Draley stopped in her tracks and extended an arm to her side, signaling the Alliance members to stop in their tracks. She then looked up to see a crack within a boulder, pointing at it.

"This is the shortcut to the Necropolis Realm," she alerted.

The other members of the team gathered around, looking at the crack with a mix of anticipation and wariness.

Reagan, his hands in his pockets, looked at the crack curiously. "So...do we just squeeze through that tiny opening?”

Svenja, standing beside Reagan, crossed her arms and looked at the crack thoughtfully. "It doesn't look very wide, ‘uh?"

Evelynn, standing a bit further back, observed quietly.

Kurovika, the only one not standing near the crack, raised an eyebrow. "Looks can be deceiving," she drawled. "It's bigger than it appears.”

Draley, glancing at Kurovika's smug face, decided to test her theory. She stepped closer to the crack and looked at it closely.

"Hmm...you might be right," she mused. "It does look like it's an illusion..."

Suddenly, without warning, she stuck her head through the crack, disappearing into the darkness.

The other team members watched in a mix of shock and disbelief as Draley disappeared into the crack.

Reagan, his eyes wide, shouted out, "Draley!"

Svenja, just as surprised, took a step back. "What is she doing...?"

Evelynn, ever stoic, remained still but her eyes widened slightly.

Kurovika, though, maintained her aloof demeanor, a smirk playing on her lips. "Oh, she's testing our little theory... Is she always that reckless?”

Draley's voice echoed out from the crack, slightly distorted by the space within. "Hey...I'm fine! There is more room inside than it looks like!"

Draley then poked her head out from the crack, looking back at the others with a grin. "See?”

The other team members, relieved yet surprised by Draley's brief vanishing act, were speechless for a moment.

Reagan shook his head, a mix of awe and worry on his face. "I can't believe you just did that..."

Svenja, recovering from the shock, couldn't help but laugh. "Welp, ‘least we know it's safe now."

Evelynn, still silent but visibly calmer, nodded in agreement.

Kurovika's smirk widened, clearly amused by the whole scene. "Well, looks like our fearless leader here isn't afraid to take risks," she commented.

Draley, pulling her head out fully from the crack, shot a slight glare at Kurovika. "I wasn't being reckless, just...resourceful.”

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"Right," Kurovika replied, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Because sticking your head into a crack without knowing what's on the other side isn't reckless at all."

Svenja, trying to lighten the mood, chuckled. "I guess that's just how Draley operates, eh?”

Draley, slightly irritated by Kurovika's comment, rolled her eyes but didn't respond. Instead, she turned her attention back to the crack. "All right, so, if we all stick together, we should be able to squeeze through..."

Reagan, still recovering from the initial shock, asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea? What if it's a trap?”

"It's a shortcut," Draley reassured, her hand still on the crack. "I doubt Necromoon would put a trap here. It's just an optical illusion to hide the entrance."

Kurovika, leaning against a nearby tree, interjected, "Or it could be a delightful illusion to lure us in and ensnare us in a deathtrap.”

Svenja, her hands on her hips, looked at Kurovika and Draley, somewhat amused by their banter. "Ye two really dun’ see eye to eye, innit?"

Reagan, still slightly anxious but trying to hide it, glanced between them. "Maybe we should double-check... Just to be absolutely sure.”

Draley, her patience thinning slightly, sighed. "Very well, suit yourself," she said, stepping back from the crack.

Kurovika, still leaning against the tree, raised an eyebrow. "Good call, Reagan. Wouldn't want to waltz into a trap unprepared," she said with a hint of mockery.

While Draley shot a warning glance at Kurovika, Evelynn, who had remained mostly silent, stepped forward. She looked at the crack intently, studying the area around it for any signs of deception.

Reagan, though nervous, stood beside her, observing closely. He trusted Draley's judgment, but he wasn't keen to risk everyone's safety based on a theory.

Svenja, noticing the tension, tried to keep the air light. "Well, better to be safe than sorry, eh?"

Kurovika, leaning lazily against the tree, watched Evelynn and Reagan's inspection with a smirk. "Looks like we have some detectives in our midst," she commented. "Anything suspicious, Evelynn?”

Evelynn, her eyes never leaving the crack, didn't respond to Kurovika. Her expression was stoic as ever, but there was a hint of focus in her eyes.

Reagan, on the other hand, fidgeted nervously. He glanced at Evelynn, then back at the crack, his mind clearly wrestling between trust and caution.

Draley, seeing the ongoing inspection, let out a sigh. "We don't have all day, you know," she said, her impatience evident.

Kurovika, noticing Draley's frustration, chuckled. "Oh, someone's getting restless," she teased.

Evelynn, finally looking up from her inspection, spoke up. "I don't notice any signs of deception or traps," she said, her voice calm as ever.

Reagan looked at Evelynn, a mix of relief and lingering concern on his face. "That's good to hear... Let's not wait another second, everyone. Head on in!”

Draley, satisfied with Evelynn's assessment, nodded. "Good enough for me," she said and began to step through the crack.

Svenja, still amused by the group's carefulness, followed suit, squeezing through the crack.

Kurovika, still leaning against the tree, called out, "Last one's a rotten egg!”

Reagan, swallowing his anxiety, quickly ducked into the crack. The darkness enveloped him for a moment, then he emerged on the other side.

Evelynn, after a last glance around, calmly stepped through the crack, disappearing from sight.

Kurovika finally moved away from the tree, stretching her arms lazily before she, too, stepped through the crack.

Once everyone was on the other side of the crack, they found themselves in a dark, cavernous space. The air was dry, stale and musty, and the only light came from an opening high above, providing a weak beam into the shadowy abyss.

Reagan, his eyes adjusting to the darkness, looked around. "Where are we now?" he whispered, his voice sounding oddly loud in the silence.

"We're in the Necropolis Realm," Draley answered in a quiet whisper, looking around the cavern. "This is just the transition area."

Svenja, standing beside Reagan, looked around with a mixture of awe and trepidation. "So... we're basically in between realms?" she asked.

Kurovika, leaning against a wall, chimed in. “Just a bit of a pit stop before we reach our real destination.”

Evelynn, her eyes sharp in the dim light, moved forward, her footsteps nearly silent. "This place seems...abandoned," she noted, her voice barely a whisper.

Reagan nodded, his eyes still adjusting. "Yeah... I wasn't expecting it to be so... empty," he said, his voice still hushed.

Draley moved closer to the walls, running her hand over the rough stone. "The Necropolis Realm is often quite barren," she explained, her eyes focused. "It's not a place that's commonly visited."

Kurovika, her usual smarmy smile returning, pushed herself off the wall and sauntered forward. "Looks like we'll have to spice things up then," she quipped.

Svenja, glancing at Kurovika, chuckled softly. "I don't mind a bit of excitement, but let's not forget why we're here," she reminded them.

Reagan, ever the cautious one, asked, "Shouldn't we be...I don't know, more wary? What if there's something here that we can't see?"

Draley, though, seemed unperturbed by the desolate surroundings. "We'll be fine. Just stay together and be aware of your surroundings.”

Kurovika's smirk widened. "You worry too much, Reagan," she said, patting him on the shoulder. "What's the worst that could happen in an abandoned realm?"

Reagan, though a bit startled by her touch, didn't respond.

Evelynn, always observant, spoke up, "Kurovika has a point. We should focus on our primary objective.”

Draley agreed, nodding to Evelynn. "Evelynn's right. We didn't come here to sightsee. We have a job to do. Everyone, stay together and keep your guard up."

Reagan, still a bit uneasy but determined, took a deep breath. "Right. Let's do this," he said with a firmer tone.

Kurovika stood tall, her arms crossed and head held high. "Necromoon, here we come to kick your ass!" Kurovika shouted with a grin.

Svenja, a small smile appearing on her face, chuckled at Kurovika's bravado. "Easy there, hotshot," she teased. "Let's save the arse-kickin’ for when we actually find 'em.”

"Oh, where's your spirit of adventure, Svenja?" Kurovika replied, chuckling. "A little pre-battle banter is always fun, don't you think?"

Reagan, still vigilant, interjected, "Yeah, let's save the banter for after, okay?"

Draley, amused but focused, rolled her eyes. "Enough chatter. Let's move, guys.”