Chapter 19: Midnight Disturbance

After Lyra, Talia, and Aria left, the shop went quiet again. Rowen checked the time. 5:38 PM. The wilderness gate had closed at five. That meant no more hunters or students passing by. No more customers were going to come. He looked out the window. The street was empty now—just dust and late sunlight. After a short pause, he walked to the door and flipped the hanging sign to CLOSED. Fern floated near the counter, moving slowly. Rowen walked back behind the wooden counter and pulled open the bottom drawer. Inside the drawer, he’d been placing the day’s mana stones. He started counting them, stacking them by hand. Ten low-grade mana stones from Darian. Five low-grade mana stones from the teacher. Three low-grade mana stones from Lyra. One low-grade mana stone from Aria. Total: nineteen low-grade mana stones. He double-checked, then separated fifteen from the stack and placed them on the counter. "Ten for your upgrade," he said to Fern. "Five to recharge the land." Fern let out a small chime-like sound and gently absorbed the stones, one by one. A faint pulse of light passed through his body, then faded. Once the last stone was gone, Rowen nodded. "I want to check the progress. Open the portal." Fern floated back a few feet and raised his hands. A small circle of light formed in the air—soft blue, pulsing gently. The shimmer grew outward until it became a stable portal, about the height of a doorway. Rowen stepped through. Inside, the air was warm and still. The cultivated land stretched out in neat rows, with some fresh sprouts just starting to push through the soil. He raised his hand and summoned the system screen. A flat, glowing panel appeared in the air. Simple interface. Nothing fancy. [independent space status] space level: level 1 capacity: 1 PLOT soil quality: poor water source: basic well structures: none Energy reserve: 50/50 mana stone Upgrade requirement: 27 / 50 (total 50 mana stones before upgrade) Rowen clicks his tongue. "Still need twenty-seven more." Rowen swiped the screen away and looked out over the rows of soil. Sprouts were already coming up from the patches Fern had planted earlier. Most were potatoes—thick-stemmed and stable—but only a few rows of tomatoes had started growing. The soil looked healthy. Mana spread was even. No problems. He crouched near one of the tomato patches and checked the roots. They were growing fine—no mana instability—but there weren’t many of them. He stood back up and glanced over at the potatoes. There was plenty. More than enough for tomorrow. "Start focusing on tomatoes for the next batch," he said. "We’ve got enough potatoes already." Fern let out a soft chime in response and floated over to the planting area. Rowen gave the field one last look, then turned back toward the portal. "Let’s go," he said. Fern floated after him without a word. Rowen and Fern stepped out of the portal. The shop was quiet again, dim under the soft lights. Rowen stretched his arms, then walked to the back and grabbed the leftovers from lunch. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for a light dinner. They finished in silence. After cleaning up, Rowen headed upstairs. He changed clothes, checked the windows, and made sure everything was locked. Fern drifted into his usual spot near the small plant bed by the window, settling into standby mode. Rowen lay down on the bed. He didn’t say much. Just pulled the blanket up and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. Long day. Good sales. He closed his eyes. Around 2 a.m., Rowen stirred from sleep to the sound of a faint meow coming from outside the shop window. At first, he thought he imagined it, but then he heard it again—clearer this time, and with a sharp edge. A cry, not just a meow. It sounded like pain. He sat up immediately and glanced toward the window, frowning. "Fern," he called softly. The spirit stirred from his rest, floating into view with a soft hum. "What is it?" "There’s something outside. Sounds like a cat, maybe hurt." Fern tilted slightly. "A cat?" Rowen was already getting up, slipping on his shoes. "I’ll check the alley. Could be stuck or injured." The narrow path beside the shop had always been quiet, but there were plenty of crates and clutter where a small animal could get caught. He grabbed his torch from the shelf, the small beam of light flicking on with a click. Fern glided behind him as he unlocked the back door. Together, they stepped out into the night, the glow from the torch cutting through the shadows in the alley. A weak meow echoed again—closer now. Rowen narrowed his eyes and followed the sound, his heart picking up slightly. "Hang on, little guy. We’re coming." They followed the narrow alley around the side of the shop, the torchlight casting long shadows on the wall. The meowing grew louder. Then they spotted her. A black-furred cat lay near an overturned crate. But she wasn’t a normal cat—she was larger, heavier in build, and had an unusual sheen to her fur. Her eyes glowed faintly in the light. Rowen froze for a moment. "That’s not a stray," he muttered. "That’s a mana beast." Fern hovered beside him. "Looks like she’s transformed after prolonged exposure to mana. Low-grade mutation." The cat let out another pained meow. One of her hind legs was wounded—badly. There was a deep gash just above the paw, dried blood matted into the fur. When Rowen took a cautious step forward, the cat’s ears perked up. She tried to stand but stumbled, her body tense. She hissed weakly, swinging a claw in his direction. She hadn’t noticed Fern floating behind him. "It’s okay," Rowen said, crouching slowly. "I’m not here to hurt you." The cat didn’t seem convinced. Her eyes locked onto him, still wary and ready to defend herself despite the pain. Rowen glanced at Fern. "She’s alert," he said. "Even in this state." "She might attack if you get too close," Fern replied. "But she won’t last long if we leave her here." Rowen hesitated for a moment, then made a decision. "Let’s help her."