The rich aroma of coffee filled the small kit, steam curling from two mismatched mugs on the ter. Rael leaned against the fridge, fingers absently drumming against the ceramidle of his cup. Across from him, Elias sat on the ter, legs swinging zily as he blew on his drink.

  "You ever think this game is too good?" Elias mused, taking a careful sip.

  Rael arched a brow. "What do you mean?"

  "I mean, it's been a whole damn week, and I swear my body feels off when I log out. Like, I fet I'm even human half the time." Elias gestured vaguely. "The pod keeps me alive, sure, but I think I actually fot to eat yesterday. I logged out, stood up, and almost kissed the floor."

  Rael smirked. "Sounds like a you problem."

  "Bro. My body's running on VR nutrients and spite," Elias groaned. "I'm basically a husk of a man."

  Rael took a slow sip of his coffee, watg as Elias flopped back against the cupboards with an exaggerated sigh.

  "At least I hit level six," Elias added, rec quickly. "What about you?"

  "Eleven," Rael said simply.

  Elias let out a loud groan. "Goddamn. You are min-maxing."

  Rael just shrugged. "I've been busy."

  Elias eyed him. "And today?"

  Rael took another sip, sidering. The past week had been a blur of quests, grinding, aing a better feel for Solmora. He had a fortable rhythm now, but there was this nagging sense of… something. Like he was missing something right under his nose.

  "Dunno," Rael muttered. "Thinking of just expl."

  Elias snorted. "Wow. The great Noctus, not optimizing his every move? Alert the press."

  Rael smirked. "Don't get used to it."

  Elias hopped off the ter, stretg. "Well, I'll be in-game if you need me. Just don't fet to eat, man. You start looking like a corpse, people are gonna think you actually died in-game."

  Rael waved him off. "Yeah, yeah."

  With that, Elias wandered off, leaving Rael alone in the quiet kit. He stood there for a moment, coffee warm in his hands, before setting the mug down.

  The apartment was quiet, save for the faint hum of the fridge and the distant sounds of the city outside. A normal m. A normal routine.

  He stretched his shoulders, feeling the lingering stiffness from hours in the VR pod. A week in, and Ast was starting to feel like sed nature. The grind was steady, his levels were climbing, and things were fun.

  No rush. No surprises. Just another day of exploration.

  * * *

  The streets of Vash'kar bustled with life. Cobblestone roads stretched between t gothic structures, the st of burning inse drifting through the air as clerics passed by in solemn processions. Noctus moved with ease, the weight of his pted armor barely noticeable as he weaved through the crowd.

  he entrance of the Adventure Guild, a lone swordsman leaned against a wooden post, arms crossed, watg the flow of people with idle i. His gear was simple but well-kept, the hilt of a longsword resting against his palm. Despite the rexed stahere was an unmistakable sharpness in his presence—Gale was always ready, whether he looked it or not.

  Rael stopped in front of him, tilting his head. "You always this dramatic, or is standing around brooding part of your warm-up routine?"

  Gale scoffed, golden eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, please. You'd miss me if I weren't here."

  Rael smirked. "Debatable."

  Befale could fire back, a familiar voice cut in. "You two done flirting, or are we actually taking a quest today?"

  Rael turo see Leon approag, his usual easygoing grin ihe mage adjusted the strap of his spell tome slung over his shoulder before stopping beside them.

  Gale chuckled. "Depends. You found something worth our time?"

  "Maybe," Leon shrugged. "Figured we'd check the board first. Or do you two just like l?"

  They ehe Adventure Guild, slipping past groups of adventurers deep in discussion. The air inside carried the st of old part, ale, and the faint hum of magical energy from entments worked into the building's walls.

  As they approached the quest board, Rael gave it a quice-over. "Anything iing?"

  Leon sed the avaible postings before plug off a part. "Here's one—survey request he outskirts. Just some ruins, but it pays well enough."

  Gale leaned in, reading over his shoulder. "Scouting mission? Should be easy."

  Rael nodded. "Less talk, mold. Let's grab it."

  With their deade, they hahe request to the guild clerk, who processed it without much fuss. After a quick firmation, they stepped back out into the streets, heading toward the city outskirts.

  The walk was filled with casual versatiing from ret pyer enters to minor world events unfolding in Solmora. Though they'd only been a party for a week, familiarity had settled in, their banter carrying an ease that spoke of growing camaraderie.

  By the time they arrived at the ruins, they weren't alone. A group of pyers stood nearby, deep in discussion. Their armor and ons suggested they'd already been through a fight.

  One of them, a spear-wielding man, gheir way and waved. "You guys here for the ruins?"

  "Survey quest," Rael replied. "What's the situation?"

  The spearman chuckled. "You're in for a surprise, then. This ain't just ruins—it's the entrao a dungeon."

  Rael arched an eyebrow, his i piqued despite the spearman's overly casual tone. "A dungeon, huh?" He g Leon and Gale, both looking cautiously at the group. "Didn't say anything about that in the quest details."

  The spearman shrugged, a knowing grin curling at the ers of his lips. "Yeah, well, that's how it goes. You won't find anything too dangerous at first, but the deeper you go... it gets iing." His eyes gleamed, clearly more focused on what y below than any survey results.

  "How deep are we talking?" Rael asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.

  The spearman ughed. "Who knows? But if you're looking to make it worthwhile, the deeper you go, the better the rewards. That's what we were here for."

  Gale crossed his arms, looking skeptical. "I'm not one for random dungeons. What's the catch?"

  The spearman's grin widened, and he gestured toward the entrance of the dungeon. "No catch," he said casually, his tone light. "We just came from the dungeon, and it's worth cheg out. Nothing too wild, but, you know, things get a little crazy in there sometimes."

  Rael tilted his head, intrigued but cautious. "What do you mean 'crazy'? What happened?"

  The spearman shrugged, clearly uned. "Eh, it's a dungeon. A little risk, a little reward. The usual." He paused, gng over his shoulder. "But it's a good pce to test your luck. You'll see what I mean once you're in."

  Rael exged a look with Gale and Leon, still feeling like there was something more the spearman wasn't saying. "Alright. Thanks for the heads-up," Rael said, before turning to his team. "Let's go."

  The spearman gave them a quiod, already turning to leave. "Good luck. We'll be around if you need anything."

  With that, they parted ways. Rael's team moved forward, entering the dungeon alone.

  The entrance was hidden behind rown ivy and crumbled stone, barely noticeable unless you knew where to look. The moment they passed through the threshold, the temperature seemed to drop, and the air thied with the st of age and dampness.

  Rael adjusted his Tempr armor, the familiar weight settling fortably around him. He felt a slight tingle in the air—magic, faint but unmistakable—as they moved deeper into the dungeon.

  Soon, they reached a grand chamber where flickering torches cast long shadows, illuminating the massive stone door at the far end, its surface carved with strange runes.

  "That's the boss room," Rael muttered, sing the door. His eyes narrowed as he noticed something off about the room, something subtle but uling.

  "I guess this is where the fun begins," Leon said, his tone light but his eyes sing the area warily.

  Rael nodded but remained silent, his instincts on high alert. There was something about this pce, something that didn't sit right with him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

  As they approached the door, Rael's unease deepehe spearman had said everything was "standard," but his words felt like an attempt to cover something. The group hadn't mentioned anything about a trap, but Rael had learned o trust that kind of casual dismissal.

  He surveyed the area carefully, and that's when something caught his attention. There was an odd stillness in the air. The usual ambient sounds of a dungeon—distant growls, the scurry of rats, the quiet hum of magic—were absent. It was unnervingly quiet.

  But it wasn't just the silence. Rael took note of the onsters. Usually, before a boss room, the dungeon would have an array of smaller monsters, traps, or at least a few obstacles to wear doarty before the big frontation. But there was nothing—no traps, no mobs, no remnants of previous battles.

  The instance hadn't reset.

  "That's strange," Rael muttered, sing the room again. "No monsters at all."

  Gale frowned. "It's quiet. Too quiet. You sure this is the boss room?"

  Rael's brow furrowed. "No, it's the right room. But if the instance hasn't reset..." His thoughts began to race.

  He turned back toward the entrand checked the enviro once more. The spearman had made it sound casual, almost like they were doing Rael a favor by reending this dungeon, but everything about it now screamed off. They hadn't eveioned not resetting the instance—why not? What was the rush?

  Rael's stomach tightened. If the instance hadn't reset, that meant...

  "They probably haven't left," Rael murmured. "They're hiding somewhere, waiting for the right moment to jump in."

  Gale's eyes widened. "You think they're pnning to ambush us for the kill?"

  Rael gave a grim nod. "It's possible. They've likely left someone behind, hiding in the shadows, watg us."

  Leon's gaze hardened. "So, we're being baited."

  Rael's hand gripped his sword a little tighter. "I think so. They want us to lower the boss's health before they rush in. That's the py."

  Before Leon could respond, a low rumble sounded from the entrance as the massive stone dan to grind open. The boss had arrived.

  "Looks like we don't have much of a choiow," Gale said, his voice tight as he adjusted his stance.

  Rael's eyes stayed sharp, sing the shadows around them. The other team may have been hiding, but the fight came first.

  The dungeon's air grew heavy as the boss materialized. A massive, hulking creature, its body wreathed in fmes, molten rock oozing from the cracks in its skin. The Creature, its molten eyes glimmering with fury, let out a deafening roar that rattled the very stones beh their feet.

  [Beast of the Inferno Cavern]

  -Danger Level: High

  The ground trembled as it charged at Rael's team, its heavy steps causing the earth to quake.

  Rael's heart rate spiked, but he remained focused. He drew his sword, raising his shield. "Stay close! Don't let it get close to Leon!"

  Gale grunted as he charged forward, meeting the beast head-on. His sword collided with the creature's molten hide, sending a shower of sparks flying into the air. The creature's skin crackled and sizzled, but it barely seemed to notice.

  Leon immediately unleashed a fireball, sending it crashing into the creature's side, but the fmes seemed to do little more than scorch its surface. In respohe Beast swiped with a cw, its molten talons cutting through the air with arming speed.

  Gale barely mao raise his shield in time, defleg the blow, but the force sent him stumbling back. The beast roared, its fiery breath turning the air into a furnace. Rael stepped in, using his shield to block the bst as Gale regained his footing.

  "Keep it steady!" Rael shouted, tightening his grip on his sword. His team was holding their ground, but they were slowly being pushed back. Every hit they nded felt like it barely scratched the surface. They needed a pn, and fast.

  Leon quickly switched tactics, casting an ice spell that exploded upon tact with the beast's heated body. The istantly shattered, but enough of it stuck to slow the creature's movements. For a moment, it faltered.

  "Focus on its legs! If we take it down, we'll have an opening!" Rael ordered.

  The trio pressed on. Gale struck low, aiming for the creature's legs, while Leon used a bination of fire and ice to keep it off-bance. Rael stayed on the defensive, using his shield to protect his team while watg for an opening.

  The battle raged on, the heat from the creature's molten body threatening to overwhelm them. But Rael's instincts kicked in. He could feel the creature's movements slowing. It was tiring.

  The battle had been grueling, but the end was near. Rael's sword rose high, ready to strike the finishing blow on the molte. But before he could bring it down, a fsh of movement caught his eye—a figure creeping from the shadows, dagger poised to steal the kill.

  An assassin from the eeam.

  Rael acted on instinct, smming his shield forward just in time to block the assassin's strike. The dagger bounced off the shield, and the assassin growled in frustration, her eyes narrowing.

  Before the assassin could recale lunged, his sword cutting through the air with deadly precision. In one swift motion, he he final blow, his bde sinking deep into the creature. The beast let out a final, agonized roar before colpsing into a pool of molten va, leaving behind the usual pile of loot.

  The air was thick with tension. Rael could feel the hostility building, and before he could even speak, the eeam emerged from the shadows. They weren't going to let the failed kill slide.

  "Nice job," the spearman sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "But don't think you've won. We'll get our revenge now."

  The assassin stepped forward, her eyes filled with murderous i. They were clearly about to gang up on Rael's team, but just as they began to close in, something strange happened.

  A sudden surge of magic rippled through the dungeon. The ground trembled, and a blinding light filled the room. Rael's team and the eeam alike froze in fusion as the world around them seemed to shift, reality itself bending.

  And then, without warning, everyone except Rael ulled away. His team, the eeam—everyone was suddenly goeleported out of the dungeon in the blink of an eye.

  Rael stood alone in the cavern, the silehid suffog. His eyes darted around, fusioling iook a step, his breath uneven, still processing the strange isotion.

  He blinked.

  When his eyes opened again, the entire ndscape had ged. The cavern was gone. Instead, he stood on cold, cracked grouh a sky filled with swirling, unnatural colors. The air felt thick, heavy with an ominous energy. It wasn't the dungeon anymore—it was something else entirely, an alien world that pressed against his senses.

  He looked down, his gaze catg on something sharp glinting irange light.

  A fragment of metal. Half-buried in the dust, the piece of the bde shimmered with an ulihereal glow. Its sharp edge caught the dim light, and though Rael had never seen anything like it, he felt an undeniable pull toward it.

  Rael reached doicked up the shard. As his fingers closed around the cold steel, a strange hum vibrated through the air, as though the metal itself was alive. It wasn't anything tangible—just an uliion that buzzed through him, prig at the edge of his sciousness.

  And then, without warning, the world around him seemed to implode, colpsing into nothingness.

  When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer ihe dungeon but in a small clearing just outside it, his teammates nearby. The loot from the boss fight was securely stored in his iory, and the strange, distant whispers had faded away.

  He blinked, still disoriented by the strange experience.

  Before he could say anything, a notification fshed on his s:

  [You have found a fragment of 'Zenith.' Collect more fragments to reveal the truth.]

  [Fragments found: (1/?)]

  Rael's eyes lingered oification, curiosity rising. A fragment of 'Zenith'—he didn't know what that meant, but it seemed important. The object itself was just a pieetal, nothing special at first gnce, yet the message made it stand out. He opened his iory to check its description.

  [Fragment of Zenith]

  Description: Unknown. A shard of something older, carrying an odd weight.

  The vague descriptio more questions than answers. He frowned. It wasn't much to go on, but it certainly didn't seem like an ordinary item.

  His teammates were still talking about the fight and their moves. Gale mentioned something about the other team lurking around, probably hoping to snatch the st hit, but he didn't seem too bothered by it. Leon muttered something about strategy and the dungeon, but Rael wasn't really paying attention. His mi drifting back to the fragment, the straime distortion, and the odd way they had all ended up back outside the dungeon. It felt like something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

  "Rael?" Leon's voice pulled him back to the present. "You good?"

  Rael blinked and turo his friends, who were now eyeing him with ed expressions.

  "Yeah," Rael said quickly, brushing off the moment. "Just... lost in thought for a sed. Nothing major."

  Gale, ever the pragmatist, narrowed his eyes. "You've been ag weird ever since we got teleported out of that pce. What happeo you?"

  Rael hesitated. He couldly tell them everything. The whole experiehe teleportation, the altar, and the strange fragment of the bde—would be difficult to expin, especially without uanding it himself. Besides, if he said too much, it would only raise more questions than answers.

  His teammates nodded, uanding that Rael wasn't ready to talk just yet. They respected his space, knowing they'd get the details wheime was right.

  As they gathered up the remaining loot and prepared to leave the dungeon, Rael's mi drifting back to the notification. It was the first clue—just a fragment, but it was a start. And that felt like a dangerous thing. He wasn't sure what he had just uncovered, but the feeling of unease lingered, gnawing at him.

  Ohey were ba the city, they turned in their quest at the Adventure Guild. Afterward, Rael logged out of the game a straight to his puter. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment, then he casually opehe forums, a habit he had developed over time. He wasn't expeg anything special, just something to pass the time. Maybe someone else found a fragment, he thought as he scrolled through the posts.

  The first post he came across was official, pi the top of the thread:

  "Official Annou: Establishment of Guilds and Fas."