I sat on a fallen log near the fire, trying not to fidget as the tension in the air thickened. It was the kind of awkward silence that felt like a boss fight countdown, and judging by the way Devon was glaring at Ethan, I had a pretty good idea who the boss was supposed to be.
The fire crackled softly, its light throwing shadows across Ethan’s face as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He hadn’t said much since we stopped for the night. I tried not to look at him, but my eyes betrayed me, darting in his direction every time I thought no one was paying attention.
Devon’s voice broke the silence, sharp and direct. “Alright, Ethan. Start talking.”
I winced, biting my lip. I knew this was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier. My fingers twisted in my lap as Ethan straightened, meeting Devon’s gaze with a calmness I envied.
“I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but I was hired by the developers.” His words hit like a spell backlash—sharp and unexpected.
The campfire suddenly felt colder. Even Fi, who had been noisily munching on some roasted nuts, froze mid-chew. My heart dropped, and I forced myself to look at Ethan, trying to gauge his expression. His eyes flicked to me for a split second before he turned back to Devon.
“By the ?” Selene’s voice was low and dangerous, her hand brushing the hilt of her dagger. She looked ready to strike if she didn’t like his next answer.
“Yes.” Ethan raised his hands defensively. “They reached out to me months ago. Their plan was simple—find and neutralize the corrupted code. That code being Kiera.”
I felt everyone’s eyes shift toward me. My chest tightened, and I looked down at my hands, wishing I could disappear into the shadows I commanded.
Devon’s knuckles turned white around the hilt of his sword. “And? You were just going to hand her over?”
“No.” Ethan’s voice was firm, his tone shifting to something more earnest. “At first, that was the job. But when I saw what UNKNOWN was doing—what they’re planning—I couldn’t go through with it. I knew I had to help her instead.”
The silence that followed was suffocating. I wanted to say something, anything, but the words tangled in my throat. Ethan’s gaze found mine again, and for a moment, I could see the sincerity in his eyes. It only made me feel worse.
Selene was the first to break the silence, her tone sharp and cold. “And we’re just supposed to trust you now?”
Ethan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I get it. You have no reason to trust me. But I’m here because I believe in what Kiera’s doing. I’ll prove it. Whatever it takes.”
Selene’s sharp gaze didn’t soften, but she took a step back, crossing her arms. Devon, however, didn’t move. His jaw was tight, and when he spoke, his voice was low and threatening.
“You’ve got a lot to prove, Ethan. And if you even about betraying her, you’ll regret it.”
Ethan didn’t flinch, but I did. My fingers clenched tighter in my lap. I could feel the heat of Devon’s words like they were directed at me instead of Ethan.
“I...” My voice came out quieter than I wanted, but I pushed on. “I think we should let him help. For now.”
Devon’s eyes snapped to mine, his frustration clear, but he didn’t say anything. I couldn’t tell if he was angry with Ethan or me—or both. Ethan’s gaze softened as he looked at me, and my face burned. I quickly turned away, pretending to study the fire.
Selene sighed, shaking her head. “Fine. But don’t think for a second that we trust you yet.”
The tension eased slightly after that, though it still lingered like a bad debuff. Fi, bless her chaotic energy, broke the silence with a loud crunch.
“Well, that was intense,” she said, tossing a nut in the air and catching it in her mouth. “But hey, Ethan, if we’re all one big happy party now, you’d better start chipping in. Got any spare potions?”
Mason chuckled, finally relaxing enough to sit back. “She’s not wrong. We could always use more supplies.”
Ethan managed a faint smile, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll see what I can do.”
The conversation shifted after that. Fi teased Mason about his terrible cooking skills, but my mind was somewhere else.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Every so often, I’d catch Ethan’s gaze on me, and my stomach would twist in knots. The memory of his hands on my waist, his lips brushing mine, flashed in my mind. My face burned, and I quickly looked away, hoping no one noticed.
?????°???°?????
We prepared to enter a corrupted forest marked on my HUD. The waypoint flickered ominously, and the forest ahead seemed to swallow the light.
“Kiera.” Selene’s voice startled me, and I turned to see her watching me with a raised eyebrow. “You okay?”
“I... yeah. Just distracted,” I said quickly, forcing a smile.
Her gaze lingered for a moment before she nodded. “Stay sharp. We’ll need you in there.”
By the time we reached the entrance to Obsidian Veil
Ethan stepped up beside me, his voice low. “Whatever’s in there, I’ve got your back.”
I glanced at him, my heart racing. “Thanks,” I said softly, though my voice sounded shaky even to me.
“Let’s move,” Devon said, his tone sharp. “We’re burning daylight.”
As we stepped into the forest, the whispers started. Faint, unsettling echoes that made my skin crawl. I tightened my grip on my weapon, my heart pounding. Trust was fragile, I reminded myself, and I wasn’t sure who I trusted more—or less.
The quest log
[Quest Updated: Obsidian Veil]
Objective: Reward: Warning:
"High-level?" Mason muttered, glancing at his own log. "Of course it is. When’s the last time we got a quest that didn’t scream ?"
Fi snorted from the back. “What’s the worst that can happen? I die first, and you guys avenge me. Classic strategy.”
I tried to laugh, but the tension in my chest wouldn’t let me. The air in Obsidian Veil
[Status Effect Applied: Tethered to Anomaly]
"Great," I muttered under my breath, earning a concerned glance from Selene.
It didn’t take long for the forest to strike. The growl came first, low and guttural, vibrating through the ground beneath my boots. My HUD lit up with red markers as [??? - Corrupted Pack Hunter]
[Corrupted Pack Hunter]
Level: 25
HP: Abilities:
Before I could react, two more red markers appeared behind it.
[Corrupted Pack Hunter x2]
Level: 23
HP:
“They’re flanking!” Selene shouted, already moving to intercept the first one. Her [Shadowstep: Advanced][1,200 Damage]
“Tank formation!” Devon called, moving to block the second hunter with his shield raised. The metallic clang echoed as the creature slammed into him, but he held firm.
Ethan joined the fray, stepping in to cover Selene’s flank. He landed a solid hit on one of the smaller hunters, sending it reeling back with [700 Damage]
“Stay focused!” Devon barked as the third hunter lunged at me. My hands tightened around my staff as I summoned Shadow Embrace
[Shadow Embrace: Successful. Target immobilized for 5 seconds.]
But five seconds wasn’t enough. The hunter snarled, its glitched body vibrating violently as it began to break free. My stomach churned as I reached for my [Dire Wolf Hell Hound]
“Let’s see how you like this,” I muttered, activating the skill. A glowing red rune appeared beneath me, and the air filled with the sound of a low, guttural growl.
[Dire Wolf Hell Hound Summoned]
HP: Abilities:
The hound lunged at the immobilized hunter, its fangs sinking into corrupted flesh with a satisfying crunch. A damage marker—[1,100 Damage]
The fight ended after what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes. Selene landed the finishing blow on the lead hunter with a clean critical strike—[2,500 Damage]
[Corrupted Pack Hunter Defeated x3.]
Rewards:
“Good work, everyone,” Devon said, though his eyes lingered on Ethan longer than necessary. “We’ll need to tighten up our coordination if this is what we’re up against.”
Fi plopped down on a nearby rock, her balloon pet bobbing along as if nothing had happened. “That wasn’t so bad. I mean, I only screamed once.”
“You didn’t scream,” Mason corrected, wiping sweat from his brow. “You There’s a difference.”
She shrugged. “Details.”
Selene returned from looting the bodies, her expression grim. “These things are getting stronger. That lead hunter had almost double the HP of the ones we’ve fought before.”
I nodded, my gaze drifting to the glitched trees around us. The whispers in the air seemed louder now, forming half-words that sent chills down my spine. My HUD flashed again, the waypoint reappearing farther ahead.
[Waypoint Updated: Anomaly Source Detected.]
“We’re close,” I said quietly, though the unease in my voice was impossible to hide.
