The northern district of Eldoria no longer sounded like a city.
Con stopped at the edge of the destroyed streets and listened.
Where there should have been markets, homes, and busy people—
There was only wind.
And the faint crackling of burning debris.
Dust hung thick in the air. Even without sight, Con could smell it—burned stone, charred wood, and something far worse.
Death.
His jaw tightened.
"…so many."
Bodies.
He could hear them being moved in the distance by rescue crews.
The soft thuds of stretchers.
The murmured prayers of priests.
But further inside the ruined district—
No workers dared to go there.
Only silence.
Con stepped forward.
The ground beneath his boots was uneven now, covered in rubble and broken tiles. His hearing guided him carefully through the devastation.
Soon the silence broke.
A wet growl.
Something moved among the collapsed buildings.
Con turned his head slightly.
"…another one."
A small monster lunged from behind a broken wall.
One of the lesser creatures that followed demons or other dark entities.
Con didn't hesitate.
"Ignis Lance."
The spell shot forward.
The creature collapsed instantly with a shriek.
Con didn't stop walking.
Another one attacked minutes later.
Then two more.
None of them were particularly strong.
Just scavengers.
Leftover creatures drawn to the chaos.
But the further he walked into the district, the worse the smell became.
His stomach churned.
Bodies were everywhere.
Civilians.
Mercenaries.
Guards.
Some crushed by debris.
Others torn apart by monsters.
Con clenched his fists.
Daren…
The thought alone made his chest tighten.
He forced himself to keep moving.
He couldn't stop now.
The dungeon entrance wasn't far.
If the rune circle still existed, destroying it might stop whatever had been summoned.
Step by step—
He navigated deeper through the wreckage.
Then suddenly—
He froze.
Footsteps.
Faint.
Uneven.
Dragging slightly.
Someone was walking ahead of him.
Injured.
Con tilted his head.
Listening carefully.
The rhythm of the steps was familiar.
Very familiar.
His heart skipped.
"…no way."
The person hadn't noticed him yet.
They were walking slowly through the rubble.
Limping.
Con's chest tightened.
He knew that gait.
He had heard it countless times during training.
"Mikel?"
The footsteps stopped instantly.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then a hoarse voice answered.
"…Con?"
Before the man could say anything else—
Con ran forward.
Mikel barely had time to react before Con grabbed his shoulders.
"Mikel!"
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Mikel let out a shaky laugh that quickly turned into something else.
"…you idiot."
His voice cracked.
"I thought you were dead."
Con tightened his grip slightly.
"You're alive."
Up close, Mikel's condition was obvious.
His breathing was uneven.
One leg dragged slightly.
His clothes were torn and stiff with dried blood.
But he was alive.
Mikel wiped his face roughly with his sleeve.
"…I looked for you."
His voice shook.
"You disappeared."
"Then the monsters came."
His shoulders trembled slightly.
"There were too many."
Con stayed silent.
Mikel continued speaking, his voice breaking in places.
"Daren and I joined the mercenaries when the first wave appeared."
"The guards were overwhelmed."
"We thought… we thought if we helped we could stop it."
He swallowed hard.
"But it wasn't just monsters."
Con felt his stomach sink.
"…I know."
Mikel's grip tightened on Con's arm.
"We got separated during the first wave."
"Everything turned into chaos."
"Buildings collapsing… creatures everywhere…"
His voice dropped.
"I never saw Daren again."
Silence hung between them.
For the first time since entering the ruined district—
Con felt something fragile rise in his chest.
Hope.
Maybe Daren was still alive.
Maybe—
Mikel spoke again quietly.
"I searched for hours after the fight."
"…but I couldn't find him."
His voice trembled.
"I'm scared, Con."
The usually calm man sounded like a child lost in a storm.
"I don't know what's happening anymore."
Con slowly placed a hand on his shoulder.
His voice was steady.
"…I'm here."
Mikel let out a shaky breath.
For the first time since the disaster began—
He wasn't alone anymore.