The stone archway trembled as Zoren and the others stepped through, leaving behind the cursed domain of the trials. A gust of fresh air hit them—real air, crisp and cool, not the suffocating, dream-like haze of the dungeon.


    They were finally free.


    Zoren exhaled. He hadn''t realized how heavy the weight on his chest had been until now. Aiden stretched with an exaggerated groan, cracking his back.


    "Ughhh, I swear that last trial shaved years off my life."


    Elyria shot him a flat look. "You weren''t even the one making the choice."


    "I felt the tension, okay?! That has to count for something."


    Ivar Pendrol grunted, rubbing his temples. "We have survived eldritch nightmares, life-altering choices, and visions of our worst fears… And yet, the loudest complaint comes from the man who spent half the time napping."


    "I was meditating," Aiden corrected, folding his arms.


    "Snoring is not meditation," Franklin muttered, dusting off his coat.


    Elizabeth adjusted her glasses. "Technically, sleep is a form of unconscious recovery, so in a way, Aiden may have been conserving mental stamina."


    Elyria groaned. "Don''t encourage him."


    Zoren barely listened. His gaze was fixed ahead—on the exit. The cavernous walls of the dungeon gave way to a sunlit opening, golden light spilling through like the heavens themselves were welcoming them back.


    At the threshold stood Ryan, arms crossed, smirking. "Well, well, well. Look who finally made it out alive."


    "Shut up," Zoren muttered, too exhausted to banter.


    Ryan laughed, slapping him on the back. "Nah, but seriously—congratulations. You survived the Dungeon of Madness. Most people don''t."


    Aiden wiped a fake tear from his eye. "Beautiful words, Ryan. Truly touching."


    Ryan ignored him. "So? How does it feel?"


    Zoren took a deep breath.


    It felt… strange. Like he''d left something behind in those trials. Like the version of him that had first stepped into that cursed place had died, and only what remained had walked out.


    But there was also something else.


    Resolve.


    "…I''m ready," Zoren finally said.


    Ryan''s grin widened. "Good. ''Cause the world''s been moving while you were down there." He gestured behind him. "It''s about time you all caught up."


    A heavy silence fell over them as they took in the sight before entering the dungeon. The open sky. The distant mountains. The smell of the sea on the wind.


    The real world.


    ---


    Zoren narrowed his eyes at Ryan. His mind was still tangled in the chaos of the trials—the visions, the choices, the strange lessons about Ether.


    He stepped forward, crossing his arms. "Alright, Ryan. Enough games. What was the point of all this?"


    Ryan''s smirk widened. "Oh? You mean the life-altering, mind-breaking, soul-questioning nightmare you all just went through? That trial?"


    Zoren deadpanned. "Yes. That one."


    Aiden chimed in, rubbing his temples. "And while we''re at it, what''s up with the Ether lessons? Why go through all that trouble just to give us vague explanations?"


    Elyria crossed her arms. "And the illusions? The madness? The horrifying existential crises? I''m pretty sure I saw a version of myself that turned into a so evil!"


    Elizabeth pushed up her glasses. "That was actually quite fascinating. The trial''s use of metaphysical energies to simulate different realities suggests a deeper—"


    "Elizabeth, focus," Zoren sighed.


    Ryan let them rant for a bit, arms behind his head, whistling. When they were finally done, he looked at them with an infuriating amount of amusement.


    "Ahhh, the sweet sound of curiosity," he said wistfully. Then he turned, stretching his arms. "Welp, I ain''t telling you."


    Silence.


    Zoren blinked. "...What?"


    Aiden''s jaw dropped. "What do you mean you''re not telling us?!"


    Ryan shrugged. "It''s not time yet."


    Elyria groaned. "Oh, come on."


    Ivar Pendrol rubbed his forehead, sighing. "Ryan, we just survived a dungeon designed to break our minds. Do you really think now is the time for cryptic nonsense?"


    Ryan patted Ivar on the shoulder. "Oh, Ivar, my old friend. It''s always time for cryptic nonsense."


    Aiden dramatically grabbed Zoren''s shoulders. "I''m gonna lose my mind, Zoren. I just got my sanity back, and this guy is trying to take it away again."


    Franklin sighed. "At this point, I''m not even surprised."


    Zoren, grinding his teeth, took a deep breath. "Ryan. Just answer one thing. What is the purpose of the dungeon?"


    Ryan gave him a knowing grin. "You''ll find out. In the future."


    Silence.


    Aiden threw his hands in the air. "I''M GONNA PUNCH HIM."


    Elyria held him back. "Not yet. We still need him."


    Ryan laughed, waving them off as he started walking ahead. "Come on, we''ve wasted enough time. You all survived. That''s what matters. The rest? Well, you''ll figure it out."


    Zoren clenched his fists. He hated this feeling—this sense that something bigger was happening, and he was being forced to wait for answers.


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    But then… wasn''t that always how it went?


    With a sigh, he shook his head and followed.


    "Fine," he muttered. "But you better have some real answers when the time comes."


    Ryan grinned over his shoulder.


    "Oh, don''t worry. When that day comes, you''ll wish I hadn''t told you."


    Zoren felt a chill run down his spine.


    …Somehow, that didn''t make him feel any better.


    ---


    The shimmering portal stood before them, swirling with an ethereal glow. A gateway to freedom. A doorway to normalcy. A ticket out of this absolute nightmare.


    Zoren cracked his knuckles, staring at the exit like a man who had just finished an all-you-can-suffer buffet and was finally ready to leave.


    "Finally," he muttered, stepping forward. "I can meet my friends again."


    Aiden patted his shoulder. "Yeah, after all the madness we just went through, it''ll be nice to see some normal people."


    Elyria scoffed. "We''re calling them normal now? Have you met our friends?"


    Elizabeth adjusted her glasses. "Statistically speaking, considering the chaos they tend to cause, I''d say the probability of normalcy is—"


    Zoren held up a hand. "Elizabeth, no math. I''m already in pain."


    Ryan, grinning, motioned towards the portal. "Alright, alright. Let''s get moving before the dungeon changes its mind and decides to keep you all forever."


    Franklin paled. "Wait, that''s a possibility?"


    Ryan shrugged. "I dunno. Never tested it."


    Ivar pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ryan. You are quite literally the worst Dungeon sprite I have ever met."


    "Aw, thanks, buddy."


    Before anyone could scream at Ryan, Zoren rolled his shoulders and stepped forward, inhaling deeply. One step, and this hell is over.


    With absolute confidence—


    He jumped into the portal.


    And—


    SLAM.


    Zoren face-planted into something solid.


    The portal didn''t budge.


    Silence.


    Elyria blinked. "…Did the portal just reject you?"


    Aiden clutched his stomach, wheezing with laughter. "BRO. IT SAID ''NOPE'' AND CLOSED THE DOOR."


    Zoren peeled his face off the invisible barrier, slowly turning to Ryan. His left eye twitched.


    "…Ryan."


    Ryan was dying of laughter. "PFFFT—OH MAN, I CAN''T BELIEVE IT—HAHAHAHA—"


    Zoren grabbed him by the collar. "WHY. CAN''T. I. LEAVE?"


    Ryan, gasping for air, wiped a tear from his eye. "Sorry, sorry—it''s just—pfft—I forgot to mention."


    Ivar folded his arms. "Oh, this should be good."


    Ryan cleared his throat. "Uh, so, the dungeon has one last rule. It won''t let you leave unless you acknowledge it."


    Zoren narrowed his eyes. "Acknowledge what?"


    Ryan grinned.


    "…That the dungeon won."


    Silence.


    Zoren stared at him.


    Aiden leaned in. "Bro. Don''t do it. It''s a trap."


    Elyria nodded. "Your pride might not survive."


    Zoren clenched his fists, veins popping on his forehead. He looked at the portal. He looked at his traitorous teammates. He looked at the smug piece of human garbage in front of him.


    And then—


    Through gritted teeth—


    "…The dungeon won."


    The portal shimmered.


    And just like that, the barrier vanished.


    Aiden burst out laughing. "YOU ACTUALLY SAID IT."


    Elyria smirked. "How does it feel to admit defeat, Zoren?"


    Zoren twitched. "Let''s just leave before I kill something."


    As he stomped through the portal, Franklin sighed. "You know, for a legendary dungeon of illusions and madness… that was a pretty childish final rule."


    Ryan grinned, walking after them.


    "Hey, dungeons have a sense of humor too."


    And with that, they finally left the Dungeon of Illusions.


    …Or, at least, they hoped they did.


    Because with Ryan around—who knew?


    ---


    The air outside the Dungeon of Illusion crackled with unseen energy, like the sky before a thunderstorm. The ground trembled slightly, sending tiny ripples through the grass as if the earth itself was nervous.


    At the dungeon''s entrance, dozens of Titan Council officers stood in formation, armed to the teeth. Their uniforms gleamed, their weapons hummed with suppressed Ether, and at the front, a tall, grizzled captain stood with his arms crossed, his presence alone enough to make lesser warriors tremble.


    His eyes narrowed as the portal at the dungeon''s mouth flickered ominously.


    "They''re coming."


    With a sudden BZZZZT, the air twisted, and a flash of wild energy burst forth—and out stumbled Zoren, Aiden, Ivar Pendrol, Elyria, Elizabeth, and Franklin, looking like they had just been thrown out of a tavern fight.


    Zoren landed face-first in the dirt. "Ugh, why does every exit feel like being spat out of a giant''s mouth?"


    Aiden dusted himself off. "I told you standing in the middle of the portal was a bad idea!"


    Ivar adjusted his coat. "I liked the landing. It had style."


    Elizabeth landed gracefully—only for Elyria to crash into her, sending them both tumbling into Franklin, who yelped as he got buried under them.


    From the ranks of the officers, one particularly young recruit started sweating.


    "C-Captain, those are the ones from the prophecy, right?!" he whispered.


    The captain didn''t reply, eyes locked onto the ragtag group now dusting themselves off like they had just tripped into a royal banquet.


    Then, finally, he spoke. "Surround them."


    CLANK! SHING! STOMP!


    The officers instantly moved, forming a tight perimeter with drawn weapons. The tension skyrocketed.


    Zoren stretched his arms. "Welp. This is new."


    Aiden rolled his shoulders. "So, we fighting or running?"


    Elizabeth sighed. "Do we always have to fight authority?"


    Ivar smirked. "Only when they try to arrest us."


    The captain took a step forward, his aura pressing down like a mountain. "By order of the Titan Council, you are to be detained for questioning. Do not resist."


    Silence.


    Then—


    Zoren pointed behind the captain. "Oh no! A giant flying Titan!"


    All the officers turned.


    …There was nothing there.


    They turned back.


    Zoren gave them a thumbs-up. "Had to try."


    The captain sighed. "Idiots."


    Aiden patted Zoren''s shoulder. "Nice effort."


    Elyria tapped her chin. "Technically, it could have been true. A flying Titan isn''t impossible."


    Franklin raised his hand. "Um, we could talk this out?"


    Ivar stepped forward dramatically, flipping his coat. "Gentlemen. Ladies. Do we look like people who fulfill ancient prophecies?"


    The officers narrowed their eyes.


    Ivar pointed to Zoren. "This one literally fell out of the dungeon face-first."


    Elizabeth sighed. "I admit, that does damage the ''chosen ones'' image."


    The captain''s gaze hardened. "Enough." His aura flared, and suddenly the air felt like it was pressing in. "Surrender. Now."


    Zoren exhaled. "Alright, guess we''re doing this the hard way."


    He cracked his knuckles.


    Aiden smirked. "Finally."


    Ivar twirled a dagger. "Ah, a stand-off. My favorite kind of diplomacy."


    Elyria readied a spell. "Let''s at least try to avoid breaking bones this time?"


    Elizabeth took off her glasses and stored them carefully. That was never a good sign.


    Franklin gulped. "Please don''t kill anyone."


    The officers tensed. Weapons hummed. The air shook.


    And then—


    The wind screamed.


    The entire battlefield froze as a massive pulse of Etheric energy exploded in the sky above them, warping the very space around it. A deep, ominous hum filled the air.


    Everyone—including the captain—looked up.


    The distortion in the Ether wasn''t natural.


    Something else was coming.


    Zoren frowned.


    "Well. That''s probably not good."


    ---


    The bustling market of City Veyrith was alive with noise—merchants shouting, Ether lamps glowing, and the smell of grilled Titan-meat skewers filling the air. People weaved through the streets, haggling over prices, exchanging Titan Core Shards, and—of course—gossiping about the strange energy disturbances coming from the Dungeon of Illusion.


    But in a quieter corner of the market, beneath a faded red tent, sat an old, wrinkled man, his eyes half-hidden behind comically large crystal lenses. His stand was cluttered with mystical artifacts, half-melted candles, and an actual live chicken sitting on the table, pecking at a bowl of Ember Shards.


    Across from him, arms crossed, was Linda.


    She tapped her foot impatiently. "Alright, old man, how''s Zoren doing?"


    The Great Fortuneteller Mogh, self-proclaimed "Seer of Destiny, Whisperer of Fate, and King of Core Shard Discounts", rubbed his chin dramatically.


    "Hmmmm…"


    He waved his hands over a glowing Veil Shard embedded in the table. The chicken clucked ominously.


    "…Zoren will emerge from the dungeon today."


    Linda''s eyes lit up. "Really?! He''s coming out today?!"


    Mogh nodded wisely. "Indeed."


    Linda leaned in. "Is he okay?"


    Mogh paused. His fingers twitched over the shard.


    "…I cannot see more than that."


    Linda''s eye twitched. "You say that every time."


    Mogh shrugged. "Fate is mysterious."


    Linda squinted at him.


    "Okay, fine, whatever. How much?" She pulled out a pouch.


    Mogh grinned. "Five Prime Shards."


    Linda nearly choked. "WHAT?! FIVE PRIME SHARDS?! FOR A SINGLE SENTENCE?! THAT''S DAYLIGHT ROBBERY!"


    Mogh lifted his hands innocently. "My dear, knowledge of fate does not come cheap."


    Linda slammed a fist on the table. "That''s twice what you charged last time!"


    Mogh nodded sagely. "Indeed. But last time, I only told you he was still inside. This time, I have told you he is leaving. Clearly, that is worth more."


    Linda gritted her teeth. "I''m not paying that!"


    Mogh stroked his beard. "Then you are free to live in ignorance."


    Linda groaned, then tossed two Prime Shards on the table.


    Mogh sighed dramatically. "My heart weeps at such cruelty."


    Linda pointed at him. "Two. Take it or leave it."


    Mogh stared at the shards. "Three."


    Linda leaned forward. "Two."


    Mogh leaned forward too. "Three."


    Linda slammed a third shard down. "Fine. But next time, I want a discount."


    Mogh swiftly snatched the shards. "Ah, but next time, you will be asking about something even more important, no?"


    Linda paused.


    She hated how this old man always acted like he knew things she didn''t.


    She sighed and stood up. "Whatever. If Zoren really comes out today, you better not raise your prices next time."


    Mogh simply smiled. "Fate has its costs, my dear."


    Linda glared at the chicken, who pecked at a loose shard on the table.


    "I''m watching you too."


    The chicken stared back.


    Linda huffed and stormed off, her mind racing.


    "If Zoren''s really coming out today… I need to go and get that thing to from Talis to save Zoren from the Titan council."


    ---


    The air was thick with Ether, the walls of the ancient dungeon whispering with the remnants of illusions long past. Ryan stood in the dim glow of a floating lantern, his usual carefree grin still plastered on his face, though his eyes carried a sharpness rarely seen.


    Across from him, shrouded in shadows, stood a mysterious figure, their form barely visible beyond the faint flicker of light.


    "…How are the candidates?" the figure asked, voice calm but laden with something heavy. Expectation? Caution?


    Ryan stretched, popping his neck. "Oh, they''re all talented. Especially the six of them." He whistled. "Strong, reckless, completely unhinged—basically my kind of people."


    The figure remained silent for a moment, before finally asking, "Do you think any of them are among the prophecy?"


    Ryan''s grin twitched. Then, with a shrug, he casually leaned against a broken pillar. "Who knows?"


    The figure''s posture tensed. "Ryan."


    Ryan waved his hand. "Relax, relax. You know how I am. I don''t put my bets on ''destiny.'' The world''s unpredictable." He smirked. "Like an old drunk trying to walk in a straight line."


    The figure exhaled. "…You mock fate too much."


    Ryan snorted. "Well, fate tried to kill me twice this year. So yeah, I think we''re even."


    The figure ignored him. "Even so, you trained them."


    Ryan tilted his head, grinning. "Oh, I did more than train them." He stepped away from the pillar, brushing dust off his cloak. "I sowed a seed of trust."


    The figure hummed. "Trust?"


    Ryan pointed to his temple. "The best trick in the book. You don''t just train warriors. You don''t just make them stronger. You give them a reason to fight." He grinned. "And in the war to come, they''ll probably help us."


    The figure was silent again. Then—


    "…Probably?"


    Ryan chuckled. "Hey, I can''t guarantee anything. Maybe they''ll save the world. Maybe they''ll burn it down for fun. Who knows?" He sighed, stretching. "But I like them. They''re crazy. Crazy people do big things."


    The mysterious figure watched him for a long moment before sighing. "You play too many games, Ryan."


    Ryan smirked. "And you take life too seriously." He turned, waving over his shoulder. "C''mon, lighten up! It''s just the fate of the world we''re talking about. No big deal."


    As Ryan walked off, humming an off-key tune, the figure exhaled again.


    "…You are an insufferable man."


    But even in the darkness, they couldn''t help but smile.


    Because despite everything—Ryan had never been wrong before.


    ---


    To be continued