Scene 1 — Sparks in the Dorm
Steel clashed in the courtyard of Crow's dorm, the sound swallowed by the hum of suppression runes etched into the walls.
His spear met Thomas's shield in a blur of motion—light and shadow dancing like mirrored storms. Every impact cracked the mana air, making the lamps flicker.
Thomas slid backward across the sand, panting.
"Crow, you're holding back again."
Crow twirled the spear once and smirked. "I'm sparing your pride, not your bones."
The next strike sent sparks scattering against the wall where Alexis and Lily watched. The two women sat on the steps—Lily, the calm researcher with her tablet open; Alexis, the archer resting her bow across her knees, sunlight gathering faintly around her fingers.
"You still haven't answered my question," Lily said, eyes on Crow.
"How are you not losing your mind from the corruption in Odin's diary?"
Crow flicked sweat from his chin. "Uncle Hugin handed it to me himself. I read it; I'm fine. Maybe the old man's curse doesn't like me."
"That's not an explanation," Lily said, brows knitting. "Every recorded reader of those pages either went mad or vanished. Even the Society has them sealed."
Thomas blocked another thrust, the vibration running through his arms. "Maybe the diary recognized its own blood," he muttered, earning a look from both women.
"Don't start," Crow warned, lowering his spear. "The last thing I need is people saying I'm cursed."
Lily adjusted her glasses, ignoring his protest.
"Then tell me this—who's your patron god? No traveler channels mana like that without help."
Crow scratched the back of his neck. "No clue. Never answered when I prayed. Maybe they forgot me."
Alexis exhaled through her nose. "That's not how gods work."
"It is when they're dead," Crow said flatly.
The silence that followed felt heavier than the mana field. Only Thomas's shield hissed as it cooled against the ground.
Then Lily whispered, "Then maybe you're the wrong kind of chosen."
Crow looked away, eyes flickering to Duece curled beside the door. "Maybe."
Scene 2 — The Messenger of Bread and Trouble
"Hello, little brother."
Johnathon froze mid-sip of tea as Rick — the so-called explorer Hugin — slid into the chair across from him, already stealing a bread roll.
They were in a quiet restaurant near the dungeon sector, Johnathon's team mid-briefing for an upcoming raid. Teresa stiffened instantly; none of them had sensed Rick approach.
"Rick," Johnathon sighed, gesturing for Teresa to stay quiet. "You only show up when disaster follows."
Rick smiled, tearing another piece of bread. "Disaster's a strong word. Let's call it opportunity."
"Out with it."
"Those European dogs from Olympus are here," Rick said, buttering the roll like he was announcing the weather. "They're sniffing around your favorite prospect."
Johnathon's jaw tightened. "Crow?"
"Didn't say a name," Rick replied, eyes gleaming. "But yes. They're looking for a boy. Bright, stubborn, obsessed with exploration. I'd call it a match."
Teresa frowned. "Why him?"
Rick shrugged. "Because Zeus wants new blood for his expeditions. Kidnapping talent has always been their style. You, however, will send your charming girlfriend to intercept them while I borrow my dear brother for a family visit."
Johnathon narrowed his eyes. "You've already moved the pieces, haven't you?"
Rick's grin widened. "Of course. If I go personally, Olympus will panic. Better to let Cani-B's dogs handle the noise."
Teresa leaned forward. "You talk like you own that guild."
Rick just laughed. "Own? No. But I pay well for results."
The table fell silent. Johnathon rubbed his temples. "What are we visiting her for?"
Rick's voice softened. "To check the barrier. And to remind ourselves why we're still doing this."
Scene 3 — The Mother of Suns
Mrs. Johns greeted them with a smile that still carried warmth despite the pale cast to her skin.
The small house smelled of bread and herbs; sunlight filtered through protective seals layered over every window.
"Johnathon, Rick! You should've told me you were coming. I just pulled bread from the oven."
Rick inhaled deeply, a genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Still perfect. You make every ward feel like home."
She set a plate down between them. "And you still hide behind flattery when you're worried."
Rick's eyes softened—just for a heartbeat. Then he looked around the room, gaze tracing the faint shimmer of the barrier woven into the walls. He nodded, satisfied.
Johnathon watched him carefully. "You checking the magic again?"
Rick didn't answer directly. "The barrier's holding. He made sure of it."
Mrs. Johns's eyes flicked up at that, and for a moment, understanding passed between them—unspoken but heavy.
Johnathon missed it entirely, busy scowling into his cup.
"I still think Tyr had something to do with it," he muttered. "That barrier feels like his work."
Mrs. Johns smiled faintly. "Maybe you're right, dear."
Rick only shook his head. "You worry too much. If she's safe, he's doing what he always does—burning himself out to keep the rest of us alive."
Her expression softened at that. "That boy never knew how to stop."
"He's in the Astral Sea right now," she added quietly. "Said there were things that needed to be put in motion. He left shortly after Johnathon did."
Understanding the reputation of her oldest two sons, she had reached out to Rick for protection.
To anyone else, she was a recluse. To the world's powers, she was untouchable—the mother of monsters.
Every one of her sons had rewritten history in their wake. And even the youngest, Crow, had already drawn the eyes of explorers worldwide.
Scene 4 — The Dorm Before the Storm
"Come on, Duece! Fetch!"
Thomas hurled a stick across the dorm yard. The dog yawned, rolled onto his back, and ignored him completely.
Crow sighed. "He's not a normal dog, Thomas."
"Still a dog," Thomas said, hands on hips. "Dogs fetch."
Lily looked up from her notebook. "Back to the real subject—Crow, how are you still sane after reading Odin's diaries? Even fragments of those texts drive people mad."
Crow leaned on his spear, the weapon's dark core pulsing faintly. "Uncle Hugin gave it to me himself. I'm not reading the full thing—just using it to study monsters."
Alexis frowned. "That's not safer."
"Safer than ignorance," Crow said simply.
Lily tapped her pen against the page. "Then who's your patron god?"
He blinked. "Still don't know. Never answered."
"That's impossible," Alexis muttered. "Every traveler's got a name."
Crow hesitated. "Maybe they answered once… when I was a kid. Uncle Tasey told me not to think about it again."
Lily and Alexis exchanged glances. "Tasey … your uncle?" Lily asked carefully. "And Duece belongs to — ?"
Crow shrugged. "Not Tasey. He said he was dog-sitting for his older brother."
The two women froze. "Older brother?" Alexis said slowly. "Crow… your family only has two of those."
Crow frowned, realizing too late what she meant.
"Wait, if it isn't Tasey's dog, then—"
He never finished. His instincts screamed.
Crow tackled them both as a surge of mana detonated above the dorm. The shockwave ripped half the roof apart.
"Watch out!" Thomas shouted, raising his shield just in time to catch debris.
Crow rolled to his feet, eyes scanning the smoke. Two groups of travelers stood facing each other across the courtyard—Cani-B's black-coated enforcers and armored mercenaries bearing Olympus's lightning insignia.
The air warped with killing intent.
"You bastards are insane!" Crow shouted over the roar. "Using A-grade skills in a student sector?!"
"Shut it, brat!" one Olympus soldier snapped. "We're only here for our targets. Stay down and live."
Crow's grip tightened on his spear. "Targets?"
"Children," came the answer, casual and cruel. "Orders from Zeus himself."
Before Crow could reply, the world became light. Fire and lightning collided, consuming the courtyard in a blinding blast.
He felt Duece press against his leg—then the ground gave way beneath them, a tunnel of shadow swallowing them whole.
Scene 5 — The Tunnel and the Ambush
The descent ended with a violent drop. Crow hit the floor first, gasping, his mana still crackling from the blast. Lily's barrier flickered out as they landed in the underground passage.
"Where are we?" Thomas groaned, pushing himself up. His arm hung limp, bruised from the shield recoil.
"The evacuation tunnel under the dorms," Lily answered, steadying her breath. "Duece must've known it was here."
The dog gave a short bark, then lay down, as if the world above didn't matter.
Crow exhaled, trying to calm his racing pulse. "We need to move. Olympus won't stop."
"Crow," Alexis said quietly, "what was that thing in you? The moment before the blast, your mana—"
A voice interrupted from the dark ahead.
"That's what we'd like to know."
Figures stepped from the tunnel's edge, armor gleaming with restrained lightning—Olympus enforcers.
They'd been waiting.
Crow raised his spear slowly, eyes narrowing. "You already knew where we'd run."
"Of course," the lead man said, smiling. "Your uncle's tricks are predictable."
Behind him, more silhouettes appeared—travelers from both factions, fire and lightning dancing together in the gloom.
Thomas whispered, "Crow… we're surrounded."
Crow's smile was sharp, humorless. "Then I guess we'll dig our way out."
And above them, far beyond the stone, the first thunder of the true battle began.