The world didn't so much open up as it punched him in the stomach.
Rynn landed hard in dirt, rolled twice, and stopped against something that hissed.
He blinked.
The ground under him moved.
It wasn't ground. It was a lizard the size of a couch.
"...hi?" Rynn tried.
The creature's eyes glowed orange before it screeched and launched itself away, scattering dust and half-buried bones.
He coughed, spat dirt, and stood. The air felt heavy, like breathing through hot glass. All around him stretched the Wild Grid — jagged stone valleys, half-dead trees, and metallic ruins glinting in the sun.
It was beautiful. In a "this place might kill me" kind of way.
He squinted at the sky — a patchwork of orange clouds and faint lines glowing like circuitry.
> "Seventy-two hours, find a relic. Easy," he muttered. "I can't even find breakfast."
Something beeped at his wrist — a holographic timer. 71:58:42
---
A Sound in the Distance
Rustling.
Rynn ducked behind a boulder just as two figures stumbled into view.
One was Lyra Sen, goggles pushed up, muttering curses as she kicked a rusted crate open.
The other was Jun Tenar, munching on something that looked suspiciously like a ration bar.
"Hey!" Rynn waved, relieved to see other humans.
Jun looked up, squinting. "You're the kid who stood next to me in the line, right? I thought you fell off the platform."
"I almost did," Rynn said. "It was part of my strategy."
Lyra snorted. "What strategy? Face-planting your way to success?"
He shrugged. "Worked. I'm alive."
She tossed him half a ration bar. "Then eat before something eats you."
---
A Brief Moment of Calm
They sat in a rough circle among the rocks.
Lyra pulled apart a gadget from her belt — a relic scanner, though it looked more like two spoons taped together.
Rynn asked, "How's that supposed to work?"
She didn't look up. "It doesn't. Yet."
Jun leaned back on his elbows. "So, kid—how old are you, anyway?"
"Fourteen," Rynn said between bites.
Lyra blinked. "Fourteen? The Guild let a middle-schooler in here?"
"I turned in the form," Rynn said. "They didn't say no."
Jun laughed. "Guess they figured the monsters would handle it for them."
Rynn smiled faintly but didn't answer.
---
The Ground Trembles
A low rumble rolled through the valley.
Lyra froze mid-motion. Jun sat up.
Then the scanner in Lyra's hand pinged — loud, fast, constant.
"Relic signal," she whispered. "Close."
They turned toward the source — a collapsed tower half-buried in dust.
Inside, faint blue light flickered like a heartbeat.
Jun grinned. "First find of the day. Let's go!"
Rynn hesitated. His instincts — that quiet tug in his chest — said something's wrong.
But Lyra was already running, scanner flashing.
---
The Tower
The inside was dark and cold, walls pulsing faintly with veins of light.
Old machinery lined the sides, humming low like they were dreaming.
Jun reached for the glowing core in the center. "That's it. Relic Core. Jackpot."
Rynn's voice came out smaller than he liked. "Wait—"
The hum rose.
Something behind the core moved.
A shape uncurled from the shadows — half-metal, half-flesh, eyes like molten mirrors.
It wasn't asleep anymore.
Lyra whispered, "Relic Guardian."
Then the thing screamed.
---
Chaos
Energy exploded through the room. Jun's snack went flying.
Lyra yanked Rynn back as a claw sliced the ground where he'd been standing.
"Out!" she shouted. "Move!"
They ran as the guardian burst through the wall, dragging cables like veins.
Rynn tripped, hit the ground, rolled—and found himself face to face with the creature's reflection in a broken glass panel.
It didn't just move—it stared back at him.
For a heartbeat, the world went quiet.
And in that silence, he swore he heard a whisper.
> "Don't run, little reflection. Learn."
Then Lyra grabbed his arm, yanking him to his feet, and the moment shattered.
They bolted out into the sunlight as the tower collapsed behind them, dust swallowing the horizon.
---
Rynn gasped for air, heart pounding.
Jun wheezed, "Still alive?"
"Barely," Lyra said.
Rynn didn't answer. His hand still tingled — faint blue lines crawling under the skin where he'd touched the relic light.
He flexed his fingers. The glow faded.
For now.
---
End of Chapter 2
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