Travis gasped as life rushed back into him.

  "What was that?" Ethan asked, still holding Abby.

  Juliet narrowed her eyes. It made no sense. Dane was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. He was a warrior, a mage that didn't need to chant to cast, and now a healer.

  The bodies of the insects lay scattered across the black sand where the fight had ended. Several of the smaller ones still twitched occasionally, their limbs spasming as the last sparks of mana burned out inside their bodies.

  Dane stood a moment longer than the others, staring toward the distant ridge where the queen had disappeared.

  He could still feel her, but there was something else in that direction. Dane shook his head and sank into regret; he had the power, he could have teleported the team away at any point. One of them had died because he wanted a fight. If this was what being in a Red Zone was, it made him wish he were alone again. But he had grown accustomed to having people beside him. It might have been selfish, but he decided he would raise their levels until they could stand with him.

  Ethan slid his spear free from the last corpse and wiped the blade clean against the sand before resting it across his shoulder.

  Abby flexed her fingers, testing the forearm that moments ago had been crushed.

  Travis was still bent over slightly, breathing hard, his drone hovering anxiously beside him while it ran quiet scans over the battlefield.

  Juliet's voice broke the silence.

  "We can't stay here."

  No one argued.

  Dane reached into his storage and pulled out a tightly folded bundle of dark canvas no larger than a bedroll. He dropped it onto the sand and traced his fingers along the faint runic seams stitched into the material.

  Mana stirred.

  The canvas twitched.

  Then it unfolded.

  Poles snapped outward with a series of sharp cracks as the structure expanded rapidly, the interior space stretching far beyond what the exterior should have allowed. Within seconds, a sturdy expedition tent stood in the middle of the ruined farmland, its runes glowing softly as the interior stabilized.

  "We will be safe inside, even an A rank would have trouble breaking these wards," Dane said matter-of-factly.

  Travis blinked.

  "…Shouldn't we try to cover more ground before breaking for camp?"

  Ethan stepped in. "No, we need to recover our resource pools before continuing. If we run into another ambush like that, we will be doing more than licking wounds."

  Travis stepped inside slowly, turning in a circle as he looked around.

  "That is definitely cooler than normal tents."

  Dane brushed the sand from his hands.

  "Stole it from the elves."

  Abby looked at him, studying him for a moment, then she dropped it. Dane's expression told her that a joking jab wouldn't be appropriate.

  The memory surfaced whether he wanted it to or not.

  The dungeon had been darker then, the air stale and heavy with old magic. The tent had expanded the same way it had that day, its interior revealing rooms that shouldn't have fit inside something so small.

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  Amelia had stared at it for several seconds.

  Then anger flashed in her expression, followed by something Dane thought looked like confusion.

  Before Dane could say anything, she turned sharply and walked down the hallway, boots striking the stone floor harder with every step.

  The door clicked behind her.

  Ada had watched her go with mild curiosity. Then she turned back to Dane. Without a word, she reached out and grabbed his hand. Pulling him toward the bed.

  Dane pushed the memory aside before it could go any further. It hurt. Two women that he had loved in another lifetime, both gone, and now all he had were memories. He looked back at Travis and gritted his teeth. He wasn't mad at the kid; he was angry with himself. He could use time magic, but because of his pact with the Shroud, he couldn't go back and right the mistakes of his past.

  The desert wind whistled softly against the outside of the tent.

  That dungeon... no, Chronowell felt like a lifetime away.

  Juliet stepped further inside, her eyes scanning the interior automatically.

  Several small rooms branched off from the central chamber, the runic lanterns along the walls casting a steady, comforting glow.

  "Good," she said simply.

  Ethan and Abby entered behind her. Abby glanced down the hallway and jerked her head toward the largest room.

  "We're taking that one."

  Ethan didn't say a word; instead, he blushed as he followed the assassin down the room.

  They disappeared down the corridor. Travis watched them go.

  "…When did that happen?"

  He reached into his pack and produced a bottle of whiskey.

  "Well," he muttered as he twisted the cap off, "since we didn't die today…"

  He took a drink and immediately made a face. The drone hovering beside him tilted slightly as it continued scanning the tent interior. Travis offered the bottle toward Dane.

  "Drink?"

  Before Dane could answer, Juliet spoke.

  "Dane. I need to speak with you."

  Her tone was calm and direct. Dane glanced at Travis. Then he gave the younger man a light pat on the shoulder.

  "Looks like we'll need a rain check."

  Dane followed Juliet down the hallway.

  The runic lanterns along the canvas walls cast a soft amber glow that swayed slightly with the wind outside the tent. The sounds of Travis moving around in the main room faded quickly behind them.

  Juliet stopped at the last door and pushed it open. Dane stepped inside after her, closing the door behind him. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

  Juliet leaned back against the small desk near the wall, arms loosely folded as she studied him.

  Dane exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck.

  "If this is about the fight," he began, "I thought it would be something easier for the squad to handle. I didn't expect a hive presence that strong, and if I had known the queen was that close, I would have teleported us...”

  Juliet crossed the room in two quick steps and kissed him.

  The words he was saying died instantly. Dane froze for half a second, caught completely off guard, before instinct kicked in, and he pulled her closer. When they finally broke apart, Juliet looked up at him with the faintest hint of amusement.

  "You talk too much.”

  Dane blinked.

  "…That wasn't what I expected."

  Juliet shrugged.

  The lantern light flickered softly against the canvas walls. Time passed quickly after that.

  Juliet was already pulling her armor back on when Dane finally sat up.

  She tightened the straps across her shoulder, moving like she didn't want to spend any more time vulnerable than she had to. Dane watched her for a second before speaking.

  "So… what does this mean?"

  Juliet didn't even look up.

  "It means it was a fun mistake." She paused just long enough to add, "one I'd be willing to make again."

  Dane rubbed the back of his neck.

  "Alright," he said. "I'm still getting over someone."

  Juliet finally glanced at him.

  "It's just sex," she said simply. "No offense, but you don't really seem like boyfriend material."

  She grabbed her pack and gestured toward the door.

  "But if you ever need to blow off some steam…” A small smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. "You know where to find me."

  Dane pulled his shirt back on and stood up. Juliet opened the door and stepped aside.

  "Now get out."

  He paused in the doorway.

  "That's it?"

  "That's it."

  Then her expression softened just a fraction.

  "Tomorrow you're getting the ass chewing of your life for not pulling us out when you saw the A rank."

  Dane sighed. "Yeah… I figured.”

  He stepped into the hallway. Just before the door shut, Juliet added casually, "Even if you did look pretty hot fighting them.”

  The door clicked closed behind him.

  Dane stepped back into the main chamber.

  Travis was still sitting at the table with the whiskey bottle while his drone hovered nearby. Their eyes met. Dane immediately looked down and started walking toward another room.

  Travis leaned back in his chair, a grin spreading across his face.

  "You know," he said casually, lifting the bottle, "it's only a walk of shame if you keep your head down."

  Dane shook his head without looking up. "Go to sleep, Travis."

  Travis chuckled.

  "Just saying. You should at least enjoy the victory lap."

  The drone emitted a soft disapproving whir, its lens rotating toward him. Travis glanced at it.

  "Hey," he said defensively. "It wasn't that bad."

  Another faint whine. Travis pointed the bottle at it.

  "I thought it was funny."

  Dane kept walking down the hallway toward his room, still shaking his head.

  "Tough crowd," Travis said.

  The drone dimmed slightly as it resumed hovering beside him.

  Dane didn't look back. He just headed for his room.