The morning light filters through the tavern's windows.
I blink away the remnants of sleep.
My sword rests comfortably on my side. My dagger at my belt, and I pack my backpack with everything I might need.
The sun hangs in the sky. It casts a gentle warmth over the town. The weather rarely changes. But the weather isn't the issue today.
I grab my things and head out of the tavern. I wave goodbye to the NPCs working there. The woman behind the counter smiles at me. She offers me a small plate of food. I give her a small smile in return.
Every day, she offers me food, and every day I accept it with open arms. She's a kind woman, though an NPC. She's no different from those who sell flowers. They're not like us, not like the players. But they still have their charm.
I step into the street. I'm greeted by Viri. She stands with that same hardened expression on her face. Her eyes are tired. She looks at me for a moment before speaking.
"Take care of Eli," she says.
"I will," I reply, meeting her gaze.
I look back at her.
"When will you be back?" I ask, my voice quiet, almost hopeful.
Sadly, she shook her head. "We'll see you tomorrow for the boss fight. Unless, of course, something delays it."
"I'll see you tomorrow then," I say.
I watch her walk off, Eli trailing behind her. She glares at her for a brief moment. She keeps her distance, retreating into her usual silence.
"Are you ready?" she asks.
I can't help but smile back. "Of course."
"How could I not be?"
The day seems to stretch on.I can only focus on tonight. Tonight is the most important night. The night I've all been preparing for. I glance over at Eli once more. Watching as she adjusts the ring on her hand. It's something important to her, something she always wears.
Tonight, things change forever.
Later that night.
We head into the Goblin Forest. The area was once alive with chaos and violence, where goblins were slaughtered for their teeth and hides. It's a place that now feels peaceful. The forest has become a silent graveyard for their kind. The few survivors now hiding in the shadows. Rarely seen by adventurers.
We walk the path. Eli gripped my arm tightly. Her blonde hair, glowing softly in the twilight. Her blue eyes scan the surroundings.
"There's a nice pond up ahead," I say.
"It sure is creepy at night," she says, her grip tightening.
I smile. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
"You'll protect me?" she teases, her lips curling into a half-smile. "Can protect yourself from a goblin?"
"Touché," I responded. "But there's nothing here now."
"Are you sure?" she doubts.
I give her a smile.
A scream.
A scream splits the quiet air.
A blood-curdling scream.
I immediately jerk away from Eli, running toward the source of the sound. I hear her footsteps behind me as I charge through the underbrush, my heart racing.
I sense movement in the bushes. There are people hiding, watching, waiting. If things go wrong, this will be it.
The platinum coin I risked everything to obtain.
Eli's perspective:
I follow Arden into the clearing. My feet are light but my mind is heavy with unease. A circle of trees. Branches hanging low. A carpet of fallen leaves. Some orange and crisp.
Arden stands there, arms stretched out, a wild look in his eyes.
" Are you—?".
"I never liked you."
My heart skips a beat. The words hang in the air. Heavy and painful.
"What?"
I tried to ignore the sting in my chest. I tired to make sense of what he's saying.
"We only came here for the bounty."
His words are like a slap in the face. "The platinum coin," he continues, his voice steady, cold. "It could set anyone up for life. It could set my family up for life."
I try to process what he's saying. "You're not family. Reyna, Tenshi, Viri... they are family. But not you."
"You're nothing but a corpse to me," Arden spits out, his tone sharp and cruel. "A means to get the money I need."
I laugh, a laugh that feels hollow and wrong, echoing through the clearing. It's an evil laugh, maniacal and twisted.
"The worms," I say.
"What? Have you gone insane?" Arden laughs, his tone mocking.
"I feel bad for the worms," I say. "That will have to digest your wretched, putrid, rotting corpse"
"Where was this personality before?" I ask, the bitterness in my voice clear. "When we were together, I might've actually liked you."
It hurts. It hurts more than I thought it would. The sadness sinks deep, filling every inch of me. Memories replay in my mind, each one like a shard of glass. I want it to stop.
"Die." Arden snaps his fingers, his eyes flashing with cold finality.
At his command, figures emerge from the bushes on either side of us—one holding a wand, another a sword, and a third armed with a spear.
"Debuff, debuff, debuff!" I yell, tearing off my armor and leaving only the leather underneath, ready for the fight.
"Have you gone mad?" Arden laughs again, watching me prepare for battle.
"I want this," I growl, "I want this to be as painful as possible."
I charge first. The wand wielder is closest. I move so fast, I almost don't see it coming—my blade strikes like a lightning bolt, cleaving him in half in one fluid motion. The crack of his body splitting echoes through the forest. The other two hesitate, but it's too late. The first one's dead, and I'm not stopping.
The name that flashes in my mind goes from white to a faint orange. It's their weakness. It's so clear now.
"They're weak," I mutter, preparing my magic. My body crackles with energy, lightning building in the palm of my hand.
Then I feel it. A surge —the ring. It activates, draining my mana down
"What's going on?" I say as I struggle to get to my feet.
It burns—it's something I've never experienced before.
"The ring cuts your mana down by 99.9%."
I look down at the ring, a small frown forming on my face, tears welling in my eyes.
"I thought you said it would help in combat..."
"Help in combat? Never said it would help you," he mocks. "Do you know how many rings I had to buy to get it that high?"
I try to pull it off, but it's bound to me, tied to my mana. It's too late to undo it.
Arden's voice is smug. "Just accept your defeat and come with us, 'Eleanor.'"
Without hesitation, I drew a rune into the ground, marking my final choice. The chant escapes my lips, barely a whisper: "Summon_Grim."
Then, with a sudden rush, Grim manifests—no mere animal, but a beast of shadows, a summoned force beyond anything natural.
The remaining enemies stand no chance. One by one, they fall, their bodies shredded under the bear's furious assault.
Arden's face twists from disbelief to terror. His voice cracks as he calls out for help.
His desperation is clear. But I say nothing. I don't move. I can't.
The last thing I see is Grim's massive jaws snap shut around Arden, his body twisted and broken. The bear's teeth sink deep, ripping through him. His right eye is gone, a jagged slash marring his face as his body is consumed. The forest goes eerily quiet, save for the sound of bones cracking and the slow, deliberate munching of my summoned creature.
I'm free from the weight of his betrayal.
I look at his body, a rune with a flower in the center etched into it.
As Grim finishes, I stand motionless. I don't feel satisfaction, or even triumph. I simply feel empty. I turn away from the mess of torn bodies, taking in the stillness of the forest. The panic, the heartache—it's all gone. I've cut my ties, and now, there's nothing left but the quiet.
I walk away, my steps firm, as the last traces of Arden vanish into the forest's shadows.