The fortress burns.
Flames crawl up the ancient stone walls like living serpents, devouring everything in their path. The air is thick with the acrid stench of burnt wood and ozone—a heavy, suffocating blanket.
I bolt through the shattered gate, my lungs screaming for air. Smoke claws at my throat, a dry, rasping agony. Heat licks my exposed skin. But I don't stop. I can't.
Every single, frantic heartbeat is a single thought.
Mia. Mia. Mia.
The corridors that once echoed with the footsteps of knights are now drowning in chaos. Fire paints the walls in violent orange and gold, twisting shadows across the shattered floors.
Somewhere deeper inside, the crackling roar of the conflagration mixes with the faint, dying screams of men.
My boots grind broken glass and charred bone as I tear through the ruins.
Then—movement.
A guttural snarl.
Another.
From the churning smoke, three monsters lunge forward. Their scales are blackened, eyes burn red, jaws drip with blood. C-ranked beasts—injured, maddened by the heat and fire—but still a lethal threat.
I don't hesitate. My katana rises. Steel flashes through the smoke, a silver blur against the gloom.
One swing. Two. Three.
Heads drop. Bodies collapse.
The corridor goes silent again—until heavy, rhythmic footsteps echo from deeper within the flames.
Slow. Powerful.
Deliberate.
I freeze. The air thickens, pressing a cold weight against my chest.
Then it steps out.
A massive A-rank monster—its body a grotesque fusion of bear and lizard, claws the size of swords, serrated teeth jutting from its split jaw. Its eyes gleam a hungry, intelligent red.
Each breath it takes sends a plume of sparks into the blazing air.
I grit my teeth and raise my blade. My body trembles, blood seeps from half-healed wounds along my arm, but I take my stance. I can't back down.
The monster moves first.
The ground shatters under its earth-shaking charge. I barely dodge—the creature's claw slams into the wall, blasting stone into dust that rains down like grit.
I retaliate. My katana slices through smoke and flame—
but when it connects, it barely scrapes a line into the beast's obsidian hide.
The creature snarls, its spiked tail whips around—
and I am sent flying, crashing through a weakened section of the wall.
I crash into rubble, gasping for breath. The impact knifes through my ribs. Still, I push myself up—half-staggering, half-crawling—until my hand closes once more around the hilt.
I attack again.
And again.
Each strike feels weaker than the last. It's useless. I can't win.
The monster doesn't even flinch.
I drop to one knee, my chest heaving, my vision spinning violently. Not here. Not now.
I force myself up, sword raised—
but before I can swing, the beast's shadow looms over me.
Then—
A shaking roar.
A brilliant flash of steel.
A figure crashes down from above, slamming a greatsword into the monster's thick jaw. The sheer impact shakes the entire corridor.
"Kael!"
John shouts, his voice raw with ash and desperation.
Behind him, Nicholas and Daren stumble into view—limping, wounded, but still standing.
They rush forward together. Nicholas' spear pierces the creature's flank. Daren's axe slams into its leg. John swings again, cleaving through scales and bone.
The monster bellows, thrashing wildly, a mountain of rage.
Its tail sweeps across the hall, a deadly scythe, sending all three of them crashing into piles of rubble. Their weapons scatter across the burning floor.
I move toward them, but my legs give out. My sword slips from my grasp, clattering uselessly.
The monster looms above them all, its claws raised high—ready to deliver the killing blow.
And then—
The very ground trembles.
A golden flash splits the smoke, momentarily blinding me.
Someone lands between us and the beast.
A voice, deep and steady, cuts through the chaos.
"Step back."
The air hums with sudden, profound power. The flames bend and shy away. Even the A-rank monster hesitates.
I blink through the haze, my vision clearing just enough to see the man standing there.
Gareth.
His armor is shattered, hanging in pieces. A crude spear—torn from a fallen knight—rests in his hands.
Blood seeps from deep wounds across his body; his left arm dangles uselessly at his side.
And yet—he stands straight, unyielding.
His eyes burn with a cold, terrifying fury.
The monster roars and charges. Gareth moves to meet it.
Their clash rattles the fortress walls. Steel and claw collide again and again, the air splits with every brutal strike.
Even wounded, even exhausted, Gareth fights like a man possessed. Each step is precise. Each movement is controlled.
The monster cannot touch him.
Then, with one perfect, fluid motion, Gareth sidesteps a frenzied leap—
and thrusts his spear forward.
Straight through the creature's chest.
No technique. No flourish.
Just pure mastery.
The sound is deafening—steel tearing through flesh, then a ringing silence.
The monster freezes mid-charge.
Its glowing core shatters.
And it collapses, lifeless, into the churning fire.
Ash drifts in the air.
The only sound is the crackle of the dying flames.
Gareth exhales slowly, lowering the broken spear. He doesn't look back as he speaks—his voice calm, but heavy with exhaustion.
"…Are you all okay?"
I don't answer.
I can't.
I just stare past Gareth—past the dying flames—toward the inner chambers of the fortress.
Toward where Mia might still be.
And the dread in my chest only grows darker.
The flames have not died yet.
They just burn quieter now—like embers feeding on the last breath of a dying world.
The heavy air smells of smoke and exhaustion.
"What are you looking for?" John asks, his voice raw and hoarse from the smoke.
I turn toward him, my throat dry.
"Have you seen Mia?"
The words come out more desperate than I want.
"Mia?" John frowns, still breathing heavily.
Beside him, Daren and Nicholas lie on the ground, exhausted and bleeding, but alive.
"They must be in the inner chamber," Gareth states, his tone low.
He points toward the fortress's heart—where the main building stands in ruin.
The heavy iron doors are shattered, parts of the roof have caved in, smoke pours from every opening.
He hesitates for a moment, eyes narrowing.
"The workers who stayed behind were ordered to go deeper… into the safe area," he adds.
Then his voice trails off. He doesn't need to finish the sentence.
If the safe area was breached, then… she is probably gone.
I draw a long, shaky breath, forcing my frantic heartbeat to calm.
My legs tremble, but I push myself up. The katana feels heavy in my grip, but my fingers refuse to let go.
Without a word, I start walking toward the inner gate.
"Where are you going, Kael?" John calls out.
"Inside," I say. I don't look back.
"Are you insane?" John barks. "There might still be monsters in there—and you can barely stand!"
I keep walking.
"I promised Mia I'd protect her," I state quietly.
"And I intend to keep that promise. I won't stop until I find her."
The corridor falls silent for a moment. The heavy weight of my vow hangs in the air.
They must think I'm mad. Even John doesn't have anything left to say.
Then—footsteps follow.
I turn slightly and see them.
John, Daren, and Nicholas—each one limping, bruised, barely standing—but following anyway.
Nicholas' right leg drags slightly as he walks, but his grip on the spear is firm.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Coming with you," Daren says simply, flashing a tired grin.
"There's no way we're letting you go in there alone. If we go together, we'll find her—and whoever else is still alive."
John smirks faintly. Nicholas gives a firm nod.
For a brief moment, I feel something stir in my chest. Something faint and unfamiliar—warm, almost comforting.
But it disappears as quickly as it comes. This isn't the time.
Then Gareth steps forward, his spear still stained with black blood.
He limps slightly but moves with purpose, taking the lead.
"Stay close," he commands.
His voice is steady, absolute.
We follow him, one step after another, deeper into the heart of the fortress—
where the air grows thicker, the fire burns dimmer, the scent of fresh ash mixes with old, damp stone,
and something monstrous still waits beyond the smoke.