Coming back into the main lake cavern, James turned suddenly and put his hand out to stop Joey, his eyes wide with urgency. "Wait! Let's make a map so we don't keep going in circles."

Joey blinked, looking around at the open cavern. "I mean, we've only gone in like, two areas, not counting our cozy cave, but okay." He shrugged, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

James knelt down, the ground damp beneath his knees, and began to draw a crude map in the sand. "We came in through this dark hallway," he said, making a line in the dirt. "Then we went into the smaller cavern where the stream cuts across here." He marked another line. "And right here," he said, making another mark, "this is the bend in the large lake cavern—the same spot where we got ambushed."

As he traced the path, a realization hit him, his eyes widening in horror. "JOEY!" he yelled, his voice cracking.

Joey jumped at the sudden outburst, his face paling. "Where?! Where is it?!" He looked around frantically.

James took a deep breath, his heart pounding. "No, it's okay. I just realized something—we're in a Rift, Joey. A Rift with ambush monsters. And we’ve been acting like we’re just going for a stroll down a safe country road." He looked Joey in the eyes, his expression serious. "We’ve been treating this like some casual walk. Tell me, how did your fights go when I was out?"

Joey scratched the back of his head, a sheepish expression on his face. "Well, usually... they find me before I find them. Sometimes they drop on me, other times they ram me from behind. It’s more like they’re hunting me than the other way around."

"Exactly," James said, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "I can't believe how lucky we've been. We’ve just been talking and walking around like we don't have a care in the world. Look around—it’s a dark cave, and we can barely see anything. For all we know, there could be a hundred salamanders hiding around us right now." He paused, his grip tightening on the trident as his gaze swept over the shadows clinging to the cavern walls.

"I think you mean a hundred donuts, James," Joey said, his eyes twinkling as he gave a small grin, trying to inject some humor.

"Now's not the time, Joey!" James snapped, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the cavern. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline making his hands shake slightly. He could feel the weight of their situation pressing down on him—the very real danger that lurked in every shadow.

Joey held his hands up in mock surrender. "Relax, James. We've been fine for the past few days. I get it, I really do, but what can we even do differently?" Despite his words, his stance grew a little more cautious, his shoulders tensing as he also began scanning the darkness around them.

James sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don’t know, man. Maybe... I mean, we could try to be more vigilant. I just feel like we need to take this more seriously, you know?" He knew how easy it was to slip into complacency, and that scared him. There had to be a balance—somewhere between recklessly charging ahead and being paralyzed by fear. They couldn’t afford either extreme.

Joey gave a slow nod, his face thoughtful. "Yeah, you're right. I get it. I’ll keep an eye on the ceiling more—especially since that’s where one of those suckers dropped on us the first time, remember?"

James nodded, trying to smile but failing. "Yeah. At least I’ve got this stupid helmet now if it happens again," he said, tapping the side of his head where the Helmet of Confusion sat.

Joey laughed, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah. The helmet makes you look like a rusty old tin can, but at least it'll save your skull. Anyway, what about the lake? There's an island out there, right? You remember swimming at the capital with your mom—think you could make it?"

James looked towards the lake, his brow furrowed. The water seemed to stretch endlessly, dark and mysterious. "I dunno, maybe? But hold on—let’s test something first." James stood up from their makeshift map, grabbing a small stone from the ground. With a quick glance upwards to check the ceiling, he wound his arm back and threw the rock out across the water.

The rock skipped once, twice, and then, from beneath the surface, a series of loud SNAPs echoed through the cavern. Sharp, rapid clacks, each one followed by a spray of water as something lunged up. James and Joey both took an anxious step back, the noise reverberating in their ears. James’s eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of the creatures—large claws, glinting in the dim light, snapping with an almost mechanical precision. They were crab-like, their claws easily three feet long, serrated edges that could probably shear through a limb like it was butter.

"Ooookay, definitely not going swimming then," James said, his hand instinctively reaching for Joey’s arm, gripping it tightly before realizing what he was doing and shaking it off. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "But remember the quest we got?" James said, pulling up the prompt that Joey had read to him. He swiped at his status screen until it popped up.

**Welcome to the Echoing Hollow Rift**

Clear Conditions:

1. Defeat the Shadow Guardian.

Optional Objectives:

1. Drain the Main Aquifer.

2. Rescue the Lost Wanderer.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

**Rewards:**

1. 1500 EXP

2. ??? (Unknown Item)

3. ??? (Unknown Skill)

4. ??? (Unknown)

Note: Instant Rifts cannot be accessed or exited before Clear Conditions are met.

**Good luck, adventurers.**

"I bet this lake is the main aquifer,” James said, a familiar buzzing sensation returning in the back of his head, a nudge that made him feel more certain than he logically should be. "How are we going to drain it though?"

Joey let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "Remember your dad’s cow trough for Brownie? It had that little drain plug, remember? Maybe there's something like that here, just... bigger?"

James frowned, nodding slowly. "Maybe. But even if we could find it, what about those claw monsters? They'd snap us in half before we even got close."

"That’s true." Joey paused, his gaze drifting towards the stream. An idea formed in his mind, one that seemed almost too obvious. "What about the stream? We never followed it all the way, did we? Maybe it leads to something important."

James’s eyes lit up, and he gave a nod, his energy returning. "Yeah, maybe that’s the key. We follow the stream, see where it takes us." James grinned, some of his earlier tension fading. "Alright, let’s make that our goal for now."

"But first," Joey interjected, his eyes glinting mischievously, "we should have some more of that donut."

James sighed, rolling his eyes. "Joey, that’s mine. I’m saving it."

"Yeah, it’s yours, but the stat boosts are gone now! Look." Joey argued. James noticed the bonus was indeed gone off of his status as well—no more +15 to his stats. Joey gave him a pleading look. "That could make all the difference."

James huffed, glancing at the few crumbs they had left. Joey had a point. "Okay, but only a crumb each. I’m not sure how much we need to eat to get the bonus, but I want to save as much as possible. There’s only like, what, five pinches left, maybe six if we really stretch it."

Joey’s face broke into a wide grin, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He carefully picked up a small pinch of the donut crumbs, placing it reverently in his hand before devouring it. His eyes rolled back in bliss, and he let out a dramatic moan. James shook his head in disbelief, unable to understand how Joey could derive that much pleasure from a crumb. He took his own piece, eating it more for the practical boost than for any enjoyment.

“Alright, let’s get going,” James said, standing up.

The boys set out, the faint light of the glowing mushrooms casting dim shadows as they moved along the path towards the stream. They kept their eyes peeled, trying to find any sign of hidden creatures, but the lack of sufficient light made it difficult to see into the rocky crevices along the walls. Still, they pressed forward, neither wanting to be the one to suggest turning back.

The narrow passage seemed to stretch on forever, the walls damp with condensation and covered in strange growths. James could see mushrooms clustered together, their faint glow providing just enough light to see a few feet ahead. The air was cool and heavy, filled with the distant dripping of water and the occasional, almost imperceptible skittering sound that made James’s skin prickle.

They reached the cavern where the stream cut across and paused. The dark hallway that led to the entrance of the Rift loomed before them, a void of pure darkness that neither of them had any desire to enter. James felt a tingle in the back of his head but they decided instead to continue with their plan, following the stream. Joey took the lead, while James stayed behind, his trident ready.

The stream was narrow but swift, the water bubbling over smooth rocks. As they followed it deeper into the cavern, the sound of flowing water was a constant companion, an eerie reminder of how isolated they were. The light from the mushrooms was barely enough to see, and both boys found themselves squinting into the dark, trying to discern shapes that shifted and moved just outside their field of vision.

"Okay, this is all new," James whispered, his voice echoing slightly in the narrow passage. "Careful, Joey."

"I got thi—" Joey started to say, but was cut off as a salamander dropped from the ceiling, landing squarely on his shoulders and sending him crashing to the ground with a loud "Oof!"

James’s eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. The sight of the salamander’s leathery hide, its glistening teeth, and the sudden flash of movement made him freeze for a split second. But then burgeoning instincts kicked in, and he tightened his grip on the trident, adrenaline surging through him. He wasn’t the scared boy from a few days ago—he’d been through enough to know that hesitation could mean death. With steady hands, he moved closer, aiming the trident at the salamander’s exposed side.

The salamander hissed, its attention focused on Joey as it tried to pin him down. Its claws dug into Joey’s shirt, tearing the already tattered fabric as Joey struggled beneath its weight. James lunged forward, putting his weight behind the trident, aiming for the creature's center mass rather than its snapping head. The trident pierced the salamander’s flesh, a spray of dark ichor staining the stone beneath them. The hiss grew louder, angrier, and the creature twisted around, its teeth snapping at the trident shaft, tearing it's wound open even more.

The sound of the struggle echoed around them, filling the narrow passage with a cacophony of hissing, grunts, and the dull thud of bodies colliding. Joey twisted beneath the creature, his breath coming in short gasps as he struggled to push the salamander off of him.

“WAIT!” Joey shouted, his voice strained. “Let me get a hit in! I need the EXP too!”

The distraction was enough for the salamander to thrash its tail out, striking James in the side. He was sent sprawling, the breath knocked out of him as he slammed into the wall. Pain shot through his ribs, a dull, aching throb that seemed to pulse with every heartbeat, but he forced himself to move, struggling back to his feet.

Joey, meanwhile, had managed to push the salamander off of him, his small fists glowing faintly with mana as he pummeled its side. The creature tried to turn towards Joey, its movements becoming more sluggish as it weakened. Joey's fists connected with a sickening crunch, each blow causing the creature to recoil, its hissing growing weaker.

James gritted his teeth, grabbing the trident once more and moving into position. He could see Joey keeping the creature occupied, and with a surge of determination, James lunged forward, the trident guiding his strike into the small of the salamander's neck. The creature gave one final shudder before collapsing, its body going limp, the glow in its eyes fading.

For a moment, the cavern was silent, the only sound the ragged breathing of the two boys. Joey looked over at James, panting heavily, his face flushed but triumphant. He gave a crooked grin, wiping the dark ichor off his hands onto his already filthy shirt. “Donut time?” he asked, his voice hopeful.

James let out a pained laugh, leaning on his trident for support. “Let’s just focus on making it out of here in one piece first.”

Joey nodded, his grin fading slightly as he looked around the dark cavern. “Yeah, you’re right. But hey, we did it, right? We’re getting stronger.” He looked down at the dead salamander, nudging it with his foot. “Not so tough now, are you?”

James smiled, shaking his head. “Yeah, we’re getting stronger. But let’s not get cocky. We still have a long way to go.” He looked at Joey, his expression softening. “Thanks for having my back, Joey.”