Gullious Cave.

It was past the well and the strange flower I’d picked earlier. For this venture, I wore the armor Phobe had given me. While it was a little worn, it still offered decent protection. The others had also suited up in light black armor, each piece clearly designed for mobility over defense. The sun hung low in the sky, and darkness wasn’t far off. We had maybe three hours before nightfall—and we had to be back in the dorms before eight. Breaking curfew wasn’t exactly something I wanted added to my list of questionable decisions.

Parting the bushes, we stepped into a small clearing in the forest.

“I still can’t believe we’re doing this,” Seker muttered, his voice a mix of nerves and disbelief. “We are so breaking the rules right now.”

Aiden turned toward Leo, narrowing his eyes. “You picked this quest up earlier, didn’t you? Were you seriously planning to go alone?”

Leo shrugged nonchalantly, adjusting the strap on his scabbard. “Yeah, I was. But when I heard about Seker’s mom, I figured keeping the reward to myself would make me feel like a colossal jerk.”

“You’re insane.” Aiden shook his head, his tone half scolding, half amazed. “If my dad finds out about this, he’ll turn me into ash and forge me into a hammer.”

“Blacksmith problems,” Leo quipped with a smirk. “Now let’s get moving before we run out of daylight.”

Aiden glanced at me as we walked. “For the record, he’s not always this reckle... actually, uh… never mind. He’s always like this.”

“Hmm.”

We began descending a slope, the city fading behind us, the old well visible to our right. For reasons I couldn’t explain, I felt a spark of excitement over this. Sure, I’d broken rules before—sneaking cigarettes as a kid, for one—but this? This was an entirely new level.

Aiden’s gaze fell to the dagger on Leo’s belt. His brows furrowed as he exchanged a glance with Seker before asking, “You brought a weapon? I thought this was supposed to be a safe job.”

“Just in case,” Leo replied without missing a beat. “What if we get ambushed by elves or something?”

Seker hesitated, his steps slowing. “You think that could happen? Maybe we should turn back. This doesn’t feel right.”

Leo spun on his heel to face him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, this is for your mom. Trust me, man. Do I look like someone who’d let us walk into a death trap?”

“Yes.” Seker didn’t even pause. “Absolutely.”

“The sound you just heard? That was my heart shattering into a million pieces,” Leo said, clutching his chest dramatically.

“Enough,” Aiden said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Let’s just keep quiet. If there’s any sign of danger, we bolt straight back to the city. Agreed?”

Everyone nodded, and we moved on. Aiden kept checking the map, his steps slowing every now and then to ensure we were on track. Meanwhile, I focused on the path ahead, boots squelching in the thickening mud. This wasn’t something I’d ever have done in my world, but I needed that gold. Desperation had a way of turning rules into… suggestions.

The trees grew denser with each step, their branches forming a canopy that blocked out the remaining sunlight. Dark clouds rolled in above us, signaling rain was only a matter of time.

Leo glanced over his shoulder at me. “Hey, Axel. Is it true the Queen threw you in the dungeon?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Where did you hear that?”

“Guards were talking about it.” His grin was wide, almost eager. “So? Did it happen?”

“No,” I replied flatly, unwilling to indulge his curiosity. “She didn’t.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Shame. Would’ve made a killer story,” he muttered.

“This way,” Aiden announced, consulting the map again before pointing ahead. “We’re almost there.”

We entered a muddy clearing, and a chill ran through me. I recognized this spot. This was where I’d found the shield—and where I’d seen that elf take a man’s life like it was nothing. My gaze lingered on the patch of ground for a moment too long, a knot forming in my stomach. Killing shouldn’t be that easy. It wasn’t right.

I tore my eyes away and kept walking, trailing behind the group. Leo and Aiden led the way, Seker a few steps ahead of me. The mud clung to our boots, every step accompanied by the wet, sticky sound of suction.

“Ugh,” Seker grumbled, lifting a boot and grimacing. “I just cleaned these.”

“This is the shortcut,” Aiden said over his shoulder. “Better this than wandering deeper into the forest.”

Leo snorted. “Seker’s boots have officially been sacrificed for the cause.”

“Don’t start.”

“Maybe the real artifact was the boots we muddied along the way,” Leo quipped, grinning as he kicked some mud off his heel.

“Ugh…” Seker groaned, glaring at him.

“Focus,” Aiden urged, glancing at the darkening sky. “It’s almost night. Move faster, guys.”

Seker frowned as he trudged behind the group. “Who picked the quest for you anyway, Leo? Can we even trust them?”

Leo waved off his concern without looking back. “Relax. Nothing’s going to happen. We’ll get in, grab the artifact, and get out. Simple.”

Seker mumbled under his breath, his tone laced with doubt. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t rat us out to the school and pocket the gold himself.”

Finally, we left the mud behind and reached another slope, this one steeper and slick from yesterday’s rain. The descent was slow and cautious, every step a potential slip into the forest floor below. We gripped rocks and tree branches for support, navigating the rough terrain with careful precision. The rain had made everything harder than it needed to be.

When we reached down, Aiden paused, pulling the map from his satchel. He scanned it, nodded, and let out a breath.

“Five minutes,” he said, his voice firm. “Then we move again.”

Leo immediately flopped onto a nearby boulder, stretching his arms. “Finally. I’ve really worked up a sweat.”

“Same,” Aiden admitted, leaning against a tree and wiping his forehead.

Seker, meanwhile, stood with one foot propped awkwardly on a rock, inspecting his mud-caked boots with a grimace. “Mud. Mud everywhere. We can’t walk into the dorm looking like this. They’ll definitely know we’ve been out.”

“Don’t worry,” Aiden said, pointing to the map. “The cave entrance is underwater. That should clean you up.”

“Underwater?” Seker’s head snapped up. “Wait—everyone knows how to swim, right?”

Leo and I nodded in unison. I wasn’t exactly an expert, but I knew how to stay afloat and paddle, thanks to Ada. Her dad had taught us at the beach where he worked. They used to laugh at my frog-like swimming style, but hey—it worked.

Satisfied with our nods, Aiden dropped the map onto the ground, pinning the corners with nearby stones to stop it from blowing away. He joined Leo on the boulder, his expression thoughtful.

“Do we even know what this artifact looks like?”

Leo shrugged, reclining slightly. “Not a clue. But I’m sure we’ll know it when we see it.”

Leaning against a tree, I crossed my arms, staying on the edges of the conversation. Joining in wasn’t really my thing. If anything, I preferred listening and fading into the background—it was easier that way. And it seemed to be working; no one paid me much mind.

Until Leo’s eyes landed on me. He tilted his head, studying me as if seeing something new. “You don’t talk much, huh?”

“Nah,” I replied, quickly improvising. “My mind’s just stuck on that elf attack. Still shaken up, I guess.”

Leo nodded, his expression softening. “Makes sense. I’d be the same way if I’d come face to face with death.”

Seker glanced at me, his brow furrowed. “Not to bring it up again, but I noticed something during that fight. You only cast fireball. Why’s that?”

My lips tightened, and I shifted uncomfortably. “It’s because… I don’t know any other spells. Where I’m from, magic’s forbidden—strictly. I only started learning recently.”

“Oh,” Seker said, blinking in surprise. “That explains it. Makes sense now.”

Before the conversation could go further, Aiden stood abruptly, dusting off his hands. “Break’s over. Let’s go.”

Leo groaned as he hauled himself off the boulder. “Hey, you said five minutes! It’s only been two.”

“Two, five—doesn’t matter,” Aiden shot back. “We’re close. No more delays.”

With a resigned sigh, Leo fell into line behind him, and we continued toward the cave, the shadows of the forest growing darker with each step.

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