Caelan and Elyria walked down the dimly lit hall, the light from the wall torches flickering unevenly as they moved. Caelan gently kicked a loose rock ahead of him, sending it skittering along the stone floor. He didn’t say a word.

  Between the soft clacks of stone, Elyria kept talking.

  “So, when do you want to go check out the new base? Got any plans for the next quiz night at Whaa Whaa’s? And what are you thinking of the dungeon so far?”

  The sound of pounding paws echoed down the passage, growing louder.

  Caelan sighed. “Soon. It’s almost done. No, not yet—there aren’t really many pop-culture things we all have in common. And lastly—”

  A black-fog wolf burst around the corner, roaring straight at him.

  Caelan lifted his foot and casually shoved it mid-charge, sending the wolf hurtling into the wall with a wet crack. Elyria ducked as another lunged.

  “But isn’t this like the one from your games?” she asked.

  Caelan caught the second wolf by the neck as it aimed for her, slammed it into the ground, and let it dissolve. “No. Not really. It’s like someone who’s never actually seen one is trying to make one. And don’t even get me started on the monsters.”

  Elyria frowned. “What’s wrong with the monsters?”

  “Black wolves,” Caelan said flatly. “These things were scary, what, twenty years ago? Aye, they’ve gotten a bit stronger over time, but nowhere near enough. Hell, the only thing that even counts as a workout anymore is an emerald-tier, and those spawned once every ten years. At this pace, we’ll be fighting this war forever.”

  Elyria snorted. “You’ve been complaining for months that there’s nothing to motivate people. Now you get something brand new, and you’re bored after a few hours.”

  “Exactly,” Caelan said. “Come on—we’d better get to the bottom floor first.”

  Elyria glanced at him. “So… do you think the Lieutenant will beat us?”

  Caelan stopped. He turned to her, hands pressed together like he was bracing himself. “So, about Solara. I need your help with something.”

  Elyria sighed. “Don’t worry. She’ll get over the newspaper.”

  Caelan shook his head. “No, no. That was planned. Purely to drag her off official business for a while. Honestly, I never expected her to dive so hard into the office side of things.”

  Elyria looked at him like he was missing something obvious. “Yeah, because she enjoys it. We all know this. And I know her better than anyone—nothing to worry about.”

  Caelan met her eyes. “When was the last time she took a day off? And I mean an actual day off.”

  Elyria opened her mouth. Paused. “Well, there was that time… no. Ah—maybe—nope. Jett again.” She sighed. “Alright. What do you need my help with?”

  Elyria strained, “It’s not a video game, Captain, for the last time.”

  “Well, you could’ve fooled me,” Caelan shot back as they started down. “Amount of reused assets in this place—man, hello? It’s called fucking DLC.”

  “I still don’t get what you see in those things,” Lumi said. “Kei-kei’s always rambling about them, but really… why not just go outside?”

  Bella snorted. “Coming from little miss ‘I don’t leave my shop until I’ve made friends.’”

  Elyria reached out and grabbed Bella by the cheek. “Will you stop it for once, or I’m telling Hector you held Caelan’s hand.”

  Bella shook her head furiously, voice jumping an octave. “Hey—no—he wouldn’t believe that—no him, no, never, ever, ever.”

  At the top of the staircase, Caelan paused and looked down. “Yo, I think we’re the last four of eight on the stairs…” He glanced over the railing, unimpressed. “Oh no, watch out, guys, white-deaths on this floor. Pfft. Waste of time.”

  They headed down.

  “So,” Lumi said, hopping a step, “what’s going on with that new base in the north? I thought they put the bathhouse there so we could relax, but the Lieutenant keeps rejecting my requests to go with Kei-kei.”

  “Don’t worry,” Caelan said. “We’re working on a system. Don’t want everyone ditching work at the same time.”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “No wonder Aurex’ll fold to the first person who turns up wanting to take over,” Bella muttered.

  “Yep,” Caelan said. “My worst fear. Right—guessing those four have already moved on.”

  They stepped off the stairs into the room and stopped.

  Scrap bars littered the floor in messy piles.

  Lumi’s eyes lit up instantly. “CAPTAIN. Can we please, please talk about my cut?”

  Caelan scanned the passageways instead. “Your shop’s doing fine, Lumi. And you know the Lieutenant handles finance, not me.”

  Elyria made a sharp whipping noise.

  Bella burst out laughing.

  “You two want to hold this floor for us?” Caelan said. “Knowing my luck, they’re already at the bottom.”

  Bella was already dumping her bag. “Best chance I have to survive is staying as far away from you as possible, Cap.”

  Caelan stepped closer and sighed. “I’ll make you a deal, Bella…”

  He leaned in and whispered.

  Bella straightened instantly. “Consider the floor held, Captain. We’re on it. But could I—”

  Caelan nodded. “Yes. He can go with you, too.”

  Bella turned, looping an arm around Lumi. “Hope you brought that sketch pad. We’re working today, Lum-lum.”

  “Captain, please take me with you—” Lumi started.

  “No, no,” Bella said, already dragging her off with a freakishly bright smile. “Come on now. We’ll make it cosy and put some effort in this time.”

  Caelan forced a smile. “Have fun, girls. The sergeant and I have a dragon to find.”

  Elyria followed him. “Why would there be two dragons?”

  “Because the goddess has the imagination of a goddamn plain white wall,” Caelan snapped.

  “At least she gave us something,” Elyria said. “Try enjoying it for five minutes.”

  They disappeared down the corridor.

  “With what?” Caelan shouted back. “There’s nothing here—not even a fucking treasure chest!”

  Lumi glanced down the corridor after them. “Do you think they’ll ever figure it out?”

  Bella pulled a blanket from her bag and dropped down against the wall, sounding defeated. “I can dream. But just when you think maybe… nope. He pulls another stupid stunt.”

  —

  On the third floor, Milo skidded around the edge of a vast chamber, boots scraping stone as emerald fog burned through the air behind him.

  The emerald-tier stood in the center of the room, its arm reshaping itself into a firearm made entirely of dense emerald mist. It fired.

  Milo dove, rolled, and barely cleared the shot. The impact tore a fist-sized crater out of the wall where his head had been a second earlier.

  “Still fast!” Milo shouted, scrambling back to his feet.

  Lyra came sprinting around the pillar near the staircase. The chain attached to her knuckle-dusters snapped out, wrapping around the emerald’s arm. She yanked hard, dragging herself up onto its back as the weapon in its hand destabilised and broke apart.

  The emerald twisted violently, fog shifting from its right arm to its left.

  Lyra saw it.

  She flicked out the retractable knife she’d modified onto the duster and started driving it down into the emerald’s back again and again. The blade sank in—but only so far.

  The emerald’s right arm folded in on itself.

  Fog condensed.

  A pistol began to form.

  Lyra froze.

  “Milo…” she said quietly.

  Before the pistol was entirely shaped, Milo slid in on his knees, firing point-blank. He wrapped an arm around the emerald’s forming limb, pinning it away from Lyra, and emptied his magazine into its head.

  Click. Click. Click.

  Silence.

  The emerald began to harden.

  Milo let out a breath. “Right—shockwave incoming—”

  The emerald finished solidifying and detonated outward, sending both of them crashing into opposite walls.

  Milo groaned, holding his back. “Yep. There it is. Hate those things. You alright?”

  He crossed the room and offered Lyra a hand.

  She took it, grinning. “That was my first emerald-tier.”

  Milo pulled her into a hug. “See? Told you. Once you get past their movement limits, they’re not that scary.”

  Lyra hugged him back, breathless. “But I couldn’t have done it without you. My hero.”

  “Oh?” Milo said. “And how’re you thanking your hero this time?”

  Caelan cleared his throat.

  Lyra and Milo screamed and jumped apart.

  “Yeah,” Caelan said flatly. “Totally fooled me.”

  Lyra spun and kicked him in the shin.

  He didn’t move.

  “Ow—what are you made of?” she snapped, hopping back.

  “Took you long enough,” Milo said. “We got here an hour ago. Chief already passed through, I’m guessing—judging by the piles.”

  Elyria stepped in, eyeing the emerald scrap bars. “Oh no. You really didn’t have to. You know the rules—fill our pockets, never happened.”

  “Uh,” Caelan said. “Did you maybe forget someone, Sergeant?”

  Lyra lunged right up into Elyria’s face. “The captain being an idiot is one thing, but purposely hiding resources from reports? I don’t care if you outrank me—I will be reporting this to the Lieutenant, you monster.”

  “Oh, Milo…” Elyria said softly.

  Lyra spun on her. “YOU TOLD HER?”

  “Nope,” Caelan said quickly. “Not a word. I promised.”

  “He’s annoyingly good about that,” Milo muttered. “I think you might’ve just—”

  Elyria’s face lit up. She leaned in and whispered, rapid-fire, “So when? How? Who made the first move? Can I please tell Keira—pretty please?”

  “Please no,” Lyra said, turning bright red.

  “Knock it off,” Caelan said. “Elyria found out not long after I did. She’s just messing with you.”

  Elyria laughed and patted Lyra’s back. “Relax. Just promise I get to see the fallout when you tell her.”

  “That’s never happening,” Milo said, rubbing his eyes. “This is between Lyra and me.”

  “And me,” Caelan added.

  “And me too,” Elyria whispered, squeezing Lyra’s shoulder.

  Milo sighed. “Still—thanks for not telling everyone when you get bored.”

  The dungeon bell rang.

  Everyone froze.

  “You two alright holding this floor while I—” Caelan started.

  “Move,” Milo said, grabbing Lyra’s hand. “He’s going to steal it from us.”

  “I WANT THE BOSS,” Lyra shouted. “THE LIEUTENANT WILL PROMOTE ME FOR SURE.”

  They bolted.

  Caelan smirked and nodded to Elyria. “Come on. I’m not letting them win.”

  They reached the corridor—

  —and stepped back.

  An emerald shape began forming in the shadows.

  “Uh,” Milo called. “Cap? Little help?”

  Caelan didn’t even look their way. “Deal with your problem. I’ve got my own.”

  Another emerald stepped out behind him.

  Caelan smiled. “Oh. It was a good day to get out of bed.”

  Elyria sighed. “Will you please not destroy everything this time?”

  Caelan drew both swords. “No promises.”