Yuki stepped out of the Summer family estate, the heavy door clicking shut behind her. She adjusted her cloak, but the evening air, sharp with the first hints of chill, barely registered to her. The estate, set far from the city's heart, stood isoted against the quiet backdrop of the evening sky. She walked without hesitation, her mind focused entirely on the next step ahead. Her small imp, now bound to her by the ws of ownership, floated obediently by her side, its tiny wings fluttering with an almost mechanical precision. It had been a strange acquisition—something she hadn’t expected—but it was hers now, part of her new reality she guessed. But she couldn’t bring herself to care about it much. It was just one more thing she’d have to deal with.

  The path leading away from the estate was familiar but lonely. There was no one around to greet her, and that suited her just fine. Her thoughts remained in the quiet confines of her mind, and though the city loomed ahead, she was distant from it in every sense. She had completed the task at the Summoner's House, but that didn’t mean it was over. There was always something else. Always another step to take, another task to fulfill. Her destination was clear, even though the world around her seemed indifferent.

  As she walked, the once-bustling streets of the city felt unusually empty. People moved away from her path as she approached, their gazes lingering on her but not meeting her eyes. The imp floating beside her only seemed to amplify the effect—its small, mischievous form a stark contrast to the unnerving silence that followed her wherever she went. Yuki’s presence seemed to cast a quiet unease over the people she passed. Some whispered to each other as they avoided her, while others turned down side streets, choosing to go out of their way to avoid crossing her path. She didn’t care about them. The stares, the hushed voices—they were nothing but background noise, fading away as she walked forward.

  The city was built of stone, of towering buildings and narrow alleys, and yet, tonight, it seemed to shrink before her. Her focus remained unbroken, her eyes fixed ahead, her mind moving through the steps of the quest she had completed—details she barely registered. It wasn’t so much that she had any deep desire to reflect on the task. She simply wanted it over. A simple quest, a means to an end. It had been completed, and now she could move on to the next.

  The Adventurer's Guild came into view, a solid stone structure looming in the distance. It was a pce of noise, of people hustling and bustling, and yet it always felt the same—impersonal, noisy, and full of distractions. It wasn’t a pce she enjoyed. But it was necessary. She had no choice but to go through the motions.

  Stepping through the guild’s heavy wooden door, the noise of the room rushed at her. Laughter, shouting, the ctter of armor as adventurers leaned over their tables or argued amongst themselves. It was overwhelming, but Yuki barely acknowledged it. She simply moved through the room, her presence barely noticed in the chaos. People gave her space, as they always did. The imp, small as it was, fluttered in the air beside her, casting a strange, flickering shadow as it followed dutifully.

  Behind the counter, a new face awaited her—a woman with short-cropped hair, dressed in the guild's standard garb. Her eyes flicked up as Yuki approached, but her gaze held little curiosity, her expression professional and neutral. She didn't seem to mind the quiet stranger who had entered. Yuki didn't mind that. She was here for business, and that was all.

  "I’m here to turn in a quest," Yuki said, her voice soft but clear. It wasn’t an invitation for conversation. It was just a statement, a simple fact.

  The woman, without much more than a cursory gnce, slid a piece of parchment across the counter. Her tone was detached, as though this was all part of an expected routine. "Quest number?"

  Yuki took a moment before responding. "Three-two-seven."

  The woman’s eyes flicked to the number, and she shuffled through the papers before pulling the right one from the stack. She marked something on it without lifting her gaze and then slid the completed document back to Yuki. "It’s done," she muttered, her attention already elsewhere. "Anything interesting happen?"

  Yuki didn't respond. She simply gnced at the small imp by her side. The imp made no sound but fluttered its wings more vigorously, almost as if it was keen to be done with this pce as well. The woman saw the motion and, without further comment, gave a single, curt nod of acknowledgment. It was enough. The quest was complete.

  [System Notice: Quest Complete][Receiving Reward; 80 Unallocated Stats Points]

  "Alright here is your reward" the receptionist said before handing her a bag of coin.

  Yuki didn’t offer any response, just a slight nod in acknowledgment as she took the bag and turned away from the counter. She didn’t want to linger here. She didn’t need to. The noise of the guild, the disarray of people, it was all background noise, unimportant in the grand scheme of things. She moved through the hall, not bothering to gnce at the adventurers who huddled around tables or argued about their next moves. It all felt irrelevant to her.

  At the back of the hall, another clerk stood behind a counter. He was younger, perhaps newer to the role, but he didn’t offer any friendly greeting or make any effort to engage with Yuki. He simply handed over a small pouch of coins without saying a word. There were no formalities. No small talk. No acknowledgment of the imp or her own quiet demeanor. Yuki accepted the pouch without even looking at it. It didn’t matter. The reward was simply another part of the process, just a small part of the many steps that never seemed to end.

  Without another gnce, Yuki turned and walked out of the Adventurer’s Guild. The door clicked softly behind her, and once again, the noise of the guild faded into the background as she stepped back into the cool evening air. The mission was done. Her goal was clear. But there was still more to be done, more steps to take. The Summoner’s Guild was her next stop.

  It wasn’t far, just a short walk from the guild, but she barely took notice of the world around her as she moved. The streets were still quieter than usual, the people still avoiding her path. The imp fluttered along beside her, its wings making soft, quick sounds in the quiet evening.

  Soon enough, she reached the Summoner’s Guild, a smaller, quieter building compared to the Adventurer's Guild. It had the same air of importance, of purpose. Inside, the smell of old books and incense filled the air. The atmosphere was still, subdued. The guild members were scattered across the room, each engaged in their own studies or conversations, but none paid Yuki any mind. She didn’t want attention. She was here for business.

  The desk at the front was manned by a man who appeared older, his gsses perched on the edge of his nose as he scribbled in a rge ledger. He looked up as Yuki approached, his expression neutral. He didn't seem to mind her presence, didn’t seem to expect anything more than the usual inquiries.

  "I need information on summoning," Yuki said, her voice still soft, but this time, there was a hint of something more direct in her tone.

  The man studied her for a moment, his gaze measuring. He didn’t respond immediately, his fingers still lingering on the quill, before he finally set it down and folded his hands. "Specific books, I assume?" he asked, his voice clipped and professional.

  Yuki nodded. It was all she needed to do.

  The man sighed, a small, barely audible sound. "Those books are restricted to guild members only," he said after a pause. "If you wish to access them, you’ll need to become a member."

  Yuki’s gaze didn’t shift, but inwardly, she felt a flicker of irritation. It wasn’t surprising. It was never easy. There was always a requirement, another hoop to jump through. She had known it would be like this.

  "If you wish to join," the man continued, unfazed by her silence, "you’ll need to prove your worth. Ten quests. Once you’ve completed those, you’ll gain full access to the library."

  Yuki’s expression remained unchanged, but inside, she felt that annoyance grow. Ten quests. Just another step. She didn’t want to be here for this. But there was no choice.

  The man slid a parchment across the desk, the registration form already id out for her. "Sign this, and you’ll be officially part of the guild."

  Yuki picked up the quill and, without a second thought, signed her name. There was no reason to dey it, no point in dragging it out. She handed the parchment back to the man, who nodded.

  "Once you’ve completed ten quests, you’ll gain access to the library. Until then, I’m afraid there’s nothing more I can do for you."

  Yuki nodded, already turning away. She wasn’t interested in the formalities. The quests would be done, and she would gain what she needed. The rest didn’t matter.

  She moved toward the quest board, where the many scrolls pinned to the wall offered the next set of tasks. There were always more steps, more to be done. But she was used to it. She would find her first task and move on. Ten quests. Just another set of obstacles in the way.

  Kiera_Yanagi