Morning in the Fairy Forest was different from anywhere Paul had ever seen—a serene beauty untouched by human hands. The trees shimmered with silver-green leaves, and the air was thick with the scent of sweet moss and magic. Paul stood at the edge of a crystal stream, his eyes fixed on the water as it ran gently over smooth stones. Behind him, Sylari floated just above the grass, her wings humming softly.
"You slept well?" she asked, her voice light, but with a knowing edge.
Paul nodded once. "As well as I could."
Kaela approached from the path, already dressed in light armor with her hair tied back. Her expression was focused, but her eyes lingered on Paul a moment longer than usual. He had shared his story with her the night before—about Earth, about Luna, about the fire that took his wife and child. She hadn't spoken much after that. But she had promised him: she would help him get them back.
"We move at noon," Paul said, turning from the stream. "You both ready?"
Kaela nodded. Sylari gave a little spin midair. "The dungeon awaits."
Far beneath the northern cliffs, hidden within jagged stone and shadow, the entrance to the dungeon loomed like the gaping maw of some great beast. It pulsed with ancient energy, sealed by runes older than the kingdom itself. But inside the deepest chamber, Ardyn and his men waited.
The Sword Saint stood in silence, his shining armor dim under the flickering torchlight. Around him, his personal guard knelt or leaned against the dungeon walls. The silence was broken by the clink of his sword being drawn an inch from its sheath.
"The dungeon has accepted them," Ardyn murmured.
A young scout knelt. "Shall we intercept, my lord?"
"No," Ardyn said, his voice like tempered steel. "Let them enter. Let the dungeon test them. If they are truly worthy of these fragments, they will reach us. And then, we strike."
The mouth of the dungeon groaned open at Paul's touch, ancient stone shifting to reveal a spiraling staircase. Kaela cast a faint light orb, illuminating the descent.
"Let's move."
The trio descended cautiously. Sylari hovered near Paul's shoulder, casting detection spells every few steps.
The first chamber greeted them with silence. Then, as they stepped onto the circular platform, the floor shifted. Walls closed, sealing them inside.
"Trap room," Kaela muttered.
Dozens of skeletal warriors erupted from the stone walls, their eyes burning blue. Paul met them head-on, his blade flashing in tight arcs. Kaela blasted through their ranks with a volley of flame and lightning. Sylari chanted behind them, weaving protective barriers and slowing the skeletal strikes.
After a grueling ten minutes, the last bone knight fell.
Paul wiped sweat from his brow. "They're getting stronger."
"That was the first room," Kaela reminded him.
The second trial chamber was a hall of mirrors, each reflecting distorted images. The path was invisible.
"An illusion maze," Sylari said. "Classic old-world test. We must find the real door."
Paul extended his hand, concentrating. "The fragment's magic resonates in one direction. There."
They moved, carefully avoiding the traps disguised as floor tiles and fake doors. Kaela deciphered a riddle engraved on the ceiling:
"To find the truth, break not what you see, but what sees you."
She targeted a mirror that reflected not their images, but showed Paul alone. Her magic shattered it—and the illusion faded.
"Nicely done," Paul said.
"I'm good at puzzles," Kaela replied with a hint of a smirk.
They reached the third chamber. It was a vast underground field, with vines covering crumbled ruins. High-level monsters roamed in small packs—stone golems, wraiths, and a twin-headed basilisk.
"This is more like a battlefield than a dungeon," Kaela murmured.
Paul pointed to a narrow bridge leading toward the central tower.
"We keep our heads down, move fast, and take out only what we have to."
They sprinted into the chaos. A golem spotted them, hurling a chunk of rock. Paul raised his blade and cleaved it in two. The basilisk roared and charged.
"Sylari! Barrier!"
The fairy spun and formed a dome of shimmering light around them. The basilisk's tail cracked it but didn't break through.
Kaela launched an ice lance into its eye. Paul leapt and drove his sword into its skull.
The beast collapsed.
Panting, they ran for the door, barely making it inside before another monster wave reached them.
Inside the central tower, the stairs spiraled upward like a helix. Paul placed a hand on the wall.
"The fragment's just ahead."
"So is Ardyn," Sylari warned. "He's close. I can feel the distortion of divine magic."
They climbed the last steps, finding themselves before a massive stone door adorned with celestial runes. It was warm to the touch, and it pulsed with power.
"This is it," Paul said.
Kaela nodded. "Ready?"
Sylari floated upward, her wings glowing. "Whatever waits inside, we face it together."
Paul took a deep breath, then pushed open the door.
The chamber was massive—a cathedral of stone and fire. Lava flowed in lines carved into the floor, and at the far end stood the dungeon boss: a colossal, lion-headed knight in armor forged from obsidian and silver.
It growled, and the ground trembled.
Paul raised his sword. "Let's finish this."