The next morning, JP walked into the guild hall. His pouch had a bit of coin, but not enough to keep him stable for long. He needed another quest.
The guild board was crowded with papers—monster hunts, herb collections, escort duties. His eyes snagged on one notice:
Quest: Collect Ore Samples from Abandoned MineRisk Level: Low–Medium.Reward: 5 Silver.Notes: Beware of cave fauna.
JP tapped the paper thoughtfully. "Ore samples… not too dangerous, decent pay. And a chance to test my Glow Pebbles in the dark."
Lyra appeared beside him suddenly, silent as a shadow. JP nearly jumped.
"You're taking that one?" she asked.
JP nodded. "I need the silver. And… I want to see if my inventions hold up outside."
Her lips curved in a faint smile. "Then I'll come. Mines aren't safe alone."
JP hesitated. Part of him wanted to work solo, to keep his secrets. But another part—the part that remembered the wolves in the forest—knew he wouldn't last long without backup.
"Fine," he said at last. "We'll go together."
As they signed the quest notice, JP overheard whispers from other adventurers.
"Those two again… strange pair.""That man with the glowing stones… not normal."
He ignored it, but the unease lingered.