{Time: Three months later}
{Location: Camp training ground}
Three months.
That was how long it had been since they walked out of the abyss.
Three months since Blood Peak collapsed.
Three months since everything changed.
—
The camp wasn't the same anymore.
It couldn't be.
Too many people had seen too much.
Too many things didn't make sense anymore.
Training grounds were always occupied now.
Fights broke out more often.
People pushed harder.
Because everyone knew—
Whatever was coming next…
Wasn't normal.
—
Inside a familiar training zone—
A figure moved.
Fast.
Clean.
Precise.
Zael.
His blade cut through the air, movements sharper than before, tighter, more controlled. The abyssal edge that once felt rough around him now flowed smoother—like something he had started to understand, even if only a little.
He stopped.
Exhaled.
System flickered.
---
Level: 60
---
"…Still stuck."
Not really stuck.
But not moving either.
Because he knew why.
His second class change.
Locked.
Waiting.
For one place.
The world-class dungeon—
Godsfall Ruins
Zael clicked his tongue lightly.
"…Figures."
—
Not far away—
A distortion flickered.
Then snapped.
Lily stepped out of space like she had always been there.
Clean.
Effortless.
No strain.
She stretched slightly.
"…You're still at it?"
Zael glanced at her.
"…You're late."
She rolled her eyes.
"…I was training too."
A small pause.
Then—
Her panel flickered briefly.
---
Level: 45
---
Not weak.
Not even close.
Compared to before—
She had grown a lot.
Control sharper.
Movement smoother.
Her presence—
Harder to track.
Zael nodded once.
"…Not bad."
She smirked slightly.
"…I know."
—
A loud crash echoed nearby.
Followed by laughter.
Auralis.
Of course.
They walked over.
And yeah—
There she was.
Hammer resting on her shoulder.
Grinning.
In front of a shattered training construct.
"…Too fragile."
Zael glanced at the remains.
"…You broke it again?"
"Again?" she scoffed. "It broke itself."
Aurelia stood nearby.
Calm.
Watching.
As always.
Her growth wasn't loud.
But it was there.
Clear.
Controlled.
System panels flickered briefly between them.
---
Auralis — Level 47
Aurelia — Level 42
---
Auralis stretched.
"…Still not enough."
Aurelia nodded slightly.
"…We're close."
Lily leaned against a pillar.
"…To the dungeon?"
Aurelia's eyes shifted.
"…Yeah."
—
Silence settled for a moment.
Not heavy.
Just… aware.
Because they all knew.
Everything they had done these past three months—
All of it—
Was leading to one thing.
Zael spoke.
"…Once it opens…"
Auralis grinned.
"…We go in."
Zane's voice came from behind them.
"…And finish what we started."
They all turned slightly.
He had been there.
Quiet.
Like always.
Nothing about him changed—
And yet—
Everything had.
Because even standing still—
He felt sharper.
More complete.
Lily crossed her arms.
"…You think it's connected?"
Zael didn't hesitate.
"…It is."
A pause.
"…That place… the abyss…"
His eyes hardened slightly.
"…It's not separate."
Aurelia added quietly.
"…It's part of something bigger."
Auralis grinned wider.
"…Good."
Lily gave her a look.
"…You say that like it's a good thing."
Auralis shrugged.
"…Means it'll be worth it."
—
Zael looked ahead.
Toward nothing in particular.
But also—
Toward what was coming.
"…Godsfall Ruins…"
The name sat heavy.
Not because of what it was—
But because of what it might be.
He exhaled slowly.
"…Three months wasn't enough."
Zane nodded.
"…It never is."
Aurelia added,
"…But it's what we have."
Lily pushed off the wall.
"…Then we make it enough."
Auralis slammed her hammer lightly against her shoulder.
"…Yeah."
A grin.
"…Let's break it when it opens."
Zael didn't smile.
But his grip tightened slightly.
"…Yeah."
Because this time—
They weren't walking in blind.
They knew just enough—
To understand one thing.
This wasn't just a dungeon.
And whatever was waiting inside—
Was more than anyone expected.
Two days.
That's all that was left before the dungeon opened.
Two days before Godsfall Ruins unlocked.
Two days before everything moved again.
—
The training ground had quieted down.
Auralis had already left, dragging Aurelia along with her.
"Come on, we're not done yet," she had said.
Aurelia didn't argue.
Lily stayed for a bit longer.
Watched.
Then pushed off the wall.
"…Don't overdo it."
Zael glanced at her.
"…I won't."
She didn't look convinced.
But she didn't push it.
"…We'll talk later."
Then—
She stepped into space.
Gone.
—
Silence.
Just two of them now.
Zael stood there for a moment.
Then turned.
"…Zane."
Zane looked at him.
Calm.
Waiting.
—
A pause.
Then Zael spoke.
"…Something's off."
Zane didn't react immediately.
"…With what?"
Zael frowned slightly.
"…You."
That landed.
Zane's gaze didn't change.
"…Explain."
Zael exhaled.
Trying to put it into words.
"…Since we got back from the abyss…"
A pause.
"…We're not the same."
Zane tilted his head slightly.
"…We were never exactly the same."
"…No," Zael shook his head. "That's not what I mean."
He stepped closer.
"…You're a clone."
Flat.
Direct.
"…Your growth should be tied to mine."
Silence.
Zane didn't deny it.
Because it was true.
Zael continued.
"…But it's not."
A short pause.
"…Not anymore."
Zane's eyes narrowed just a fraction.
"…You noticed."
Zael let out a short breath.
"…Hard not to."
A pause.
"…Your energy feels different."
Zane didn't speak.
Zael kept going.
"…Not weaker."
"…Not stronger."
Another pause.
"…Just… separate."
That word hung there.
Separate.
Zane looked away for a second.
Then back.
"…The abyss changed things."
Zael frowned.
"…How?"
Zane didn't answer immediately.
Like he was thinking about whether to say it—
Or how to say it.
Then—
"…When you changed…"
A pause.
"…I didn't follow."
Zael's eyes sharpened.
"…What?"
Zane's voice stayed calm.
"…You gained something in there."
"…Something that altered your path."
Another pause.
"…I couldn't keep up."
That didn't sit right.
Not at all.
Zael's expression hardened slightly.
"…You're me."
Zane shook his head.
"…I was."
Silence.
That—
That hit different.
Zael stepped forward again.
"…Explain that."
Zane met his gaze.
Straight.
No hesitation.
"…I'm still your clone."
A pause.
"…But I'm not just that anymore."
The air shifted slightly.
Subtle.
But real.
Zael felt it.
That difference.
That gap.
And he didn't like it.
"…Since when?"
Zane answered without hesitation.
"…Since we left the abyss."
Silence settled between them.
Heavier now.
Because this wasn't small.
This wasn't just a feeling.
This was—
A change.
A real one.
Zael exhaled slowly.
"…So what now?"
Zane didn't look away.
"…We figure it out."
A pause.
"…Before the dungeon."
Because yeah—
That mattered.
More than anything right now.
Zael stared at him for a moment longer.
Then nodded once.
"…Yeah."
Because two days wasn't a lot.
And whatever this was—
It wasn't something he could ignore.
Not with what was coming.
Not with Godsfall Ruins opening.
—
The air between them didn't go back to normal.
Not really.
Because something had shifted.
And neither of them fully understood it yet.
—
[END OF CHAPTER]