The sound of ragged breathing filled the narrow alley as feet pounded against the cold cobblestone. Behind the running figure, heavy footsteps echoed through the darkness, growing closer with each passing second.
"You can't run forever!" The voice was deep, menacing, and far too close for comfort.
Laurel's lungs burned as he pushed himself harder, but his legs felt like lead. The alley stretched endlessly ahead, shadows dancing on the walls like twisted fingers. He could hear his pursuer gaining ground—the scrape of boots, the harsh sound of breathing.
Then it happened. Laurel's foot caught on something, and he tumbled forward, pain shooting through his knees as he hit the ground hard. The footsteps stopped.
He rolled onto his back, and there the figure was—silhouetted against the dim light, raising something high above his head. Time slowed as the object came down toward him...
"Laurel!"
Laurel's eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright, cold sweat clinging to his skin. Sunlight streamed through the small window of their shared bedroom, and his brother Nelson stood beside the bed, his concerned amber eyes—identical to Laurel's—studying his face.
"The dream again?" Nelson asked quietly.
Laurel ran a hand through his messy black hair and nodded. The same nightmare had been haunting him for weeks now, always the same chase, always ending just before... whatever was supposed to happen next.
"You were thrashing around pretty badly," Nelson said, tossing him a clean shirt. "Aunt Marie's making breakfast. Today's the day, remember?"
Right. Today was the day they would finally leave this small village and begin their search for the father they'd never known.
Their aunt Marie stood at the stove, her graying hair pulled back in a neat bun as she flipped eggs in the iron skillet. She'd raised the brothers since they were babies, never once complaining about taking in two orphaned nephews when their adventurer father disappeared without a trace.
"You boys sure about this?" she asked without turning around. "Blackwater Ridge isn't exactly known for being welcoming to outsiders."
Laurel and Nelson exchanged glances. Blackwater Ridge—a city that existed outside the law, where the government's reach couldn't extend due to an old territorial dispute. It was dangerous, chaotic, and exactly the kind of place where illegal adventurer branches could operate openly.
"We have to try, Aunt Marie," Laurel said, accepting the plate of eggs and toast she handed him. "Dad's out there somewhere. The guild branch in Blackwater Ridge might have records of where he went."
She sighed deeply. "Your father... Marcus was always chasing something just beyond his reach. I just pray you boys don't inherit that particular trait."
After breakfast, the brothers shouldered their travel packs—light supplies and the small amount of money they'd saved over the years working odd jobs around the village. It wasn't much, maybe 150 Ecoins between them, but it was all they had.
What they did have, however, was skill. Marie had insisted on training both boys in combat from an early age, claiming it was necessary in a world where adventurers roamed and monsters existed. Both Laurel and Nelson could easily take down an average fighter, and they'd proven their hunting skills countless times in the forests around their village.
Aunt Marie hugged them both tightly at the door. "Promise me you'll look out for each other," she whispered. "And if things get too dangerous..."
"We'll come back," Nelson assured her. "This isn't goodbye forever."
But as they walked away from the only home they'd ever known, Laurel couldn't shake the feeling that nothing would ever be the same again.
The journey to Blackwater Ridge took three days by merchant cart. The driver, a gruff man named Garrett, had warned them twice about the city before dropping them off at its outskirts.
"Keep your heads down, your mouths shut, and your money hidden," he'd said. "And whatever you do, don't trust anyone who approaches you first."
The moment the brothers stepped through the city gates, they understood why. Blackwater Ridge was like stepping into another world—one where normal rules didn't apply. The streets buzzed with activity despite the early morning hour. Vendors hawked suspicious-looking wares from makeshift stalls, groups of rough-looking men conducted business in shadowy corners, and everyone seemed to carry at least one visible weapon.
"Stay close," Laurel murmured to Nelson as they navigated through the crowded main street. The Adventurer's Guild branch was supposed to be in the merchant district, according to the directions Aunt Marie had given them.
They found it easily enough—a sturdy three-story building with the familiar guild crest hanging above the entrance. Unlike the official branches in lawful cities, this one had iron bars on the windows and two intimidating guards posted outside.
Inside, the atmosphere was tense but professional. Behind the registration counter sat a middle-aged woman with short-cropped gray hair and numerous scars crisscrossing her arms—clearly a former adventurer herself.
"Registration fee is 100 Ecoins per person," she said without looking up from her paperwork. "No exceptions, no payment plans."
Laurel's heart sank. He and Nelson pooled their money on the counter—147 Ecoins total. They were short by 53 Ecoins.
"We... we don't have enough," Laurel admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
The woman finally looked up, her steel-gray eyes taking in their appearance. "Then you don't register. Next!"
The brothers stood outside the guild building in stunned silence. Three days of travel, leaving everything behind, and they couldn't even afford the registration fee.
"What do we do now?" Nelson asked, his voice heavy with disappointment.
Before Laurel could answer, a commotion nearby caught their attention. A crowd had gathered around a large wooden bulletin board, and excited voices carried over the general street noise.
"...biggest tournament prize pool in five years..."
"...qualifying rounds start tonight..."
"...1000 Ecoins just for making it to the main event..."
The brothers pushed through the crowd to get a better look at the announcement:
**BLACKWATER RIDGE UNDERGROUND FIGHTING TOURNAMENT**
*Prize Pool: 50,000 Ecoins*
*Qualifier Payment: 1,000 Ecoins per participant*
*Requirements: Must qualify through elimination rounds*
*Qualifiers: Tonight at 8 PM, Warehouse District*
*Main Tournament: One month from qualification date*
"A thousand Ecoins just for qualifying?" Nelson whispered. "That's enough to register both of us and still have money left over."
Laurel studied the announcement more carefully. Underground fighting tournaments were exactly as dangerous as they sounded, especially in a place like Blackwater Ridge. But it was also their only option.
"Good thing Aunt Marie made sure we could fight," Laurel said with a slight grin.
Nelson returned the smile. "She always said her training would come in handy someday."