The night air was crisp, carrying the distant howl of the wind through the valley. The moon hung high above us, bathing the landscape in silver light as we reached the entrance of the dungeon. It had clearly seen better days. The once-sturdy wooden fences meant to block the entrance had been torn apart, their jagged remains littering the ground. Ahead, an ancient stone bridge stretched across a dark chasm, leading to what looked like an abandoned fortress built directly into the mountainside.

  But what caught my attention wasn’t the structure itself—it was the sheer number of slain monsters strewn across the bridge.

  Piles of rotting undead, skeleton soldiers with shattered bones, and even a few larger creatures lay lifeless, their corpses twisted and broken. The scene was a mess of crude but effective carnage. Whoever had done this had either charged in blindly, slashing at everything in sight, or they’d barely survived the battle.

  "Looks like someone beat the hell out of them," Kaldor muttered, nudging a decapitated skeleton’s skull with his boot. The hollow eye sockets seemed to stare blankly at him, its mouth frozen in an eternal grin.

  I crouched down, running my fingers over a sword wound on one of the skeletons’ ribs. The cut was rough, uneven—almost amateurish. "Or they’re just reckless idiots," I murmured. "These wounds are messy. They didn’t fight with skill, just brute force."

  Kael exhaled sharply. "Figures. They probably threw themselves at these things, hoping to win by sheer dumb luck."

  Mira, standing beside me, narrowed her eyes. "Or they just have something we don’t know about. We shouldn’t underestimate them just because they’re frauds."

  I nodded. The impostors had already proven they were bold enough to steal our name and lie their way to recognition. If they had any real power, we needed to see it for ourselves.

  As we crossed the bridge, a chilling draft swept through the air, carrying the scent of damp stone and something faintly metallic—blood, or perhaps the remnants of magic still lingering in the ruins. The stone beneath our feet was worn, weathered by time and battle, and cracks lined the edges where age and neglect had weakened the structure.

  At the end of the bridge, we entered what seemed to be a grand memorial hall. Massive columns lined the sides, their surfaces engraved with faded murals that hinted at long-forgotten history. At the center of the hall lay the remnants of a colossal statue—its head missing, its wings shattered into pieces that littered the ground. Whatever this figure had once represented, it had long since fallen into obscurity.

  I stopped in front of the broken figure, staring up at its ruined form. “I wonder who this was.”

  Sylas stepped closer, brushing dust off one of the engravings at the base of the statue. "It’s too worn down to read, but this place must’ve been important once. Maybe a temple or a resting place for someone great."

  "A resting place, huh?" Kael muttered, eyeing the skeletal remains surrounding the area. "Fitting, I guess."

  Beyond the statue, a fortress loomed, its iron gates sealed shut. The walls were lined with faded banners, their emblems unrecognizable, torn by time and battle. I walked up to the heavy wooden doors and pressed my hand against them—solid, unmoving.

  "No luck getting through here," Mira noted, testing the door beside me.

  Kaldor, however, had already wandered off to the side, inspecting the wall. His ears twitched before he pointed to a narrow gap where part of the stone had crumbled away, revealing a hidden path leading into a dark cave. "Found something," he called out. “This might be how they got in. Looks like a hidden passage.”

  "Nice find," Kael said, adjusting his dagger. "I bet those fakes took this route."

  We didn’t waste time. As we squeezed through the gap and ventured into the cave, the air turned stale and heavy. The sound of dripping water echoed through the tunnel, and the walls were lined with strange, twisting roots that had forced their way through the cracks. Faint markings of old runes glowed dimly in the darkness—probably remnants of forgotten enchantments meant to ward off intruders.

  I was just about to step forward when Kaldor, who was leading, suddenly let out a startled yelp.

  “Whoa—!”

  He vanished.

  "What the—? Kaldor!" I lunged forward, but before I could react, the ground beneath me shifted. A sharp crack echoed through the cavern as the floor gave way beneath us.

  "Damn it—!"

  I lost my balance and tumbled down.

  Glancing back, I saw my friends falling too—Sylas reaching out, Mira’s eyes wide in shock, Kael cursing under his breath as he grabbed for anything to stop his descent.

  We plunged into darkness.

  I landed with a thud, the impact jolting through my body as I struggled to steady myself. My hands scraped against rough stone, the damp air clinging to my skin as I quickly pushed myself up. A moment later, my friends followed—each landing with varying degrees of grace.

  "Everyone okay?" I called, my voice low but urgent.

  Sylas was the first to respond, brushing dust off her sleeves. She nodded, though her expression was tight, her keen eyes scanning the dimly lit surroundings. "I'm fine," she said, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her unease.

  Kaldor groaned as he got to his feet, stretching his broad shoulders with a heavy sigh. “Well, that was an unexpected ride.” His deep voice carried a tinge of amusement despite the situation. He rolled his shoulders, brushing off the dirt. “You’d think they’d put up some warning signs down here.”

  I huffed, running a hand through my hair. “Can’t say I saw that coming,” I admitted with a small grin, though my heart was still pounding from the fall. "Kael, you good?"

  Kael had already stood up, methodically dusting off his clothes. His usual smirk was absent, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows ahead. "Yeah, fine," he muttered. But I knew him well enough to tell when something was off. His gaze wasn’t just wary—it was calculating like he was piecing something together in his mind.

  Something about this place was setting him on edge.

  I shoved the unease aside for now. “We should keep moving.”

  Sylas lifted her hand, conjuring a small orb of flame that flickered to life in her palm, casting warm light onto the damp stone walls. The dim glow revealed jagged tunnels ahead, their uneven surfaces worn smooth by time and erosion.

  "I don't like how silent this place is," she murmured. “It feels... wrong.”

  She wasn’t alone in that thought.

  “You’re not wrong,” I muttered, stepping forward. The air here was different—thick with moisture and carrying a faint metallic scent. The deeper we went, the more the walls seemed to close in, narrowing as the tunnel twisted and turned. Patches of glowing moss clung to the ceiling, casting eerie, shifting shadows that played tricks on the eyes.

  For a while, none of us spoke. The only sounds were our footsteps against the stone and the faint trickle of water dripping somewhere unseen.

  “We’re not turning back, are we?” Kael asked, voice quieter than usual. There was no teasing in his tone, just an edge of tension.

  I shook my head. “No turning back now,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “We’ve come this far.”

  We pressed on, time stretching as the tunnel seemed endless. Then, finally, we emerged into a larger chamber—a cavernous space with high ceilings and rows of ancient, rusted iron bars.

  I came to a halt, my breath catching. The place was a prison.

  Cells lined the walls, their doors ajar, yawning open like hungry mouths. Some were empty, while others still held remains—skeletons slumped against walls, long forgotten, their bones brittle and yellowed with age. The clinking of loose chains echoed softly, stirred by some unseen draft.

  “This place doesn’t feel right,” I muttered, my grip tightening around my sword.

  Kaldor stepped ahead, his broad frame casting deep shadows in the dim firelight. “Stay close,” he murmured. “We don’t know what else might be down here.”

  We moved cautiously through the prison, our footsteps careful, our eyes scanning every darkened corner. Mira had fallen unusually quiet, her normally bright demeanor replaced by cold calculation. Her fingers hovered near the hilt of her sword, her gaze sharp as she took in every detail.

  “I don’t like this,” Sylas whispered. “Something feels... off.”

  She was right. The further we walked, the stronger the sensation grew—a creeping, suffocating weight pressing against us.

  Then I heard voices, two to be exact. I motioned for the others to stop.

  Voices echoed from deeper within the prison. Not whispers, but loud, careless chatter. We moved swiftly, pressing ourselves behind a large, broken column. The dim light from the moss cast just enough illumination to see them—the impostors.

  Three figures stood in the open space ahead, dressed in mismatched armor that didn’t quite fit them. They seemed at ease, chatting amongst themselves.

  The red-haired boy was adjusting his sword belt, speaking animatedly with the girl beside him. She, too, carried a sword, her hand resting lightly on the hilt as she listened. Meanwhile, the third boy—short-haired and clearly more hesitant than the other two—stood slightly apart, his robes indicating he was likely a mage. He seemed less involved in their conversation, occasionally nodding but otherwise keeping quiet.

  I exhaled slowly, keeping my voice barely above a whisper. “They’re here.”

  Mira’s grip on her sword tightened.

  Kael shifted slightly, his eyes gleaming with something between amusement and calculation.

  Sylas leaned in, her gaze locked onto the trio. “What now?”

  I kept my eyes on them, watching their movements carefully.

  “We watch,” I murmured.

  “Let’s see what they can really do.”

  “Can’t believe how easy this is,” the redhead guy said, his voice smug as he kicked aside a broken skeleton. “These guys aren’t even half the team the Rising Dawn is. Once we get back, we’ll expose them as fakes.”

  Are they talking about us?

  The girl, laughed, though it was clear she was trying to hide the anxiety bubbling under the surface. “Yeah, we’re gonna be famous. I bet we could claim their title, no problem.”

  The black-haired quiet boy, hesitated, looking around nervously. “Jasper, Lia! What if we actually run into the real team, though?” he asked, his voice faltering. “What if the kid and the others are—”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Oh, stop being such a coward, Finn!” Jasper snapped, turning on him with a roll of his eyes. “The real Rising Dawn is a joke. I heard rumors about the leader—apparently, he’s some kind of idiot. All show, no skill. It’s all a farce. Though the achievement of saving the central continent was amazing, it could be that he got lucky and had the other adventurers save his team.”

  I felt my blood boil at the mention of me, but I forced myself to stay calm.

  “Let them talk,” Kaldor murmured quietly, his deep voice soft. “We’ll show them soon enough.”

  I nodded, my hand tightening on the hilt of my sword. “Let’s keep going. They’re about to face monsters.”

  Finn’s hands clenched at his sides, his brow furrowing as he struggled to keep his cool. “But... what if those rumors aren’t true? What if they’re actually stronger than we thought? We don’t know what we’re getting into, Jasper.”

  “You’re overthinking this,” Lia chimed in, though her voice cracked slightly. She tried to sound confident, but even she was worried. “We’ll be fine. We’re just pretending to be them. They’ll never know the difference.”

  Jasper grinned. “Exactly. We’re gonna be the new Rising Dawn. People will forget all about them once we take their place. Nobody will care about those kids when we’ve got the title.”

  Finn shook his head, clearly uneasy. “I don’t know. I really think we should—”

  “Listen to me, Finn,” Jasper interjected, stepping closer and lowering his voice in a way that made Finn flinch. “You’re not backing out now. We’re doing this. And if you don’t want to get stuck as a nobody, you’ll keep your doubts to yourself.”

  Finn looked down, and for a moment, I thought he might actually stand his ground, but the weight of Jasper’s words seemed to crush him. “Fine,” he muttered, looking defeated. “But if this goes wrong, I’m out. I’m not saying if we get caught in some trap, you hear me?”

  “Good,” Jasper said, flashing a smug grin. “You’ll see, Finn. We’re gonna be the real Rising Dawn, and everyone’s going to know our names.”

  As we moved forward, the fake team seemed to notice a distant rumble echoing through the cavern. The sound grew louder, shaking the ground beneath our feet. They all stiffened, drawing their weapons in preparation for battle.

  “Looks like we’ve got company,” Jasper muttered under his breath, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword with a cocky smirk on his face. Lia unsheathed her own blade, and Finn held out his staff, its tip glowing faintly.

  Out of the shadows, a group of monsters lumbered toward them. They were slow but menacing, zombie-like creatures in tattered, patchwork armor. Their lifeless eyes locked onto the fake team as they stumbled closer, groaning and growling in their pursuit.

  Lia didn’t hesitate. With a battle cry, she dashed forward, her sword raised high above her head. She swung with all her might, cleaving through the air with wild abandon. Her strikes were powerful but unrefined—she had no technique to speak of, only the sheer strength of her swings. The blade struck one of the monsters in the side, cutting through its tattered armor with a loud crack. But the force of the blow sent her stumbling off balance.

  “Take that!” Lia yelled, grinning as she recovered her footing. “These things are pathetic!”

  Beside her, Jasper was in his flow, his own blade flashing in quick, erratic strikes. His technique was rough, but there was an undeniable flair to his movements as if he were trying to look more impressive than he really was. His confidence made up for his lack of control. He swung his sword downward in a heavy arc, slashing through a monster’s skull. It crumpled to the ground, but Jasper’s next strike was too wide, missing its target entirely.

  “Ha! Not bad for amateurs like you!” Jasper laughed, his grin growing wider. He wasn’t fast or precise, but he seemed to rely on his aggression, cutting through the monsters with reckless abandon.

  Finn, meanwhile, kept his distance. He held his staff firmly in both hands, a dark, crystal-tipped rod with faint runes running along its length. The tip of the staff glowed with a soft, eerie light as Finn muttered a spell under his breath. A bolt of lighting shot from the crystal, hitting one of the zombie-like monsters square in the chest. The creature reeled back, stunned by the blast, but Finn’s expression remained calm—his magic was his true strength, not physical combat.

  "I call upon the heat within, release a burst! Flame Burst!”

  Finn snapped, his voice sharp as he fired another blast of magic, burning most of the monsters but wasn’t strong enough to kill them right away.. “We don’t have time for this.”

  Jasper and Lia used the opportunity and slashed the burning monster brutally. “Told ya, Finn, we are strong. Keep this pace up and we will clear this dungeon with ease”

  The fake team was in full swing now. Lia and Jasper hacked away at the monsters with brute force, while Finn stood a few paces back, channeling his magic to pick off targets from afar.

  Even though they were getting the job done, it was clear their fight lacked any real finesse. Lia relied on sheer force, wildly swinging her sword, and Jasper had little precision, relying on his overconfidence to power through. Finn’s magic was his greatest asset, but his spells were wild, unpredictable, and didn’t seem well-aimed.

  I couldn't help but think back to the way we worked together. It wasn’t just power and flashy moves—it was precision, teamwork, and understanding each other’s strengths. Watching them fumble through their fight made the gap between us and them all the more apparent.

  "Hey! Over here!" Lia yelled, slashing at one of the creatures before tossing a glance at her companions. "We’re wiping the floor with these guys! Step it up, Finn!"

  Finn barely acknowledged her, his focus still entirely on his magic. He fired another bolt, knocking one of the monsters back, but the glint of annoyance in his eyes told me he was more focused on the team’s chaotic strategy than the fight itself. “I’m doing all the work here,” he muttered, but he didn’t stop casting.

  As they fought, their personalities were on full display: Lia’s reckless enthusiasm, Jasper’s cocky confidence, and Finn’s distant, controlling magic. It was a mess of individual tactics, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was only a matter of time before something went wrong.

  Finally, after what seemed like only a few minutes, the monsters were all defeated, their bodies crumpling to the ground.

  Jasper stood over the bodies of the last few monsters, grinning. “See? We’re better than the Rising Dawn. This dungeon is a joke.”

  Lia laughed again, clearly impressed with themselves. “We’ll make our own guild—The Rising Sun!”

  Before she could say anything else, a deafening boom shook the cavern.

  A monstrous figure crashed through the stone wall, sending debris flying in all directions. Dust filled the air as chunks of rock scattered across the floor. My friends and I instinctively crouched behind a few broken barrels, shielding ourselves from the impact.

  Jasper and his companions leapt back, their celebratory mood instantly shifting. Jasper narrowed his eyes at the creature that emerged from the rubble. "Judging by that strength... this must be the boss of the dungeon. After we kill it, we’re done with this mess."

  Lia grinned, spinning her sword. "Let’s finish it, then!"

  Finn adjusted his stance, gripping his staff tightly.

  I carefully peeked over the barrel. The monster before them was unlike any we had seen so far.

  It had a humanoid body—broad, muscular limbs covered in thick, leathery skin. But its head… that was no human’s. Its face resembled that of a goat, with spiraling horns curling back and forth in jagged arcs. A haunting blue flame pulsed from its shoulders and arms, licking the air as if alive. The fire wove into a burning halo behind its head, casting eerie shadows along the cavern walls.

  With a guttural roar, the monster moved faster than normal human could react. But with my eyes channeled with battle aura, I can see the monster’s movements.

  Blue flames engulfed one of its arms as it shot forward, aiming straight for Finn.

  My breath caught. He won’t dodge in time—!

  To my surprise, Jasper was faster. He stepped in front of Finn, raising his sword and blocking the incoming strike with shocking ease. The force pushed him back slightly, but he didn’t falter. With a sharp counter, he twisted his blade and slashed at the monster’s palm, drawing dark, smoking blood.

  Lia took the opening. She lunged, aiming to plunge her sword down from above.

  But the monster reacted instantly.

  It sidestepped with unnatural speed, pivoting mid-dash and kicking at her.

  Lia barely adjusted in time. Instead of taking the full brunt of the strike, she twisted in the air, using the momentum to flip backward and land in a roll. She skidded to a stop beside Jasper, grinning. "Not bad!"

  Jasper called out. "Finn! Ice magic! We’ll attack together!"

  Finn exhaled sharply and planted his staff forward. "On it."

  A chill ran through the air as Finn chanted, his staff glowing with frigid energy. Thin layers of frost spread across the cavern floor, creeping toward the monster’s feet.

  Jasper and Lia didn’t wait. The moment Finn’s spell began taking effect, they charged.

  Jasper swung low, aiming for the creature’s leg, while Lia took a more aggressive approach, striking for the neck.

  The monster snarled and retaliated, swinging its massive burning arm in an arc. It deflected Jasper’s sword with sheer force but couldn’t fully avoid Lia’s attack. She managed to nick its shoulder, but before she could follow up, it twisted its body unnaturally, backhanding her away.

  Lia grunted as she tumbled across the stone floor, barely rolling back onto her feet. "Okay! That hurt!"

  The monster turned, trying to finish her off—

  But its movements were slowing.

  The ice spell had finally taken full effect.

  I watched in surprise as Jasper, Lia, and Finn fought the boss monster with a level of skill I hadn’t expected. Their teamwork was still rough, their movements uncoordinated, but their sheer strength was undeniable.

  I found myself muttering, “I might’ve been wrong about them…”

  Sylas shot me a sharp look. “Don’t start admiring them just yet.”

  Kaldor grunted. “Still… that boss would’ve given us a hard time too.”

  None of us had expected them to be this strong.

  Suddenly, a heavy thud landed beside us.

  Sylas and Mira jolted in surprise. Mira tensed, reaching for her wand but then her eyes narrowed in confusion.

  An arm.

  The severed limb lay just inches away, its fingers missing and its surface still flickering with dying blue flames. Slowly, the fire dimmed… and the color of its flesh began to change.

  At first, it was the same deep blue as the rest of the monster. But then—

  It faded.

  The blue darkened, then paled, shifting into a sickly grey, almost as if it were… losing its true form.

  Kaldor noticed it too. He pointed forward. “They’re overwhelming it.”

  I glanced back at the battlefield.

  The monster’s movements had slowed. Half its body was encased in thick ice, but it still swung its remaining hand wildly, deflecting attacks. It was fighting desperately, but even it had to know it was finished.

  “Finn, finish it!” Jasper barked.

  Finn, standing in the backline, adjusted his staff. A medium-sized ice shard, nearly half my height, materialized above him. With a flick of his wrist, he sent it flying straight for the monster’s exposed lower left side.

  The ice struck with crushing force.

  A sickening crack rang through the cavern as the monster’s body contorted from the impact. Its lower left side was completely shattered, and with a final agonized roar, it collapsed. Water splashed across the ground as its massive frame hit the stone floor.

  Lia didn’t waste time. She leaped onto its back, driving her sword straight through its spine, pinning it down.

  Jasper followed up immediately, leaping and twisting midair. His sword gleamed as he swung—

  The blade sliced cleanly through the monster’s neck.

  “We did it!” Lia cheered, raising her arms in victory.

  Jasper laughed, sheathing his sword. Finn let out a relieved sigh, pushing up his glasses as he approached them.

  The three of them regrouped, grinning at each other.

  I stared at them, speechless.

  “…Damn,” I muttered.

  Sylas crossed her arms. “Still frauds.”

  “I know,” I said. “But proving that isn’t our priority right now. We should just—”

  As Jasper and his group cheered for their victory, I found myself speechless. I exchanged glances with my friends, and I could tell they were thinking the same thing. We had underestimated them.

  “They’re… actually pretty strong,” I admitted, keeping my voice low. It wasn’t easy to say, but denying it would just be foolish.

  Kaldor crossed his arms, watching the fake trio with an unreadable expression. “I won’t lie, that thing might’ve given us trouble too.”

  Sylas frowned but reluctantly nodded. “Still doesn’t change the fact that they’re frauds.” She sighed, rubbing her temples. “But proving that is going to be way harder now.”

  Mira let out a quiet breath. “They’re not just playing pretend. They can fight. If we try to expose them now, people might actually side with them instead of us.”

  I hated to admit it, but she had a point. We had assumed they were just a bunch of reckless kids trying to steal our name, but this? This was something else.

  Kael finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. “We should back off. At least for now.”

  I hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. We’re too close, and if we get caught spying, it’ll only make us look bad. We’ll retreat for now and figure out another way to deal with them.”

  Sylas sighed. “So we’re just gonna let them run around with our name?”

  “For now,” I muttered. “But not forever.”

  Kaldor grunted in agreement. “We’ll get another chance.”

  Sylas huffed, clearly frustrated but not arguing. “Fine. But I’m not letting th–”

  A loud thud echoed through the place as we had to put two of our hands down on the floor so as not to get knocked over by the rumble.

  A massive hand, pale and skeletal, reached up from the cracks in the earth, followed by a towering figure—a creature, though only about 3 meters tall disturbing that I could barely comprehend it. The skeletal face of the giant slowly rose, its hollow eyes locking onto the fake group. Its mouth opened, revealing rows of jagged teeth as it roared.

  “Guess that was just our appetizer,” Jasper muttered under everyone’s breath

  They had no time to react as blue flames shot from the creature’s mouth, engulfing them in a burst of searing heat.