A soft cough at her shoulder broke the spell. She turned to find Brick and Jason standing behind her, both looking past her at the spot where Jack had vanished.

“So that’s it?” Brick asked, his tone laced with disbelief. “He’s just… gone.”

Jason crossed his arms, his expression skeptical. “Who the fuck was that guy?”

Brick shook his head slowly, his brow furrowed in thought. “Don’t know,” he admitted. “You think he’s on our side?”

Jason glanced at Little Red, then back at Brick. “Do you think we’ll see him again?”

“I hope so,” Little Red murmured, her voice carrying an unexpected weight. Her gaze lingered on the spot where Jack had disappeared, her thoughts tangled with questions she couldn’t yet answer.

A polite cough snapped her back to the present. She turned sharply to see her brother checking over their remaining supplies, his movements were fluid and nimble in a way she hadn’t seen in a long while. Besides his recent injury in the dungeon, he’d only just gotten out of the hospital after a bad accident a few months ago. Little Red’s heart surged at the sight, but she forced herself to stay composed. “Set up a perimeter,” she ordered briskly. Her tone was steady, but her mind raced. “In case there are any more surprises from the dungeon; or the military.”

Brick and Jason nodded, immediately moving to action. They began gathering able-bodied members of the group, their voices sharp and efficient.

“You heard the lady!” Rando barked, his voice carrying above the others. “Set up a perimeter! Looks like we’re hunkering down here for the night.”

Molly, standing nearby, jabbed him in the shoulder with a sly grin. “Look who’s playing the big boss,” she teased.

Rando turned to her with mock sternness, his chest puffing out slightly. “Careful, or I’ll have to-”

“Promise?” Molly quipped, raising an eyebrow and flashing him a mischievous smile.

“Get a room, you two,” Madi called over her shoulder. Her tone was dry, but the faint smirk tugging at her lips betrayed her amusement.

Madi’s attention shifted back to Little Red, and their gazes met. Something unspoken passed between them -a flicker of understanding, a connection forged in the heart of the dungeon. They were the only two who had walked out with new classes, and the weight of that change hung silently between them.

Madi, still buzzing with the energy of her Shadowmender abilities, pulled up her class description in her HUD, reviewing it with fascination. Little Red noticed her attention shift and was about to say something when a notification appeared in her own vision.

System Notification: Prerequisites -Classed Members- met for party formation. Form party? Yes/No.

Without hesitation, she selected Yes. The UI shifted, and suddenly Madi’s name appeared in the upper right corner of her HUD. A moment later, another notification flickered into view.

System Notification: Party Link Established. Group chat now available.

“Well, now,” Little Red muttered, tilting her head in surprise. “Isn’t that something?”

Madi nodded, clearly seeing the same notification. Her lips twitched into a faint smile as she tested the connection, her “voice” brushing against Little Red’s thoughts -not quite words, not quite sound. It was more like a ripple of intention, a carrier wave of some sort that carried emotion and nuance in a way that text or speech couldn’t.

“Maybe it’s like telepathy?” Madi suggested, her “voice” tinged with curiosity.

“I wonder what the range is,” Little Red “said”.

“Yeah, we should run some tests,” Madi agreed, excitement coloring her “voice”.

Little Red nodded, her reply carrying a similar tone. “Do you mind sharing the details on your class? I know it’s rude-”

Before Little Red could finish, Madi sent over her class information without hesitation. The Shadowmender description unfolded in Little Red’s UI, and she skimmed it quickly, nodding in approval. “Thanks,” she said, genuinely grateful. Madi’s willingness to trust her wasn’t lost on her.

Deciding to reciprocate, Little Red pulled up her own class description and shared it in return. Madi’s eyes widened slightly as she read through the details, and a fierce, proud expression crossed her face.

“We’re a couple of badasses, boss,” Madi said with a wicked grin, her expression so contagious that Little Red couldn’t stop herself. A snort of laughter escaped her, cutting through the tension like a knife. The sudden sound drew attention from the nearby team members, their quizzical gazes landing squarely on her.

“Mind sharing the joke, Red?” Little John asked, his tone light but curious.

She shook her head, a faint smile lingering. “Nervous laughter,” she lied smoothly. “I’m just happy we made it out of there alive.” Her smile faltered briefly, her mind flickering back to the chaos they’d left behind. “And I realized… we’re going to have to reevaluate our plans.”

She deliberately avoided eye contact with the others, keeping the truth buried. There was no need to overwhelm them yet. Or disappoint them. It seemed that having a class was the Prereq’ for being able to form a group -she knew this because she spent a few moments trying to do the same thing with the others, as she’d done with Madi. But nothing happened.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Why didn’t he say anything, back in the dungeon?” Madi wondered.

“If Jack had thought something was worth sharing, he would have said it. And if he hadn’t, well-” she trusted his judgment.

Their separate conversation was totally missed by the rest of the team, as the team continued on oblivious.

“Should we tell them?” Madi asked.

“Not yet, let’s figure out what’s what before we spill the beans,” Little Red replied.

“You got it boss, I’ll follow your lead,” Madi said.

“Thanks,” Little Red sent a touch of warmth and sisterly admiration across the party link. And got a reciprocating answer in reply.

“Yeah,” Big Red rumbled, frowning slightly as he adjusted his position against a nearby tree. “We didn’t sign up for that.”

“What else didn’t our employer tell us?” Molly snapped, frustration seeping into her voice. She toyed with one of her knives, her movements sharp and impatient.

Nick leaned back against a boulder, his expression thoughtful. “Well, one thing’s for sure,” he said. “We need to get properly geared up before we even think about tackling another dungeon.” He glanced at his brother, who nodded in agreement.

“You’re seriously thinking of going dungeon hunting again?” Brick interjected, his tone a mix of disbelief and dismay. “Are you nuts?”

“And you’re not?” Rando shot back with a shrug, as if the answer was obvious.

“Hell no,” Brick replied, his voice rising. “That’s it for me. I’m not interested in being food for some dungeon god or whatever the hell that guy was saying.”

Little Red folded her arms, meeting Brick’s gaze evenly. “I won’t force you to stay on, Brick,” she said, her voice calm but firm. “We’re going to need people who are dedicated to this if we’re going to make a real go of it.”

Brick glanced away, shame flickering across his face. “I didn’t mean…” He trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

“It’s okay, big guy,” Little John said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Not everyone’s cut out for this kind of thing.”

Brick sighed heavily, his broad shoulders sagging. “I’m just the big guns,” he admitted. “And the way you handled yourself out there… and that guy…”

“Jack,” Little Red corrected him gently. “His name is Jack.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Brick waved it off with a dismissive gesture. “The point is, my guns did next to nothing against those things. Hell, the military couldn’t even take out the swarm that flooded through the portal. You saw what happened to their so-called containment efforts.”

“And yet,” Big Red drawled, a glint of wry amusement in his eyes, “some wacko with a glowing machete was able to take them on.”

“Exactly!” Brick threw up his hands in frustration. “It doesn’t make any damn sense.”

“If we’re going to do this,” Molly interjected, her blades flashing in the dim light as she twirled them expertly, “then we’ve got to get stronger.”

Little Red smiled warmly as she looked around at her team. Despite the chaos and fear they’d endured, she could see the spark of determination in their eyes. They were battered, bruised, and exhausted, but they were hers. A good team, she thought.

“We’ll be sorry to see you go, Brick,” Little Red said, her tone softening. “But I understand. You’ve got a kid to think about.” She watched as Brick nodded, his jaw tightening.

“We’ll get you your cut, and you’re out. No hard feelings,” she said, looking toward her brother. Big Red gave a nod of agreement, and she turned back to the group.

“For the rest of you,” she continued, her voice carrying an edge of authority, “we’ll put it to a vote. Raise your hands if you want to call it quits. No harm, no foul. No hard feelings.”

The team exchanged glances, but no one raised their hands. Little Red felt a flicker of pride swell in her chest.

“If you want to take on these dungeons on our own terms,” she said, her voice growing stronger, “say aye.”

A resounding chorus of “aye” rose from the group, filling the clearing with a renewed sense of purpose. Little Red shared a triumphant smile with her brother and with Madi, who stood at her side, her dark eyes gleaming with quiet resolve.

“Then let’s get some!” Little Red declared, her grin wide.

The team let out a collective cheer, the sound echoing into the night as they set about their tasks.

As the group dispersed, Little Red crouched next to her brother, who sat hunched on a log as he tended the fire, looking far better than he had any right to after their ordeal. Madi’s abilities, combined with Jack’s mysterious balm, had worked wonders. Big Red’s chest rose and fell steadily, his color normal, his movements unlabored. Still, Little Red didn’t miss the weariness in his eyes -a kind of weight that went deeper than physical exhaustion.

“We need to talk,” she said softly, her voice carrying only to him.

Big Red raised an eyebrow, then sat up straighter, his massive frame casting a long shadow in the firelight. “What’s on your mind, sis?”

Little Red glanced around to make sure the others were preoccupied. Molly and Rando were bickering as usual, Jason was tending to some gear, and Madi seemed lost in thought, probably poring over her Shadowmender interface. Satisfied, Little Red turned back to her brother.

“We need to take a hard look at Mr. Stone,” she said, her tone quiet but firm.

Big Red’s brow furrowed. “Our ‘employer.’” He practically spat the word. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking the same thing. We got played.”

Little Red nodded, her expression grim. “He knew more than he let on. Dungeons are far more complex than he led us to believe.”

Big Red’s jaw tightened, his teeth grinding audibly. “You think he set us up?”

“I don’t know,” Little Red admitted, her voice tinged with frustration. “But I intend to find out. Someone like him doesn’t just accidentally send a crew like ours out for a scavenger hunt in trap that could go nuclear.”

Her brother let out a low, rumbling sigh. “You think he wanted us dead?”

“Maybe not dead,” she replied, her eyes narrowing as she stared into the fire. “But he didn’t expect us to walk away with everything intact. Going by the dungeon we just cleared, I’m betting he expected our luck to catch up with us. That much I’m sure of.”

“We weren’t supposed to be here, but you’re right. From what Jack said, any dungeon can turn real bad really quick, especially if you don’t know what you’re getting into.” Big Red crossed his arms, his gaze hardening. “So, what’s the play?”

“We start asking questions,” Little Red said, her voice resolute. “Find out who he’s working with, who’s pulling his strings. If he’s willing to risk us like this, he’s probably doing it to others too.” She hesitated. “But we have to be careful. There’s your debt to think of.”

Big Red shrugged, and grabbed her shoulder to pull her into a brotherly hug. “Always looking out for your big bro.”

She punched him in the rib, and he winced dramatically, causing her to pull back in surprised worry.

“You asshole,” she said with a glare, but the smile betrayed her anger.

Big Red’s lips curved into a wry smile, though there was no humor in it. “This is gonna get messy, isn’t it?”

Little Red met his gaze, her eyes cold but determined. “When isn’t it?”

The two siblings sat in silence for a moment, the crackle of the fire filling the space between them. Finally, Big Red spoke, his voice low but steady. “Alright. Let’s dig. And when we find him…”

“We’ll make sure he has some answers ready,” Little Red finished, her voice as sharp as steel.

They shared a nod, a silent agreement forged in the crucible of trust and family.