Night began to settle over the Forest of Eden.
Golden lights slowly shifted into bluish tones as the sun vanished behind the floating mountains. The wind carried the fresh scent of massive leaves, while small luminous insects appeared in the air, like wandering stars drifting between the trees.
Ethan and Elenya followed the trail back toward Cloverfall, both alert — not because of immediate danger, but because of the unsettling feeling that they were trapped inside that world.
Ethan glanced at his interface for the tenth time.
Nothing.
No logout.
No hidden option.
No secret command.
"Strange…" he murmured. "This doesn't make sense on launch day."
"It's probably just a temporary bug," Elenya said, trying to sound calm. "Once we reach the city, people will be talking about it. Someone must've figured something out."
Despite her confident tone, Ethan noticed how tightly she was gripping her quiver.
The forest felt darker.
Quieter.
More real.
A howl echoed in the distance.
Ethan and Elenya stopped at the same time.
"That was… a wolf, wasn't it?" Ethan asked.
"It was," she replied, instinctively reaching for her bow. "And at night, they're dangerous for beginners. We need to move carefully."
They had taken only three steps when the sound came again — closer now.
Branches shifting.
Leaves trembling.
Rapid paws striking the ground.
Then a gray wolf leapt in front of them, growling. Its eyes glowed a vivid red — not from malice, but from the monster aggression indicator.
Ethan raised his hand, gathering mana in his chest. The flame that once escaped erratically now responded more clearly, as if it recognized the threat.
"Stay behind me," he said, trying to sound brave.
"Not a chance," Elenya shot back, drawing her bowstring. "We go together."
The wolf lunged.
Before the attack could reach either of them…
A blade sliced through the air.
The precise strike hit the wolf's flank, sending it tumbling across the ground.
"You two really know how to pick a place for a walk!" a familiar voice called out.
Ethan spun around, relief flooding through him.
"Darren!"
He was there — light armor, confident expression, sword still vibrating from the strike.
A small green icon glowed above his head, as if promising that everything would be fine.
"These wolves get wild at night," Darren said, taking a combat stance. "And you're way too far from the city. I got worried when I didn't see you there and decided to look for you."
Elenya smiled, raising an eyebrow.
"Nice entrance."
"I always make stylish entrances," he replied with a wink.
The wolf struggled back to its feet and charged again.
"Ethan, show me what you've got! Let's see that training!" Darren shouted.
Ethan focused his mana, recalling Elenya's instructions: breathing, focus on the center of the chest, channel through the arm, release through the palm.
The flames formed unsteadily…
but stabilized at the last second.
"Fire Bolt!" he shouted, even though it wasn't necessary.
The flame struck the wolf's chest.
The monster collapsed, dissolving into fragments of greenish light.
"I did it…" Ethan murmured, surprised.
"Because you trained properly," Elenya said, crossing her arms.
"Not bad, rookie," Darren added.
The mood lightened.
Almost normal.
Until Darren briefly glanced up at the star-filled sky.
"You're heading back to the city because of the menu bug, right?"
Ethan and Elenya exchanged looks.
"You noticed it too?" Ethan asked.
"Everyone did," Darren replied. "The central plaza's packed. No one's been able to log out so far."
A heavy silence settled between them.
"This is just an error… right?" Ethan asked.
Darren hesitated for a second.
"I hope so," he said. "Global launch. The servers must be overloaded."
Elenya adjusted her quiver, uneasy.
"I want to be near other people when this gets fixed."
"I'll walk you to the entrance," Darren said.
The three of them continued along the trail, illuminated by glowing creatures.
Along the way, Darren and Ethan talked like old friends.
About classes.
About builds. About monsters, rare loot, and strategies learned during the beta.
Their bond grew naturally, as if something greater were stitching those encounters together.
When the first lights of Cloverfall came into view, Darren stopped.
"My friends are in the northern district. I'll head that way."
Ethan extended his hand.
"Thanks for saving us."
"We'll fight together again," Darren replied, gripping his hand. "I'm sure of it."
"See you soon," Elenya said with a smile.
Darren waved and ran across the living wooden bridge, disappearing among players.
Ethan watched in silence.
"He's… a good guy."
"He has good energy," Elenya replied. "That's rare."
They entered Cloverfall side by side.
Unaware that this friendship would one day change everyone's fate.
And that the next time they would meet Darren…
…would forever mark the First Floor.
End of the chapter. Thank you for reading. See you tomorrow.