The Adventurers' Guild in Kaelor Village was alive with noise. Mugs of ale clinked, mercenaries laughed, and the scent of roasted meat and sweat filled the air. At the center of it all stood the great quest board, plastered with parchment notices, each one representing danger, coin, or death.
Suho Kim stood before it, frozen. His heart pounded against his ribs, his hand trembling at his side. His clothes were plain, patched several times over, and his sword was little more than rusted steel—a hand-me-down from a villager who pitied him.
Still, this was where dreams began.
"First time registering, kid?"
The voice was deep, weathered, belonging to a man whose scarred arms spoke of countless battles. Behind the counter stood a tall figure with a patch over one eye. His nameplate read: Guildmaster Ragnor.
"Yes," Suho said, trying to steady his voice. "My name is Suho Kim. I want to become an adventurer."
Ragnor squinted at him, unimpressed. "You? You don't even have the muscle to swing that sword of yours. What makes you think you'll survive your first hunt?"
The guild hall erupted in laughter.
"Better run home, boy!" someone jeered.
"Don't cry when the goblins eat you!" another added.
Heat burned in Suho's cheeks, but he didn't lower his gaze. Instead, he clenched his fists and spoke firmly:
"Because… I won't quit. No matter what."
The hall fell quiet. Ragnor studied him for a long moment. Then the guildmaster smirked. "Hah. Foolish, but I've seen worse. Fine. Fill this out."
He pushed a parchment forward. "Every rookie deserves a chance. Just remember—most don't make it past Iron Rank."
---
By midday, Suho had a badge pinned to his chest: Iron Rank Adventurer.
His first quest was simple—hunt three goblins in the eastern woods. Simple for veterans. Deadly for rookies.
As Suho entered the forest, the wind whistled through the trees. Shadows stretched across the undergrowth. He gripped his sword, hands sweating.
Am I really ready for this? he thought. No… I can't think like that. If I don't start now, I'll never move forward.
The goblins came screeching from the brush, crude clubs raised. Suho's breath caught in his throat. The first swung, and he barely dodged, stumbling backward. His sword clashed awkwardly against a second goblin's weapon, the force jarring his arms.
Fear clawed at him. He was going to die here. Just another rookie failure.
But then, faintly, he remembered the old man's voice—the stranger he once met under the starlight. "Light lingers within you."
"Not… yet!" Suho roared, thrusting forward. His blade pierced the first goblin's chest. He swung again, clumsily but with desperation, slashing the second across the neck. The third shrieked and lunged, but Suho ducked under its swing and buried his blade deep into its stomach.
Blood soaked his hands. His arms trembled. His legs nearly gave out.
But he stood. He survived.
---
By the time the sun dipped low, Suho staggered back into the guild, three goblin ears tied to his belt. The guild hall fell silent as he dropped them on the counter.
Ragnor raised a brow. "Well, well… you're not dead. Didn't think you'd last a day."
Suho's lips curved into the faintest smile. His hands still shook, but his heart swelled.
He was no longer just a powerless orphan. He was an adventurer.
And somewhere, far away, in the ruins of an ancient tower, a forgotten altar pulsed with faint light.
Days turned to weeks. Suho threw himself into quests—guarding caravans, slaying wolves, even gathering herbs for healers. The jobs were small, the pay meager, but every cut, every bruise, forged him into something stronger.
The laughter of guild veterans still rang in his ears, but now it was different. They mocked, but they also watched. The boy who refused to quit kept coming back alive.
One afternoon, as he pinned his name under another quest, a voice called out.
"Hey, rookie. You're going alone again?"
Suho turned. A girl stood there, her auburn hair glinting in the sunlight that spilled through the windows. A bow was slung across her back, and her sharp green eyes studied him.
"My name's Lyra," she said, offering a hand. "Elf. Wind-user. You'll die if you keep soloing quests. Want to team up?"
Suho hesitated. "I… I don't want to slow anyone down."
Lyra smirked. "Then keep up. That's how you get stronger."
---
Their first quest together was chaos. A nest of dire wolves had been terrorizing a farmstead, and the guild dispatched them.
Suho fought at the front, steel against fang, while Lyra's arrows whistled through the air with precision. Still, the beasts were feral, overwhelming, and when one lunged from the shadows, Suho barely raised his sword in time.
The wolf's weight crushed him to the ground. Its jaws snapped for his throat.
"Suho!" Lyra shouted.
Something inside him stirred. His blade shimmered faintly, just for a heartbeat, as if guided by unseen power. He thrust upward. The wolf howled, then collapsed, lifeless.
Breathless, Suho rose to his feet.
"What… was that?" Lyra asked, lowering her bow.
"I… don't know," Suho admitted.
She studied him, curiosity burning in her eyes. Then she smiled faintly. "You're interesting, rookie. Too interesting."
---
Word spread quickly. Soon, others joined their team:
Kael, a beastkin warrior, towering and stoic, who swung an axe like a storm.
Iria, a gentle water spirit mage, her calm presence healing wounds and mending hearts.
Together, they cleared dungeons, routed bandits, and guarded villages. With every victory, their bond deepened.
---
One night, as they sat around a campfire under a sky of stars, Lyra leaned against her bow and asked, "Suho… why do you fight?"
He stared into the flames. Memories of loneliness clawed at him—the whispers of being powerless, the pitying stares, the ache of being forgotten.
"Because I want to prove I exist for something greater," he whispered. "That I wasn't born powerless."
The fire cracked. Lyra's smile was faint but warm. "Then we'll fight with you. Until you find your answer."
And though he didn't yet know it, this was the birth of the party that one day would be known across the world as The Twilights of Mist.