A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

The group begins their search for the key while Artemis struggles to accept her feelings.

Sorry it’s so late been busy next chapter soon!

Chapter 9

A voice pulls me from the haze of sleep, soft and hesitant.

“Artemis?”

My eyes flutter open, and for a moment, I’m disoriented, the faint glow of the bathroom crystal casting everything in a pale light. I blink, lifting my head from where it had slumped against the wall, and my gaze lands on Kaida standing in the doorway.

She’s rubbing her eyes, her red hair messy and sticking out in all directions. Her expression is a mix of confusion and concern. “What are you doing in here?” she whispers, stepping inside and closing the door quietly behind her.

I straighten up slightly, wincing as the stiffness in my neck and back makes itself known. “I, uh…” My voice is groggy, and I hesitate, unsure how to explain myself.

Kaida tilts her head, looking at me more closely. “Did you sleep in here?” she asks softly, her brow furrowing.

“Yeah,” I admit after a moment, letting out a tired sigh. “I just… needed some space to think. And I guess I nodded off.”

Her expression softens, and she crosses her arms, leaning against the wall. “You’ve been pretty out of it,” she says quietly. “Want to talk about it? Or do you need more time to… you know, process?”

She gives me a faint, understanding smile, and I can tell she’s trying not to push too hard.

“I uh—” I start, but the words catch in my throat. I glance at Kaida, her eyes soft but unwavering as she leans against the wall.

She tilts her head, giving me a small, reassuring smile. “Come on,” she says gently. “Remember what I told you? You can tell me anything. No judgment, no pressure. Just… talk to me.”

Her words settle over me, and for a moment, I just sit there, staring at the floor as I try to gather my thoughts. There’s a lump in my throat, and my chest feels tight, but the sincerity in her voice is hard to ignore.

“I don’t even know where to start,” I mumble, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Start anywhere,” she says, stepping a little closer and sitting down on the floor next to me. “Whatever’s on your mind, just… say it.”

I hesitate, my hands fidgeting in my lap as I try to find the right words. “It’s just… a lot,” I finally say, my voice shaky. “This place, this body, the group… Lorien. I don’t even know who I am half the time anymore.”

Kaida nods slowly, her expression thoughtful but calm. “You’re still you, Artemis,” she says softly. “Even if you’re figuring things out as you go. And yeah, it’s messy, but… that’s okay. You don’t have to have all the answers right now.”

Her words make my chest ache, but in a way that feels… comforting. Like maybe, she’s right.

Kaida’s words settle over me, gentle but firm. “If you want to talk it out, now’s the time,” she says softly, glancing toward the door. “The others will wake up soon.”

I let out a shaky sigh, my fingers gripping the edge of the stool as I finally find the courage to speak. “I… I don’t even know where to start,” I say again, my voice trembling slightly.

Kaida stays quiet, her presence steady and reassuring as she watches me, waiting for me to continue.

“It’s just… everything feels so overwhelming,” I admit, my gaze fixed on the floor. “I keep telling myself this is temporary, that we’ll all find a way out of here and go back to the real world. But the longer we’re here, the harder it is to hold onto that hope. It’s like… like I’m starting to forget who I used to be.”

I glance at her briefly, trying to gauge her reaction. Her expression is calm, but her eyes are filled with understanding. “Alex feels like a distant memory now,” I whisper. “And the more I try to hold onto him, the more I feel like I’m losing.”

Kaida nods slowly, her voice soft. “I get it,” she says. “This place is changing us. It forces us to adapt, whether we’re ready for it or not. But that doesn’t mean you’re losing who you were. It just means you’re… evolving. Becoming something new.”

Her words make my chest ache, but I press on. “And then there’s Lorien,” I say, my voice barely audible.

Kaida raises an eyebrow, but she stays quiet, letting me find my words.

“I don’t even know what I feel about him,” I admit. “He kissed me, Kaida. Twice. And I didn’t stop him. And—I kissed him back. And I… I liked it. But that just makes everything more confusing, because I keep thinking about how I was a guy before, and this—this body, this life—it’s not supposed to be me. But it kinda feels like it is?”

My voice cracks slightly at the end, and I press my hands to my face, groaning softly. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, Kaida. I don’t know who I’m supposed to be anymore.”

She reaches out, placing a gentle hand on my arm. “You’re supposed to be you,” she says softly. “Whatever that means now, whoever you’re becoming—that’s still you, Artemis. And as for Lorien… it sounds like maybe you already know how you feel. You’re just scared to admit it.”

Her words hit deep, and I feel my chest tighten as I glance at her.

I let Kaida’s words wash over me, though I pointedly ignore the last part about Lorien. “It’s gonna be fine,” she says softly, pulling me into a hug.

I stiffen at first, surprised by the sudden gesture, but then I let myself relax in her arms. It feels… nice. Comforting. For a moment, the weight on my chest eases, and the world outside this room seems to fade away. It’s just Kaida’s warmth, her quiet reassurance, and the thought that maybe—just maybe—everything will be okay.

The moment is broken by the creak of the bathroom door.

Kaida and I both turn as Lyra steps inside, rubbing her eyes groggily. Her pale hair is messy from sleep, and she looks half-awake as she blinks at us, clearly confused.

“Oh,” she says, her voice thick with sleep. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to… interrupt.”

Kaida pulls away from the hug, her expression calm and casual as she smiles at Lyra. “Don’t worry about it,” she says lightly. “We were just talking.”

Lyra tilts her head, her confusion slowly fading into mild curiosity. “Talking? About what?”

I glance at Kaida, who gives me a look that says your call. My cheeks flush slightly, but I manage to shake my head. “Nothing important,” I say quickly, trying to steer the conversation away. “Just… stuff.”

Lyra raises an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but she doesn’t press further. “Okay,” she says, yawning as she stretches. “Well, if you two are done, I really need to pee.”

Kaida and I exchange a look, and then she bursts out laughing, the sound light and genuine. I can’t help but chuckle as well, the tension in the room easing just a little.

“Wait you have to pee?” I blurt out, looking at Lyra in surprise. The words tumble out before I can stop myself, and I immediately regret how blunt they sound.

Lyra pauses mid-step, blinking at me like I’ve just said something ridiculous. “Uh… yeah?” she says, her tone somewhere between confused and amused. “Why wouldn’t I?”

I glance at Kaida, who raises an eyebrow, clearly just as curious about where this is going as Lyra.

“It’s just… I haven’t had to. Not once since we got here,” I admit, fidgeting slightly. “I thought maybe it wasn’t… a thing we needed to do in this game.”

Lyra looks at me, her confusion shifting into mild curiosity. “Really? I’ve had to like normal since we got here,” she says casually.

Kaida chimes in, crossing her arms thoughtfully. “Now that you mention it… I don’t think I’ve needed to either,” she says, glancing between us. “Weird.”

Lyra shrugs, stepping further into the bathroom. “Maybe it’s a class thing or something?” she offers, clearly not as bothered by this revelation as I am. “I don’t know. You archers and mages have all kinds of weird perks.”

As she closes the door behind her, I glance at Kaida again, feeling even more unsettled. “Do you think it’s really a class thing?” I ask quietly.

Kaida shrugs, her expression thoughtful but calm. “Maybe. Or maybe it’s just another one of those weird quirks about this world we haven’t figured out yet.”

Kaida and I step further into the bedroom, the morning sun streaming through a small window, casting golden light across the wooden floor. The warmth and soft glow make the room feel strangely peaceful, despite the conversation hanging between us.

As we move to our beds, Kaida speaks up, her tone thoughtful but tinged with concern. “Maybe we should ask the others,” she says quietly, glancing at me. “If they’ve needed to, you know, go since we got here.”

I blink, caught off guard by the suggestion. “You think it’s that important?”

Kaida hesitates, her gaze drifting to the floor. “Maybe,” she says softly. “If no one else has needed to, and Lyra’s the only one… what if this isn’t really her? What if the game… replaced her?”

Her words send a chill down my spine, and I glance toward the closed bathroom door where Lyra is. “Replaced her?” I whisper, the idea twisting uncomfortably in my chest.

Kaida nods slightly, her expression serious. “I know it sounds paranoid, but think about it. We don’t know how this game works, how deep it goes. If something happened to Lyra during the time she was kidnapped… what if the ‘Lyra’ we brought back isn’t the same one we lost?”

I sit down heavily on the edge of my bed, my mind racing. The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind before, but now that she’s said it, I can’t stop thinking about the possibility.

I look at Kaida, my voice hushed but laced with doubt. “Is that even possible? I mean, we don’t have much to go off of. We only really knew Lyra for a brief moment before she was kidnapped.”

Kaida crosses her arms, leaning back slightly against the wall. “I don’t know,” she admits, her tone thoughtful. “But this game has already thrown a lot at us that doesn’t make sense. The forest, the maze, that weird map seller… who’s to say it couldn’t mess with us like this too?”

I fidget with the edge of my blanket, trying to sort through my thoughts. “But she seems normal,” I point out. “She was scared, she was grateful when we rescued her, and she’s been acting normal enough.”

Kaida nods slowly, but her expression doesn’t soften. “I know,” she says. “And I’m not saying we should assume the worst. But if something is off, we need to notice it sooner rather than later. If the game can replace people—or change them—we need to be prepared.”

The idea sends a chill through me, and I glance again toward the bathroom door. Could it be possible?

“I guess we’ll have to ask the others,” I say quietly. “See if anyone else has noticed anything weird—or if they’ve needed to, you know, use the bathroom.”

Kaida nods, giving me a faint smile. “It’s worth a shot. But let’s not jump to conclusions yet. For now, we’ll keep an eye on her.”

I take a deep breath and nod. “Okay. Let’s go ask the guys.”

With Kaida following close behind, I open the door and step into the hall. The inn is quiet, the soft creaks of the wooden floorboards under our feet the only sound as we make our way toward the guys’ room.

Kaida glances at me as we walk, her voice low. “You think they’ll think we’re being paranoid?”

“Probably and weird,” I admit, a small smirk tugging at the corner of my lips despite the unease lingering in my chest. “But I’d rather look paranoid than miss something important.”

She grins faintly. “Fair point.”

I knock softly on their door, waiting for a response. A muffled voice grumbles from the other side, and after a moment, the door swings open to reveal Hrothgar, his hair a mess and his expression groggy.

“What’s going on?” he mutters, rubbing his eyes. Behind him, Veyron is sprawled out on one of the beds, clearly awake but looking like he has no intention of moving anytime soon. Lorien is sitting near the window, his spear resting against the wall beside him, and he glances over with a curious look.

“We need to ask you guys something,” I say, stepping inside.

Hrothgar raises an eyebrow, stepping aside to let us in. “What kind of something?”

I glance at Kaida, who nods slightly before I turn back to them. “It’s going to sound weird, but… have any of you needed to use the bathroom since we’ve been here? Like, at all?”

Veyron lets out a sharp laugh, propping himself up on his elbow. “That’s what you woke us up for? Really?”

Hrothgar frowns, his expression thoughtful. “Now that you mention it… no, I haven’t. Haven’t even thought about it.”

Lorien nods slowly, leaning forward in his chair. “Same here. Why?”

Kaida crosses her arms, glancing between them. “Because Lyra has. A few times, actually.”

The room falls quiet, and Veyron finally sits up, his smirk fading. “Wait. You’re saying she’s the only one?”

“Yeah,” I say, my voice quieter now. “And we’re just… trying to figure out if it means anything.”

Hrothgar grunts, crossing his arms. “You think it’s a sign something’s wrong with her?”

“I… I don’t know,” I admit, my voice wavering slightly as I glance between them. “But think about it. We weren’t with her for a long time. The last time we saw her, she was grabbed by that beast, and then…”

I trail off, my stomach twisting as I force myself to say it. “And then we find her in a cave. In a completely random forest. With a different monster guarding her.”

The room falls into a tense silence.

Hrothgar frowns deeply, his hand tightening into a fist at his side. “That’s… a good point. That doesn’t sound normal, not even for a game.”

Lorien leans forward in his chair, his expression troubled. “You think something happened to her while she was missing?”

Veyron, surprisingly serious for once, rubs his chin thoughtfully. “It’s not impossible. That cave didn’t exactly scream ‘safe.’ And that monster… it wasn’t trying to hurt her, at least not yet. It was just sitting there. Waiting.”

Kaida nods, stepping closer. “Exactly. That’s what makes it weird. If the game wanted to throw us into a rescue mission, why didn’t the monster just… attack her? Or us?”

“It felt more like a… test,” Lorien says quietly, his gaze distant.

I glance at the floor, my thoughts swirling. “And now this. The bathroom thing. It’s such a small detail, but what if it means something? What if it’s a sign that… that she isn’t—”

I stop, unable to finish the sentence. The thought feels too heavy, too cruel to say aloud after just freeing her.

“She isn’t Lyra anymore,” Kaida says softly, finishing the thought I couldn’t bring myself to say.

Her words hang heavy in the air, and the weight of them settles deep in my chest. The room falls into an uncomfortable silence as everyone processes what she just said.

Hrothgar grunts, his frown deepening. “You think the game… replaced her?”

Kaida crosses her arms, her expression resolute but tinged with unease. “I don’t know. But we can’t ignore how strange all of this is. The monster guarding her, her being the only one who needs to, you know, go—it’s not adding up.”

Veyron leans back against the wall, letting out a low whistle. “That’s one hell of a theory,” he says, though his usual sarcasm is absent. “But if that’s true… what do we do about it?”

Lorien glances at me, his brows furrowed. “We don’t have enough to go on yet,” he says carefully. “Lyra—she seems normal. Scared, grateful. If something’s wrong, we need to figure out what it is before jumping to conclusions.”

Kaida nods, her voice steady. “I’m not saying we turn on her or anything. But we need to be careful. Watch her closely. If something’s off, we’ll see it eventually.”

I glance toward the bathroom door, my stomach churning with doubt. Lyra’s soft humming drifts through the air, oblivious to the conversation happening just beyond her hearing.

“She trusted us to save her,” I say quietly, my voice shaky. “If we’re wrong about this…”

Kaida rests a hand on my shoulder, her touch firm but gentle. “Then we’re wrong,” she says. “But if we’re right, we need to know.”

Veyron leans forward, his voice sharper now, cutting through the tension in the room. “You guys keep saying she’s acting normal, but let’s be real—we don’t actually know how she acts. Or how she did before, at least.”

His words hit like a punch to the gut, and I feel my stomach twist.

Hrothgar grunts in agreement, crossing his arms. “He’s not wrong. We didn’t really know her for before she got taken. She barely said anything before that beast knocked her out.”

Kaida frowns, glancing between us. “But she seems… consistent, right? I mean, she’s scared, she’s grateful, she certainly acts like us. That has to count for something.”

“Does it?” Veyron asks, his tone skeptical. “Because if the game did replace her, don’t you think it would make sure she acted just like that? At least enough to fool us?”

I glance at the closed bathroom door, my chest tightening. “We’re making a lot of assumptions,” I say softly. “What if we’re wrong? Plus she’s probably… traumatize. She went through a lot while we were trying to find her.”

Lorien speaks up, his voice calm but firm. “That’s exactly why we need to be careful. If she’s really Lyra, then she needs us to support her. But if something else is going on, we need to figure it out—without letting her know we’re suspicious.”

“Yeah,” Veyron says, leaning back against the wall with a dry smirk. “Because traumatization totally leads to needing to fake use the toilet. That checks out.”

His tone is biting, and while part of me wants to snap at him for not taking this seriously, another part knows he has a point. The detail is strange—so specific that it’s hard to just chalk it up to normal trauma or quirks.

Kaida narrows her eyes at Veyron but doesn’t argue. “It is weird,” she admits reluctantly. “We can’t ignore it. Whether it means something bigger or not, we have to consider it.”

Hrothgar sighs heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Fine. Let’s say we agree something might be off. What’s the plan? We can’t exactly confront her out of nowhere.”

Lorien nods, his expression thoughtful. “No, we can’t. If she’s really Lyra, that would just hurt her. And if she’s not… well, I don’t think we want to see what happens if we corner her.”

Veyron shrugs, his smirk fading into something more serious. “Then we need to get clever. Test her. Push her a little and see how she reacts. If she’s fake, she’ll slip up eventually.”

I glance at the bathroom door again, my chest tightening with unease.

I take a deep breath, the words spilling out as I try to make sense of everything. “The game is clearly testing us,” I say, glancing at the others. “With everything that’s happened—the maze, the monsters, even how we found her—maybe it’s all part of some bigger test. Maybe it made her… you know, have to go, just to make us question things. Question each other. Maybe there’s things different with everyone…”

The room falls silent as the weight of my words sinks in.

“That’s possible,” Lorien says quietly, his expression pensive. “The game has been messing with us from the start. Pushing us into situations where we have to make decisions, especially without enough information.”

Kaida nods slowly. “And what better way to mess with a group than to make them question the one person they just fought to save?”

Hrothgar grunts, his tone skeptical. “But why? What’s the point of all this? If the game’s testing us, what’s the end goal? To see if we break?”

Veyron leans back, crossing his arms with a smirk. “Or maybe the creators are just bored and want to watch us squirm. Either way, Artemis might be onto something.”

I fidget with the hem of my sleeve, my thoughts racing. “If it is the game trying to mess with us, then we can’t let it win. We can’t turn on each other just because something feels… off. But we also can’t ignore it completely. We have to be smart about this.”

Kaida looks at me, her expression calm but thoughtful. “So what’s the plan, then? Do we keep an eye on her, or try to figure out if this is just another one of the game’s tricks?”

I let out a deep sigh, running a hand through my hair. “Let’s just continue as we were,” I say, looking at the others. “We’ve already got enough to deal with, and the longer we sit here questioning everything, the more it’ll slow us down. We need to focus on finding a way out of this game.”

Lorien nods after a moment. “You’re probably right. If we let the game get in our heads, we’ll lose sight of what’s really important.”

Hrothgar grunts in agreement, crossing his arms. “Fine by me. We’ve got bigger problems to solve than who has to pee.”

Veyron smirks but doesn’t argue, leaning back against the wall. “Alright, leader. Guess we’ll let this one slide… for now.”

I nod firmly, feeling a small sense of relief that the group seems to be on the same page again. “The sooner we focus on moving forward, the sooner we can figure out how to escape this place.”

The bedroom door creaks open, and Lyra steps out, looking at us with a sleepy but curious smile. “What’s everyone talking about?”

Kaida glances at me before stepping forward with a grin. “Just making plans for the day. You ready to go?”

Lyra nods, oblivious to the tension that had filled the room just moments before. “Oh yeah. Let’s get out of here.”

As the group begins gathering their things, I glance at Kaida one last time, her reassuring nod helping to steady my nerves. Whatever happens next, we’ll face it together.

Hrothgar’s deep voice rumbles through the room as he crosses his arms, looking between us. “How do we check our quests? Maybe one of them is a main quest or something. You know, something that gets us closer to getting out of this place.”

I nod thoughtfully, reaching up to tap the button I’ve come to associate with accessing the menu. “Good idea. If the game really is testing us, maybe it’s tied to one of the quests we’ve completed—or one we haven’t started yet.”

I tap the nightstand and my menu shimmers into view, I navigate to the Quests tab. A series of entries pop up, listed in glowing text.
1. Find the Map Seller’s Treasure Vault
2. Escape the nexus
My eyes widen at the last entry, highlighted faintly in gold as though to indicate its importance. “Escape the nexus,” I murmur, reading it aloud.

Hrothgar steps closer, his brow furrowed. “That’s a quest? The hell does it say?”

I tap on the entry, and more text appears:

Objective: “Overcome the trials and uncover the secrets hidden within this world to find your way back to reality. Success will require trust, resourcefulness, and courage. Beware: failure will mean permanent imprisonment or death .”

A chill runs down my spine as I read the final line.

Veyron lets out a low whistle, his smirk fading. “No pressure, huh?”

I glance around at the group, the weight of the quest’s warning pressing heavily on me. “I mean,” I start hesitantly, “I guess being stuck here is better than dying, right? Before they just said death so I guess that’s a better option…”

Kaida shifts uneasily. “Permanent imprisonment,” she says softly, repeating the words from the quest description.

Lorien’s voice is calm but firm. “We shouldn’t take any chances. Whether it’s permanent imprisonment or death, neither of those are outcomes we want to test.”

Veyron leans back against the wall, his usual smirk replaced with a rare seriousness. “Guess that means no reckless heroics, huh? Shame. I was really looking forward to charging into something stupid.”

I let out a shaky breath, the reality of our situation settling over me again. “Then we keep playing it safe,” I say. “No unnecessary risks. If this game is testing us, we have to make sure we’re smart enough to pass.”

The group nods in agreement, though the tension in the room doesn’t fade.

I take a deep breath, glancing at the group. “I guess we should head to the map seller,” I say. “It’s the only quest we have right now unless we find another. Maybe it’ll help us figure out more about this world—and how to get out of it.”

Hrothgar grunts, grabbing his axe from where it rests against the wall. “Sitting around isn’t gonna get us anywhere.”

Kaida nods, adjusting her staff. “Agreed. If the map seller really has what we need, we can’t afford to wait. Let’s move.”

I glance around the room, the weight of their trust settling on me. “Alright,” I say firmly. “Let’s go.”

The group nods, and we make our way out of the inn, stepping into the morning light. The city is beginning to stir, merchants setting up their stalls and townsfolk bustling through the streets.

We grab what supplies we need, food, a few healing potions and other random items we might need, spending over half of our gold in under 10 minutes, as we head toward the map seller’s shop.

We step into the dimly lit shop, the map seller moves away from the door after opening it. His eyes land directly on Lyra, a knowing smile spreading across his face.

“Ahh,” he says, his voice calm and eerily confident. “I see you found your party member.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I narrow my eyes at him, stepping forward. “How did you know it was her?” I ask, my voice sharp. “You haven’t seen all of us—or her—before. So how do you know?”

Selric chuckles softly, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands together. “Oh, I know many things,” he says cryptically. “It is my business, after all, to know the comings and goings of those who seek to escape this world.”

His gaze flickers to Lyra again, lingering for just a moment too long before returning to me. “She is important to your group, is she not? Vital, even.”

Lyra shifts uncomfortably, glancing at me for reassurance. I feel the group tense around me, their unease mirrored in the silence that follows his words.

Kaida steps closer, her voice firm. “We didn’t come here for riddles. What do you know about her? Or about us?”

Selric grins faintly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. “I know that trust is a fragile thing,” he says smoothly. “And in this world, it is often tested in ways you least expect. But come, we’re wasting time. You didn’t come here to ask about her, did you? You came for the vault.”

The map seller’s grin sharpens as his gaze shifts to Lorien, his fingers steepled. “You’ve got your friend now,” he says smoothly. “So it’s time to complete your end of the bargain. Find the key to the vault, like you promised.”

Hrothgar glances at Lorien, “You made a deal with this guy?”

Lorien stiffens slightly, his expression guarded. “When we came to him for the map,” he admits, his voice low. “We didn’t have enough gold, and he said he’d help us if we promised to find the key for him after we rescued Lyra.”

Veyron crosses his arms, frowning. “And you didn’t think to mention this to us before now?”

“I didn’t want to distract everyone,” Lorien says, his voice defensive. “We needed the map to find Lyra, and there wasn’t time to argue about it.”

Selric chuckles, leaning back in his chair. “Such noble intentions,” he says, his tone dripping with amusement. “But a deal is a deal. The vault cannot be opened without its key, and that key is out there, waiting for you to claim it. Only then will you find the answers you seek.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “And where exactly is this key? Or are we supposed to just wander around aimlessly hoping to stumble across it?”

Selric grin widens, and he pulls a rolled-up parchment from the clutter on his table. “Ah, but that’s the beauty of it,” he says, unrolling the parchment to reveal a faded map. “This will lead you to it—if you’re clever enough to follow the trail.”

He slides the map across the table, his eyes gleaming. “But be warned,” he adds, his voice dropping slightly. “The key is not unguarded. Don’t try and back out either, we had a deal. Complete your end or I’ll bring it up with the guild.”

I reach out and take the map, unrolling it carefully to examine the faded markings. The seller’s cryptic grin doesn’t fade as I study it, the lines and symbols forming a clear path that leads…

“Under the city,” I say aloud, glancing back at the group.

Hrothgar leans over my shoulder, frowning as he takes in the map. “Under the city? Great. That sounds promising.”

Kaida steps closer, her brow furrowed. She looks at the paper“The tunnels,” she says softly. “There’s an entire network of them down there. If this key is really under the city, that’s where we’ll have to go.”

The thought sends a chill down my spine. The idea of venturing into an underground maze is bad enough, but knowing the map seller’s warning about the key being guarded only makes it worse.

Lorien steps forward, his voice steady. “If the key is what we need to open the vault and move forward, then we don’t have a choice. We’ll go into the tunnels and find it.”

Veyron smirks faintly, though his expression is tinged with unease. “Guess that means rats, darkness, and probably another monster waiting to eat us. Sounds like a party.”

The map seller watches us with an amused glint in his eye. “Best of luck, adventurers,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “And do try not to get lost down there. The tunnels have a way of… ‘swallowing’ people whole.”

I roll up the map tightly, my stomach twisting with unease. “Let’s go,” I say firmly, turning toward the door.

As we step back into the bustling city streets, the weight of the task ahead settles over me.

As we step out of the map seller’s shop, the morning bustle of the city seems almost at odds with the weight of the task ahead. But before I can say anything, a metallic creak echoes through the air.

Directly opposite the shop, a rusted hatch embedded in the cobblestone street swings open on its own. A dark, gaping hole is revealed, a faint, cold draft wafting up from below. It feels almost alive, as if the tunnels themselves are calling to us.

I freeze, gripping the rolled-up map tightly. “That’s… convenient,” I mutter, glancing at the others.

Hrothgar narrows his eyes, his hand tightening around his axe. “Too convenient. Feels like a trap.”

Kaida steps closer to the edge of the hatch, peering down into the darkness. “This has to be the entrance,” she says softly. “The timing is certainly not a coincidence.”

Veyron smirks, his dagger twirling lazily in his hand. “Well, at least it saves us the trouble of finding the way down. I say we take the invitation.”

Lorien steps up beside me, his expression serious. “If we’re going to do this, we need to be ready. We don’t know what’s waiting down there.”

I glance back at the dark opening, the air around it seeming to hum with quiet menace.

I glance at the hatch again, the dark opening almost taunting in its stillness. A cold draft brushes against my skin, and I try to push down the unease settling in my chest. “It’s just a game,” I mutter under my breath, trying to reassure myself.

Lyra hears me and tilts her head. “What do you mean?”

I shrug slightly, glancing at her and then back to the group. “I mean, not everything in games is a trap, right? Especially when it’s something important. Maybe this is just… how it’s supposed to go. The hatch opened because we’re supposed to go down there. That’s it.”

Hrothgar grunts, though his grip on his axe doesn’t loosen. “Maybe. But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be ready for whatever’s waiting.”

Veyron smirks, leaning casually against a nearby post. “I agree with the big guy. Games love to throw in surprises just when you think it’s safe.”

Lorien looks at me, his expression calm but questioning. “If you think we should trust this and go in now, I’ll follow you. But it’s your call, Artemis. Are we ready?”

I glance back at the hatch, the darkness below seeming to stretch endlessly.

I take a deep breath, gripping the rolled-up map tightly in my hand. “Here we go, I guess,” I say, my voice steady despite the nervous knot forming in my stomach.

I glance back at the group, their expressions a mix of determination and unease. “Stay close,” I add, stepping toward the open hatch.

Hrothgar nods, his axe already in hand. “I’m ready.”

Kaida tightens her grip on her staff, glancing at me with a small, reassuring smile. “We’ve got this.”

Veyron smirks, though there’s a spark of excitement in his eyes. “Let’s see what kind of fun this place has in store for us.”

Lorien steps up beside me, his spear resting easily in his hand. “You lead, Artemis. We’ll follow.”

I step forward, peering into the dark abyss below. A rusted metal ladder leads down into the depths, and a faint, damp smell wafts up, mixed with the distant sound of dripping water. My heart pounds as I grip the sides of the hatch and place one foot on the ladder.

The metal creaks softly under my weight, but it holds steady. “Careful,” I call back to the others as I begin descending.

One by one, the group follows me down, the light from the surface growing fainter with every step. By the time my feet touch the ground, the world above feels like a distant memory.

The space below is a sprawling stone tunnel, dimly lit by faintly glowing moss clinging to the walls. Shadows dance across the uneven floor, and the air is cold and heavy, carrying the faint echo of distant noises I can’t quite place.

Kaida steps down beside me, her eyes scanning the tunnel. “This doesn’t look ominous at all,” she mutters.

Hrothgar grunts as he lands with a thud. “Stay sharp. If there’s a key down here, it won’t be unguarded.”

I unroll the map, holding it up to the faint glow of the moss to examine it again. “The path splits a few times,” I say, tracing the lines with my finger. “We’ll need to stick together. No wandering off.”

As we begin moving through the tunnel, I glance over at Kaida, the faint glow of the moss catching on her staff. “What spells can you do other than that truth spell?” I ask, my voice low but curious.

She raises an eyebrow, clearly pleased to be asked about her magic. “A few,” she says, holding her staff a little higher as she walks. “The truth spell was lucky to have, but I’ve got the basics—like Light, to brighten a dark area.” She gestures to the glowing moss. “Though I guess we don’t need that right now.”

“Anything more… offensive?” I ask.

Kaida smirks. “Working on it. I’ve got a basic Flameburst spell, but it’s pretty weak unless the target is flammable.” She twirls her staff absentmindedly. “But my favorite so far is Ensnaring Roots. It can hold an enemy in place for a little while.”

“What about defensive?” Lyraasks from behind us, her voice quiet but interested.

Kaida nods. “A basic Barrier spell. I can put a shield around someone for a few seconds, but it takes a lot of focus, and I can’t cast anything else while maintaining it.”

Lorien glances back at her, his expression thoughtful. “Sounds like you’ve got a solid mix. Of support and control.”

Kaida grins. “I can’t charge in with an axe or a spear, but I can make sure you guys survive.”

I smile faintly, feeling a little more confident with her at my side. “Good to know. We’re probably going to need all of that before this is over.”

After what feels like an eternity navigating the damp, uneven tunnels, the space around us begins to shift. The rough, natural stone gives way to smooth, carved walls.

We step into a man-made corridor, its stone blocks fitted tightly together with expert craftsmanship. The air feels colder here, heavy with the scent of age and dust. It’s clear no one has been here in a very, very long time.

Kaida runs her fingers lightly along the wall, her expression thoughtful. “This place must be ancient,” she murmurs, her voice echoing softly. “The architecture… it doesn’t look like it belongs to the city above.”

Hrothgar kneels, examining the floor. “No footprints,” he grunts. “Not even rats. Whatever this place is, it’s been sealed off for a long time.”

I glance down the corridor, the faint light from the moss casting long shadows. The air feels… wrong somehow. Heavy, as if the space itself is watching us. “Stay alert,” I say, gripping my bow tightly. “Just because it’s abandoned doesn’t mean it’s safe.”

Veyron peers down the hallway, his smirk fading slightly as he twirls his dagger. “Bet you five gold there’s a trap up ahead,” he mutters.

Kaida shoots him a look. “Not helping.”

Lorien steps up beside me, his spear held at the ready. “The map shows the key should be deeper in,” he says quietly. “If this is the right place, we need to keep moving.”

I nod, taking a cautious step forward. The silence here is oppressive, broken only by the faint echoes of our footsteps.
I freeze mid-step, the sound sharp and unmistakable: a soft click echoing from behind me.

My heart leaps into my throat as I spin around, my bow raised instinctively. “What was that?” I whisper, my voice tight with tension.

Lyra’s eyes widen, and she glances down at the floor where her foot had just landed. A faint outline of a pressure plate is visible beneath the thin layer of dust. “I… I think I stepped on something,” she says, her voice trembling slightly.

The air seems to hold its breath for a moment, the silence stretching unbearably. Then, with a low rumble, the walls to either side of us begin to shift.

Massive stone slabs grind apart, revealing dark openings from which mechanical noises emerge. The sound of gears turning and chains rattling fills the corridor, and a faint glow begins to pulse from within the walls.

“What the hell did you trigger?” Veyron mutters, stepping back and drawing his dagger.

Lyra shakes her head frantically, stepping away from the pressure plate. “I didn’t mean to! I didn’t even see it!”

From the openings, shadows begin to emerge—small at first, but quickly growing into hulking forms. Humanoid figures, constructed from stone and metal, step into the corridor, their glowing eyes locking onto us.

“Golems,” Lorien says grimly, raising his spear. “Get ready!”

The golems begin to advance, their heavy steps shaking the ground beneath us.

“Kaida, now’s the time for those roots!” I shout, nocking an arrow as the golems continue their slow, menacing march toward us.

Kaida nods quickly, stepping forward and slamming the butt of her staff onto the ground. The faint glow of green magic ripples outward, and with a whispered incantation, thick, twisting roots erupt from the cracks in the stone floor.

The roots wrap tightly around the legs of the nearest golems, slowing their advance as they struggle against the magical bonds. The mechanical grinding of their movements becomes erratic as the roots tighten.

“That should hold them for a bit!” Kaida calls, her voice strained. “But I don’t know how long!”

“Good enough!” I yell, glancing back at the others. “Find a way out of here—there’s gotta be something!”

Hrothgar moves quickly, his axe at the ready as he examines the walls and floor for any sign of an exit. “Look for another trigger!” he growls. “A switch, a lever—anything!”

Lorien stands guard near Kaida, his spear held at the ready in case any of the golems break free. “We’ll keep them back!” he says.

Veyron darts along the edge of the corridor, his sharp eyes scanning the walls. “There’s got to be a control mechanism for this trap,” he mutters, his fingers running over the stone as he searches for hidden seams or switches.

I keep my bow trained on the golems, loosing arrows to slow the ones that Kaida’s roots can’t reach. “Hurry!” I shout, my heart pounding as the glowing eyes of the advancing golems send shadows dancing across the walls.

I take a deep breath, steadying my hands as I draw my bow. The string feels taut, ready to release, but I hold my fire for now, watching the golems struggle against Kaida’s roots.

“Come on, guys,” I mutter under my breath, my eyes flicking between the advancing constructs and the others searching frantically along the walls. “Find the damn switch.”

Kaida grits her teeth, her staff glowing faintly as she channels more energy into the roots. “I can’t hold this forever!” she shouts, sweat beading on her forehead. The roots are strong, but the golems are relentless, their sheer weight and power starting to crack the stone floor beneath them as they struggle.

Hrothgar growls as he slams his fist against the wall, his frustration mounting. “No switch here!”

Lyra scrambles looking around frantically for a way out.
“Keep looking!” Lorien calls, his spear twirling in his hands as he stands ready to intercept the first golem that breaks free.

Veyron darts further down the corridor, his sharp eyes scanning every inch of the stone. “There’s gotta be something—” He pauses, his voice cutting off as his fingers find a small indentation in the wall. “Wait, I think I’ve got it!”

I glance at him, hope surging in my chest. “What is it?”

Veyron presses into the indentation, and with a faint click, a hidden panel slides open, revealing a small lever. “This has to be it,” he says, glancing back at us.

“Well, pull it already!” Hrothgar shouts.

Veyron doesn’t hesitate, grabbing the lever and yanking it down. The corridor shakes slightly as the grinding of gears echoes louder, and the golems suddenly halt, their glowing eyes dimming.

Kaida lets out a shaky breath as the roots retreat back into the ground. “Thank gods,” she mutters, slumping slightly.

The golems remain frozen, their massive forms no longer advancing. I lower my bow, exhaling in relief as the tension in my shoulders eases. “Good work,” I say, glancing at Veyron.

He smirks, brushing dust off his hands. “Told you I’d find it.”

Lorien steps closer to me, his spear lowered but still in hand. “You okay?” he asks quietly.

I nod, though my heart is still pounding. “Yeah. Let’s just… keep moving. The key has to be close.”

As the faint rumble of the lever echoes through the corridor, a hidden passage suddenly opens up in the wall ahead. Without hesitation, I step through with Kaida and Lorien close behind.

The space is narrow, dimly lit by the same faintly glowing moss as before, and the air feels heavier, like we’re walking deeper into something ancient and foreboding.

Just as we take a few steps forward, a loud slam erupts behind us.

I spin around, my heart leaping into my throat. A massive stone wall has dropped between us and the rest of the group, nearly catching Lorien as it seals the passage shut.

“Artemis!” Hrothgar’s muffled voice booms from the other side.

Veyron’s voice follows, sharp and agitated. “What the hell?!”

I rush to the wall, pressing my hands against the cold stone. “Hrothgar! Veyron! Lyra! Are you okay?”

“We’re fine!” Lyra shouts back, though her voice sounds distant through the thick stone. “But we can’t get to you!”

Kaida runs her fingers along the edge of the sealed wall, her expression pale. “It’s seamless. There’s no way to lift it from this side.”

Lorien steps closer to me, his spear in hand as he glances back down the path ahead. “We have to keep going,” he says quietly, though his voice is firm. “The key is ahead, and they’ll find a way to catch up. We’ll meet them back here once we have it.”

My chest tightens as I glance between the stone wall and the dark path ahead. “Be careful!” I call to the others.

“You too!” Hrothgar answers, his voice tense. “And hurry up!”

Kaida places a hand on my shoulder, her expression steady but concerned. “We’ll get through this. Let’s just focus on what’s ahead.”

I nod, though the pit in my stomach doesn’t ease. “Alright,” I say, turning back to the narrow path. “Let’s move.”

End of chapter 9

Cliffhanger! Next chapter we discover what the key actually opens…