I sat on a fallen log near the fire, trying not to fidget as the tension in the air thickened. It was the kind of awkward silence that felt like a boss fight countdown, and judging by the way Devon was gring at Ethan, I had a pretty good idea who the boss was supposed to be.

  The fire crackled softly, its light throwing shadows across Ethan’s face as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He hadn’t said much since we stopped for the night. I tried not to look at him, but my eyes betrayed me, darting in his direction every time I thought no one was paying attention.

  Devon’s voice broke the silence, sharp and direct. “Alright, Ethan. Start talking.”

  I winced, biting my lip. I knew this was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier. My fingers twisted in my p as Ethan straightened, meeting Devon’s gaze with a calmness I envied.

  “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but the developers hired me.” His words hit like a spell backsh—sharp and unexpected.

  The campfire suddenly felt colder. Even Fi, who had been noisily munching on roasted nuts, froze mid-chew. My heart dropped, and I forced myself to look at Ethan, trying to gauge his expression. His eyes flicked to me briefly before he turned back to Devon.

  “By the Devs?” Selene’s voice was low and dangerous, her hand brushing the hilt of her dagger. She looked ready to strike if she didn’t like his following answer.

  “Yes.” Ethan raised his hands defensively. “They reached out to me months ago. Their pn was simple—find and neutralize the corrupted code that is Kiera.”

  I felt everyone’s eyes shift toward me. My chest tightened, and I looked down at my hands, wishing I could disappear into the shadows I commanded.

  Devon’s knuckles turned white around the hilt of his sword. “And? You were just going to hand her over?”

  “No.” Ethan’s voice was firm, his tone shifting to something more earnest. “At first, that was the job. But getting to know her, all of you... well, let's just say the picture the devs painted wasn't exact. I knew I had to help her instead.”

  The silence that followed was suffocating. I wanted to say anything, but the words tangled in my throat. Ethan’s gaze found mine again, and for a moment, I could see the sincerity in his eyes. It only made me feel worse.

  Selene was the first to break the silence, her tone sharp and cold. “And we’re just supposed to trust you now?”

  Ethan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I get it. You have no reason to trust me. But I’m here because I believe in what Kiera’s doing. I’ll prove it. Whatever it takes.”

  Selene’s sharp gaze didn’t soften, but she stepped back, crossing her arms. Devon, however, didn’t move. His jaw was tight, and his voice was low and threatening when he spoke.

  “You’ve got a lot to prove, Ethan. And if you even think about betraying her, you’ll regret it.”

  Ethan didn’t flinch, but I did. My fingers clenched tighter in my p. I could feel the heat of Devon’s words as if they were directed at me instead of Ethan.

  “I...” My voice came out quieter than I wanted, but I pushed on. “I think we should let him help. For now.”

  Devon’s eyes snapped to mine, his frustration clear, but he didn’t say anything. I couldn’t tell if he was angry with Ethan or me. Ethan’s gaze softened as he looked at me, and my face burned. I quickly turned away, pretending to study the fire.

  Selene sighed, shaking her head. “Fine. But don’t think for a second that we trust you yet.”

  The tension eased slightly after that, though it lingered like a lousy debuff. Fi, bless her chaotic energy, broke the silence with a loud crunch.

  “Well, that was intense,” she said, tossing a nut in the air and catching it in her mouth. “But hey, Ethan, if we’re all one big happy party now, you’d better start chipping in more.”

  Mason chuckled, finally rexing enough to sit back. “She’s not wrong. We could always use more supplies.”

  Ethan managed a faint smile. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  The conversation shifted after that. Fi teased Mason about his terrible cooking skills, but my mind was elsewhere.

  Occasionally, I’d catch Ethan’s gaze, and my stomach would twist in knots. The memory of his hands on my waist, his lips brushing mine, fshed in my mind. My face burned, and I quickly looked away, hoping no one noticed.

  ?????°???°?????

  We packed and prepared to enter a corrupted forest marked on my HUD. The waypoint flickered ominously, and the forest ahead seemed to swallow the light.

  Selene scouted ahead, marking safe paths and pointing out hazards. Devon kept a wary eye on Ethan while Mason handed out freshly brewed stamina potions. Fi somehow acquired a floating balloon pet from a passing merchant, which bobbed cheerfully above her shoulder.

  I focused on practicing my abilities, channeling Shadow Embrace to immobilize a wandering spawn. The shadowy tendrils curled around it, holding it tight, but my focus wavered. Ethan’s voice from the night before echoed in my head, and the tendrils dissipated.

  “Kiera.” Selene’s voice startled me, and I saw her watching me with a raised eyebrow. “You okay?”

  “I... yeah. Just distracted,” I said quickly, forcing a smile.

  Her gaze lingered for a moment before she nodded. “Stay sharp. We’ll need you in there.”

  When we reached the Obsidian Veil entrance, my nerves were shot. The air grew colder, and the shadows seemed to move independently. My HUD glitched, the waypoint flickering erratically.

  Ethan stepped up beside me, his voice low. “Whatever’s in there, I’ve got your back.”

  I gnced at him, my heart racing. “Thanks,” I said softly, though my voice sounded shaky.

  As we stepped into the forest, the whispers started—faint, unsettling echoes that made my skin crawl. I tightened my grip on my weapon, my heart pounding. Trust was fragile, I reminded myself, and I wasn’t sure who I trusted more or less.

  The quest log updated as we passed through the first barrier of corrupted trees, their twisted branches reaching toward us like cws. The glitchy waypoint on my HUD blinked erratically, pointing deeper into the forest, but the fshing notification was enough to make me pause.

  [Quest Updated: Obsidian Veil] Objective: Investigate the corrupted anomaly. Reward: Fragmented Binary Code (5/???) Warning: High-level corrupted enemies detected.

  "High-level?" Mason muttered, gncing at his own log. "Of course it is. When’s the st time we got a quest that didn’t scream ‘You’re about to die’?"

  Fi snorted from the back. “What’s the worst that can happen? I die first, collect my items, and you guys avenge me. Cssic strategy.”

  I tried to ugh, but the tension in my chest wouldn’t let me. The air in Obsidian Veil was heavier than any corrupted zone we’d faced before, and my HUD wasn’t helping. The glitched waypoint pulsed red now, as if warning me to turn back.

  [Status Effect Applied: Tethered to Anomaly] Kiera’s corrupted code resonates with the environment. Nearby enemies may react aggressively.

  "Great," I muttered under my breath, earning a concerned gnce from Selene.

  It didn’t take long for the forest to strike. The growl came first, low and guttural, vibrating through the ground beneath my boots. My HUD lit up with red markers as [??? - Corrupted Pack Hunter] materialized from the shadows. Its form was glitchy and wrong—jagged teeth, limbs that didn’t move right, and glowing red eyes that locked onto me immediately.

  [Corrupted Pack Hunter] Level: 25 HP: 6,000 Abilities: Frenzied Bite, Pack Tactics, Corruption Howl.

  Before I could react, two more red markers appeared behind it.

  [Corrupted Pack Hunter x2] Level: 23 HP: 4,500 each.

  “They’re fnking!” Selene shouted, already moving to intercept the first one. Her [Shadowstep: Advanced] ability activated, her body blinking out of view before reappearing behind the lead hunter with her dagger fshing. A critical hit marker—[1,200 Damage]—floated above the creature’s head, but it barely staggered.

  “Tank formation!” Devon called, moving to block the second hunter with his shield raised. The metallic cng echoed as the creature smmed into him, but his [Iron Bastion: Active] held firm.

  Ethan joined the fray, stepping in to cover Selene’s fnk. He nded a solid hit on one of the smaller hunters, sending it reeling back with [700 Damage].

  “Stay focused!” Devon barked as the third hunter lunged at me. My hands tightened around my staff as I summoned Shadow Embrace. Bck tendrils erupted from the ground, wrapping around the creature’s legs and holding it in pce.

  [Shadow Embrace: Successful. Target immobilized for 5 seconds.]

  But five seconds wasn’t enough. The hunter snarled, its glitched body vibrating violently as it began to break free. My stomach churned as I reached for my summoning [Dire Wolf Hell Hound].

  [Dire Wolf Hell Hound Summoned] HP: 3,800 Abilities: Infernal Bite, Pack Leader Aura (+10% Damage).

  The hound lunged at the immobilized hunter, its fangs sinking into corrupted flesh with a satisfying crunch. A damage marker—[1,100 Damage]—appeared above the creature, and its HP bar dipped dangerously low.

  The fight ended after what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes. Selene nded the finishing blow on the lead hunter with a clean critical strike—[2,500 Damage]—while Devon and Ethan took down the second together. My hellhound and I finished the st one, though the strain of maintaining my mana pool left me breathless.

  [Corrupted Pack Hunter Defeated x3.] Rewards: 3,000 XP, 150 Crowns, Corrupted Beast Cw x2.

  “Good work, everyone,” Devon said, though his eyes lingered on Ethan longer than necessary. “We’ll need to tighten our coordination if this is what we’re up against.”

  Fi plopped down on a nearby rock, her balloon pet bobbing (she had bought from one of our st shopping trips) as if nothing had happened. “That wasn’t so bad. I mean, I only screamed once.”

  “You didn’t scream,” Mason corrected, wiping sweat from his brow. “You cackled. There’s a difference.”

  She shrugged. “Details.”

  Selene returned from looting the bodies, her expression grim. “These things are getting stronger. That lead hunter had almost double the HP of the ones we’ve fought before.”

  I nodded, my gaze drifting to the glitched trees around us. The whispers in the air seemed louder now, forming half-words that sent chills down my spine. My HUD fshed again, the waypoint reappearing farther ahead.

  [Waypoint Updated: Anomaly Source Detected.]

  “We’re close,” I said quietly, though the unease in my voice was impossible to hide.

  We took a short break to recover, setting up a small camp in a clearing. Devon stayed on watch, his sword resting across his knees as he scanned the area. Selene polished her daggers, her eyes occasionally flicking toward Ethan. Mason brewed some essential mana potions, and Fi entertained herself by poking at her balloon pet.

  I sat a little apart from the group, summoning my hellhound again to practice. The beast padded around me, its glowing red eyes scanning the area for threats. My HUD showed its status:

  [Dire Wolf Hell Hound] Status: Idle. Effect: Pack Leader Aura Active.

  “Getting the hang of it?” Ethan’s voice startled me, and I turned to see him standing a few feet away.

  “Sort of,” I admitted, dismissing the hound with a wave. “It’s powerful, but it drains me out fast.”

  He nodded, his expression thoughtful. “You handled yourself well back there. That st move with the hellhound—it was impressive.”

  “Thanks,” I said softly, though the praise only tightened my chest. I could still feel his gaze on me, the memory of his hands on my waist fshing through my mind. My face heated, and I quickly looked away.

  “You okay?” he asked, his voice gentle.

  “I’m fine,” I said quickly, forcing a smile. “Just... trying to stay focused.”

  Devon’s voice cut through the moment. “We’re moving out in five.”

  I didn’t have to look to know he was watching us. His tone was neutral, but there was an edge to it that made my stomach twist. Ethan nodded and stepped back, giving me space, but the tension in the air remained.

  As we packed up and headed deeper into Obsidian Veil, the forest grew darker and colder. The whispers turned into fragmented sentences, words that didn’t make sense but still sent chills down my spine.

  My HUD glitched again, and the waypoint was pulsing with increasing intensity. Whatever awaited us at the source of the anomaly, I knew one thing for sure—it wouldn’t let us leave without a fight.

  The ruins of Wyrm Hollows felt alive. The air buzzed with static, and my HUD glitched, fshing warnings that seemed more ominous with every step.

  [Warning: Environmental Instability Detected.] [Corruption Increasing: Hostile Presence Imminent.]

  The waypoint ahead pulsed erratically, guiding us deeper into the ruins. The crumbling stonework gave way to jagged, metallic roots, glitching in and out of reality. It looked like the game's world was tearing apart at the seams, and the whispers that had been faint before now filled the air like a broken audio file.

  “I don’t like this,” Devon muttered, his shield raised. “It’s too quiet.”

  Walking a few steps ahead, Selene had her daggers at the ready. “The corrupted zones are never quiet for long. Stay sharp.”

  Mason shifted uneasily, gripping his hammer. “You think it’s another horde? Or something worse?”

  I didn’t answer. I focused on the glitched waypoint on my HUD, its erratic blinking making my stomach churn. Something was here. Something big.

  The silence shattered as the ground shook violently, throwing us off bance. My HUD bred a new alert:

  [Warning: Guardian Detected.] [Initiating Failsafe Protocol...]

  A massive figure emerged from the shadows, its form towering and menacing. Its body was a mix of gleaming armor and corrupted code, its glowing red eyes scanning the area like a predator locking onto prey. I knew this figure all too well.

  [Guardian Oberon] Level: --- HP: --- Abilities: Code Purge, Rift Sm, Annihition Surge.

  “Oh, no. He’s back,” I whispered, my voice trembling. My chest tightened as memories of our st encounter flooded back—Lucien’s sacrifice, our desperate escape, and Oberon’s relentless power.

  Devon stepped in front of me. “Stay behind me.”

  Selene’s daggers gleamed as she crouched low, her body tense. “We’re not running this time.”

  Guardian Oberon’s deep, mechanical voice echoed through the ruins, filled with cold, calcuted menace. “Corrupted anomaly detected. Initiating termination protocol.”

  Without warning, he smmed a massive hammer into the ground, sending a shockwave of glitched energy.

  [Code Purge: Area of Effect.] Damage: 1,500 to all pyers in range.

  The bst hit us like a freight train, knocking me off my feet. My HP bar dropped dangerously low—barely above half.

  “Spread out!” Devon shouted, charging forward to draw Oberon’s attention. His ability absorbed a massive hit from Oberon’s staff, but the impact sent him skidding backward, even with his high defense.

  Selene darted to the side, behind Oberon. Her daggers sshed at his armor, nding critical hits.

  [Critical Strike: 2,000 Damage.]

  But Oberon barely flinched. His massive HP bar barely budged as he turned, unleashing a [Rift Sm] that created glitched spikes across the battlefield.

  “Watch the ground!” Mason shouted, leaping out of the way as the spikes erupted beneath him. He swung his hammer, nding a solid hit on one of Oberon’s legs.

  [Hammer Strike: 1,800 Damage.]

  Fi unched firebolts from the backline, aiming for Oberon’s core. “His weak point’s the chest!” she yelled. “Focus fire there!”

  I summoned my [Dire Wolf Hell Hound], and the massive beast appeared. Its glowing red eyes locked onto Oberon, and it lunged forward with a ferocious growl.

  [Dire Wolf Hell Hound - Infernal Bite: 3,200 Damage.]

  The attack staggered Oberon slightly, but his HP bar still felt insurmountable. My chest tightened as I realized how badly outmatched we were.

  Just as Oberon raised his staff to unleash another [Code Purge], a bright light erupted nearby. I shielded my eyes, my HUD pinging with new markers—pyers.

  “Looks like you guys could use some help!” a voice called out.

  A group of five pyers stepped into view, their armor gleaming with high-level gear. Their guild emblem, a golden phoenix, stood out against the darkness.

  The leader, a tall man with auburn hair and a massive greatsword, grinned as he pointed it at Oberon. His username hovered above him:

  [Pyer: Kaelion - Level 32] Guild: Phoenix Ascendant

  “What’s the big guy’s deal?” he asked, casually stepping forward. “Boss fight? World event?”

  Before I could expin, Selene took charge.

  “Don’t get in our way,” she snapped. “This thing’s not your fight.”

  Kaelion ignored her, his grin widening. “A boss is a boss. Let’s take it down.”

  The rogue beside him—[Pyer: Lyra - Level 31]—rolled her eyes. “You just want the loot.”

  “Don’t you?” Kaelion countered, already charging into the fray.

  With Phoenix Ascendant joining the battle, the tide began to shift. Kaelion’s greatsword cleaved into Oberon’s armor with devastating power, while Lyra’s agile attacks nded multiple critical hits. Their mage, a woman with flowing silver hair—[Pyer: Era - Level 30]—cast powerful AoE spells that kept Oberon’s spikes in check.

  Even with their help, Oberon wasn’t going down without a fight. His [Annihition Surge] activated, unleashing a massive bst that wiped out most of my hellhound’s HP and sent Mason sprawling.

  I scrambled to heal the group, using [Essence Feast] to drain the energy from nearby glitched pnts and restore our health.

  [Essence Feast: +1,500 HP to party.]

  “Keep it up!” Devon shouted, his shield raised as he blocked another of Oberon’s strikes. “We’re wearing him down!”

  Oberon’s HP bar dropped to 20%, 15%, and 10%. Kaelion moved in for the final blow, his greatsword glowing as he activated a powerful skill:

  [Phoenix Strike: 5,000 Damage.]

  The attack hit Oberon square in the chest, shattering his core. His body flickered violently before colpsing, his voice echoing one st time:

  “Failsafe... compromised.”

  The battlefield fell silent as Oberon disintegrated, leaving behind a pile of glitched fragments. My HUD pinged with the reward notification:

  [Guardian Oberon Defeated.] Rewards: 8,000 XP, 103,000,000 Crowns, ??? (Glitched Data).

  “Glitched data?” Kaelion asked, crouching down to inspect the fragments. “Weird. Guess it’s part of the event.”

  I forced a smile, my heart still racing. They didn’t know the truth—this “data” wasn’t loot but pieces of the fragmented binary code. I quickly collected the fragments, hoping they wouldn’t ask too many questions.

  “Well,” Kaelion said, sheathing his sword. “That was fun.” As the dust settled, Phoenix Ascendant regrouped, their energy high after the victory. Kaelion turned to us with a satisfied grin. “Not bad, huh?”

  Devon didn’t look impressed. “You nearly got in the way.”

  Lyra rolled her eyes. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

  Ignoring the tension, Kaelion extended a hand toward me. “Why don’t you come back to our camp? We’ve got supplies, rest points, and maybe some info on what’s happening with this anomaly.”

  I hesitated, gncing at Devon and Selene. They didn’t look thrilled, but we needed a safe pce to regroup.

  “Fine,” I said, shaking Kaelion’s hand. “Lead the way.”