MiningMole’s claws hit something hard. Not the usual bronze. No, this was something... different.

It squeaked and hopped back, eyes wide. “Mole?!”

“What now, buddy?” Zane crouched down.

A stone tablet. Stuck in the rock. Glowing. Old. Too old. Definitely not something he wanted to deal with.

Zane squinted at it. “Oh great, what fresh nonsense is this?”

The tablet was covered in weird symbols. The kind that made Zane wish he had actually paid attention in his old runes classes.

“Looks like some kind of... ancient gadget.” He scratched his head, already tired of it. “Probably cursed. Just great.”

Zane poked it. Because of course he did.

The tablet lit up like fireworks. Symbols swirled. The glow filled the cave.

Then, because nothing could ever be normal, a voice boomed out. “Greetings, Chosen One! I have waited centuries for your arrival!”

Zane jumped back, almost tripping over MiningMole. “Whoa! Did the rock just talk? What did I eat this morning?” He looked around, half-expecting someone to pop out and prank him.

The voice kept going, not caring about Zane’s confusion. “I am a guardian of ancient knowledge. The village of Drudgery was once a powerful center of magic and Mythical MagicBeasts.”

“Uh-huh. Cool story.” Zane yawned. “But unless there’s some bronze in here, I’m kinda busy.”

The voice paused, confused. “This village was the heart of a great civilization, which—”

“Yeah, yeah, save it for someone who cares,” Zane cut in, waving his hand. “Listen, I’m just here for shiny rocks, okay? Got a quota to meet.” He glanced at MiningMole, who stared at the tablet like it was the coolest thing ever. “Don’t encourage it, buddy.”

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There was a pause. A long one. This definitely wasn’t how these “Chosen One” speeches were supposed to go.

The voice tried again, a bit more urgently. “Chosen One, this is about destiny! The fate of the village, the kingdom, maybe even the whole world is in your hands!”

Zane sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Look, that sounds super dramatic. But I’m just here to hit rocks, collect ore, and maybe get a nap in. Got it?”

The voice sounded almost desperate now. “You cannot turn away from your fate, Chosen One! You must restore Drudgery to its former—”

“Restore Drudgery?” Zane laughed. “I’m just trying to restore my reputation after that, uh, tiny incident with the king. Heroic destiny? Yeah, no thanks. I’m more of a ‘dig a hole and stay out of trouble’ type.”

“But the village—”

“The village needs bronze ore,” Zane interrupted, grabbing his pickaxe. “And unless you’ve got some hidden here, I’m getting back to work. I really don’t need another chatty rock slowing me down.”

The tablet flickered. “But the secrets, the prophecy, the—”

“Yeah, yeah. Secrets, prophecy, blah blah.” Zane swung his pickaxe.

CRACK!

The tablet shattered into pieces. Light flickered out with one last puff. The voice gave a final horrified gasp before disappearing into the void of things Zane didn’t care about.

MiningMole’s jaw dropped. “MiningMole?!?”

“Problem solved.” Zane dusted off his hands. “What, you wanted to listen to that thing all day?”

MiningMole tilted its head. “Mole? MiningMole?” Was smashing ancient artifacts part of the mining routine now?

Zane shrugged. “Yeah, yeah, maybe that was a bit much. But it wouldn’t shut up. Let’s stick to what we know, okay? No more triggering ancient monologues.” He patted MiningMole’s head.

Something glittered in the debris.

Zane squinted, seeing a shiny glow under the shattered rock. “Oh, come on… What now?” He nudged the pieces with his boot.

A key. Fancy. Magical. It shone like someone had dipped it in a rainbow, lights dancing across the cave like it was having a party.

MiningMole’s eyes widened. “MiningMole??”

Zane wasn’t impressed. He crouched, picked up the key, and turned it over in his hand. “Great. I smash one annoying talking rock, and now I get a shiny key. Lucky me.” He shook it. “Nope, doesn’t even unlock anything cool. Just a glowing stick.”

The magical light swirled around him, colors blooming like an over-the-top festival.

Zane sighed. “Nope, still not bronze ore.”

Without thinking twice, he tossed the key into his bag. “Welp, whatever. Back to mining.”

MiningMole blinked. “MiningMole?”

“What? It’s shiny, it’s weird, but it’s not bronze ore,” Zane said with a shrug. “If it’s important, we’ll find out later. Or we won’t. Either way, not my problem.”

MiningMole hesitated, staring at the bag where the key had disappeared. It squeaked softly, feeling uneasy. Something about that key felt... off.

But Zane? He was already back to what mattered. Swinging his pickaxe. Hitting rocks. And ignoring anything that looked like destiny.