"It's confirmed? The nightmare was tracked to Runis?" The words caught in Bart's throat as he absorbed Lowell's grim update.

  "And the proctors know about it?" Rina's question hung in the air like a blade waiting to drop.

  Lowell nodded, his gaze fixed on a group of qualifier staff across the guild hall. They spoke in hushed tones, occasionally pointing toward the tables where Cross Company sat.

  Bart exhaled sharply. "Not to sound like a conspiracy nut, but... doesn't it feel like we've been tested more than anyone else?"

  Lowell and Rina exchanged a glance. Their complaints suddenly felt like pieces of a larger puzzle: Weston's favoritism, the artifact retrieval's inexplicable twists.

  Bart pressed on. "I mean, Klein might have some pull with Weston and the Cambridge family can sway where competitions are held, sure. But this..." he gestured to the staff, his voice dropping to a whisper. "This is bigger. No one would go this far just to disadvantage a no-name student guild. No offense, Rina."

  "None taken," Rina replied, though her furrowed brow betrayed her unease. "It doesn't add up."

  "What are you thinking?" Lowell asked Bart, the tone of his question measured.

  Bart hesitated. "It started with the nightmare at Orus."

  Rina was unable to hide her skepticism. "You think this is about Helena?"

  "I... don't know. Maybe? It doesn't make sense, but it's all connected. Helena, the nightmare, the qualifiers..." His hands fidgeted restlessly. "Someone's watching us. Targeting us."

  Lowell considered this, his mind racing through the events. "If Helena hadn't survived Orus, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. But we intervened. That made us... visible."

  Rina crossed her arms. "You really think this all hinges on one nightmare? Lowell, I'm sure you two can't be the only students in all of guild history to have faced down nightmares before."

  "Maybe not the only ones to face one," Bart muttered. "But surviving two separate encounters? That's got to count for something." His hands fidgeted nervously. "You saw what it was like in the maze, Rina. That wasn't normal. And the fact that one showed up at Orus..."

  Lowell finished the thought, his voice grim. "It isn't coincidence. There's a reason it started there."

  "Then why Cross Company?" Rina interjected, her frustration boiling over. "Why make a student guild the center of all this? If this is some big conspiracy, what do we have to offer?"

  Silence stretched between them before Bart spoke again, his words slow and deliberate. "Maybe it's not what we have, but what we represent. Two teams from Orus qualifying, both with ties to a nightmare? That'd make headlines anywhere. And Freya... Director Ardith... she pushed for us to be here. She's connected to Arclan, too. And possibly to Klein."

  Rina closed her eyes, her lips forming a thin line. "That kind of exposure could help rebuild Orus' reputation... but it's a dangerous game to play."

  Lowell shook his head. "It's still speculation. We don't have enough to go on."

  "Not yet," Bart said, leaning forward. "But whatever this is, it's not over. And Cross Company is at the heart of it."

  #

  The rain had been relentless for over an hour now, its drumming a steady rhythm on the rubble-strewn streets of Sector 4. The endurance run, already grueling under normal circumstances, had turned into a trial of willpower and footing. Dirt roads had become rivers of mud, and jagged debris from the ancient ruins lurked beneath the murky surface like hidden traps.

  Sector 4 was a scar on Runis, the easternmost borough in Dahncrest. Runis itself was still mostly ruins—only parts of its vast territory had been reclaimed, and the borough remained inherently dangerous despite ongoing reconstruction efforts. But Sector 4 was something else entirely. A walled-off zone of shattered buildings and crumbling infrastructure, it bore the weight of millennia without the reconstruction efforts that had transformed other parts of Runis. Unlike the rehabilitated inner districts or even the dangerous outer reaches where guilds actively worked to clear and secure ruins, Sector 4 had been left to rot. The city had declared it off-limits years ago, and tales whispered about it still surfaced in hushed conversations among veteran guilders.

  Rumors painted grim possibilities: a nightmare hive festering in the tunnels beneath the rubble, or the excavation of a Herald ruin that held secrets too dangerous to uncover. Some claimed researchers had disappeared while exploring its depths. Others spoke of strange aetheric readings that had prompted the city to wall off the entire sector. Either way, hosting an endurance event here felt reckless. Or deliberate.

  Lowell, Rina, and Bart pushed on, their breaths clouding the rain-chilled air. They were a mile into the course, their boots sucking at the mud with each step. Staggered starts had spaced out the teams, leaving the trio isolated. Occasionally, they overtook stragglers from other guilds, many of whom nursed twisted ankles or clung to each other in exhaustion.

  "The proctors can't even see us properly out here," Rina muttered as they passed another team limping toward the sidelines. "How is this supposed to be safe?"

  "They're not allowed into Sector 4." Lowell said it matter-of-factly, but that didn't mean he liked it any more than Rina. He scanned the rain-soaked ruins for any signs of trouble waiting for them. "They're monitoring from outside the perimeter. Not that it's much help if something goes wrong."

  Or if someone decides to make something go wrong, Lowell thought grimly. Aleksie's face flashed in his mind. His arrogance after losing the Conquest event, his lack of regard for rules. Aleksie had already proven that he didn't care about playing fair. If Weston wanted revenge, this would be the perfect setting.

  "We need to stay sharp," Lowell said. "Weston might try something near a checkpoint."

  The three ducked into the shelter of a partially collapsed building to regroup. Rainwater dripped from the exposed beams above as they huddled together, their clothes soaked and clinging to their skin. They agreed quickly: stay close, stay alert, and don't give Weston the chance to strike.

  As they neared the halfway point, the downpour eased into a steady drizzle, though the overcast sky did little to brighten the landscape. Visibility remained poor. The road ahead cut through the ruins of what must have been a major thoroughfare once. Here in Sector 4, there was no sign of the reconstruction efforts that had reshaped other parts of Dahncrest, let alone the reclaimed areas of Runis. No cleared streets with marked safe routes, no guild compounds, no organized camps like those that dotted the outer reaches of the borough where guilds worked to secure the ruins. Just the towering skeletal remains of Herald buildings looming like silent sentinels, their windows gaping like hollow eyes.

  Lowell suddenly raised his hand. "Hold up."

  Rina and Bart slowed, their breaths catching in their throats as they followed his gaze.

  "What is it?" Bart's voice cracked slightly. "The nightmare?"

  Lowell squinted into the distance. Something had moved. He was sure of it. The rooftops ahead blurred against the rain, but for a fleeting moment, he thought he saw a figure darting across one of them. His pulse quickened.

  "I can't tell," Lowell admitted, reluctantly. "It's too far and the visibility is too poor."

  "What do we do?" Rina asked, her leadership momentarily yielding to Lowell's battlefield instincts.

  Lowell straightened, his hand instinctively drifting toward his sword. "We keep moving. But stay close, and don't let your guard down."

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  They pushed forward, their portable aetheric terminal confirming their path. The road ahead funneled them into a narrow corridor of debris, where the ruined buildings leaned precariously overhead. The air felt heavy, charged, as if the ruins themselves were holding their breath.

  "This would be the place for an ambush," Lowell muttered under his breath. His hand hovered near the hilt of his sheathed blade, a habit he hadn't shaken since his days with the Black Boars.

  Bart swallowed hard. "The checkpoint should be just ahead."

  The ruins around them offered no relief from the cold unease settling into their ranks. In other parts of Runis, veteran guilders worked methodically to clear debris, map tunnels, and mark safe passage. Here in Sector 4, everything had been abandoned mid-effort—equipment left to rust, makeshift markers weathered to unreadable symbols. Lowell, Rina, and Bart pressed on cautiously, each step a calculated decision to avoid unintended injury. The silence between them punctuated only by the patter of rain and their own heavy breathing.

  Lowell's eyes never stopped moving, scanning the edges of the buildings for any sign of movement. Each footfall sounded too loud in the muffled quiet. Somewhere in the distance, a metallic clang echoed, faint but sharp enough to make them all freeze.

  Lowell held up a hand, signaling silence, his eyes darting between the shadows. "Keep your eyes open." His voice was low but sharp.

  "Do you think Weston's already set something up?" Bart asked anxiously.

  "Wouldn't put it past them," Lowell replied, his tone grim. They had resumed forward movement, but their pace was slow, deliberate. He glanced at Rina, who was biting her lip as she navigated the uneven ground. She hadn't said much in the past few minutes, but the furrowed line of her brow betrayed her own unease.

  "Someone's there," Rina said softly, accompanied by a sharp intake of breath which betrayed her apprehension.

  Lowell's fingers closed around the hilt of his sword. "Wait," he said sharply, his body tense. He narrowed his eyes at the figure. "It's Weston."

  Bart's stomach dropped. "Are you serious?" He couldn't hide the edge of incredulity that broke through the fear and anxiety that had been mounting inside of him.

  The figure stumbled toward them, slipping in the mud but catching himself. As he got closer, they could make out his uniform, stained with dirt and soaked through from the rain. His frantic energy only made Lowell more wary.

  "Thank the Shepherd!" the Weston student cried, his voice hoarse. But as he got close enough to recognize them, his expression changed. His shoulders sagged, and a flicker of disappointment crossed his face.

  Lowell stiffened, his grip tightening on his sword. "Convenient," he muttered under his breath, glancing around for the inevitable ambush. His mind raced through the possibilities. Where the attackers could be hiding, how they'd strike, how quickly he'd need to respond. The tension coiled in his chest, tightening with every second.

  Rina saw the shift in him and raised her hand. "Stand down," she said quietly. Her voice was steady, but Lowell could see the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

  Lowell didn't budge. "This stinks," he said, his voice low but cold. "I don't trust him."

  "We can't jump to conclusions," Rina replied firmly. "Not yet."

  The Weston student staggered closer, panting. His face was pale, his eyes wide with something that looked enough like fear to unsettle them. "It's Aleksie and Chen," he gasped. "There was an accident. The ground gave way, and they fell into some ruins. Please, you have to help!"

  Bart stepped forward, his fists clenching. "And we're supposed to believe that? You're admitting they were off course to set up an ambush!"

  "I know how it sounds!" the student cried, shaking his head. "But it's the truth! I stayed back because I didn't want to be part of it. But when they fell..."

  "Where are they?" Rina interrupted, her voice sharp. She kept her gaze locked on the Weston student, her posture tense.

  He pointed toward a hill just ahead. "Down there! Please, we don't have much time!"

  Lowell turned to Rina, his jaw tight. "We're really doing this?" His tone was clipped, but beneath it was an undercurrent of doubt. Not in her judgment, but in the situation itself. Every instinct he had screamed that this was wrong.

  Rina hesitated, glancing between Lowell and Bart. "I don't like this either," she admitted. "But if there's even a chance he's telling the truth..."

  Bart groaned. "Rina, come on. Weston doesn't care about fairness or rules. We owe them nothing."

  Rina turned to face them fully, her expression hardening. "That's not how guilds work, Bart. We don't just help the people we like. We're supposed to uphold the principles. Aid those in need, minimize harm. That's what separates us from people like Aleksie."

  Lowell wanted to argue, to point out the holes in the Weston student's story, but Rina's words cut through his doubt like a blade. She was right. If they walked away now and someone did need help, it would be on them.

  He exhaled sharply. "Fine. But we're staying sharp. No chances."

  "Agreed," Rina said, already moving. Bart muttered under his breath but followed.

  They crested the hill, the ground soft and treacherous beneath their feet. The sinkhole yawned wide before them, a gaping wound in the earth surrounded by the skeletal remains of the crumbling buildings. Rainwater poured into the chasm in thin streams, disappearing into the black below. The air here was heavy, thick with the scent of wet stone and earth. Lowell's gaze swept across the terrain, his instincts screaming that something was off. The place felt wrong. Too quiet, too isolated.

  "We shouldn't be here," Bart said. He stared at the pit in the distance. "This doesn't even make sense. Why would they be this far off the course?"

  The Weston student, already halfway down the embankment, waved frantically. "They're down here! Hurry! The ground's unstable and they could be seriously hurt!"

  Lowell's shoulders tensed as he scanned the area one more time. The rain blurred his vision, but he saw no sign of Aleksie or Chen. "I don't like this," he said again, his tone sharp. "Why go through all the trouble to set a trap out here?"

  Rina stepped forward, her face pale but resolute. "Maybe he's actually telling the truth," she said quietly, though the tension in her voice betrayed her doubt.

  Lowell clenched his fists. "If this goes south..."

  "It's on me," Rina interrupted. She turned to him, her eyes hard. "We're guilders, Lowell. If we can help, we help. End of."

  Her words cut through him, heavy with conviction, and for a moment, he hated her for being right. He hated himself more for not trusting her judgment.

  They approached the edge cautiously, every step calculated. The slope into the sinkhole was steep, far too dangerous to climb without equipment. Bart leaned forward, squinting through the rain. "I don't see them," he called over his shoulder.

  He turned and froze, face-to-face with Aleksie, who had seemingly materialized out of the ruins. He stepped out, without fanfare, without ceremony, wearing a predatory grin.

  Behind Aleksie, Bart saw that Chen and the other Weston student, Hubert, had gotten the drop on Rina and Lowell. Although Chen struggled to hold Lowell down, he was managing to keep Lowell at bay effectively enough. It all had happened so fast. And what came next had only occurred in the span of a single heartbeat.

  "Oh, shi—"

  Aleksie shoved Bart hard, and his scream ripped through the air as he disappeared into the chasm.

  "Bart!" Lowell's roar echoed through the ruins. He didn't hesitate, driving his elbow into Chen's jaw and breaking free from his grip. Aleksie darted away, moving with practiced ease over the unstable ground. Lowell lunged after him, forgetting about his sword and swinging with a punch that went wide.

  Aleksie laughed, his voice cold and mocking. "You're all so predictable." He sneered, sidestepping Lowell's strike with ease. "Time for you to join him."

  Lowell swung again, this time with the back of his hand hoping to catch Aleksie off balance, but Aleksie was faster. He kicked out, his foot connecting hard with Lowell's chest. Lowell's footing was uneven on the slick, treacherous terrain. Before Lowell could recover, Aleksie shoved him hard, sending him stumbling toward the edge.

  "No!" Rina's scream cut through the rain as Lowell's footing slipped, and he tumbled backward into the void.

  The fall seemed endless, the world spinning in a chaotic blur of rain and darkness. Lowell's mind raced, his hands grasping at nothing. The sound of rushing wind roared in his ears, and then, for just a moment, everything slowed.

  Above him, Aleksie stood at the edge of the chasm, his silhouette stark against the stormy sky. But beyond Aleksie, something moved. A shadow, no, a figure, darted across the rooftops. It wasn't like the nightmares they had faced before. Its movements were deliberate, almost human, but wrong. The rain didn't seem to touch it, its form shifting fluidly as it disappeared from one rooftop to the next, too fast to track.

  Lowell's breath caught in his throat. What was that?

  Before he could process what he'd seen, the darkness swallowed him, and his body slammed into something hard and unforgiving. Pain shot through him, sharp and overwhelming, before the world dissolved into black.

  Rina watched in horror as Lowell disappeared into the sinkhole. Her stomach twisted violently, a sickening mixture of fear and guilt. She'd made the call to follow the Weston student. She'd convinced them to trust the guild oath, to put their principles above their suspicions. And now Bart and Lowell were gone, and she'd led them straight into this trap.

  "Aleksie, you slime!" she spat, anger spilling over to rage. "Do you have any idea what you've done? What is wrong with you?!"

  Aleksie turned to her, calm and smug, as if he hadn't just betrayed every unspoken rule of the qualifiers. "Eliminating the competition," he said simply, his tone almost bored. He gestured to Chen and the other Weston student. "Bring her over."

  Rina struggled as they dragged her toward the edge. Her heart pounded as she fought against their grips, but it was no use. The rain slicked her skin, her hair plastered to her face, and her mind raced with every mistake that had led her here. She thought of Bart's trust, Lowell's silent faith, and the oath she'd clung to like a lifeline.

  Aleksie leaned in close, his voice a cruel whisper. "You can say hello to Helena when you hit bottom."

  Rina glared at him. "This isn't over."

  With a flick of his hand, they shoved her into the abyss. Her scream echoed into the void as the ground disappeared beneath her.