The sun crept over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of bruised purple and dark blue. Marcy was the first one up—the "Early Bird," just like her shirt said. Or, the Early Bunny.

  She stretched, her whiskers twitching as she noticed the empty steak wrappers. Allan was out cold, having clearly finished the "spoiling" meat before falling asleep. Marcy’s stomach gave a loud, treacherous whine.

  She checked her [Create Item] ability. It was ready. Please, not more carrots, she prayed, activating the skill.

  Light flooded the shed. When it faded, Marcy’s face fell.

  "Fish?" she whispered, staring at eight large packages of raw salmon. She had always hated fish; to her, it tasted like oily dirt. Beside the fish sat six potted plants. One was a tomato plant with a tiny, unripe fruit; three were just sticks that looked half-dead; one was a sunflower, which she instinctively started chewing on before she could stop herself.

  But the last one was different. It was a shimmering blue herb that smelled like a heavenly mix of mint and mango. Starving, she plucked a leaf and ate it.

  The effect was instant. Frost bloomed across her pink fur, and a chill raced through her veins, but it tasted like a frozen smoothie. Then, a loud POP echoed in the quiet shed. Marcy gasped as her broken arm straightened itself out, the bone knitting together in seconds.

  NEW SKILL DISCOVERED: [Herbalism Lv.1]

  NEW SKILL DISCOVERED: [Plant Identification Lv.1]

  NOTICE: [Cute, Fuzzy, and Protected] PASSIVE ACTIVE.

  (Note: Resting near predators has granted a 25% cooldown reduction for the day.)

  Marcy checked her clock. Her next create was now only five hours away instead of six. She was thriving, but the feeling was cut short when she realized she wasn't alone.

  Lina was awake, staring at her from the shadows.

  "Listen," Lina said, her voice a low, jagged rasp. "If I... if I ever disappear... take care of Allan. He’s an idiot, but I don't want him to get hurt. You two... you’re a good team."

  Marcy froze, her ears standing straight up. "I will, but... you aren't leaving, are you? Allan searched the whole city for you. Don't disappear."

  Lina scoffed, the ice on her skin crackling. "Me, team up with a bunny? Please. I’m only here because of Allan."

  "Then why are you talking about leaving?" Marcy pressed.

  Lina’s hand tightened around her own arm, her knuckles white. "It’s best if he just thinks I vanished. That’s all."

  Marcy felt a surge of something new—not fear, but a spark of defiance. “Whatever you’re hiding… don’t take it out on him.”

  BOOM.

  In a blur of frost, Lina was in front of her, her fist buried in the wall inches from Marcy’s head. The wood splintered and caved. "You have no idea what he does or doesn't deserve, pest!" Lina hissed.

  Old Marcy would have crumbled. Old Marcy would have cried. But this Marcy looked Lina right in the eyes, her pink fur still dusted with frost. "Pushing people away is exactly what the System wants, Lina."

  Lina grit her teeth so hard it sounded like grinding stones. She ripped her hand out of the wall and stormed out of the shed into the cold morning air. Marcy’s heart pounded against her ribs. She had stood her ground.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  When Allan finally woke up, the shed was empty. The fire was nothing but cold ash, and the silence was heavy. Confused, he scrambled to his feet, his tail twitching with a sudden spike of anxiety. "Lina? Marcy?"

  He burst through the door, only to stop dead in his tracks.

  Outside, the morning air was filled with a series of sharp cracks, like a whip breaking the sound barrier. He saw a pink blur—Marcy—launching herself into the air. Wulf was in her hands, vibrating with instructions.

  "To the left! Now!" Wulf boomed.

  Mid-air, Marcy kicked the empty space as if it were a solid wall. She plummeted toward the asphalt with terrifying speed.

  "Before you hit the floor, jump upwards!" Wulf commanded.

  She obeyed. The angle of her second jump caught the momentum of her fall, turning her into a pink bolt of lightning. Allan watched, amazed. He had seen her destroy the Golem this way, but seeing her practice it made him realize how dangerous she was becoming. The air around her actually rippled from the force.

  "Now!" Wulf shouted. "Slice that car in half! Then, before you hit the pavement, jump upwards and backflip to break your momentum!"

  "What?!" Marcy shrieked, her voice trailing behind her speed. "I don't think I can—"

  She didn't have time to argue. She reached the rusted sedan and swung Wulf with everything she had. The blade sheared through the metal like a hot knife through butter. At the last possible second, she tucked her knees, kicked off the hood of the car, and executed a messy backflip.

  She landed on her feet, but her tiny legs were wobbling like jelly from the sheer terror of it.

  Wulf bent his blade toward her, appearing to inspect her work. "You did well. But you almost hesitated. In a real fight, hesitation is a death sentence."

  "Easy for you to say, Wulf!" Marcy gasped, clutching her chest. "I saw my life flash before my eyes! Again!"

  Behind her, the car groaned. Slowly, the two halves slid apart, falling onto the pavement with a heavy crash. Wulf stood upright in her hand, seemingly puffing out his hilt in pride. "You see? Precision and power."

  Marcy rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide the massive, triumphant smile on her face.

  She had just cut a car in half...

  A car...

  "You're sure your class is 'Prey'?" Allan asked, walking over with a smirk. "Because that didn't look very prey-like to me."

  Marcy chuckled, her ears flopping happily. "Well, yeah! I'm pink and small, so I stand out. But one day, with your help and Wulf’s... I want to stand out because I'm the strongest."

  Allan’s expression softened. "That’s a good goal. Just make sure you take a break, little bunny. You're going to burn yourself out."

  "I will. Thank you... Neighbor. I mean, Allan."

  Allan smiled, but then his gaze drifted to the empty street. "Have you seen Lina? Where is she?"

  Marcy’s smile vanished instantly. She looked at her feet, her whiskers drooping. "No. She took off this morning. That’s all I know."

  Allan’s slitted eyes narrowed. He could smell the lingering scent of frost and the faint, bitter tang of a confrontation. "Wait... she just left? No goodbye? Nothing?"

  "Yeah," Marcy whispered. "That's all."

  Her ears didn’t lift.

  Allan stepped closer, his voice low and serious. "Marcy... whatever happened, please tell me. I need to know why she would just walk away."