The morning sun spilled golden light across the rooftops of Ardenthal, the kingdom's capital. The air was alive with chatter, blacksmith hammers, and the aroma of baked bread.
Kairo stretched as he walked beside his partner, Rinn, down the bustling cobblestone street.
"Man, I'm starving," Rinn groaned, rubbing his stomach. "If we don't get a job soon, I'll have to start charging people just to look at me."
Kairo smirked. "I doubt anyone would pay for that."
Rinn gasped dramatically. "My dear companion, that hurt. My beauty is priceless."
Their banter drew a few looks from passersby as they reached the massive oak doors of the Adventurers' Guild. Inside, the familiar scent of parchment and ale filled the air. The same receptionist from before — a sharp-tongued woman named Maris — was sitting at the front desk, sorting through stacks of requests.
Rinn swaggered up to the counter. "Maris, my dear, your favorite adventurers have returned."
Without even glancing up, she muttered, "Oh, the loud ones again."
Kairo chuckled under his breath as Rinn leaned on the counter. "Got anything good? We're looking for a mission that pays well."
Maris flipped a page and arched a brow. "Hmm. There's one—dangerous, long, and underpaid. Perfect for you."
Rinn frowned. "You wound me. Just tell us."
She sighed and pushed a parchment forward. "A mining team near the Forest of Vehlmor was attacked by goblins. They were working with miners from Valdorheim—you know, one of the Eight Kingdoms. D-rank goblins, supposedly… but there were a lot of them. The guild's short on hands, so you're it."
Rinn laughed proudly. "Hah! A bunch of goblins? Child's play."
Maris smirked. "Sure, 'child's play' for someone still ranked D."
That jab hit him like a blade. "That's—hey! I'm only D-rank because of the paperwork delay!"
"Of course," she said flatly.
Kairo tried to hide his grin. "So, what's the pay?"
"Fifty thousand Lunars," Maris said. "And before you ask — yes, that's for both of you. And yes, it's a three-day journey."
Rinn's face fell. "Three days? What a drag."
Kairo patted his shoulder. "Come on, Rinn. We'll manage."
Something in Kairo's easy confidence made Rinn sniff dramatically and hug him. "You're the only one who believes in me."
Maris blinked. "You two are weird."
"Is it wrong to hug your homie?" Rinn protested.
"Yes," she deadpanned. "Especially like that."
The next morning, they set off from Ardenthal's west gate. The road stretched ahead beneath a blue sky, the wind carrying the scent of pine and river.
Along the way, Rinn boasted endlessly about how quickly they'd wipe out the goblins.
"Just watch. I'll burn them all before they even notice us."
Kairo smiled faintly. "The guild did offer to send a healer or a higher-ranked adventurer with us."
Rinn waved it off. "Please. We don't need help. They have me."
"Right," Kairo said dryly, adjusting the sword on his back. "What could possibly go wrong?"
By nightfall on the third day, they reached the mining site.
Or what remained of it.
Torn tents. Burnt wagons. Tools scattered across the dirt.
And silence.
Kairo crouched beside a broken lantern, his expression darkening. "No survivors?"
Rinn frowned, scanning the area. "Weird… there should've been at least some tracks."
Kairo's eyes caught something near a broken crate — a small doll, stained with soot. He picked it up gently. "There was a child here."
A chill ran through him. The wind shifted, and a thin white mist began curling across the ground.
"Rinn," Kairo said quietly, "we should leave. Something's wrong."
But before Rinn could answer, the mist thickened—opaque, cold, whispering.
Shapes began to form within it.
Human shapes.
The Deadwalk Veil
Rinn's eyes widened. "No way… this—this is the Deadwalk Veil. A demon's spell. It binds the souls of the dead."
Kairo drew his blade, eyes scanning the silhouettes. "You're saying those are—"
"The miners. Their souls," Rinn said grimly. "And they're under someone's control."
The ghostly figures lunged. Kairo swung his blade — it passed through one, leaving no mark. Another came from behind — Rinn blocked it with a fiery barrier, sparks lighting up the fog.
"Dammit! We can't hit them!" Rinn shouted. "Crimson Burst: Infernal Arm!"
His right arm ignited with roaring crimson fire. He slammed it into the ground, releasing a wave of heat that burned through the mist. The ghosts screamed and faded, the fog thinning.
They dropped to their knees, panting.
"That was—"
"Too easy," Rinn muttered, scanning the air nervously. "Someone cast that spell… but why here?"
Then Kairo's expression shifted. "Rinn. Something's coming."
The mist began swirling again—faster, denser, forming into a massive shape.
A fused monstrosity — its body half-smoke, half-flesh, glowing with cursed sigils.
"A Wraith Elemental," Rinn whispered. "No… a Soulstorm Fiend. Rank C at least!"
The creature roared, sending a gust of corrupted wind that tore trees from the earth.
Kairo leapt aside, slicing the air. "Aether Flow: Gale Slash!"
Rinn countered with another surge of fire. "Infernal Strike!"
Wind and flame intertwined in a brilliant storm—but the Fiend pushed through, its claws crackling with dark mana. It struck Rinn, hurling him back into a boulder.
"RINN!"
The creature grabbed Kairo by the throat, siphoning his mana. Pain surged through him as his vision blurred.
Rinn staggered to his feet, coughing blood. "Not… him too!"
He charged, striking the Fiend's back—but it barely flinched. The mana-draining force began consuming him instead.
"Rinn, stop!" Kairo yelled, slamming his sword against the barrier trapping them. "I won't—lose anyone again!"
His eyes ignited — bright azure light flooding from them. His sword flared with wind mana.
"Aether Break… Sky Rend!"
The blade cleaved through the barrier, then through the Fiend itself.
The explosion of light scattered the mist entirely.
Kairo fell to his knees, gasping. Tiny fragments of glowing essence flowed into him, restoring a strange warmth.
He crawled toward Rinn, whose breathing was shallow. "No, no, stay with me—!"
Then, a small voice cut through the silence.
"I can help."kairo looked"huh?"
A girl stepped out from behind a rock.
Her clothes were torn and dirty, her hair a tangled mess. She couldn't have been older than fourteen.
Her orange eyes shimmered faintly like embers.
Kairo stared, stunned. "Who are you?"
She knelt beside Rinn. "Someone who doesn't like seeing people die."
Her hand glowed softly, and a surge of mana — pure and radiant — spiraled around her like threads of firelight. Rinn's wounds began to close.
Kairo felt warmth flood through him again, his mana stabilizing just by being near her.
When it was over, she collapsed slightly, exhausted.
Rinn blinked open his eyes. "Wha… what happened?"
Kairo smiled faintly. "A little miracle."
Rinn turned toward the girl. "Thanks, kid."
She only smiled shyly."well we have to go back and report this."rinn said."but we have to go to an inn first because it's already late and all."kairo answerd"yeah your right."
Later that evening, after reaching a nearby town, the trio stopped at an inn with a public bath. Rinn was snoring already, leaving Kairo to wash up first.
Steam filled the air as Kairo sat quietly in the warm water, trying to relax. Then—
"Big brother?"
Kairo froze. "Wha—?! You shouldn't be here!"
The girl peeked around the partition, her cheeks puffed. "But I wanted you to wash my back! Please?"
"I—wha—no! That's—"
She tilted her head, eyes wide and puppy-like. "Please?"
Kairo sighed, covering his face. "Fine… just this once."
She hummed happily as he gently poured warm water over her back. "Your hands are warm," she said softly. "I like that."
When they finished, she giggled. "Hehe… thank you, big brother."
Kairo blinked. "Big brother…?"
"Mm-hmm. You saved me."
He didn't know what to say — just smiled awkwardly as she skipped away.
Then Rinn burst in, towel over his shoulder. "Kairo! You better not be—" He froze, staring at the door she exited. "…What the hell did I just walk in on?"
"It's not what it looks like!"
"Sure, sure," Rinn said, rolling his eyes. "You lucky bastard."
Back at the guild the next morning, Maris listened to their report, visibly disturbed.
"A demonic spell and a Soulstorm Fiend… That's beyond what we expected."
Rinn groaned. "We almost died!"
"Well," she said, flipping a page. "You did refuse backup. But since you survived and returned with evidence, the guild's doubling your pay. One hundred thousand Lunars."
Rinn's expression flipped instantly. "I love this guild."
As they turned to leave, the girl clung to Kairo's sleeve. "Do I… have to go to the orphanage?"
Kairo hesitated. "Do you have anywhere else to go?"
She shook her head, eyes glistening.
Maris smiled faintly. "You can take her in, if your partner signs the form."
Rinn groaned. "Oh, come on—"
The girl's puppy eyes hit him like an arrow. "Please, mister Rinn?"
He sighed, signing the paper in defeat. "Fine. But I'm not changing diapers!"
The girl squealed happily and hugged Kairo, making Rinn yell, "Hey! Why does he get the hugs?!"
Maris chuckled. "Jealous, are we?"
"Wh—no!" Rinn turned red. "She's just a kid!""yeah right."Maris answered.
That night, back at their small house, the girl sat at the table, swinging her legs.
Kairo smiled. "You'll need new clothes tomorrow."
"With what money?" Rinn muttered from his bed.
"The one we just earned," Kairo said with a grin.
Rinn sat up. "You mean my half."
The girl giggled. "You two sound like brothers."
Kairo laughed softly. "Maybe we are."
The three of them sat beneath the quiet glow of lantern light — a strange little family, bound by fate.
Outside, the moon shone brighter than usual.
And though no one knew it… the girl smiled faintly, whispering to herself:
"So this is what balance feels like…"
End of Chapter Two: Echoes in the Mist.