The dim hue of the early morning light spilled through the academy's ancient stone windows. Jin sat in silence, seated atop a moss-covered stone at the edge of the Academy's forest perimeter. His eyes, tired yet alert, scanned the treetops as the wind whispered through the leaves. The tranquility was misleading.
Something had changed.
Over the past week, several low-ranked students had gone missing. Initially dismissed as dropouts or disciplinary transfers, the situation had escalated when one of the teachers was discovered unconscious at the dungeon gate within the academy's inner sanctum—an area that should have been sealed.
Principal Vael's calm demeanor had cracked ever so slightly during the last faculty briefing. He instructed every student and instructor to remain on high alert, especially those connected to dungeon studies and gate mechanics.
Jin, though technically still a student, had already begun drawing the attention of various factions inside and outside the academy. He was a mystery to most and a potential threat to others. Still, what disturbed him now was not the attention—but the dungeon itself. The energy radiating from it felt too familiar.
As the academy slept, Jin slipped past the inner walls cloaked by the shadow of a crumbling statue. With practiced ease, he bypassed the magical seals meant to deter entry. The hallway beyond led to a staircase descending into the underbelly of the academy.
At the end of the stone path lay a shimmering doorway—iridescent and pulsating like a beating heart. This gate had not been recorded in the academy's map. Jin had been sensing it since his arrival, buried beneath layers of magic and secrecy. But now, it was awake.
He reached out and placed his hand on its surface. A sharp chill spread through his arm.
"You shouldn't be here," a calm voice said behind him.
Jin turned slowly, his fingers still brushing the gate.
It was Theo Ward. Lucas's son, though the resemblance was less in appearance and more in presence. Behind Theo stood Elise Dawnriver—Aira's daughter, her sapphire eyes glowing faintly—and Caden Rythe, the silent and sharp-eyed heir of Ryo.
"The three of you," Jin murmured.
Theo took a cautious step forward. "You knew this place existed. You were looking for it."
Jin studied him for a long moment. "And yet, here you are. All three of you."
"We felt something," Elise said. "It's like the gate is… calling to us."
Jin's hand dropped from the gate.
"Then you understand. This isn't an ordinary dungeon. It's connected to something deeper—something not of this era."
They exchanged glances.
"Have any of you ever entered a gate before?" Jin asked.
"Minor ones," Caden replied. "Never one like this."
"Good. Then you'll listen when I say this gate might not be something we're meant to enter—not yet."
"But someone already has," Theo said, his voice grim. "There's blood on the sigil stones near the academy shrine. This gate isn't waking up—it's being forced open."
Jin's eyes narrowed.
Suddenly, the air shimmered. A scream echoed from within the gate. It was faint, like a whisper—but unmistakable.
Theo, Elise, and Caden flinched.
Jin stepped back. "We're not ready. But that doesn't mean we can wait."
---
Within the next hour, the four of them prepared to enter. They kept their plan secret from the other students. Jin didn't trust the academy's inner circle—and if what he suspected was true, someone within might already be compromised.
The gate opened like a tear through reality, swallowing them whole.
What lay on the other side was chaos.
The dungeon was unlike anything they had studied. It wasn't a ruin or cave—it was a twisted labyrinth of ever-changing corridors and shifting walls. Shadows clung to the corners, and monstrous creatures roamed freely—creatures that looked part beast, part human, stitched together by some grotesque magic.
As the group pressed forward, they encountered a corrupted knight—a former human, perhaps a lost explorer. Its body was armored, but its face was a mass of burned flesh and bone. Its sword emitted a strange, purple mist.
Jin took the lead.
The fight was brutal. The knight's speed defied its heavy armor. Jin's blade met it with a loud clang, sparks flying. Theo used his wind-based magic to disrupt the creature's footing. Elise cast powerful wards to deflect the corrosive mist, while Caden struck with rapid precision, aiming at exposed joints.
Finally, with a deep thrust, Jin pierced the knight's core—only for it to explode in a burst of dark mana.
The four were thrown back. Elise's arms bled, Caden's shoulder had a deep cut, and Theo's ankle was twisted. Jin was shaken but largely unscathed.
From the corpse, an item remained: a blackened shard pulsating with energy.
Jin picked it up, inspecting it. "This… isn't natural. This dungeon—this gate—it's not part of the world. It's something left behind."
"By who?" Elise asked.
Jin stared into the darkness. "By something we're not ready to face."
And from the depths, the dungeon whispered back.
Something had awakened.