part of the hunting group and Matt of the water group.
The good news is Jared has been monitoring the two patients and they haven't exhibited any signs of infection, well more so for the male then the female with the twisted ankle.
In the clearing, Ellie, maybe sixteen, had fished a tablet from her bag—screen cracked, battery long gone, for all intents and purposes useless to her. She paused, glanced at the others, and then headed to the obelisk pressing it against the Obelisk with both hands.
+3.2 Points — Mid-Tier Electronics
With this, others considered their own things, particularly electronics, as well it they go for a lot of points, people considering what Miriam had said about the point cost for her things as well.
David came back before sundown with the food group, they'd been unsuccessful but had set up a number of rudimentary traps which they'll check in the morning. He headed to the Obelisk with his his multi-tool—a battered thing with rust around the hinge—cupped in both hands. He hesitated only once before placing it.
+4.6 Points — High Utility Tool
He exhaled slowly, eyes not leaving the stone. That was quite a lot of points and in doing this he had resolved his next actions.
Alex watched from a distance, arms draped over his knees. The quiet was different now, people are starting to enter survival mode, becoming selfish, looking at each other with calculation and caution. Miriam is keeping the peace, Jared being a helpful hand, but for how long.
--
Twilight settled over the camp, stretching shadows across bark and bone. The last light faded from the canopy, and then the Obelisk stirred.
A low vibration rose beneath their feet—deep, distant, and wrong. Not sound exactly. Something else. A presence.
The surface of the Obelisk rippled, then glowed.
PATH SELECTION NOW AVAILABLE
20 POINTS REQUIRED
The stone’s face changed. Symbols emerged—not letters, not English—but unmistakable.
-
Naruto
-
One Piece
-
Bleach
-
Hunter x Hunter
-
Fairy Tail
They hung there like etched fire.
"What the hell..." someone breathed.
A ripple of voices followed.
"Wait, these are—these are anime names." "It’s a joke, right?" "That’s... that’s real?"
Miriam stepped forward, slowly, like approaching a sleeping predator. Her eyes traced the names, lips parted just slightly.
"This is what it was counting toward," she said quietly. "It’s a... selection."
"So, what—pick one and get superpowers?" someone asked behind her.
"I have no clue, what do you mean by anime?" looking towards the teenage male, who had brought this up.
"Like Naruto is a fictional world created by someone on Earth, like it has Chakra and ninjutsu. That sort of stuff"
The explanation whilst lacking, gave some clarity to those ignorant of those worlds.
David was silent. He stood like a statue, hands in his pockets, staring at the list. He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. His resolve had hardened, seeing a goal in sight now, and a particular path, the only one that he was truly aware of.
Ellie tugged her hoodie tighter. “What if we pick wrong? I mean what's the best choice.”
"I don't know, they each have their advantages I guess, but its hard to say without knowing what it means to pick a path. Maybe you get like, a random power or something".
Everyone went to sleep, with those assigned watch duty staying up, they have 1 hour till they have to wake up the next person. Miriam was being cautious, against the forest but also the group.
Many phones had gone dead now, but people kept them hoping for a turn with the solar charger. But most had watches useful to keep track of time. Interestingly their watches seemed to have been aligned with the passing of time in this world not needing to be changed.
Most went to sleep dreaming of the Obelisk, some dreaming of home.
Morning
The list didn’t fade.
Naruto. One Piece. Bleach. Hunter x Hunter. Fairy Tail.
They glowed faintly in the dark like constellations you could almost reach out and touch.
--
Everyone started to go about their chores, starting to settle in. The water group headed out again to find a source. A few went about collecting firewood, some heading into the forest, staying near to the clearing seeing if there is anything to scavenge. The rations were noticeably low now, they would only have a few more days, food and water is a must. Shelters had started to be constructed albeit very rudimentary in nature, but there are some with building experience assisting in the construction.
David stood near the fire, sharpening a stick with the edge of a knife of his, his gaze flicking to the Obelisk between every stroke. Miriam sat across from him, elbows resting on her knees, holding a bundle of dried moss she’d tied into a crude sponge.
"What are you thinking of choosing" she said.
"Ha, I'm that obvious huh"
"Just a bit"
"My kid at home was obsessed with one of the anime, the only one that I have some inclination as to what it means, I'm going to choose One Piece"
The scraping continued.
A few others sat nearby. Raj a teachers assistant, was chewing something that looked like roasted root. Ellie had curled up with her back to a tree, hood up, earbuds in even though her phone hadn't made a sound since they'd arrived. Alex sat off to the side, watching the flickering fire reflect off cautious faces.
“What if it’s a trap?” Ellie asked suddenly, voice muffled by fabric.
The fire cracked.
Raj snorted. “What, like pick Naruto and explode?”
“It’s not a stupid thought,” Alex said. “it may be risky", looking towards David.
“Or does nothing,” David muttered. "Could just be bait. Either way we need to find out"
--
Someone had used a stick to draw five vertical lines in the dirt, spaced evenly near the Obelisk. Beneath each line, a name: Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, HXH, FT.
Tally marks appeared by midmorning. Tiny scratches, mostly anonymous. One next to Naruto. Three by One Piece. One each for Bleach and HXH. Fairy Tail remained empty.
A crude survey. A silent vote.
It was a way of gaging others thoughts on what Path would be wise to choose.
--
Jared had scraped together a rough inventory. Fifteen usable blades. Three lighters. One functioning solar charger, which everyone had their eye on. Two rolls of gauze left, though one had been used to wrap someone’s busted ankle. Some various alcohols and other products like shampoo.
The food group brought back what might’ve been wild carrots and the water group returned with information of a stream two hours out, but it ran near a ravine littered with bones the size of oxen. They arranged any containers they had water bottles, and headed back to collect. They should be back before night. This garnered some hope. The traps set had been unsuccessful, but finding some food was a good sign at least, rather then scrounging a frog or small dead bird occasionally, and the find of water was very welcome.
--
Alex walked alone that afternoon, circling the Obelisk. He'd similarly like David started to think that they need to pursue whatever the Obelisk holds in store for them, he was just waiting for the results from David.
His gaze landed on the list again.
Five names.
No descriptions. No explanations.
Just... choices.
He reached out, fingertips brushing the stone. It was warm beneath the surface, like sunbaked metal. He felt nothing else.
Then a whisper.
Not in his ears. In his bones.
20 Points Required.
He pulled his hand back.
Behind him, footsteps. Crunching leaves. Ellie.
"You though of a path yet" she said.
“Have you?”
“I'm not sure, its hard to choose without being certain what it means. Kind of just waiting till another goes a head, David seems keen.”
“Yeah” he said. “He'll need 20 points first though, as would we.”
She looked at the tally lines. "Fairy tail isn't that popular.”
Alex glanced toward the campfire. Toward David.
“I guess the others are more well known, familiarity and all, at least they have an idea of what it would mean”
"I guess"
Night encroached.