Morning dew sparkled like scattered gemstones across the training grounds, and the scent of jasmine and spirit grass wafted in the breeze. Floyd stood on a cliff edge at the back of the sect, his long coat flapping behind him as he gazed out at the Whispering Vale.
A hidden region nestled within jagged valleys and dense spiritual fog, the Whispering Vale was known only in obscure texts and half-whispered legends. It was said to be a place where reality bent, where forgotten magic drifted like mist, and ancient beasts wandered in eternal silence.
No one dared venture there.
But Floyd had found something—a ripple of mana, a tremor through his vast magical senses. Something called to him.
Footsteps approached behind him.
"You're really going, aren't you?" Mina asked, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
He turned and offered a crooked grin. "You knew I would."
Mina leaned against him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. "Can I come too?"
Floyd chuckled. "I'll need someone to scold me if I get too reckless, won't I?"
Behind them, the rest of his inner circle gathered—Gabby, Sophia, Gabrielle, and Lyra. Each of them wore light adventure gear, enchanted for movement and defense. Gabby twirled a flame between her fingers, a wicked grin forming on her lips.
"If it's danger we're chasing, I'm definitely coming. Been too long since I roasted something with fangs."
Sophia adjusted her high boots, her sword strapped tightly to her back. "And if anything so much as growls at you, I'm slicing it in half."
Gabrielle's expression was more composed. "This place... it calls to divine blood. There's something sacred there. I feel it."
Lyra, arms crossed, huffed. "If you think I'm letting you go without me, you're dumber than you look, Floyd."
Floyd raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. The whole squad's in."
He was more than happy to have them. Each woman had grown stronger, more confident, more uniquely her own self—and their connection to him had deepened. This wasn't just his journey anymore. It was theirs.
---
Crossing into the Whispering Vale was like entering another world.
The air was thick with ethereal mist that shimmered faintly with multicolored light. The trees grew twisted and tall, their bark pulsing softly with magic. Insects with glowing wings flitted through the fog, leaving streaks of luminescence behind.
The path ahead was narrow and uneven, roots jutting from the ground like skeletal fingers. The moment they entered, a hush fell over the group.
No birds. No wind. Just the sound of their boots crunching over moss and leaf.
Gabby whistled. "Creepy. I like it."
Mina shivered and clung a little closer to Floyd's arm.
Sophia drew her sword and walked just a bit ahead. "I'll scout forward."
"No," Floyd said gently. "We stay together here."
A few steps deeper, and they found the first sign of the Vale's strangeness.
A floating stone monolith hovered in the air, etched with runes that pulsed as they approached. Gabrielle stepped forward, eyes wide.
"This… this language is older than the current pantheon. It's primordial."
"Can you read it?" Floyd asked.
She nodded slowly, touching the glyphs. "A warning. 'Here lies the slumber of Ashryn, the Thousand-Faced Flame. Do not wake him, lest fire consumes the sky.'"
Gabby's eyes lit up. "Flame deity? I like him already."
Floyd's gaze darkened slightly. "Whatever is sleeping here, we don't want to wake it. We're here to observe. Learn. Not provoke."
The group continued deeper into the vale, weaving through floating boulders and walking across translucent bridges made of crystal vines. The atmosphere was intoxicating—ancient and pulsing with secrets.
---
Hours later, they made camp beneath a colossal arching root covered in glowing flowers. Floyd set up magical wards while the others gathered around a soft fire created by Gabby's controlled flames.
Sophia sat beside Floyd, brushing her fingers through her long, pale blue hair.
"I never thought I'd see places like this," she said. "You make the world feel… bigger. But also safer."
Floyd met her eyes. "You make it worth exploring."
Their lips met briefly, a slow and soft kiss that held warmth rather than urgency. But as she deepened it, her hand drifted along his thigh.
He pulled back slightly. "Sophia…"
She smiled, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Just a kiss, Master. I promise not to take all of you. Yet."
Mina, lying nearby on a blanket, turned on her side and pouted. "If anyone's taking him first, it's me."
Gabby laughed, lying on her back with arms behind her head. "Ladies, if you're going to fight over him, at least do it shirtless."
Gabrielle sighed, trying to hide her smirk. "Honestly… you all act like blessed children."
Floyd chuckled, feeling both exasperated and deeply grateful.
This teasing, this warmth, this chaos—they filled a part of him that had been empty for too long.
---
As night fell, the Vale grew colder. Strange sounds echoed in the distance—like whispers across glass, ancient voices too broken to understand. Floyd sat in meditation, senses stretched into the magical field around them.
Something stirred. Far off… but watching.
A consciousness.
Suddenly, a soft cry broke the stillness.
Mina.
Floyd shot up, rushing toward her blanket. She writhed in her sleep, covered in sweat, clutching her head.
"She's caught in a spirit snare," Gabrielle said quickly, kneeling beside her. "Something from the Vale has slipped into her mind."
Floyd knelt and placed his hand on Mina's forehead. His eyes flared with deep violet light as he invoked dream-walk magic, diving into her unconsciousness.
He found her floating in a twisted dream—surrounded by mirror images of herself, all whispering different fears: He only pities you. You're just a servant. He will abandon you when stronger women come.
Floyd's voice boomed through the dreamscape. "Mina!"
She turned to him, eyes wide and tearful. "F-Floyd… I… I didn't mean to…"
He reached out and embraced her tightly. "You are not just a maid. You are you. You're strong. Brave. Loyal. And I care for you."
The dream cracked like shattered glass, and they fell back into reality.
Mina gasped awake, immediately clutching to his chest. He held her, stroking her hair as the others gathered close.
"You're safe," he whispered. "I won't let anything take you. Not even your own doubt."
---
Later, after Mina drifted back to sleep, Floyd sat by the fire alone. The Vale was testing them. Not with monsters or traps—but with dreams, emotions, and fear.
And he would not let it win.
Tomorrow, they would explore deeper. Uncover more secrets. Grow stronger.
But tonight, beneath the pale shimmer of an unknown sky, he kept watch—his heart full of the people who had come to mean everything to him.
The journey had only just begun.
---