The morning in Vailor had begun with a cool wind running through the narrow streets, lifting dust and spreading the smell of freshly baked bread from the bakeries. Takumi yawned as he walked beside the group toward the western gate. It was the day of the mission in the small local dungeon: the old abandoned mine that the guild called the Whispering Stones Dungeon.
"I still think that name was invented just to scare newbies," Vespera said, stretching her back and adjusting the bow she held carelessly, almost letting it fall.
"They… really whisper," Elara commented, her expression serious. "The walls vibrate at a certain frequency. It's mineral resonance. Nothing supernatural."
"Oh, sure." Vespera rolled her eyes. "Mineral resonance. That's why the miners ran away from here ten years ago."
"They left because the structure was unstable," Elara shot back immediately. "If you paid attention to the research missions—"
"But I do pay attention!" Vespera smiled proudly. "Okay, sometimes. Maybe. Almost never."
Liriel walked a few steps behind them, hugging her staff as if it were a pillow. The goddess had spent the entire night trying to train a new light spell, which resulted in… absolutely nothing beyond glowing circles that faded far too quickly.
"I just hope it's not too dark in there…" she murmured. "My magic is still a little unstable."
Takumi looked at her with a gentle smile. "If you need it, I'll light the way with the flame. Nothing dangerous."
"Lighting is a great idea," she said, frowning. "Just… don't set anything on fire, okay?"
Takumi blinked. "I promise to try."
When they reached the entrance of the old mine, the air changed completely. It was colder, drier, and a sound like a constant murmur came from inside — like muffled voices, though it was only the echo of the rocks' vibration. Even so, the atmosphere carried a strange presence.
"Ready?" Takumi asked.
"If that's a serious question… no," Vespera replied.
"But we're going anyway!" she added, walking ahead without waiting.
Takumi sighed and followed.
The interior of the dungeon was irregular, with tunnels formed by dark rocks that reflected light in a strange way. Every step made the ground vibrate slightly, and the walls emitted a sound as if they were breathing.
"Yeah… it's stranger than I remember," Elara commented, touching one of the stones, which answered with a soft hum.
"I think it's beautiful," Liriel said, smiling. "It's like everything is singing."
"Singing?" Vespera raised an eyebrow. "To me it sounds more like a very quiet 'you're going to die.'"
Takumi laughed. "Let's focus on the mission. The guild said there were small energy crystals abandoned at the bottom of the mine. We just grab them and go back."
"Perfect mission," Vespera raised a finger. "Simple. Fast. No monsters. No danger. No—"
A rumble echoed in the distance.
She froze.
"…That wasn't me," she whispered.
Takumi, however, recognized the sound. "Partial cave-in. Let's move carefully."
They advanced through a narrower corridor, lit only by the small flame Takumi conjured in the palm of his hand. The orange glow reflected off the rocks and made shadows stretch along the walls, like arms trying to reach them.
"I can use a light spell too!" Liriel said, excited.
She raised her staff.
A spark appeared…
…flickered…
…and went out.
"…"
"Brilliant," Vespera said, trying not to laugh.
"It was close!" Liriel replied, blushing.
After a few minutes of walking, they reached a large chamber where bluish crystals sprouted from the ground like petrified flowers. The light of the flame reflected off them, creating colorful beams that crossed in the air. The sound of the whispering stones was clearer now — almost like voices talking in the distance.
"The Guild Master wasn't kidding," Takumi said. "There must be about twenty crystals here."
"Let's grab them quickly," Elara said. "The vibration increases the longer we stay nearby."
Vespera approached a crystal, carefully picked it up, and stored it in a reinforced bag.
The moment she placed another crystal inside the bag, the ground vibrated more strongly.
Takumi raised his head. "Everyone stop."
The walls shook.
Rocks fell from the ceiling.
And then… the whisper suddenly grew louder, turning into a deep, heavy sound, almost like a muffled roar.
"That doesn't sound like just mineral resonance…" Liriel whispered.
Elara closed her eyes, concentrating. "It's not a monster. It's a pocket of air trapped between rocks. The pressure changed. We need to get out before—"
A crack cut through the silence.
The ceiling began to split.
"Run!" Takumi shouted.
They sprinted through the tunnel as stones fell behind them. Vespera stumbled, but Takumi grabbed her by the arm without stopping. Liriel used a small sphere of light — finally working — to illuminate the path. Elara reinforced a minimal mana barrier to hold back small fragments falling from the ceiling.
When they reached a fork, Takumi took the lead.
"Left!"
"Why left?!" Vespera shouted.
"Because the wind is coming from that side!"
"Oh great, wind logic!"
But he was right.
The opening closer to the surface let in a stream of cool air.
They ran out, and a few seconds later a cloud of dust exploded behind them as part of the mine collapsed.
Everyone stood in silence for a few moments, breathing heavily.
Then Vespera broke into a huge grin.
"Nobody died! Perfect mission!"
Takumi laughed. "We still have to deliver the crystals. Only then can we celebrate."
Elara looked at the bag full of crystals and made a proud expression. "At least the reward will help our financial situation."
"And maybe… pay half of the overdue rent," Takumi added.
Liriel smiled, still out of breath. "It was fun… in a scary way."
Vespera slapped Takumi on the shoulder. "See? Calm mission. I told you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Calm?"
"Well… relatively calm."
The four laughed as they walked back toward the city, the sunset painting the sky in orange and pink hues. It was another typical day for the group — light chaos, moderate danger, and conversations that turned any adventure into something memorable.
And despite all the confusion, Takumi felt something warm in his chest.
That small sense of calm was exactly what he needed before everything started to change again.