The light of the portal faded slowly, as if someone were erasing the previous world bit by bit.
When the glow vanished, the group was already somewhere else.
The Third Floor.
The starting city was not large.
It was… precise.
Buildings of light stone lined a circular plaza, all with the same height, the same straight edges, the same type of window. There were no improvised balconies, no renovations, no patches. It felt as if someone had drawn everything with a ruler and then forgotten to place life inside it.
Blue lanterns floated suspended in lines, marking the perimeter of the Safe Zone. The system's symbol glowed faintly at several points — discreet, but recognizable.
Only one thing was missing.
People.
No merchants calling for customers.
No adventurers laughing loudly.
No NPC sweeping the sidewalk.
Only the sound of the wind slipping between the buildings and snapping against the torn banners strung from one house to another.
Jay rested his shield on the ground.
"I don't like this silence," he said. "A Safe Zone isn't supposed to feel like… a cemetery."
Ethan took a few steps forward, his staff braced against the ground.
"I agree. But the system marked this as a safe point. If something's wrong, this isn't where it'll start."
Elenya twirled her fingers through her hair while staring at the map projected in front of her.
"Wow, this is strange… this floor has seven major cities. The first real city is to the south. About three kilometers."
Marcus studied the walls, the stone patterns, the cracks.
"Seven cities? That's different from anything we've seen so far. And there are no signs of recent combat for this place to be empty like this. If something happened, it was a long time ago."
Sienna shifted uneasily.
"The longer we stand around here, the more this place gives me chills," she murmured. "I vote we leave as soon as possible."
Ethan nodded.
"Right. We won't get any information here anyway. Let's head to the first city and find out what's going on there."
The road began exactly where the map indicated: a path of pale stone, now partially covered by dirt and leaves, stretching in an almost straight line toward the low hills to the south.
As they walked, the geometric constructions of the Safe Zone faded behind them, giving way to trees with dark trunks, thin and tall, their branches like fingers pointing at the gray sky.
Some larger stones bore ancient symbols — half-erased, half-swallowed by moss.
The silence did not last long.
A quick sound, to the left.
Another, to the right.
A short growl.
"Contact," Jay warned, raising his shield.
Two small monsters — a wild dog and a lizard — burst from the bushes, teeth bared.
Nothing serious for that group.
Marcus moved first, his sword carving a clean arc.
Ethan followed with a short burst of fire that finished the job.
The creatures exploded into glowing particles.
None of them looked impressed.
"Entry-level floor mobs," Elenya assessed, sliding an arrow back into place without having needed to use it. "We can breathe for now."
"Great," Sienna muttered. "Not even enough to distract me, these insignificant creatures. I hope there's something more interesting."
"I hope there isn't anything that puts us at risk," Marcus replied. "That would be great."
"Don't mind this adrenaline addict," he added, casting a quick glance at Sienna.
She answered without hesitation:
"Life needs at least adrenaline and fun. We're already trapped in this world. We should at least feel like we're alive."
Jay took a deep breath.
"But don't forget this isn't just a game anymore. Dying here means dying out there."
Ethan nodded.
"We need to be careful and avoid unnecessary risks. I don't want to lose anyone else."
And so they continued.
After some time, something different appeared on the horizon. Between the trees, a structure of white stone rose like a fragment from another era.
A temple.
Up close, the construction felt even more out of place.
Wide stairways led to an entrance framed by two tall columns. Part of the roof was broken, but the main walls still stood firm. On the stones of the façade were symbols reminiscent of some ancient cult — too worn to be read, but still present.
At the base of the stairs, the system's symbol glowed faintly, almost hidden.
"Safe Zone," Elenya confirmed, pointing at the seal.
"At least inside we won't be attacked out of nowhere," Marcus said.
Ethan looked around one last time before climbing the steps.
"Let's take a look. If this is an advanced safe point, it could be useful."
They crossed the entrance.
The sensation was immediate: a slight wave of relief, the weight of tension easing just a little. A clear indicator of a protected zone.
The main hall was large, with tall columns and sections of the ceiling open, allowing bands of diffuse light to filter in. There was dust, broken stone, collapsed areas.
But… not everywhere.
As they moved forward, something stood out.
Toward the back, the floor was covered in dirt, dry leaves, and the marks of time.
Here in front… less dust.
Farther ahead… almost none.
Jay frowned.
"You guys seeing this?"
Sienna ran her hand over the surface of a column near the inner wall.
Her fingers came back practically clean.
"This almost looks like it's been cleaned."
"But there are no footprints," Marcus added, looking at the floor. "No drag marks, nothing."
"It was probably some kind of sanctuary," Ethan said. "It must've been well preserved. The dirt back there probably came from the hole in the roof."
At the end of the corridor were three doors.
Two, half-blocked, with rotting wood.
One, intact, with hinges and details that looked like gold.
Ethan glanced at the system seal discreetly engraved on the doorframe.
"No danger warning." He placed his hand on it. "Let's see."
The door opened with a low creak.
The room was smaller, circular. Unlike the rest of the temple, nothing inside seemed abandoned.
The floor was clean.
The walls, intact.
The temperature, milder.
At the center stood a kind of smooth stone platform.
And on it, someone was lying down.