Dawn broke over the wilds outside Star City, gray and gentle as a secret. For the first time in days, the only monsters Tian Qiren saw were the ones napping near his feet: a sleepy hydra cub curled on Yan Yue's coat, the mischievous Rune Wisp snoring—if glowing orbs could snore—next to a half-eaten packet of crackers.
Qiren stretched and yawned, feeling every bandaged scrape and bruise from last night's trouble. His sinwave mark tingled beneath the wrappings. For a moment, nothing chased him, nothing howled—just mist, birdsong, and the silly, stubborn hope that today would be quiet. Of course, in Qiren's life, hope was dangerous.
Yan Yue, already awake and cross-legged by a tiny campfire, was cooking something that might once have been eggs. "I read somewhere pancakes are good for nerves," she said, nose wrinkled, "but these might be more experimental than edible."
Qiren sat beside her, rubbing his stomach. "As long as the pancakes don't bite back, I'll risk it." He leaned in, sniffed—then coughed as the hydra cub tried to tongue the frying pan.
Yan Yue rushed to rescue her breakfast and almost set her sleeve on fire. "Oops!" She blew wildly at the pan, splattering Qiren with a fleck of mystery batter. He burst out laughing; it felt good, real—laughter that ran the monsters out of his head for a moment.
They ate lumpy pancakes and shared old stories in the fog. Yan Yue confessed that she used to be afraid of the dark—even now, she sometimes wished for the kind of magic that would make the world safe again. Qiren told her how, as a kid, he'd climbed the city walls to watch trains roar past and wondered what it would be like if the city wasn't always hurting.
Their peace tumbled apart when Qiren's mark, always the troublemaker, flared hot. The Rune Wisp jolted awake, zipping between them like a nervous bee.
Qiren froze. "Something's wrong. Too quiet."
To prove him right, not even the crows called anymore. Yan Yue grabbed her scanner, but the screen flickered and went dark, static hissing.
Before they could prepare, a thick shadow slid through the bramble ahead—a huge, hunched monster, eyes glowing blue-white. It was bigger than any D or C-class creature they'd fought, and it moved with purpose… and hunger. The hydra cub whimpered and hid under yan yue coat.
Qiren tried to act brave, putting himself between Yan Yue and the beast. His mark buzzed, offering two options in his mind: Tame or Steal. But as he opened his palm, a cold wind whipped through the camp. A figure appeared—not monster, not human, but something in between. Cloaked in mist, face half-hidden, a strange crown of runes floated above its hood. Its voice wove through the clearing, thin as steam:
"Sinwave thief. Gatebreak curse. Will you run, or will you choose?"
Qiren stammered, "Who are you?"
The Crowned Shadow didn't answer, but flicked its hand. The monster turned docile, lying down as if scolded. The being glanced at Yan Yue, eyes sharp. "The world is watching. Each power stolen, each beast tamed, opens the next Gate. Survive the breach, or be lost."
Yan Yue squared her shoulders, biting her lower lip. "Why do you care what happens to us?"
"For every Cataclysm, there is a choice: be prey or become the storm." The shadow's grin was cold. "Choose well."
In a blink, the monster vanished, the figure with it—leaving only a silver token (half coin, half relic chip) in the ashes. Yan Yue picked it up carefully; it hummed a cold song in her hand.
Silence settled again, but a different kind—every tree felt like it was listening.
Qiren breathed shakily, trying to look unfazed. "So… breakfast wasn't the most dangerous thing here after all."
Yan Yue, still wide-eyed, hugged her knees. The hydra cub squirmed out to comfort her, laying a warm head in her lap. The Rune Wisp settled on Qiren's shoulder, humming quietly. He noticed Yan Yue's hand shake as she turned the relic over and over.
"Hey," Qiren said softly, reaching for her hand. "We're not alone out here. Even if the Crowns are real and scary and speak in riddles."
She tried to smile, but tears glimmered at the edge of her lashes. "You aren't scared, are you?"
He tried, failed, and then tried again: "I'm scared out of my mind. But I like being scared next to you. And if this is all a test… at least we can fail together."
Laughter broke the fear, just a little. Even the Rune Wisp chimed in, spinning around Yan Yue's head until her blue hair puffed comically in all directions.
They packed quickly, not because they wanted to, but because the world was demanding it. Yan Yue scanned the relic, discovering runic coordinates—maybe a safe house, maybe a trap. "Should we go?"
Qiren shrugged and grinned, though nerves jittered his voice. "That's how every adventure in the stories starts, right? Weird map, strange warning, two idiots with a baby hydra and no plan."
Yan Yue nodded, standing tall despite her shaking hands. "If you get us in trouble, you have to clean it up."
As they walked into the mist, Qiren whispered, "Deal." The hydra cub trundled after, tail wagging three ways. The Rune Wisp led the way forward, flashing lights to mark the safest path into the unknown wild.
Behind them, laughter mixed with fear. Ahead, the map glowed softly, promising more mysteries, more monsters, and maybe—just maybe—a future where outcasts matter.