The group left the train station and followed the vibrant streets of the city.
The air was a mosaic of smells — freshly baked bread, burnt oil, and the ancient dust that the wind lifted from the stone pavements.
People hurried in every direction: workers carrying boxes, women selling flowers at the corners, and children laughing as they kicked a dented can.
Between the sound of footsteps, merchants' shouts, and bursts of laughter, horse-drawn carts mixed into the crowd — a chaotic yet living harmony.
Julian walked a few steps behind, his eyes scanning every façade and alley with a distant expression.
— Are we… in Alquiria? — he asked, frowning.
Augusto nodded calmly.
— Yes. How did you know?
Julian let out a brief, almost melancholy smile.
— I was born here. You can recognize Alquiria just by breathing its air.
Kevin chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
— Then it's good to be back home, huh?
But Julian looked away, his voice firm, emotionless.
— I'd rather never have come back.
The group fell silent. The city's noise seemed to fade for a moment.
Then Augusto stopped abruptly, and everyone followed his lead.
— We're here.
Before them stood a two-story building.
The façade was modest, painted in worn shades of gray and brown. The windows were stained by time, and a crooked metal sign swung gently above the door.
At first glance, it looked like an abandoned warehouse — but something in Augusto's posture told a different story.
Inside, they were met by a long, busy corridor.
The sound of hurried footsteps, stamps, and distant arguments filled the air. Long tables lined both sides — on one, people in formal attire dealt with documents and official seals; on the other, warriors and hunters exchanged reports, signed contracts, and received orders.
The place felt like a mix between a barracks and an administrative office.
The walls were covered with crests and detailed maps; the stone floor reflected the golden light of the hanging lamps.
The air carried a mixed scent of ink, parchment, and polished steel.
As they walked down the corridor, the constant murmur followed them. Some glances looked away; others lingered with curiosity.
A young woman in a gray-blue uniform approached, keeping a polite, restrained smile.
Augusto spoke first:
— Excuse me. We'd like to see General Arlok.
She nodded respectfully.
— This way, Second Sentinel. Please, follow me.
Guided by her, they walked to the end of the hall, where a metal lift waited.
The sound of gears and chains echoed as it began to rise. When they stepped out, a spiral staircase led them to the upper floor.
The receptionist stopped before a large, reinforced wooden door and announced:
— General Arlok is just inside. I hope I've been helpful.
Without waiting for a reply, she disappeared down the corridor.
Augusto opened the door without hesitation. Kevin and Julian followed.
On the other side, silence ruled the room.
The office was wide and filled with light from tall windows that let in the golden glow of sunset.
Behind a desk cluttered with papers and metallic pens, an older man with a white beard lifted his gaze. A warm smile brightened his face.
— It's good to see you again, Second Sentinel, — he said in a deep voice. — And it seems you've brought your friend… the famous Dark Star.
Kevin frowned.
— Do we… know each other?
The old man nodded slowly.
— Yes, boy. I was the man you saved in the Ninja Kingdom. After you left, the black flames caught me… but I survived, thanks to a rescue team.
For a moment, Kevin couldn't speak.
A tear slid down his face, followed by a gentle smile.
— I'm glad you're alive. And… I see you've got a new arm.
Arlok laughed briefly.
— That's right! But we'll talk about that later. Come with me!
Julian raised an eyebrow.
— And where exactly are we going?
The general stood up, opening a door behind his desk. A stone corridor lit by magical torches revealed itself.
— Quickly. Follow me.
As they walked, Arlok continued speaking:
— "Dark Star" became a legend among survivors. Your name spread through the kingdoms — they say you were the star that shone in the darkness, when hope seemed dead.
The corridor ended in a grand two-story hall.
Statues of legendary warriors stood along the walls, each with iron plaques engraved with their names and deeds.
Tattered banners and ancient weapons decorated the space, while scrolls and journals filled the shelves.
Torchlight danced through the dust in the air, giving everything a sacred glow.
Augusto stopped beside Kevin and said with a half-smile:
— This is it… the place where your story began.
Kevin stared silently, feeling the weight of those words.
His past hadn't been forgotten — it had turned into legend.
The general leafed through some papers on a large table.
— Boy, I was about to raise your rank right away… but I was told to wait. They want to see how you handle your next mission. Let's say your first one wasn't exactly… stellar.
Kevin took a deep breath.
— This time will be different.
Julian, from the second floor, replied while scanning a dusty book:
— This place feels like a sanctuary of records. From the outside, it looks like a mission center, but it's where the kingdom keeps its memory.
— Exactly, — said Arlok. — Here we archive the deeds of every notable warrior.
We have data on Ray, Luís Dinark, the Second Sentinel… and now, your records too, Dark Star. And even yours, Julian.
Kevin looked up, intrigued.
(Few people call the Second Sentinel by his real name… is it a secret, or just custom?)
— My records? — he asked, wary.
Arlok smirked.
— You stood out in the last rescue. Some say it was a woman. Others swear it was a man.
Kevin laughed awkwardly.
— People love to make up stories…
Before the talk could stretch further, Augusto cut in firmly:
— Let's move. We don't know how long this mission will take.
Arlok raised his tone slightly, his gaze sharp:
— The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll return. If it all goes well, I'll raise both your ranks myself.
Julian shut the book and jumped down from the upper floor, landing lightly.
— Then we'd better not fail.
Kevin smiled faintly and followed Augusto toward the door.
It closed behind them with a dry thud — the sound of one chapter ending and another beginning.
---
Hours later…
The forest surrounding the cave seemed to swallow the dying light.
The trees were tall and twisted, their canopies so dense the sky could barely breathe through them. Moss-covered trunks leaned like the pillars of a living fortress, and thick roots clawed through the soaked earth.
A heavy mist covered the ground, erasing any sign of the path back.
Not even the birds dared to sing. Only the distant wind — low, tense — whispered a warning that something there did not wish to be disturbed.
Before the cave entrance, the trio stopped.
The rift was huge and uneven, covered in dark moss and small streams of water sliding down the rocks.
A cold wind blew from within — damp, metallic, unsettling.
Kevin adjusted his backpack and sighed.
— Well… we've got food and water for three days. Who knows how long we'll be in there.
Augusto's gaze stayed fixed on the darkness.
— Dungeon missions usually require twenty warriors or more. But given the situation… it's just us three.
Julian spoke in a serious, almost resigned tone.
— And that's more than the kingdom can offer now. There are barely enough soldiers to protect the towns, let alone risk lives in training. Too many have died in the recent battles.
— That's exactly why we're here, — said Augusto firmly. — If it's something we can handle, we handle it. It's just a training Dungeon, right?
Kevin grumbled, pushing aside a branch.
— Sure, but tell me this: why do I have to carry the heaviest pack? You two could take turns, you know.
Augusto replied without looking back — calm, but teasing.
— Because you're support. Since you don't use enchantments or physical weapons, your job is to keep us standing. Carrying the weight is part of that.
Kevin frowned, biting his lip.
— Didn't have to rub it in…
Julian tried to ease the tone.
— He was harsh, but he's right.
Kevin lowered his head.
— It's fine. I'll play my part.
Silence swallowed the sound of their own footsteps.
The magical torches lining the walls flickered as they advanced, casting trembling shadows across their faces.
(Augusto's thoughts)
> I expected him to answer back — to say something like "I trained with Luís and Ryane, I'm not the same anymore." But he stayed quiet.
That power he used against Luís… it didn't feel like enchantment.
Kevin, what are you hiding?
Augusto glanced over his shoulder — Kevin walked behind them, his face half-devoured by darkness.
> I guess I'll find out soon enough.
The tunnel narrowed. The air grew heavy, smelling of iron and rot.
Suddenly, a chorus of shrieks shattered the silence — dozens of grotesque creatures fell from the ceiling, hunched, gray-skinned, with eyes glowing red like embers.
They ran in packs, their high-pitched howls vibrating through the stone walls.
Julian and Kevin reacted instantly.
Both charged forward side by side.
Julian drew his sword, steel flashing in the dim light.
Kevin, with a sharp snap, formed a dagger of pure light between his fingers.
— Let's see who finishes first! — shouted Kevin, grinning.
The dagger sliced through the air — a greenish-blue flare cutting the darkness.
Kevin leapt, spun midair, and struck — but his body dissolved into golden dust before hitting the ground. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared ahead, catching the same dagger he had thrown seconds before.
He kept running, relentless.
Julian followed, slashing creatures with quick, precise movements, opening trails of blood and ash.
Augusto came last, his expression unreadable.
A red aura radiated from him — alive, pulsing — spreading across the ground.
Where it touched, the monsters' bodies ignited, burning to ash.
The crackling fire echoed through the cave.
And in the end, only Augusto's silhouette remained, fading into the flames.
---
— Warm up…
The word slipped from Kevin's lips. He stopped.
The echo vanished into the cavern's vastness.
Julian approached, still catching his breath.
They both looked ahead — a wide field covered in dark, damp grass, with a black pond at the center reflecting pale lights.
The air reeked of blood, iron, and decay.
Human bodies lay scattered everywhere — mutilated, twisted, their faces frozen in pure terror.
Some still dripped fresh blood.
Augusto arrived moments later, his cloak dragging through the dust.
The three stood in silence, studying the massacre.
Only the buzzing of flies and the sound of dripping water marked time.
Julian knelt near a fresh hole.
(Thought)
> This wasn't here before.
His eyes gleamed — silver-gray with a red streak pulsing through.
His vision pierced the ground: four people, chained, exhausted… but alive.
A distant howl echoed.
Julian turned — Kevin was running toward them, surrounded by two green-aura wolves, a glowing owl above his head, and two serpents coiled around his arms.
His eyes now blended gray and green, just like Julian's.
— You sensed them too? — asked Augusto, serious.
— Yes, — Julian replied. — But… did you know he could summon animals?
Augusto narrowed his gaze.
— Those aren't summons. He shapes his own aura — gives physical form to what he feels.
— So that's how he compensates for the lack of enchantments, — murmured Julian.
— Most likely, — concluded Augusto.
They moved forward, stepping over bones and damp grass.
---
— Warm up.
— Warm up.
— Warm up.
Kevin repeated it steadily, like a mantra.
The animals followed, moving in perfect rhythm.
The tunnel opened into a vast chamber.
Four men were bound by tentacles sprouting from the walls — mouths covered, eyes wide in pure terror.
— Warm up.
Kevin's aura erupted.
Green and blue lights intertwined around his body; purplish tones spread through his hair until it turned white as snow.
The air trembled, distorted by heat.
A tentacle shot toward him. Kevin dodged, spinning midair. He returned to normal.
The wolves leapt in unison, snarling.
From the walls, translucent beings emerged — gelatinous bodies, blue eyes, sharp teeth.
Living phantoms.
Kevin clenched his fists.
— I have to get them out before—
A firm hand landed on his shoulder.
— Leave that to us, — said Augusto. — Julian and I will handle it. You take the hostages and catch up later.
Kevin nodded.
— Understood.
Four green aura chains burst from his back.
While Augusto burned monsters with flaming blades, Kevin launched his chains upward, hooking the prisoners and pulling them free.
Julian moved like a storm, cutting down everything in his path.
When the last man was freed, Kevin caught him.
— Let's get out of here.
The four hurried through the tunnel, emerging into the field by the black pond — now swarming with dozens of phantoms.
Kevin stepped forward.
— Don't be afraid. Dark Star is here.
The serpent coiled on his arm slithered down to the ground and expanded, forming a translucent dome around the four men.
Kevin smirked.
— Stay inside. The rest… is mine.
The phantoms moved slowly, as if studying him.
Kevin raised both hands — two green daggers materialized.
Their glow shimmered across the dark water.
— Come on, — he said, his voice steady.
— Hideous creatures.
And with a euphoric grin, he added:
— Fighting… is my profession.
The owl soared across the chamber, casting green light over the cavern's ceiling —
and the roar of the phantoms echoed like thunder.