Pasta sat atop his favourite spot in the manor. High above the ground, making him feel taller than everyone else. He watched the maids clean up the yard and tend to the flowers while Aunt Maria scurried around, probably searching for him.

This place is the best, Pasta taught, catching a passing leaf.

“I know you’re there,” he said, throwing the leaf at Emilia, but the wind swayed it in a different direction. He groaned in disappointment.

“How did you know I was standing here?” Emilia asked, pulling down her gown, her eyes glued to the floor. She still wasn’t used to being with her brother.

Pasta stood from his spot. “I should be asking how you got up here?”

Emilia pointed at the open window, still avoiding his eyes.

He pulled her over and forced her to have a seat at the edge of the roof. She fidgeted, hands trembling as tears mixed with sweat ran down her cheeks.

“Don’t be scared. I’m here with you, after all,” he said, patting her head. “I am the mighty Pasta after all”

But Emilia’s tears kept flowing. She desperately wanted to stand and run, but fear of falling held her frozen in place.

“You don’t believe that I’m strong? Watch this! I’ll jump off here and have the coolest landing ever!” He started to rise, preparing to leap from the roof, but Emilia pulled him back.

She buried her face in his chest, her small shaking hands gripping his shirt. “You are funny Pasta, but, but” she whispered. She looked up, eyes still wet but fierce. “But you’re way too reckless!”

Reckless? Me? No, nopedy, nope. I am the almighty Pasta. I am not reckless. I am daring, fearless, and undaunted by the sight of foes, even if they were the devil themselves. Going to get an awesome sword soon. Then I’ll be more unstoppable.”

Emilia watched him smile as his dark, short hair danced with the breeze. She had come searching for him, ever since the day she practised with their father. He seemed fine—unchanged, as if nothing happened.

“Father said you are always training at the underground base, It’s dangerous you know. Big bats, goblins and evil doctors roam there”

“I’ll just beat them up”

Emilia shook her head. “I’ve seen your scars, brother. You don’t need to keep training so hard. Join me in my studies with father. We could become nobles, and—”

Pasta stood up, his gaze fixed on the horizon as the morning sun slowly rose. “Emilia”

“Yes”

“The only reason I train. I mean really, really, really train like a bunch. Is that I’m looking for a battle”

“A battle?” Emilia blinked, confused.

Pasta moved closer, so close that their noses nearly touched. “The general spoke of exhilarating battles. Ones that get your heart pumped up and blood flowing faster than streams in the rainforest we played at,” he said, stretching out his arms. “To fight strong opponents, you’ve gotta be strong yourself, yes? And what better way to get strong than training to the bone? I’ll defeat them all and become one of the best. Then, I’ll carve my name into history, so I’ll battle in the most epic fights imaginable. Because, as they say, the stronger the fighter, the more thrilling the fight.”

His eyes sparkled, and his smile was as wide and bright as the passing sun. Emilia threw him a weak punch to the gut. “That’s just being more reckless!”

She stood suddenly and fell from the roof. She stretched out her arms, tears flowing again.

Pasta grabbed her and pulled her to himself. “You’re the one being too reckless, Emi,” he said, rubbing her head to stop her from crying.

*

The Demir of Grandeur stood on the deserted snowy plain. Three entrances, each marked with unique spiral symbols carved above them. Jiji had received permission to enter. Every adventurer had signed the necessary documents, and she had completed all the other paperwork. Oh, does she wish she was in the era where if one wanted to explore a dungeon, they could just do so, not kill themselves over the countless procedures. But it sure was worth it.

“Those symbols?” Emilia stared at them. Her expensive coat caught the eyes of other adventurers, who wondered why a rich B rank wished to join this measly errand.

Jiji stepped forward, eyes scanning the symbols. “These markings were made by the people who first discovered the dungeon. The first one,” she pointed to the spiral resembling grass covered in snow, “represents an ancient beast that once served the elven race before ascending to the heavens. It symbolizes hope, so this path... well, it shouldn’t be that deadly.”

Emilia’s eyes lit up at the mention of elves, making her shake in her boots with excitement. She had made a choice on which path to take.

Jiji continued, pointing to the second symbol—a woman cradling a child, blood spilling from her back. “This one speaks of the horrors this dungeon has inflicted on those who dared to venture within. A reminder that this place holds more than just treasure. As for the third. It’s a plain circle meaning ‘Do whatever’ ”

“Huh?” Emilia’s brow furrowed. She had heard that statement before.

It was something the leader of that strange group had said.

“What is it?” Jiji asked.

“Do whatever?”

“Precisely. It means to begin or not, despite knowing the risks that may or may not come with it. So yes, do whatever”

As the adventurers started to form their own groups, Jiji raised her hand, stopping them in their tracks. She had other plans. “I’ll be doing the grouping myself,” she declared, already memorizing their adventurer IDs and considering the dungeon’s layout. She had a specific strategy for each entrance and didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

Her eyes landed on Emilia. “You, Emilia, right?”

“Yes?”

“If you had to pick which entrance to go through, what would it be?”

The question took Emilia off guard. Of course, she would choose the elf path—there was no question about that. But for some reason, she hesitated. Why couldn’t she just say it? She glared at the third entrance. She still found the meaning unsettling.

“I... I pick—”

“You’ll be going through the third,” Jiji said, turning her back to Emilia with a nonchalant wave.

“What? Then why ask me to choose?!” Emilia’s cheeks flushed with frustration, feeling the heat rise up to her face.

Jiji glanced over her shoulder. “I just wanted to know. That’s not a crime, right?”

Emilia’s face burned even brighter, now red with embarrassment.

“You’ll be paired with Mr. Swordsman, Spaghetti, Kabal, and the guy with the gun.”

“It’s *Pasta*! You brat!” he shouted.

Shot chuckled from behind, holding back Pasta. “The guy with the gun... Nice one, Jiji.”

Kabal, meanwhile, stood tall next to Mr Swordsman, arms crossed, his axe swinging lightly on his back.

“You concealed your energy,” he said.

“Habit of a swordsman”

“Pleasure to be working with you”

“Same,” Mr. Swordsman replied with a smirk. He hadn’t been in a dungeon since the days he travelled with Bloodborne. It was a painful yet enjoyable memory. He watched Pasta, who wished to beat up Jiji, while she sat on the snow without fear in the world, as Emilia and Shot held him back. He was glad they were on the same team, and their destination was now getting closer. Everything was coming to an end, his job and all. For now, he wished not to use it. Not to use his gift in the dungeon.

*

“Can someone please explain why we have a child in a dangerous dungeon?” Mr Swordsman asked. Jiji was on his back, throwing up a fist and watching ahead. She was enjoying the ride.

“How can I leave such dangerous work to you all? As your employer. I too must endanger myself. Also, I have Kabal here as a personal bodyguard,” Jiji said, trying to hold in all her excitement.

“So why isn’t he the one carrying you?”

“Because I want you. It’s not a complicated matter”

A group of three went into the first dungeon since it was easy. So she had one man left. She’ll be mad if she wastes this opportunity to explore.

“Does your parents know about this?” Mr Swordsman asked.

“Nope”

Mr Swordsman fell his head. Any kid would be excited to venture into a dungeon. He noticed Emilia, Shot and Pasta sparkling eyes. Scratch that. Anyone would be excited, he was also feeling the thrill of it. The dark path and strange patterns on the walls. If its intuition is correct, they’ll soon arrive at the main area of the domain where all human logic is thrown out the window.

Jiji continued kicking him on the side, ordering him to move faster. He was getting used to it but couldn’t shake off the fact of it being annoying.

The three entrances led to the final floor, but they had different levels before reaching the final one. The kid must be quite the bookworm to figure that out. She even chose the best group to join in the dungeon, all to satisfy her curiosity.

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Kabal marched ahead, a torch in one hand and his axe in the other. He understood the risks—they all did. The monsters here weren’t like the ones on the surface. They resurrected after some time, as long as they remained in the dungeon. The only way to permanently stop them was to clear the dungeon by defeating the dragon that lurked in its depths.

They marched for what felt like hours, though it was only minutes, and soon found themselves standing before an enormous door. Its surface was covered in intricate patterns. Without a word, Kabal tossed his torch to the ground, plunging them all into near-total darkness.

“Hey! Why’d you do that?!” Pasta yelled.

Emilia, on the other hand, was too excited to notice she couldn’t see anything anymore. Kabal ignored Pasta and pushed the doors open. The ancient hinges groaned as the door revealed a long, dimly lit hallway lined with torches. Pasta felt the energy swirling in the room. Negative and poisonous energy. Is this what monsters feed on, he pondered. It must also be the energy responsible for keeping the torches lit.

Emilia noticed Jiji’s hand shaking. She grabbed herself and sighed to calm herself before kicking Mr Swordsman’s side to send him back walking.

“This energy,” Mr Swordsman whispered.

“Three of them,” Kabal said.

Shot, already taking a step back, lit a cigar with a flick of his wrist. “I’m not great on the front lines, so... I’ll let you handle this,” he muttered, positioning himself toward the rear.

“Now!” Jiji shouted, her hand snapping forward.

Suddenly, three goblins crashed through the roof. Kabal roared and grabbed one by the face, crushing its jaw. Blood spurted as the creature writhed in his grip before going limp.

Pasta, quick on his feet, unsheathed his sword and dashed toward the second goblin, slicing clean through its neck. Its head hit the ground before its body even realized it was dead. His movements were swifter, more refined than before.

The last goblin, seeing its companions fall, darted past both Kabal and Pasta, heading straight for Mr Swordsman. The creature leapt into the air, its sword raised to strike, but Mr. Swordsman stood unfazed while Jiji mirrored his composure.

Before the goblin’s blade could reach its target, a bang echoed. The goblin’s head exploded in midair, its lifeless body collapsing to the ground.

Shot lowered his gun, smoke curling from the barrel. “Headshot, nice”

Emilia stood frozen, watching it all unfold in awe. The speed, the precision—it all happened so quickly. She had sensed the same energy coming from above, but she had been too slow to act. Her hand was still on her sword, but she hadn’t even drawn it.

“Strange ancient creatures... don’t they know their time is long gone?” Kabal said, wiping off the blood on his hands. “I didn’t even have to use my weapon.”

“You didn’t do anything, Mr Swordsman,” Jiji snapped.

“That’s because you are on my back,” he said.

“No excuses!”

Mr Swordsman irked at her. At that moment he decided. He’s not having kids.

“And you too, Emilia! Absolutely nothing. What am I paying you all for?”

Emilia paid no attention to Jiji as she focused on the ancient symbols on the walls. Running her fingers over the carvings, she tried to piece together the meaning. These symbols were unlike those in the dark hallway—they were older and far more complex. Deciphering them fully would require the expertise of the kingdom’s finest scholars.

Dungeons like this weren’t just random creations. They weren’t man-made, but they didn’t simply appear out of thin air either. There was always something, some real-world event, that had sparked their existence. The guardian of the elves, the sorrowful symbol of pain, the choice to enter, and the dragon lying in wait below—what did it all signify?

Her fingers froze on the stone as she gazed at the cryptic messages. She could only decipher a single sentence: Not of this world.

An explosion echoed across the halls as Pasta's stomach rumbled.

“Damm, is that me?” he asked, rubbing his tummy. “Hey Emi, you got breakfast?”

“Someone’s fighting up ahead,” Kabal said. “But I don’t sense their energy, just the monsters”

“There shouldn’t be anyone here. The board gave me their word. Hurry up, everyone! Someone is stealing my ores!” Jiji yelled while kicking Mr Swordsman. They all ran towards the sound.

They reached the end of the hallway, and what lay ahead left them speechless. A massive room sprawled before them. There was a circular platform supported by towering pillars that shot straight into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. Mr Swordsman’s eyes narrowed—this was no ordinary dungeon. Space itself had been manipulated. Emilia and the others weren’t struck by what was above but below.

Lifeless monsters, all recognisable by how they were slashed into pieces leaving the platform in a bloody red.

“Hehehe I wasn’t expecting you all”

Lily said, running to Mr Swordsman. His hand stopped her lips. “You’re no fun,” she pouted, stepping back.

“What is she doing here? Is it some sort of trick the dungeon is playing on us?” Mr. Swordsman wondered.

“You won’t believe what these things tried to do to me. It makes my skin crawl just thinking about it.” Lily returned her sword to its sheath and adjusted her hat. “Hello, new friends. I didn’t notice you all. Name’s Lily.”

“What in the realms?” Kabal stared at the bodies of the defeated monsters. To take down so many monsters alone was unfathomable. Even Shot stared in shock.

Pasta and Emilia were equally taken aback. It wasn’t just the scene that left them speechless—it was seeing Lily. What was she doing here, of all places?

Jiji came down from Mr Swordsman’s back and asked, “What is a disciple doing in a place like this?”

Emilia thought about disciples in Pyrovile.

Lily gripped her sword. “I’ve been asked that a lot lately.” she bent down and rubbed Jiji’s head, asking, “So, what gift do you have, dearie?”

“A gift?” Kabal raised an eyebrow. “You mean Jiji, from the Heart Family, has one?”

Shot, leaning against one of the pillars, chuckled. “Oh, save it, lady. She hasn’t told anyone about it. Probably embarrassed since it’s not for combat,” he said, not noticing the pillar glow.

Jiji sighed, brushing Lily’s hand away. “Why should I be embarrassed about my gift? Just because it’s not meant for combat doesn’t make it any less valuable. If anything, I’m glad it isn’t for fighting.”

Mr Swordsman stepped forward. “You still haven’t answered. Why are you here, Lily?”

She chuckled. “Well, I’m here because it was freezing out and I wanted to nap. But wouldn’t you know it, these monsters just came out of nowhere, all trying to cut me up for whatever reason? I thought maybe if I ignored them, they’d leave me alone. Guess I was wrong.”

Mr Swordsman shook his head. None of it surprised him—not Lily’s recklessness, nor her bizarre reasoning. Yet, he felt a twinge of embarrassment knowing her. The dungeon wasn’t messing with his senses, after all. He could feel her energy as clearly as ever. She had always loved testing out wild theories, ever since they were kids. And, of course, they almost never worked.

“Looks like we’ve arrived at a dead end,” Jiji said. There was nothing ahead. She had studied this path, but there was no documentary on how to move forward. Selfish authors, keep all the juicy information to themselves. If she ever crosses paths with them, her hands will squeeze out their life force. She thought, having a devious look.

Sensing the others’ eyes on her, she quickly composed herself. “Lily, right? You seem to be a friend of Mr. Swordsman and his companions. Though you don’t seem particularly interested in these halls, I, too, shall consider you a friend. Your kind is... hard to come by.”

Lily’s eyes sparkled. In an instant, she scooped Jiji up, tossing her into the air and catching her again with ease.

A strange, eerie sound echoed around them. Lily dropped Jiji, instantly on guard, as was everyone else. And then, everything went black.

When the light returned, they were back at the enormous door where they had started.

“What the...?” Pasta blinked, bewildered. “Did we just... go backwards?”

Three goblins burst through the roof before anyone could respond. Kabal, acting on instinct, swung his axe, cutting all three down before they hit the ground. “Can someone explain what is going on?”

Jiji let out a long sigh. “It seems... we’ve been sent back. As if we were moved by the energy in this place.”

“Can dungeons really do that?” Pasta asked.

Jiji remained silent for a moment, lost in thought. No dungeons couldn’t do that. Spatial manipulation was one thing, but actual teleportation or time travel? That was a whole different matter entirely.

“The swordswoman isn’t here,” Shot remarked.

Everyone turned toward the hallway they had just left. They hurried back toward the platform, but the nagging question remained in Emilia’s mind. She remembered one of the pillars glowing before they disappeared. What wasn’t from this world? And why were they moved?

Arriving back at the room, Lily wasted no time, running up to Mr. Swordsman and hugging him.

“I was just about to look for you guys, then suddenly... the same monsters appeared again,” she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

Jiji’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing. So, we weren’t just moved. The dungeon had reset itself.

Kabal slammed his axe into the floor. “Someone needs to explain what in the nine realms is happening here!”

Emilia, eyes scanning the room, stepped forward. “The pillars... they glowed right before we disappeared. I think they’re supporting this platform. If we can figure out their secret, we might be able to get to the second floor.”

Pasta could barely contain his excitement. His stomach growled, but that didn’t matter. A dungeon, a dragon boss, and now a puzzle? This was the kind of adventure he lived for. He could see the same thrill in Emilia’s eyes, despite her calm demeanour.

Shot approached one of the pillars, running his hand over its surface. “So, all we need to do is figure out how these pillars work?”

“Who cares?” Kabal growled, swinging his axe. “If we need to get down, let’s just destroy the damn things and be done with it!”

Everyone turned, eyes wide as Kabal raised his axe toward one of the glowing pillars.

“Stop! That’s not it!” Emilia shouted, stepping forward. Her eyes locked onto the pillar, its glowing text shimmering faintly. For a split second, she could have sworn she heard a voice.

*

The world fell into darkness and back into the light.

Emilia sighed, looking at the walls to understand more of the text, her sword in hand. Pasta had killed the three goblins and Kabal sat on the floor, apologizing while his head was enveloped in steam.

“What’s she doing?” Jiji asked.

“Don’t ask me,” Pasta said, still ecstatic about beating the monsters himself.

“I wasn’t, spaghetti. Mr Swordsman, what’s she doing?”

“Finding a way out of this puzzle,”

So that’s it, Emilia thought, standing up. “Let’s go guys”

They arrived back at the room. Emilia scurried between the towering pillars, her eyes scanning each one, careful not to touch them. She had warned everyone to stay put.

Pasta’s stomach growled loudly, breaking the silence. “Does anyone have something I can chow down on?”

Lily, sprawled out on the floor, groaned. She had wasted so much energy fighting monsters, and now it seemed they were stuck in some kind of puzzle. “I could use a break too…”

Jiji glared at Pasta, unimpressed. “You’re thinking of food in this kind of situation?”

“I’m paying attention too, you know. Division of labour”

Shot, on the other hand, stared up at the impossibly high ceiling, marvelling at the clouds swirling far above them. “A dungeon that manipulates space like this… I’ve never seen anything like it.”

The pillars were marked with strange symbols, each different from the last, but none seemed to be what Emilia was searching for. Her frustration was visible, though she kept moving, studying every detail.

Jiji kept her eyes on Emilia’s determined figure—until, she vanished.

“What the—” Jiji gasped, her eyes widening in shock. One moment Emilia was there, and in the next, she had simply disappeared, same for her energy.

“Where’s Emilia?”

The group panicked, racing toward the spot where Emilia had last stood. Pasta closed his eyes, focusing. He could still feel her energy—faint, barely there, but right in front of him. Yet, he couldn’t see her.

Emilia, stood before the pillar, tracing the carved image of a snake entwined in cryptic symbols. The dungeon wasn’t responsible for them going back. A different space, created by someone or something. One similar to the parallel space.

She had found the source of their strange transportation, but what now? Destroying the pillar could have dire consequences. Pulling out her guidebook, Emilia flipped to the dungeon section. The path would open only after solving the riddle or puzzle. The question echoed in her mind: “Not of this world?”

She hasn’t studied ancient texts before. Yet, that statement was understandable. It was like someone said it in her mind.

There were so many things that didn’t come from here. But one stood among the rest. Something so obvious.

Her hand pressed against the wall. “Gifts.”

Suddenly, the pillar glowed, and Emilia reappeared in front of the group. They breathed sighs of relief, though words of welcome were cut short by the rumbling of Pasta’s stomach, louder than ever. He clutched it, trying to calm it.

But the rumbling grew—soon the very skies seemed to shake.

The pillars began to spin, and the platform under them shifted, pulling them downward. The clouds above disappear one after the other to reveal a roof.

“Hold on to yourselves everyone,” Jiji said holding Mr Swordsman.

The platform went from slowly descending to falling. They all screamed except Mr Swordsman and Lily who was busy enjoying the feel of floating on air.

Kabal had never felt anything like this. It was like falling off a mountain. The platform’s rapid fall finally began to slow, gently returning them to the ground below.

That’s it, Jiji could no longer hold it. Her heart raced and her breathing was uneven. Yet, her smile was so wide. She wanted to go again like two. No, ten more times.

“L-let’s go,” she said with wobbly legs.

Mr. Swordsman scooped her up and placed her on his back, stepping out of the platform. Pasta looked pale, fighting the urge to vomit, while Emilia’s legs had yet to fully recover. She refused Shot and Kabal’s offer of help, choosing to walk on her own, pride not allowing her to be carried by anyone who wasn’t her brother.

Pasta felt like throwing up his gut. He wished it was possible. Shot laughed at him but immediately threw up his breakfast. Pasta laughed at him but instantly regretted it. His tummy only got worse.

Kabal crossed his arms. Such a scary experience must be cleared from his memory.

“Let’s take a break!” Jiji said, throwing a fist. She didn’t care anymore, time to enjoy the trip to the fullest.

Pasta took a step off the platform—instantly, he was somewhere else.

“Naga...” a voice echoed.

Pasta froze. The energy in the space was overwhelming, far beyond anything he’d felt before. It was suffocating, choking the air from his lungs, making him mute. He couldn’t move, couldn’t think—only tremble in fear.

He managed to turn his head, his gaze landing on a dark shape in the shadows. Wings larger than sails unfurled, and glowing eyes pierced through the darkness.

A dark dragon loomed over him, its voice echoing in the cavernous space.

“Naga...”