The forest blurred past in streaks of green and brown, each step Leo took sending a fresh burst of wind into the underbrush. Leaves scattered. Branches swayed. The sword in his hand pulsed softly, the faint crimson glow mirrored in the corners of his eyes.
Behind him, Ai and the cats flickered in and out of reality, never more than a few feet away, but never quite able to match his blistering speed. It reminded Leo of old games, where companions warped to your side when they fell behind, always catching up, but never interfering.
His mind was still racing, though not with panic. The path was clear. His goal was fixed.
Dungeon.
That single word carried weight now. More than before. He didn't just feel like he was headed toward danger; he felt watched. The trees grew thicker the deeper he went, but the forest grew quieter. Nature was retreating, as if the very soul of the woods was backing away from what lay ahead.
"Are we on the right path to the dungeon?" he asked, his voice barely rising above the wind tearing past him.
Roxanne's voice echoed in his mind. Yes. A few more minutes.
He kept running.
Roots erupted from the ground like claws, yet he weaved through them without pause. A fallen log loomed. He flipped over it mid-stride. A beast leapt from the bushes, growling low. He sidestepped, the momentum carrying him into a tree. None of it broke his rhythm.
The forest eventually began to thin, and with it, the atmosphere changed. The air grew heavy. Not with heat or weight, but with something entirely different. Like the oxygen itself had been filtered through decay.
The birds stopped calling.
The wind stopped rustling.
And ahead, like a scar cut into the world, stood the dungeon.
It didn't need to be dramatic. It simply was. An opening in the earth, jagged like broken teeth, with a cold fog rolling out across the mossy ground. The temperature dropped so sharply that Leo's breath steamed.
He stopped just short of the entrance, eyeing the way the dark mist spilled like ink across stone and soil. There wasn't a single sound. Not even the bugs dared sing here.
"This place is intense," Leo muttered. The sword responded with a low hum, as though aware of the weight pressing in around them.
Ai appeared at his side, calm as ever, though her ears twitched slightly at the edge of the silence. The cats materialized behind her, their fur bristled, tails lowered but steady.
A sudden gust shot from the dungeon's mouth, swirling leaves into the air. Leo's eyes followed the spiral upward, watching as the wind carried them into the trees, like warning flares.
He exhaled slowly, taking a step forward.
The fog swallowed him.
###
Far from the dark edge of the forest, the capital was a flurry of movement. The guild hall buzzed with noise, swords clinked against scabbards, and voices mingled with the scent of parchment and sweat. Every bench, table, and board was occupied. Reports flew in, rewards were counted out, and adventurers laughed, bragged, and argued in equal measure.
In a quieter chamber off the main hall, Amanda stood with Elois and Suga, hunched over a polished oak table scattered with parchment. The table bore eight papers, each with a name, sketch, and rank.
Talia. Shel. Elois. Kidd. Eldric. Boris. Luth. Leo.
Suga raised a brow. "Why isn't Amanda on the elite list?"
Before Elois could respond, Amanda calmly raised her hand. "Because I don't deserve to be."
Suga blinked. "What?"
Amanda didn't waver. "Compared to the others, especially with what we're up against, I'd be dead weight. For the World Tower raid, the elites will lead pairs. We can't afford to be sentimental."
There was no bitterness in her tone. Only clarity.
"But if I am deployed," she added, folding her arms, "I'm going with Leo."
Elois studied her for a moment, then gave a slow nod. "That's fair."
A pause lingered.
Then Elois tilted her head slightly. "Amanda… can I ask something personal?"
Amanda's eyes narrowed with mock suspicion. "Depends."
Elois smirked. "How do you feel about being a mother figure to Leo?"
Amanda's posture shifted immediately, and her voice rose, flustered. "Claire? Are you talking about Claire?"
Elois blinked. "What?"
"Leo's real mom is Claire. And she's… terrifying." Amanda chuckled softly, shaking her head. "She once took on an entire raider caravan on foot, barefoot, while dragging a broken wagon behind her."
Suga gaped. "Is that real?"
Amanda nodded. "I was there. She barely broke a sweat. And when Leo was a baby, gods, you should've seen her. Protective doesn't even start to cover it."
Elois leaned forward, curiosity piqued. "So you've known him since then?"
"Since he was small enough to hold in one hand," Amanda said with a quiet smile. "I'm not Claire. I never will be. But I'll be whatever he needs me to be. Ally, mentor, backup."
She glanced at the roster again. "And if he ever falls, I'll make sure the world remembers him."
###
Back at the dungeon's edge, Leo stood still, his senses narrowed to pinpoints.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the world had shifted.
The dungeon wasn't just a space. It was a presence. Alive, but not breathing. Watching, but blind. Like something ancient and broken had cracked open a vein into another world and left it here to rot.
Leo reached out, placing one hand on the cold, damp wall. It pulsed under his fingers. Not rhythmically, but randomly. Like a dying heartbeat trying to remember how to live.
He glanced behind. Ai nodded once.
Then he moved forward, sword lowered, shoulders squared.
The real trial had begun.