Riley woke to sunlight leaking around the curtains and the faint thud of someone tripping over something in the hallway.
"OW — WHO LEFT THIS HERE?"
Aria.
He smiled at the ceiling.
Day four.
Dungeon week.
He sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The memories of last night — Mum's stew, the laughter, Aria's dramatic retelling, Sofia's shy happiness — lingered warmly in his chest.
And beneath it?
Clear awareness.
He knew what the first dungeon did to unprepared parties.
He also knew exactly how to stop that from being them.
Riley swung his legs off the bed and grabbed his headset.
"Ready?" he called.
"Already am!" Aria fired back. "I was BORN ready!"
"No," Sofia replied somewhere closer. "You were born screaming. The ready came later."
Riley chuckled, settled the headset on, and hit START.
Dark.
Then—
Light flowed in, soft and familiar. The login flare resolved, and the starting village formed around him.
He appeared in the plaza in a shimmer of blue.
Shops circled the square. Craft stalls opened for the day. Morning light painted the stone gold.
And beside the fountain, bouncing in place—
"THERE he is!" Aria yelled, waving both arms.
Dot tapped impatiently on her shoulder. Gobbles chewed something that might have once been a flower.
Or a shoe.
Possibly both.
Sofia stood beside her in her Lightweave Mantle, Echo sitting neatly at her side. The fox's tail moved in smooth, measured arcs, eyes bright.
Riley raised a hand as his interface appeared.
RILEY — LV 5
Class: Channeler
Weapon: Spirit Bow (Tier 1)
Lumi shimmered into existence on his shoulder with a soft pip.
"Morning," Riley said.
Lumi chirped.
"You look rested," Sofia said, smiling.
"I am. You?"
She nodded.
Aria clapped loudly.
"Roll call! One: chaotic genius — me."
"Self-appointed," Riley said.
"Two: sunshine healer — Sofia and Echo!"
Echo tilted her head approvingly.
"Three: the guy who got us nearly killed by a rock monster — Riley!"
"That thing aimed for you," he reminded her.
"Because I punched it. With courage."
"And bad decisions," Sofia added gently.
Aria pointed at her. "Et tu, healer?"
Sofia giggled.
Riley opened the party window.
Party:
Riley — Aria — Sofia
Hayes — Hayley — Kipp (Offline)
"They'll be on soon," Sofia said.
Aria nodded. "Hayes messaged. Something about preventing Hayley from burning breakfast."
Riley smirked. Fair.
A soft chime sounded.
Two pillars of light formed at the plaza edge.
Hayes and Hayley appeared in basic armor, shields on their backs. Their Feral Cats materialised beside them — one stretching lazily, the other immediately sitting guard near Hayley's boots.
"Morning," Hayley said.
"Hey," Riley replied.
Hayes nodded once. "Everyone good?"
"Alive," Aria said. "Hungry. Emotionally fulfilled. Ready for violence."
"…concerning," Hayes said.
"Standard," Sofia said softly.
Another chime, slightly late.
Kipp flickered into existence near the item shop and stumbled forward.
"Whoa — okay — logged."
Mossling appeared beside him with a soft bmm? — a lumpy green creature wearing a mushroom hat that definitely hadn't been there yesterday.
Aria squinted.
"Did Mossling grow a new mushroom?"
"Yes," Kipp said defensively. "And no, you can't eat it."
Gobbles looked personally offended and tried anyway.
Mossling scooted one centimeter sideways.
Unimpressed.
Riley smiled. "Alright. Everyone's here."
Hayley crossed her arms. "So what's today?"
Aria pointed at Riley. "He has a plan. He always has a plan."
Hayes looked at him. "You do."
Riley took a breath.
"Dungeon opens in a few days," he said. "Most players will rush it under-levelled because it's new."
"That sounds stupid," Hayley said.
"It is," Riley agreed. "But they'll do it anyway."
"Door open, go in," Aria said.
"Exactly."
He opened his map and pinged a forest to the west.
"The Gathering Woods."
"Leveling?" Hayes asked.
"More than that," Riley said. "Ingredients. Potion materials. Defensive ones."
Kipp straightened immediately.
"Potions?"
"The first dungeon isn't burst damage," Riley said carefully. "It chips away at you. Over and over. If we go in empty, we'll clear it… but barely."
"So we prepare," Hayley said.
"And catch Spirits," Riley added.
Aria threw her hands up. "Spirit shopping!"
Sofia looked down at Echo.
"I wouldn't mind another partner," she admitted softly.
Echo yipped once, dignified approval.
"I want something airborne," Hayley said. "Scout or harass."
"Tank partner," Hayes said. "Something that hits hard while I hold aggro."
Kipp raised a hand. "Plant-like. Preferably mint scented."
Aria nodded solemnly. "Respectable life goal."
They all looked at Riley.
He hesitated.
What he wanted… wasn't just strength.
He wanted the one that changed everything.
"I'll see what fits Lumi," he said lightly. "Support or utility."
Sofia studied him a moment longer than the others.
"…Riley," she said gently. "How do you always know where to go?"
He smiled.
"Lucky guesses."
She didn't look convinced.
"Ingredients?" Hayes asked.
"Prism Petals. Dewcap Mushrooms. Vine Resin," Riley said.
Kipp's eyes widened. "Those actually combine well…"
"Experiment," Riley said. "We test small before relying on them."
Aria clapped. "Potion goblin activated!"
"Please stop calling me that," Kipp whispered.
Mossling made a sympathetic mmm.
Riley looked around the group — friends, sisters, allies, Spirits.
"Any questions?"
Aria raised her hand. "Are we fighting something today?"
"Yes."
She lowered her hand. "I'm good."
Sofia raised hers more carefully. "Danger level?"
"A step up," Riley said honestly. "But manageable."
"Let's not die," Hayley said.
"Preferably," Hayes agreed.
"Dying is bad for business," Kipp added.
Riley nodded.
"Alright. Move out."
They headed toward the western gate together.
Stone gave way to grass.
Village sounds faded behind them.
Riley felt the familiar pull of memory guiding his steps.
Three days until the dungeon.
Plenty of time.
Plenty of chances to get this right.
They reached the gate.
And as Riley crossed the boundary—
Lumi flickered.
Not dim.
Distorted.
His interface blinked.
Warning: Spirit resonance unstable in this region
Riley stopped walking.
That message hadn't existed before.
The Gathering Woods looked exactly the same.
Green. Quiet. Normal.
But last time… it was safe at the entrance.
He felt it then.
Not memory.
Not prediction.
Change.
"Guys," he said quietly.
They turned.
"Stay close."
For the first time since returning—
Riley didn't know what would happen next.
Lumi gave a soft, uncertain chirp.
And together, they stepped into the woods.