I was running through the narrow corridor, one of the injured firmly braced on my shoulder. The torch trembled in my hand, casting dancing shadows on the damp mine walls. My ragged breath echoed against the rock, and each step seemed to amplify the weight of what I was carrying.
— I'm here!
In the distance, Aria was waiting, her silhouette lit by the still-flickering fire of the campsite.
— Casimir, are you alright?
I set the injured man gently on the ground, masking my unease behind a calm voice.
— Yeah, I'm fine. Why?
— On the way back to camp with the one I brought... he told me the rocks didn't fall on their own. That someone caused it deliberately.
I froze for a moment. The idea that a trap had been set flashed through my mind, a shiver running down my spine.
— Oh yeah? So you thought something was going to happen to me?
— Hand him to me. I'll bring him to the camp.
I passed the injured man to her, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety rising in me.
— Alright. I'll go get the last one.
— Be careful!
I headed back toward the cave-in, my mind on alert at every creak in the darkness. My eyes scanned for the slightest movement, anticipating danger.
Meanwhile, Aria's voice reached me as an echo from the camp.
— Did anything happen before you got trapped here?
— What do you mean? replied a weakened voice.
— Did you see any people? The enemy? Or pick up anything strange?
— No... We just set up a small camp and tried to get a fire going for hours. Then we explored a bit, and Silas saw something glinting. We went to check what it was. At some point there was a tremor and rocks fell on us. But when I caught Silas, I glimpsed a silhouette moving above us. I didn't pay it much attention — I was too focused on not losing him in the dark.
— Who is Silas?
— The one who stayed back there.
I returned to camp shortly after, carrying the last injured person on my back. My throat was tight. Everything felt heavier than on the way there.
I set the man down, out of breath.
— There. Everyone's safe.
— Thank you so much, the injured man murmured, his voice trembling.
— Rest. While you wait for your companions to wake up, we'll take care of the camp.
Aria and I fed the fire. The orange flame lit the tired, pale faces of the survivors. We moved rocks to make makeshift seats and crafted three extra torches. The heavy silence mixed with the crackling of the fire, while the mine seemed to hold its breath.
— Wh-what happened? stammered one of the boys, opening his eyes.
The second rubbed his skull, dazed.
— My head is still spinning.
— Who are these people? asked one of them, fear in his voice.
— Try to gather yourselves, I told them. I'll explain everything.
The account of their ordeal unfolded in the small circle around the fire. I introduced myself:
— I'm Casimir, and the person with me is called Aria.
— Nice to meet you. I'm Kellan, said the one who had been conscious from the start.
— I'm Milo.
— I... I'm Silas.
Aria spoke up, her voice still slightly unsteady.
— We come from Champi-Brume, to the east of here. We defeated the territory's enemy with the help of the village inhabitants. It was their chief, infected by a parasite... Without Bikao and Casimir, we wouldn't be here.
Kellan raised an eyebrow.
— Oh yeah? These enemies are that hard to beat?
— Anyone would be shaken facing something like that, I said, glancing briefly toward Aria. You have nothing to reproach yourself for.
I couldn't help letting a quiet smile show. Aria noticed and returned one that was almost imperceptible — but enough.
— On our map we only have Argemira and Point A, Milo continued. We don't really know where to go...
— I completely forgot to update my map, I murmured, checking it.
— Casimir?
Aria was staring at me, eyes slightly wide.
— Yes, I just saw it. Argemira is rated two stars.
— No... that's not it.
— What is it?
— The counter. There were a hundred of us at the start, right?
A silence.
— It's been a while now, said Milo in a neutral voice.
— What exactly are you talking about? I asked.
— There are ninety-two players currently, if I'm not mistaken, said Silas.
I frowned. My mind quickly ran through the implications: eight people dead since the beginning. And surely more traps along the way.
Kellan read the summary aloud, slowly.
— Four players died because of an enemy. Three others because of the climate or lack of supplies. And one more from...
He stopped.
— Why are you stopping? asked Milo.
— What I just read... you're going to have a hard time believing it.
I took a slow breath.
— Tell us anyway. Given where we are, I don't think anything can really shock me anymore.
— By another player.
A silence fell, heavier than rock. Even the fire seemed to waver under the weight of those words.
Aria clenched her fists.
— You mean there's someone out there who's... killing the others?
My heart lurched. A player capable of killing the others. My instincts screamed at me to stay on guard.
— We can't trust everyone anymore if people start killing each other, she said, her voice tense.
— His name is displayed. He's called Kaedran.
Kaedran.
Just hearing that name brought a tension into the air — an instinctive, low-grade alarm that I couldn't ignore.
— It's good that we have his name, I murmured. We can anticipate if we cross paths with him.
— Changing the subject, said Milo, but you mentioned the territory was two stars... I don't think we had that information before, did we?
— It unlocked after defeating the enemy at Champi-Brume, Aria explained. It became available as extra information.
Kellan frowned, looking at the symbols on the screen.
— What does that actually mean, do you think?
— Nothing specific for now, I replied, shrugging. It could be anything: the difficulty of the territory, the climate, the size... or even the power of the enemy. We don't know more than that.
— You came from Champi-Brume, so the level there was one star? Kellan asked. After Argemira, are you planning to go somewhere else? I'm guessing the stars go up as you move through territories.
— We'd like to get to Point A, which is just south of here.
Aria leaned over the map.
— We figured we might learn more if we went back there.
Milo looked carefully.
— We have its location on our map too. It's right nearby, but we couldn't find any way out.
— I'm guessing we'll need to beat the enemy here first, I murmured, a flicker of unease in my voice.
Milo winced.
— Oh no...
Kellan put a hand on his shoulder.
— Don't worry! There are five of us now!
— But we have no weapons, Silas objected.
— That's true, Kellan admitted with a sigh.
Aria stepped in then, chin tilted slightly upward.
— Casimir and I got these.
She showed the bow slung over her back, then drew my dagger from her belt.
— Unfortunately, we have nothing else to give you.
— We can always try to make some by exploring, I suggested.
— Even with your torches, that seems complicated, Kellan observed.
— Why?
— If something goes wrong, we have no way to defend ourselves or treat injuries. You can help us, but you can't cover us every time. We'd just be a burden, he said with a frankness that left no room for argument.
— I unlocked something by defeating the enemy at Champi-Brume, Aria said. I can create a sort of guild. It'll be much simpler for the five of us.
— At Point A, there were notices giving information about that feature, Milo added. I didn't understand everything at the time, but it makes sense now.
I thought for a moment. Notices at Point A? I didn't remember that. But with the confusion of our arrival — the smoke, the chaos — maybe I simply hadn't paid attention.
— Look, I said at last. I agree — it'd always be better than doing nothing.
Silas seemed uncertain.
— But... that means we're forming a team, even though we barely know each other?
— Personally, that doesn't bother me at all, Aria replied. Casimir and I didn't know each other either. And yet, I'll stay with him no matter what happens.
— In that case, let's get started! Kellan exclaimed.
Aria brushed her watch, and the Clan Creation option appeared on the glowing screen. She went around the group, touching each person's watch to add them to the list.
— Is... is that it? Silas asked, skeptical.
— No. Now I have to choose a name.
— Something that hits hard! Kellan suggested.
— Do you think we can leave it blank? I said.
— You don't want a name? Aria asked, uncertain.
— I mostly don't want to attract attention. Especially not from the one who killed someone. Just put a space, something invisible.
— I can validate a space if you want, she said. Like this.
— I think the role of leader goes to Casimir, Milo concluded.
On the glowing screen, words appeared:
"You have been appointed leader of the clan ' ' by Aria"
— Why am I the group leader, Aria?
— You'll manage better than me, she replied with a small smile. And besides, you were the one who chose the name. If you can even call it that.
— I've got the Champi-Brume map now! Milo exclaimed.
— Oh, so we share maps?! Silas said.
Kellan sighed and tapped his watch.
— Right. We've done nothing but talk, and time is passing. Let's go explore.
Day 7.
Two days had gone by. We had walked without really knowing where we were going, with no sense of time, resting when exhaustion became too heavy and eating the mushrooms given to us by the villagers of Champi-Brume.
We had followed the path Kellan, Milo, and Silas had taken before the cave-in. The atmosphere grew more oppressive the further we went, each step echoing through the galleries like an admission of our vulnerability. Some of the stones glinted here and there, but nothing here felt natural.
Silas carried a bag on his back, recovered somewhere in the mine — filled with objects he had picked up throughout the exploration, never really explaining why.
Then he stopped dead in front of a wall.
— Look! These are exactly the same stones as before!
He yanked the pickaxe out of Kellan's hands — a tool they had found earlier in an abandoned shaft — and started striking the wall.
— You actually know how to use that? Kellan grumbled.
Silas didn't answer. Chips of rock flew, the sound ringing through the mine like a dull, steady heartbeat.
— We're not alone, Milo breathed.
Suddenly, an icy voice broke the silence.
— Don't move.
I froze, the torch trembling in my hand. Two silhouettes appeared in the flickering light.
The man was enormous, dressed in a helmet and gauntlets of tarnished steel. His presence radiated something inhuman — a cold, contained authority, like a threat that hadn't yet chosen to make itself known. Beside him, a girl with sharp eyes watched us without blinking.
I murmured to Kellan:
— Are they players, do you think?
— I don't know, he replied under his breath.
— I am Taron. Guardian of Argemira.
His voice was calm. But every word carried the weight of a contained threat.
The girl swept the space with her eyes, staring at me for a moment. Her gaze settled on me — longer than necessary. As if she were trying to confirm something she already knew.
— Opaline, she said simply.
A shiver ran through me. Her manner was sharply different from Taron's calm, and I had the instinct that it was very much worth treading carefully.
— I'm Kellan. Sorry to have disturbed you, but we're a bit lost in this place. Do you think you could...
Taron spoke again before he could finish.
— I know who you are.
He paused.
— I was the one who caused the collapse on you.