When I hear about the term "guild hall," I have a certain pre-existing image in mind. It'd be a stout building, constructed from wood or stone. It'd have a medieval flair, possibly with arches or emblems on flags.

So I was surprised to see the great, brilliant light high up in the sky, while we were still a dozen miles away from the Bounty Hall building. It shone, oscillating in brightness, a single point of brilliance in the mist-blanketed sky.

"It's a lighthouse," Reens explained. "A magical one. They tuned it with mana to pierce the mist."

The lighthouse extended fifty floors up, and fifty floors underground. Many members of the guild had their own floor.

"Why is it so big?" I asked. Such a massive building would've been sufficient for housing a thousand members. In comparison to the guild's hundred-something headcount, their base seemed like overkill.

"They had the resources to make it big," Reens said, "so they did. I can't remember the details. Oh, I knew there was at least one geomancer involved, with the underground floors. He was really strong, I heard. He's not in Gold anymore. Maybe he's gone back home. To Earth."

"Good for us then," I said. "At least we won't be fighting him."

We had traveled at a moderate walking pace, but had made quick progress towards the Bounty Hall thanks to Mr. Atlas. His Ring of Vigilance meant he needed no sleep. And his dauntless strength allowed him to carry Reens and me as we rested, Reens on his back, and me snugly in his armor-clad arms. This meant we'd be on the move for twenty hours a day. Reaching the perimeters of the Bounty Hall took little time.

We soon reached the foot of the massive tower. It was a spire of jagged rock that pierced into the skies. Iron barred the windows, and firelight flickered from within. Several warriors roamed the courtyard surrounding the tower. I did not know whether they were guards.

All around the tower were plain, suburban houses. The Bounty Hall lighthouse looked remarkably out of place.

"Do we…just walk in?" I asked Reens.

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"Yeah," she said. "Remember, you are both members now. And plus, the ground floor is open to the public. Just act natural."

I tried to as I climbed the stairs to the front gate. It wasn't locked. With a hearty shove, Reens pushed it open.

The inside looked like a dungeon. I saw cobblestone walls, iron chandeliers, and carved stone pillars. A maroon carpet led from the entrance to a front desk. This place's style was eerie, yet strangely nostalgic at the same time. Never had I seen a building like this since my days in Silvercreek. I liked it. Unlike the rest of the suburbs in Gold, it wasn't an imitation, a mockery of the world back home. We were all stuck in a fantasy death game, so at least this tower's appearance was honest about it.

"Well?" I asked. "Should we…do the thing we came to do?"

Reens glanced around. "It'll be underground," she whispered. "Second-to-bottom floor."

"Better not dally then," I said. Even though we were technically guild members, this place still felt like enemy territory. And for good reason. We had come to kill their leaders and take over. And going off what Reens said, we'd have to do it on the 49th floor below ground. Buried in the bowels of the earth.

We descended down a narrow staircase, ever deeper. Reens took care of the locked doors in our path with the keys she had on her. I looked at each floor we passed. Sometimes it'd be a lounge, or a tavern. Other times it'd be a corridor with doors on either side. We passed a floor with chains and iron maidens and cages. A torture chamber?

And then, about twenty floors down, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure walking down a corridor. He had his back towards me, but I could've known it was him from any angle.

Jack.

At once I felt a rush, a storm of myriad feelings, intense and indiscernible and overwhelming. Blood pounded inside my head. My body grew stiff, and my movement mechanical, as I continued down the stairs, thoughtlessly.

"...Hey," I finally said. Mr. Atlas and Reens turned around. I looked at their faces, trying to maintain a semblance of composure.

"Sophia?" Mr. Atlas asked. "You alright?"

"I need a moment," I said, as evenly as I could. "I need…I need to take care of something real quick."

"If you need to, the bathroom's seven floors up," Reens said. "Wanna go together?"

"I'll manage," I told them. "Thanks."

I turned around, my hands clenched tight into fists. I ran back up to the floor where I saw Jack. I moved without much of a thought; my mind was still a tempest of white-noise and hysteria.

I brandished my railgun, which I had strapped to my back. I activated the metal detector. He was behind the fourth door on the left. An ajar door.

I walked up. Then I kicked the door open.