Kael stood before the dungeon terminal, its ancient runes dim and fractured from the backlash of the previous collapse.
He placed his palm against the cold surface.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
The dungeon remained silent, as if refusing to acknowledge him.
"…Figures," Kael muttered.
He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. The chaos of the last few days—battle, hunger, expulsion, return—settled into something sharp and focused.
He reached inward, drawing upon his mana, not forcefully, but deliberately.
"Dungeon," he said quietly, "I am not finished."
His mana flowed into the terminal, threading through the cracked runes. The response was immediate and violent.
The symbols flared, rejecting him at first, sparks scattering across the stone as a warning.
The saber girl stepped forward.
"Your authority is incomplete," she said. "You were expelled before resolution."
"I know," Kael replied. "That's why I'm forcing it."
