Dawnview Village was not ready.
The moment Riley's team stepped through the main gate, the world froze — for exactly two seconds — and then exploded.
Someone screamed first.
Not a frightened scream.
A gossip scream.
"THEY'RE BACK!"
Every head in the plaza jerked toward the entrance.
And then—
"IS THAT A STORM LYNX?!"
"THEY HAVE AN ELITE?!"
"WAIT—WAIT—IS THAT THE 'CHEAT BOW' GUY?!"
"OH MY GOD THE BUTTERFLY — IT'S HEALING SOMETHING—"
"IS THAT A HIDDEN WEAPON—?!"
"WHY IS IT SPARKING—IS IT GOING TO BLOW UP?!"
"THAT GIRL IS BURNT—IS THAT HAIR OR SMOKE—?!"
Kalyani snarled, "ANYONE WHO COMMENTS ON MY HAIR DIES."
Ether bonked her.
"OW—YOU TOO?!"
That only made the crowd louder.
The plaza surged around them like a tide — players shoving closer for a look, crowding, craning necks.
Riley immediately shifted Arcial to his right side, standing between the lynx and the crush of strangers.
The lynx's fur lifted with warning static. Tiny lightning sparks snapped between his whiskers.
Half the front row stumbled back.
A man shouted, "WHY IS IT LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT—"
Another panicked, "WHY IS IT ON FIRE—WAIT THAT'S LIGHTNING, I THINK I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK—"
Lumi drifted forward, glowing like a smug star.
The crowd gasped in awe.
Luna peeked from behind Riley's boot, huge eyes shimmering with shy curiosity.
Ether fluttered nervously onto Sofia's shoulder, hiding behind hair but still glowing in little pulses.
Sofia held Ether gently.
"She's shy," she whispered, which the crowd somehow heard—
"HOLY—THE HEALER SPIRIT BLUSHED."
"ARE HEALER SPIRITS SUPPOSED TO HAVE EMOTIONS?"
"Is that a new species? Did she evolve a butterfly from something??"
"Can someone PLEASE tell me where they got it—!"
Hayes stepped forward, voice low and firm:
"BACK. UP."
It worked, briefly.
Until Aria waved dramatically and yelled:
"YES HELLO WE BEAT A GUILD AND LIVED—WE'RE AMAZING—NO AUTOGRAPHS—UNLESS YOU HAVE SNACKS—"
Ether bonked her.
"CAN YOU NOT—"
The crowd loved it.
"THE BUTTERFLY IS HER HANDLER—"
"SHE KEEPS BONKING THE LOUD ONE—"
"THE SPIRIT HAS BETTER DISCIPLINE THAN THE PLAYER—"
Aria puffed her chest. "I AM A NATIONAL TREASURE."
Hayley whispered, "Aria, please stop before they build a shrine."
The plaza swirled with noise, gossip, and the kind of attention Riley had specifically hoped to avoid.
He pressed a hand to Arcial's back, keeping him calm.
The lightning lynx leaned into the touch, golden eyes fixed on the crowd with an intense, regal warning.
Anyone who met its gaze flinched.
Kipp pushed through the crowd, waving wildly.
"YOU'RE ALIVE! WHY DIDN'T YOU MESSAGE ME—ARE YOU OKAY—WHO IS THIS—WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT CAN KILL ME—"
Mira burst through next, nearly tripping over her own boots.
"I BROUGHT ARMOR POLISH—WAIT—WAIT—IS THAT—IS THAT THE SAME LYNX YOU DESCRIBED—IT'S BIGGER—HELLO—HI—PLEASE DON'T ELECTROCUTE ME—OH GOD IT'S STARING—"
Arcial stared.
Mira squeaked.
Kipp squeaked louder.
Hayes picked both up by the scruffs of their shirts and moved them behind him like baby chickens.
Aria fell over laughing.
Ether bonked her.
"STOP — HITTING — ME!"
Even Riley cracked a smile.
Then things got worse.
A recruiter from a mid-tier guild shoved forward, chest puffed out.
He pointed straight at Riley.
"You! Join our guild. We'll offer contracts, gear subsidies, spirit food—"
Riley kept walking.
Another recruiter sprinted up.
"We'll double whatever they offered!"
Another.
"We'll triple it! You want territory? We have territory!"
Aria yelled, "WE'RE A TEAM, IDIOTS!"
Ether bonked her.
"I SAID STOP—"
But the crowd didn't stop.
Not until Luna stepped forward.
She let out the tiniest, angriest, most adorable growl ever produced by a mythical creature.
It sounded like a squeaky toy trying to threaten a demon.
Everyone froze anyway.
Rezion whispered, "She's so cute… but also I fear her."
Kalyani nodded. "As you should."
Jonathan petted Tiger Cub protectively.
"Team rule: don't upset the baby."
Arcial made a sound that was absolutely a snort of agreement.
Sofia stepped forward, voice clear:
"We're not joining any guild. We're not selling any spirits. We're not taking offers. Please respect that."
Ether fluttered above her head like a glowing, serene warning.
The crowd hesitated…
…then softened.
A girl in the front whispered, "They really are a real team, aren't they…"
Someone else murmured, "They're… kind of wholesome."
A third added, "I want a butterfly spirit."
Ether hid behind Sofia again.
Riley exhaled slowly.
"Let's get back to the workshop," he murmured. "Before someone tries to buy Arcial."
Aria pointed at Arcial dramatically. "NO ONE MAY BUY THE LIGHTNING CAT. I WILL FIGHT YOU."
Ether bonked her.
"OI—"
They finally pushed through the thinning crowd, slipping down the street toward the craft district.
BACK AT KIPP & MIRA'S WORKSHOP
The moment they stepped inside, the noise of the plaza vanished — replaced by bubbling cauldrons, clattering tools, and Mira muttering frantically about alloys.
Kipp grabbed Riley's sleeve.
"OKAY TALK. WHAT HAPPENED. WHY ARE YOU SCORCHED. WHY IS THERE A LYNX. WHY DID YOU NOT CALL ME—"
"Guild ambush," Riley said simply. "We survived."
Mira poked her head up from behind a forge bench, hair singed.
"And bonded an elite lynx?!"
Arcial padded into the room, sniffed a forge hammer, and promptly sat down like the workshop belonged to him.
Lightning hummed around the tools.
Mira made an unholy forging noise.
"That is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."
Kipp nodded furiously. "He's so shiny."
Ether drifted around the workshop healing tiny cuts, burns, and soot patches without being asked.
Mira melted slightly.
"I love her."
Sofia beamed.
"She's wonderful."
Aria opened her mouth—
"THE BUTTERFLY IS AWESOME—"
bonk
"OW—ETHER—WE TALKED ABOUT THIS."
Ether hummed with smug satisfaction.
Even Arcial lifted his head as if amused.
As the chaos finally settled, Riley leaned back against a workshop beam, Dawnview's warm lantern light glowing through the windows.
His team was safe.
They were together.
They were stronger than ever.
Tomorrow would bring preparations, planning, and the looming storm event…
…but today?
Today they survived.
Reunion complete.
Team whole.
Spirits glowing.
And Arcial curled up beside the forge like a thundercloud taking a nap.
Riley smiled faintly.
> "Good. We made it back."
The rest of the team smiled too.
And for a rare, perfect moment—
Everything felt right.