The morning sun painted the cobblestone streets with a warm golden hue, the village slowly stirring awake as shopkeepers prepared their stalls and children darted around playing games. The air was crisp, carrying a faint breeze that smell of the nearby sea. My friends and I walked toward the adventurer’s guild, the week’s routine quests and camaraderie keeping our spirits high.

  The past week had been a busy one. We’d taken on various quests, each contributing a little more to our growing experience as adventurers. Escorting merchants, clearing pests, gathering rare herbs—it wasn’t glamorous, but it was honest work. Sometimes we would take on tasks of killing monsters near the village. The money we earned kept our supplies stocked, and more importantly, it brought us closer as a team.

  “What do you think the villagers are saying about the Drakonians now?” Mira asked, her voice cutting through the gentle chatter. She was walking beside Sylas, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

  Sylas grinned, her energy as vibrant as ever, with her blonde flying over the gust of wind.“Probably how heroic and mysterious we are. ‘Eregor the Brave’ might even become a local legend!”

  Kael, who always had a knack for irritations, chuckled. “More like a cautionary tale. ‘Beware of falling Drakonians.’”

  I groaned, my footsteps faltering as the memory of my not-so-graceful descent resurfaced. “That wasn’t my fault. If Sylas hadn’t—”

  “—dropped you?” she finished, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I regret nothing.”

  The group erupted into laughter, even Kaldor, who usually remained stoic, cracking a small smile. Finn took the opportunity to jab Kaldor in the ribs. “Hey, Kaldor, you still seeing shadows in the corners at night? Or maybe under your bed?”

  “I’m ignoring that,” Kaldor said, his tone calm but his expression slightly annoyed.

  Jasper wasn’t as kind. “If you see any Drakonians hiding in the kitchen, let me know. I’ll need them to scare off the rats.”

  Before Kaldor could retort, I held up a hand, signaling for quiet. “Alright, that’s enough. We’re almost at the guild. Try not to embarrass yourselves too much when we get there.”

  “Alright, boss” Jasper and Finn said in union. They have never listened to my words of not using the word “boss”, but I feel somewhat happy when got called by that.

  The adventurer’s guild was bustling as usual. The clatter of mugs and the hum of conversation filled the air. Veteran adventurers compared tales, and newer recruits haggled over gear prices or nervously awaited assignments.

  I headed straight for the mission board, my eyes scanning the glowing stones embedded in it. Each stone represented a task, its color and intensity signifying its difficulty. One in particular caught my attention—a deep blue stone with a faint glow, almost as if it were pulsing.

  “Cleaning a shipwreck on the seashore?” I read aloud, tilting my head. “This one’s been sitting here for a while.”

  Jasper leaned over my shoulder, squinting at the description. “Easiest mission ever. Why hasn’t anyone taken this yet?”

  I turned to a nearby adventurer, a burly man leaning against the wall with a tankard in hand. “Hey, why hasn’t anyone taken this mission?”

  The man glanced at the stone, then back at me. His face darkened. “The sea’s dangerous, kid. Filled with mysteries and things that’ll drag you under before you know what’s happening. No one from the village or the guild dares go near it.”

  I frowned, not entirely convinced. “Sounds more like a myth than a reason.”

  “Maybe,” he replied, his tone grim. “But myths often start with a grain of truth. Proof of completing the mission is simple: come back alive.”

  I shrugged off his warning, though a faint unease settled in the back of my mind. The receptionist echoed his words when I claimed the mission, her tone equally cautious. But we dismissed it as superstition, our confidence outweighing our fear.

  Our group arrived at the edge of the cliffside trail, greeted by the sight of the sprawling seashore below. The sun sparkled off the waves, and the crash of the surf against the rocks filled the air. For a moment, the daunting task ahead was forgotten as everyone took in the beauty of the scene.

  “Wow,” Mira said, shielding her eyes as she gazed out at the water. “It’s... peaceful. Hard to believe this place is supposed to be dangerous.”

  “I’ll give the ocean one thing,” Jasper said with a grin, already kicking off his boots. “It knows how to make an entrance.”

  “Wait,” I said, crossing my arms as I looked at him. “What are you doing?”

  “Uh, what does it look like I’m doing?” Jasper replied, rolling up his trousers. “I’m going for a run in the water.”

  Before I could stop him, he was already sprinting toward the shoreline, laughing as he splashed into the shallow waves.

  “Unbelievable,” I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose.

  “Oh, come on, Duke,” Sylas said, nudging me with her elbow. “You’ve got to admit, it’s kind of tempting.”

  “It does look fun,” Kaldor added, his usually stoic expression softening as he watched Jasper wade further into the water.

  Finn, however, didn’t wait for anyone’s approval. With a whoop, he darted past us and dove headfirst into the waves, emerging moments later with a satisfied grin. “It’s cold!” he shouted. “But totally worth it!”

  Kael sighed, shaking his head, but even he couldn’t resist the infectious energy. He rolled up his sleeves and joined the others, his usual quiet demeanor replaced with a rare smile.

  Maybe, we should take a break after a while. Besides, this is my first time for- who knows? 20 years? Since I last been to a beach.

  For the next hour, the group abandoned their mission to enjoy the beach. Sylas used her wind magic to send sprays of water toward Finn, who retaliated by tossing clumps of wet sand in her direction. Mira gathered seashells along the shore, occasionally showing off her finds to the rest of us with a proud grin.

  Jasper, as expected, made himself the center of attention, challenging everyone to a skipping-rock competition. Kaldor, surprisingly, turned out to be the most skilled, his stones bouncing across the waves an impressive five or six times. While jasper and Kael scored 4 and 3 respectively. My rock sank right it hit the surface

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  “Alright, alright,” Jasper said, throwing up his hands in mock defeat. “You win, Kaldor. I’ll never challenge you again... unless it’s arm wrestling. I can totally take you in that.”

  “Doubtful,” Kaldor replied, his tone dry but his eyes glinting with amusement.

  “And boss, don’t feel so sad about a childish game. Everyone got their weakness, am I right?”

  “Yea, maybe” I found myself relaxing, letting the cool water lap at my feet as I watched the others. It was rare to see everyone this carefree, and despite the looming shipwreck ahead, I couldn’t bring myself to break up the moment.

  Eventually, reality set in, and we regrouped at the base of the cliff. The shipwreck loomed in the distance, its jagged remains a stark contrast to the lively energy from earlier.

  “Alright,” I said, taking charge once more. “Fun’s over. Let’s get to work.”

  “Aww, come on,” Finn whined, wringing water out of his shirt. “Just five more minutes?”

  “Unless you want to clean the shipwreck alone, no,” I replied firmly. “We’ve got a job to do.”

  “Fine,” he muttered, falling in line with the rest of us.

  The mood was lighter now, though, and as we approached the wreck, the joy from our impromptu beach break carried over into our work. Even the daunting task ahead seemed a little less intimidating with everyone in good spirits.

  “Are we cleaning a shipwreck or dismantling a fortress?” Kael muttered, kicking a piece of driftwood.

  “Stop whining,” Mira said, rolling her eyes. “You’re not the one using magic to do most of the work.”

  “You’re not wrong,” Sylas chimed in with a smirk, already flexing her fingers in preparation. “But don’t worry, Kael. I’ll make sure to point out all the spots you missed while we’re working.”

  “Ha. Ha.” Kael gave her a flat look but didn’t bother to argue further.

  “Alright,” I said, stepping forward and clapping my hands to get everyone’s attention. “We’re splitting up. Sylas, Mira, and Finn, you’ll use your magic to gather the smaller debris into piles. The rest of us will focus on dragging the larger pieces to a central spot inland. Once everything’s together, we’ll decide how to get rid of it all. Sound good?”

  “Works for me,” Sylas said, already conjuring a small swirl of wind in her palm.

  “Wait,” Finn said, frowning as he looked out toward the horizon. “What if something is out there? Like what Kaldor mentioned earlier?”

  “Look, we had been playing on the beach for an hour, if that thing want to catch us, they could have done it earlier. And when it try, we’ll deal with it,” I replied firmly. “We’re here to get the job done, not chase shadows. Let’s move.”

  With that, everyone got to work.

  Sylas, Mira, and Finn stood in a loose formation, their hands glowing faintly as they concentrated on their spells. The wind swirled around them, growing stronger with each synchronized movement. Pieces of wood, broken planks, and other debris lifted off the ground, spinning in a controlled vortex before being deposited in a neat pile near the cliffside.

  “This is actually kind of fun,” Finn said, grinning as he directed a particularly stubborn piece of driftwood into the pile.

  “Speak for yourself,” Mira muttered, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. “Controlling this much at once is exhausting.”

  “Want me to take over?” Sylas offered, her tone teasing. “I can handle it if you’re feeling weak.”

  Mira shot her a glare. “I’m fine. Just focus on your own pile.”

  Sylas smirked, clearly enjoying the banter, and sent another gust of wind to sweep up a cluster of planks with many oysters on it.

  “Yuck… these things look disgusting” Finn and Sylas look at the planks

  Meanwhile, the rest of us were busy wrestling with the heavier fragments of the ship. The wooden beams were waterlogged and slippery, making them difficult to grip.

  “Careful with that one!” Jasper called out as Kaldor lifted one end of a massive plank.

  “I’ve got it,” Kaldor replied, his voice calm but strained. “You, on the other hand, might want to start pulling your weight instead of supervising.”

  “Supervising is a crucial role in any operation,” Jasper said with sarcasm, grinning.

  I groaned, stepping in to grab the other end of the beam. “Less talking, more lifting. Let’s get this done before the tide comes in.”

  Jasper gave an exaggerated sigh but finally pitched in, grabbing a smaller piece of the wreckage and hauling it toward the growing pile.

  Kael was already on his third trip, dragging a bundle of broken planks tied together with some discarded rope he’d found. “You know,” he said as he passed us, “this would go a lot faster if Finn and Sylas weren’t playing magical tug-of-war with that wooden log over there.”

  “I heard that!” Finn called out, though his tone was more amused than offended.

  Lia, on the other hand, traveled deep inside to get a wooden log for herself. As she pull it out, many more debris fall right around her, traping her inside.

  “Uh. Any help guys. I can’t swim out because it’s too shallow and the planks are to wet to climb on.” She complained

  “This is going to be a very, very… long day” I said, and with Kael go to save her

  Once the smaller debris was piled up and the larger pieces were dragged inland, we regrouped to figure out the next step.

  “Alright,” I said, glancing at the massive pile of wood and other materials. “Any ideas on how to get rid of this?”

  “We could burn it,” Sylas suggested, conjuring a small flame in her palm for emphasis.

  “That seems... dramatic,” Mira said, frowning. “Are we sure that’s the best option?”

  “Got a better idea?” Sylas shot back.

  Finn stepped between them, raising his hands. “Alright, alright. Let’s not turn this into another debate. Burning it seems efficient, but we need to make sure we’re far enough from the cliff to avoid any accidents.”

  “Good point,” I said. “Let’s move everything a little further inland before we light it up.”

  With the pile repositioned, Sylas stepped forward, her flame flickering and growing larger as she channeled her magic. She glanced back at us with a grin. “Last chance to back out if anyone’s afraid of fire.”

  “Just get on with it,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  She laughed and hurled the flame into the pile. The dry wood caught instantly, the flames roaring to life and sending thick black smoke spiraling into the sky. We all stepped back, the heat from the fire intense even at a distance.

  “Mission accomplished,” Kael said, wiping his hands on his trousers. “Easy money.”

  “Easiest mission ever,” Jasper added, stretching his arms above his head.

  Kaldor, however, was still glancing at the horizon, his expression uneasy. “I don’t like this,” he said quietly.

  “What now?” I asked, exasperated.

  “There’s something out there,” he insisted, nodding toward the water. “I keep seeing shapes moving beneath the waves.”

  “Probably just fish,” I said with a shrug, though a small part of me couldn’t shake his words. “Don’t let your imagination get the better of you.”

  As the group laughed and joked about the superstitions surrounding the sea, I suddenly felt a strange absence at my side. My hand went to my belt, only to find my saber missing. Checking on the other side, my main sword is still there, only the saber missing

  “Mira,” I said, nudging her. “Do you see that?”

  Her eyes widened as she followed my gaze to the water. “My wand... it’s out there too.”

  “ Boss, be Careful not to your feet swallowed” Jasper said

  “ Yea, yea, keep joking and you will sleep outside tonight”

  Without hesitation, we stepped onto the water’s surface, carefully making our way toward our items. The others watched from the shore, their voices growing faint as we moved further away.

  As I reached for my saber, a shimmer of light surrounded us. The air felt heavy, almost suffocating, as an invisible circular barrier rose between us and the shore.

  “Duke! Mira!” Sylas shouted, her fists pounding against the barrier.

  “We’re fine!” I called back, though my heart was pounding. “Get help!”

  But Mira’s face had already gone pale, her body swaying before she collapsed. The world spun around me, my vision blurring as a strange dizziness took hold.

  “Sylas—” I tried to call out, but the words never came. Darkness consumed me as I hit the water’s surface, my mind spinning with unanswered questions.