Area: Unknown
Characters: Daran and Tristan
Kira's voice rang out—just as the strange light engulfed everything.
"Wake up… DUDE, WAKE UP!"
A hand shook my shoulder violently, and I jolted awake with a sharp gasp—only to be met with pure terror.
A roar split the sky, low and guttural, vibrating through the air like thunder. Whatever it came from, its presence twisted the atmosphere—rain fell in streaks of red, matching the glow in its eyes as it tore something apart in the distance.
"DARAN!!! GET UP AND RUN!!!"
Tristan's voice broke through the chaos, but I couldn't think—only move. My legs carried me on instinct, driven by raw panic. The beast behind us was massive, monstrous, unnatural. I didn't dare look back.
Tristan ran beside me—fast, too fast. He was always quicker, but now we were neck and neck. Why?
"Tristan, run ahead!" I shouted, breath ragged. "If it catches one of us, and if it—"
But my words were cut short.
My feet suddenly left the ground, and the wind rushed past me. I barely registered his voice over the roar.
"Don't be an idiot, smartass…"
He'd grabbed me.
We soared through the air, just inches above a swipe of the beast's claws. It raked through the earth behind us, narrowly missing our bodies by a breath. A moment later, we hit the ground hard, tumbling across stone and dirt—landing on a high cliff far from where we started.
Chest heaving, I turned to him.
"Tristan… what the hell was that? That jump—you moved like a Patroller. How did you—?"
He raised a finger to silence me, eyes scanning the horizon.
"When you were asleep," he said quietly, "I was out scavenging. Looking for food, materials… like in those survival games."
He crouched down and picked up a rock absently, as if reliving the moment.
"I found this nest," he continued. "Monkeys made of light—like their whole bodies were glowing. It was blinding… but somehow, it didn't hurt to look at them. They gave me these gloves."
He lifted his hands. The gloves shimmered faintly with a silver-blue hue, pulsing softly like a heartbeat.
"They just started glowing when I put them on. Then I heard something. A voice, maybe? It said, Enchantment: Full Body Stat Boost. And then…"
He looked off in the direction we came from, jaw tight.
"That thing showed up. Killed the monkeys."
He clenched his fists.
"I ran. But my body—it moved faster, stronger, more stable. Like it had leveled up."
My mind reeled.
Enchantment? Stat boost?
"Wait… did you awaken a power?" I asked, trying to steady my voice. "That jump earlier—that wasn't normal, Tristan."
He didn't answer directly. Instead, he nodded toward something behind me.
I turned—and froze.
A glowing map hovered in the air before me, suspended like a hologram. Not just a map… a full display. Stats. Inventory. Formulas.
"What is this?" I asked, breath caught in my throat. "Tristan… what the hell is this?"
"I don't know," he said, already on the move. "But there's a cave nearby. We need to hide. I can still feel that thing—it's close."
We ran, faster than before, the map fading behind us as the strange interface disappeared into the wind. The roar returned—distant now, but still terrifying.
And then…
Silence.
{—}{—}{—}{—}
Area: Crystal Zone 1/3
Characters: Daran, Tristan, and Len Rose
"Yo, check this out…"
Tristan called Daran over, gesturing at the holographic map hovering in front of him. Glowing symbols pulsed across its surface, highlighting different regions and item nodes.
"Look," Tristan said, tapping the display. "It's not just showing usable areas—it's giving us full crafting formulas… and even the locations of the materials."
Daran leaned in, squinting at the screen.
"This is just like that survival game you play," he said. "Try crafting something. You said you went digging around, right?"
Tristan scrolled through the menu, his eyes scanning the options until one caught his attention.
"Instinct Blade?" he muttered aloud.
A short sword appeared on the screen in blueprint form, its stats listed beside it:
<~~><~~><~~>
Grants instinctive evasive reaction to lethal attacks for 10 minutes. 4-minute cooldown.
<~~><~~><~~>
He raised an eyebrow. "This one… it's weird. It's like the blade moves for you when your life's in danger."
Before he could say more, Daran spoke up.
"Found something? Because so did I…"
There was a glimmer of excitement in his voice—rare for Daran. Whatever he'd found clearly spoke to him the same way the Instinct Blade did to Tristan.
"Let's stick together," Tristan said. "Looks like we can mark spots on our maps now. Tag what you need, and we'll hit those areas on the way."
They continued deeper into the cave system, the crystals around them pulsing with a low hum that echoed softly in the silence. Their boots crunched against loose gravel and jagged shards as light from the walls shimmered blue and violet across their faces.
Tristan took a moment to glance around, trying to memorize their surroundings—but gave up just as fast.
Yeah, I'm not gonna remember this crap… I'll leave that to Daran.
"Hey, Daran?" he asked, trying to keep the mood light. "You ever mess around with crystals or gems? Like experiments or whatever?"
No response.
He glanced over. Daran was staring ahead, lost in thought.
"Yo, Tristan," Daran said suddenly. "Does this place remind you of anything?"
Tristan frowned. "What?"
"In 2081… my father died. Yours disappeared. And that monster that attacked…" Daran reached out and touched a glowing crystal on the cave wall. "It looked just like these. Or at least… something close."
Tristan tensed.
That wasn't something he wanted to hear right now—not while they were trapped in some alien world with monsters, mysterious powers, and glowing interfaces. The last thing he needed was to be reminded of the day everything fell apart.
"Forget about that right now," Tristan said sharply. "I know how you feel about your dad. I know the memories are good. But that's not going to help us get out of wherever the hell we are."
He paused, then added in a lower voice, "Besides… I don't remember anything about my father. And I don't want to."
The air between them grew heavier.
Tristan exhaled, pulling himself back to the present. "Let's just focus on learning more about this system. It might be the only thing that helps us survive—or get home."
He turned toward the next tunnel.
"Come on. No more wasted time. Let's go."
{—}{—}{—}{—}
Area: Empress's Palace
Characters: Princess Rose, Prince Peridot, and Servants
"Princess Rose, please—reconsider this!"
The maid rushed after her, voice strained as the princess stormed forward.
She wore a dress made of crystalized black rose petals, trimmed with sharp red and deep blue at the edges. Her hair, though black, shimmered like polished silver in the light of the palace. Her eyes burned a blood-red, and her pale skin gleamed like water flowing across diamonds.
Without hesitation, she shoved open a pair of massive green gem-stone doors.
"BROTHER—YOUR PET IS OUT OF CONTROL!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Inside the chamber stood a man draped in a dark brown cloak. His hair and eyes matched the emerald green of the doors, and his features bore the same diamond-smooth luster as hers.
"It's destroyed most of our stock!" she continued furiously. "It's killing the ecosystem our people depend on! If Mother returns before this is handled, I will not cover for you this time, Peridot!"
The prince turned away with a sigh, visibly annoyed.
"It's not my pet," he said flatly. "It's a creature. It has the right to live. That's nature's problem—not mine."
She stared at him, jaw clenched.
He can't be serious... What was Mother thinking giving birth to him?
"Besides," Peridot added lazily, "go ask Emma. She's the warrior in this messed-up family."
Unbelievable.
"No," she growled. "You will deal with it. She didn't cause this. You did."
He didn't even flinch.
"If it bothers you that much, sister, then handle it yourself. Stop being annoying—and piss off."
Her nails dug into her palm. Her fury burned just behind her calm expression.
One day, I swear, I'll rip your head off and feed it to that beast.
She turned on her heel and snapped her fingers.
"Servant number two. Follow me."
If her brother wouldn't take responsibility…
She would.
Because something was coming.
And this time, it wouldn't stop at just the outer zones.