The weight of silence pressed against them as Ethan and his team climbed the winding staircase, leaving the broken prison behind. Every step felt heavier, as if the darkness below was trying to pull them back. Ethan’s fingers itched near the hilts of his daggers. Not from fear. From certainty. Something had been released. Not the creature they had slain— But something deeper. And the Master’s voice still echoed in his mind. “The chains will break.” His mark pulsed beneath his shirt, a cold, rhythmic reminder that the fight wasn’t over. It was just beginning. A Forest Changed The ruins behind them faded into the trees, but the unease didn’t leave.

  Kara narrowed her eyes, gripping her sword. “Tell me I’m not the only one who thinks this place is… off.” Leah frowned, glancing around. “It wasn’t like this when we arrived.” Gareth slowed his pace, scanning their surroundings. “Something’s changed.” Ethan felt it too. The forest wasn’t just quiet. It was waiting. And that was worse than anything they had fought so far.

  They pushed through, moving fast, covering ground in near silence. there were no signs of wildlife and no monsters crossing their path, not even a System notification.

  As if the System itself refused to acknowledge this part of the world. By the time they reached the gates of Portland, the sun had already started to set. Ethan felt the tension ease slightly as the familiar sight of the city loomed ahead. But the moment they entered the Guild Hall— He realized something was wrong. A City on Edge The Guild was different. The usual boisterous energy was gone. Adventurers sat in tight groups, whispering. Ethan caught fragments of conversation as they moved through the hall. “Another patrol missing…” “They’re keeping it quiet, but…” “A whole team. Gone. Just like the others.” Leah stiffened. “More disappearances?” Kara exhaled. “That’s not good.” Gareth didn’t say anything— He was already walking toward the Guild’s meeting chambers. And Ethan? He followed. Because he knew—without a doubt— Something was happening. And it was about to get much worse.

  Elias Thurman sat behind his desk, staring down at a map covered in red-marked locations. He looked up the moment they entered. “You’re back.” Gareth nodded. “We found them.” Elias’s jaw tightened. “And?” A long pause. Then Gareth shook his head. “No survivors.” Elias’s fingers curled into a fist. Kara crossed her arms. “It wasn’t a normal attack. Something changed them.” Leah placed the wrapped stone tablets onto Elias’s desk. “These ruins… they weren’t just dungeons,” she said quietly. “They were prisons.” Elias’s gaze flicked toward the tablets. Ethan saw the sharp tension in his posture. “You’re sure?” Elias asked. Leah nodded. Kara scowled. “I think the better question is—why the hell were they locked away in the first place?” Silence. Then Elias exhaled, rubbing his temple. “Because someone knew,” he muttered. “Someone—long before the System—knew what these things were.” He looked at Ethan, his expression unreadable. “And now… we’re waking them up.” The Growing Shadow Elias unrolled the map, tapping a spot farther east. “This is where the last missing team was last seen,” he said. Ethan frowned. It wasn’t random. It was another ruin. Another prison. Another place where something was waiting. Leah’s face darkened. “They’re all connected.” Elias nodded. “And the more we look, the more we’re going to find.” A pause. Then—quietly— “Which means the real question is…” He met Ethan’s gaze. “How many have already been broken?” Ethan’s breath hitched. Because he knew. It wasn’t just one. It wasn’t even just a few. This was happening everywhere. And the Master? He was waiting for it. Waiting for the moment when the final chain would break. And when it did— Everything would change.

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  The room was tense. Gareth’s voice was steady. “What’s our next move?” Elias exhaled. “You’re the only team who’s been to two of these sites and lived.” His gray eyes hardened. “I need you to go again.” Leah swallowed. “Where?” Elias tapped the easternmost location. “It’s farther out. Almost at the edge of the mapped world.” Kara groaned. “Oh great. Even less System coverage.” Elias ignored her. “If these sites are connected, then we need to get ahead of them.” He leaned forward. “Because if we don’t stop this now…” His next words sent a chill down Ethan’s spine. “…There won’t be anything left to save.” A Path into the Unknown The mission was set.

  They would be walking straight into it. As they left the room, Ethan’s chest tightened. The mark pulsed again. And this time— It wasn’t a whisper. It was a command. “Come, little predator.” “Come and see what was left behind.” Ethan exhaled sharply. Because he wasn’t just hunting the truth anymore. The truth was hunting him back.