The moon sat high above the world of Xadia, full and pale, bathing the endless forest beneath it in silver light.
The trees stood close together, their branches twisted like claws reaching for the sky. Cold wind slipped between them, carrying the scent of damp soil, dead leaves, and fear.
Then the silence broke.
Footsteps thundered through the dark.
A hooded figure ran between the trees, stumbling over roots and loose stones, her breaths coming out in short, broken gasps. Her legs trembled with every step, but she did not stop. She could not stop.
Behind her, torches burned.
Deep voices shouted through the forest.
[Don't let her escape!]
[She's worth more alive!]
[Corner her!]
[If she keeps running, break her legs!]
The girl bit her lip and forced herself forward.
The iron collar around her neck bounced with every movement, scraping against her skin. It was heavy. Too heavy. Not just from the metal, but from everything it meant.
Slave.
Property.
Nothing.
Her fingers curled around the edge of her cloak as she pushed through another wall of bushes.
Then her foot slipped.
She stopped just in time.
Loose rocks fell from the edge in front of her, tumbling down into darkness.
A cliff.
A dead end.
Below her was a twenty-foot drop into jagged stone and black water.
The girl staggered back, her breathing catching in her throat. Her body shook as the torchlight behind her grew brighter and brighter.
She slowly reached up and removed her hood.
Long, messy black hair spilled into the wind. Her face was young, pale from exhaustion, and stained with dirt and tears she had been too proud to wipe away.
The collar around her neck gleamed beneath the moon.
Then a voice spoke from the darkness.
[Do you wish for freedom?]
The girl gasped and spun around.
No one was there.
Only the cliff. The trees. The moonlight. The approaching men.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
[W-who are you?]
The voice returned, calm and cold.
[I ask again. Do you wish for freedom?]
The girl's hands trembled.
The voice sounded close, but there was no body. No figure. No face.
[Who are you?]
[Answer the question.]
The girl swallowed.
The torches were almost upon her now. The men moved through the trees with cruel smiles and whips in their hands. Their boots crushed leaves beneath them as they spread out, blocking every path except the cliff behind her.
The voice began to fade.
The girl felt something inside her snap.
Fear twisted into rage. Rage twisted into something sharp enough to cut through despair.
[How can freedom be achieved if scum like them still walk on Xadia?!] she screamed into the night. [If you can get rid of them, I'll do whatever you want!]
The slave traders stopped.
For one moment, they only stared at her.
Then they laughed.
The sound crawled under her skin.
[Hear that?] one of them barked. [She's praying now.]
[Maybe the moon will come down and save her.]
[Poor little noble girl. Still thinks someone cares.]
The leader of the group, a scarred man with a whip curled around his arm, stepped closer.
[You made us run too much, brat,] he said, his smile turning ugly. [That means your price just went down.]
The girl clenched her fists.
She wanted to fight.
She wanted to scream.
But her body was tired, and the collar around her neck felt like a curse.
The scarred man gestured with two fingers.
[Grab her.]
One of the men stepped forward.
Then the leaves behind them rustled.
It was a small sound.
Barely anything.
But everyone heard it.
The slave traders froze.
The girl's breath caught.
Another sound followed.
A branch snapped.
Then came footsteps.
Slow.
Calm.
Unbothered.
The scarred man raised his torch, his smile vanishing.
[Who's there?]
No answer.
The forest seemed to grow colder.
The slave trader nearest to the girl swallowed.
[Where's the creature?]
[Forget it,] another hissed. [Grab the girl and let's go!]
[On it!]
The man lunged toward her.
His hand never reached her.
A shadow crossed the moonlight.
The man's arm hit the ground first.
Then his body followed.
The scream came a second later.
The girl stumbled back, eyes wide.
A young man stepped out from the darkness as if the forest itself had opened for him.
He looked to be in his late teens. His clothes were dark and travel-worn, his cloak moving softly in the wind. A faded mask covered part of his face, but it did nothing to hide the glow of his eyes.
Those eyes were not warm.
They were not heroic.
They looked like the last thing a sinner would see before judgment fell.
The slave traders went pale.
[No way…]
[It's him.]
The young man tilted his head.
[Yo.]
His voice was blunt. Almost lazy.
That somehow made him more terrifying.
The scarred man took a step back.
[The Leader of the Outcasts…]
Another man's hands shook around his blade.
[Sin. The A-Rank Adventurer.]
The girl stared at him.
An adventurer had come to save her.
That should have made her feel safe.
But every instinct in her body told her the opposite.
Run.
Run now.
Run and never look back.
This man was not a savior.
He was something far worse for the people standing in front of him.
Sin looked at the slave traders, then at the collar around the girl's neck.
His expression did not change.
[You sell people.]
No one answered.
[You chain children.]
The scarred man gritted his teeth.
[Watch your mouth, brat. You may be A-Rank, but there are six of us.]
Sin took one step forward.
The ground cracked beneath his boot.
The air changed.
The girl felt it press against her chest.
The slave traders felt it too. Their bodies stiffened, their eyes widening as if death had placed a hand on their shoulders.
Sin's voice dropped.
[You laugh while doing it.]
The scarred man raised his whip.
[Kill him!]
The moonlight flashed.
The girl did not see Sin move.
No one did.
One moment, the slave traders were alive.
The next, their bodies collapsed into the dirt.
The forest went silent.
The torches fell, their flames hissing against the damp leaves.
Sin stood among the bodies, untouched, calm, and completely bored.
The girl stared at him with wide eyes.
He had killed them without hesitation.
No speech. No mercy. No dramatic battle.
Just judgment.
Sin turned toward her.
She panicked.
Her hands flew up, blue mana gathering at her fingertips. A magic circle formed in the air, bright and unstable.
[Crest Water Shot!]
A condensed sphere of water shot toward Sin at high speed.
His eyes shifted slightly.
The water vanished before it reached him.
He tilted his head.
[Hmm? Are you sure you're a sorcerer?]
He should not have said that.
The vanished sphere reappeared behind him and slammed into his back.
Water exploded across his cloak.
The girl froze.
She had hit him.
She had actually hit him.
For one bright, foolish second, she thought she had done damage.
Then Sin turned around, completely unharmed, his outfit dripping wet.
He looked down at himself.
Then back at her.
[Cold.]
Her mouth opened slightly.
[H-how are you still standing?]
Sin ignored the question and walked closer.
The girl stepped back, only to remember the cliff behind her.
Sin stopped a few feet away and looked at the broken fear in her eyes.
Then at her hands.
Then at the collar.
[You've got strong magic, kid. What's your name?]
She stared at him, baffled.
He had just killed six slave traders, survived her spell, and now he was asking for introductions like they had met in front of a bakery.
After a long moment, she lowered her hands.
[Titania,] she said quietly. [Titania Astro. Fourth daughter of Duke Alford Astro the Eighth.]
Sin went still.
For the first time since he appeared, confusion crossed his face.
[Astro?]
Titania looked away.
[Yes.]
[One of the four great archmage families?]
She said nothing.
Sin stared at the collar around her neck.
[Then why is a duke's daughter being sold as a slave?]
Titania's lip trembled.
She bit down hard to stop herself from crying.
The silence answered for her.
Sin let out a quiet sigh.
Then he reached out and placed his hand on her head.
Titania stiffened.
[W-what are you doing?]
[Head pats.]
[Why?]
[You looked like you were about to cry.]
Her face turned red.
[I was not.]
[Sure.]
[I wasn't!]
Sin tapped the metal collar with one finger.
Crack.
The collar split apart.
Both halves fell from her neck and hit the ground.
Titania touched her throat.
For a moment, the whole world became silent.
The weight was gone.
The mark was gone.
The thing that had told the world she was property now lay broken in the dirt.
Her knees nearly gave out.
Sin turned away.
[You said you'd do whatever I wanted.]
Titania swallowed and forced herself to stand straight.
[Yes. I did.]
[Then come with me to the Adventurers' Guild.]
She blinked.
[What?]
Sin slammed his fist into his palm.
The small shockwave cracked the ground beneath him.
[I'm going to help you get revenge.]
Titania stared at him.
This man was insane.
Dangerous.
Brutal.
Impossible to understand.
And yet, for the first time in what felt like forever, she could see a path that did not end in chains.
A small smirk tugged at her lips.
[I humbly accept your offer.]
Sin looked at her.
[Don't say it like a noble. It makes me itchy.]
Titania's eyebrow twitched.
[I already regret this.]
[Good. Regret builds character.]
[That makes no sense.]
[It sounded wise.]
[It sounded stupid.]
[Then I'm improving.]
And under the moonlight, surrounded by dead men, broken chains, and the cold breath of the forest, Titania Astro took her first step toward freedom.
…
A day later, they reached Rize.
Titania had heard of the city before.
Everyone had.
The Radiant City.
The White Crown of Xadia.
The birthplace of the legendary SSS-Rank Hero Party, Silver Wind.
Children grew up hearing stories about Rize. Merchants spoke of it like a miracle made from stone and light. Nobles praised it as a symbol of civilization. Adventurers dreamed of registering there, believing that if they stepped beneath its shining towers, fate itself might notice them.
Titania had thought those stories were exaggerated.
They were not.
The moment she saw Rize from the mountain road, her breath vanished.
The city stretched across the earth like a frozen ocean of white stone and blue glass. It was so vast that her mind struggled to understand where it began and where it ended. Countless buildings filled the land below, packed together in endless layers, their rooftops glittering beneath the morning sun.
A great circular wall surrounded the heart of the city, shining like a ring of polished silver. Inside that ring rose the central district, a colossal crown of towers, bridges, temples, and white spires that seemed to pierce the sky itself.
At the very center stood a massive arena-like structure, wide enough to swallow castles, surrounded by radiant pillars that curved inward like the ribs of a sleeping god.
Canals of blue water cut through the city in graceful lines, reflecting sunlight until the entire metropolis glowed. From above, Rize looked less like a place built by humans and more like a divine blueprint carved into the world.
Titania stood frozen.
[This is…]
Her voice failed her.
Below them, airships drifted lazily over the outer districts. Birds circled above shining rooftops. Long bridges stretched over waterways. Marble roads twisted between homes, markets, guild halls, towers, and noble estates. The city was alive with movement even from this distance.
It felt impossible.
Too big.
Too bright.
Too perfect.
Sin stood beside her with his hands in his pockets.
His expression did not change.
Titania turned to him slowly.
[You've been here before?]
[Yes.]
[And you didn't think to warn me it looked like the gods dropped a palace on the earth?]
[You didn't ask.]
Titania stared at him.
[Who would ask that?]
[Someone prepared.]
[You are terrible.]
Sin looked down at the city.
[It's just Rize.]
[Just Rize?] Titania pointed toward the glowing central district. [That thing looks like it was built to challenge heaven.]
Sin's eyes darkened slightly.
[Maybe.]
Titania noticed the shift in his voice.
It was small, but it was there.
For everyone else, Rize was a dream.
For Sin, it looked like a memory he did not want to touch.
They walked down the road toward the city gates.
The closer they came, the larger Rize became.
The outer walls towered over them, white and blue, covered in carved symbols and protective magic circles that pulsed faintly with mana. Guards stood along the battlements in polished armor, their spears shining beneath the sun. The gates themselves were enormous, built from pale metal and engraved with the emblem of Silver Wind.
A sword.
A feather.
A storm.
Titania felt small walking beneath it.
Not weak.
Small.
As if she had stepped into the mouth of history.
Inside the city, awe became noise.
Rize swallowed them whole.
The streets were wide enough for four carriages to pass side by side, paved with smooth white stone that reflected the sky. Blue crystal lamps lined the roads, glowing softly even in daylight. Water flowed through narrow canals beside the walkways, so clear that Titania could see silver fish beneath the surface.
Buildings rose around them in layers. Some were simple homes with blue roofs and flowered balconies. Others were tall white towers connected by bridges of glass. Merchant stalls filled the streets with color, selling fruit, bread, roasted meat, magic tools, potions, charms, maps, weapons, books, and shining little trinkets that floated above velvet cloth.
People crowded every direction.
Adventurers in armor.
Mages in robes.
Merchants shouting prices.
Children playing with wooden swords.
Priests in white cloaks.
Nobles riding in carriages.
Beastfolk carrying crates.
Elves buying flowers.
A dragonkin woman arguing with a baker over the price of honey cakes.
Titania turned in a slow circle, eyes wide.
[There are so many people…]
Sin walked beside her.
[Population is around two hundred twenty thousand.]
Titania almost tripped.
[That's not a town. That's a country wearing a city's name.]
[Pretty much.]
The smell of warm bread drifted through the air, followed by roasted meat and spices. Somewhere nearby, a street performer made water dance in the shape of birds while children cheered. Above them, a train of floating platforms crossed between two towers, carrying passengers toward the central district.
Titania could barely decide where to look.
Everything shined.
Everything moved.
Everything breathed.
For a girl who had been chained, dragged through mud, and hunted through a forest only a day before, Rize looked like a miracle.
Sin, however, looked bored.
No.
Not bored.
Guarded.
Titania glanced at him.
[You don't like it here.]
Sin's eyes stayed forward.
[I didn't say that.]
[You didn't have to.]
He said nothing.
Titania looked back at the city.
It was beautiful.
Painfully beautiful.
But the longer she looked, the more she understood Sin's silence.
Rize was too clean.
Too polished.
Too radiant.
A city this perfect had to be hiding something beneath the marble.
Sin suddenly stopped.
Titania almost bumped into him.
[What?]
He pointed ahead.
[Guild.]
Titania followed his gaze.
At the end of a wide road stood the Adventurers' Guild of Rize.
It was enormous.
A fortress-like building made from white stone and dark wood, with golden banners hanging from its upper balconies. A massive emblem sat above the entrance, showing a sword crossed with a quill, surrounded by a wreath of silver wind.
Adventurers moved in and out constantly.
Some carried monster parts.
Some carried treasure chests.
Some carried injured companions.
One man was being dragged by his party while yelling that he could still fight despite having a slime stuck to his head.
Titania stared.
[This city really does not stop being strange.]
[You'll get used to it.]
[I don't know if I want to.]
[No one does.]
They entered.
The inside of the guild was a storm of noise.
Laughter thundered from one corner. Tankards hit tables. Weapons clattered. Quills scratched against paper. Job postings covered entire walls, arranged by rank and danger level. At the far end, several reception counters were busy with adventurers shouting questions, filing reports, and arguing about payment.
The scent of ink, alcohol, leather, sweat, and polished wood filled the air.
Titania's shoulders tensed.
People looked at Sin.
Not everyone.
But enough.
Whispers moved through the room like insects under floorboards.
[Sin?]
[He came back?]
[Leader of the Outcasts…]
[Thought he left Rize for good.]
[Who's the girl?]
Sin ignored all of it.
At the main counter stood a woman with auburn hair tied in a neat bun. She wore glasses and carried the expression of someone who had personally survived every idiot in the building.
She looked up.
Her pen stopped moving.
[Sin?]
Sin gave a small nod.
[Lyra.]
The receptionist stared at him for a long moment.
Then her eyes shifted to Titania.
[You're back,] Lyra said. [And you brought someone.]
Titania crossed her arms.
[I have a name.]
Sin ignored her.
[She needs to register.]
Titania snapped her head toward him.
[Don't ignore me.]
Lyra looked between them.
Then she noticed the faint bruising around Titania's neck.
Her eyes softened for half a second.
Only half.
Then the receptionist mask returned.
[You know the rules. New registrants start at F-Rank unless they prove themselves.]
Sin's gaze remained cold.
[She'll prove herself.]
Titania straightened.
[I'll do whatever it takes.]
Lyra studied her.
[Confidence is good. Surviving is better.]
Titania swallowed.
Lyra stepped out from behind the counter.
[Come with me.]
She led them through a door behind the guild hall.
The noise faded as they entered a long corridor lit by blue crystal lamps. Old weapons lined the walls between framed banners and plaques engraved with names. Some plaques were polished. Others had flowers placed beneath them.
Titania slowed slightly.
[Are these…]
[Adventurers who died in service,] Lyra said.
Titania's fingers tightened around her sleeve.
There were so many names.
Sin walked without looking at them.
Lyra stopped before a large wooden door reinforced with iron.
[Basic combat evaluation. Strength, speed, magical ability, judgment under pressure. Fail, and you start F-Rank. Pass, and you may start higher.]
Titania nodded.
[Who evaluates me?]
Lyra pushed the door open.
Inside was a wide stone chamber marked by countless old scars. Burn marks. Cracks. Frozen patches. Slashes carved into the walls. Training dummies stood along the edges like condemned prisoners waiting for their turn.
At the center stood a large man in heavy armor, a broadsword resting against his shoulder. He had gray hair, a thick beard, and the tired eyes of someone who had watched too many rookies make poor decisions.
Lyra gestured toward him.
[Garrick. Former B-Rank adventurer. Current combat examiner.]
Garrick looked Titania up and down.
[This the new one?]
Sin nodded.
Garrick's gaze moved to him.
[You vouching for her?]
[No.]
Titania turned to him.
[Excuse me?]
Sin leaned against the wall.
[I'm watching.]
Garrick snorted.
[That's worse.]
Titania frowned.
[Why does everyone keep saying things like that?]
[Because he has a face that ruins people's day,] Garrick said.
Sin looked at him.
Garrick raised both hands.
[See? Ruined.]
Titania almost smiled before remembering she was being tested.
Garrick slammed the tip of his broadsword into the ground.
[Test is simple. Show me what you've got. No killing blows. Don't hold back.]
Titania stepped into the center of the chamber.
Her heart pounded.
The memory of the collar still clung to her skin.
The forest. The men. The laughter. The helplessness.
No.
She was done being helpless.
Blue mana gathered at her fingertips.
Garrick cracked his neck.
[Whenever you're ready, kid.]
Titania traced a circle in the air.
A blue magic crest formed.
[Crest Water Shot!]
A condensed sphere of water launched forward at high speed.
Garrick did not move.
The attack struck his chest plate and burst into water.
He looked down.
Then back at her.
[That it?]
Titania's eyes widened.
But she quickly formed another crest.
This time, the water sphere fired forward, then vanished.
Garrick's brow lifted.
[Hiding it? Smart.]
The attack reappeared behind him.
Garrick sidestepped.
The water shot slammed into the stone floor, leaving a shallow crater.
Titania clicked her tongue.
Sin spoke from the wall.
[You're hesitating.]
She flinched.
Garrick nodded.
[He's right. You've got power, but you're too careful.]
Titania glared.
[Careful is bad?]
[In a duel? No.] Garrick raised his sword. [In a fight? Careful gets your name on the wall outside.]
Then he moved.
For someone wearing heavy armor, Garrick was fast.
Titania barely raised a barrier of water before the flat of his broadsword slammed into it.
The impact shook her arms.
She slid back several feet, boots scraping against stone.
The barrier collapsed into droplets.
Garrick rested his sword on his shoulder.
[If you fight like this outside, you die.]
Titania's hands trembled.
Sin's voice cut through the tension.
[Stop thinking like a noble.]
She turned toward him.
[What does that mean?]
[It means you fight like someone trained to never make a mess,] Sin said. [Like you're afraid someone will scold you for cracking the floor.]
Garrick glanced at the damaged floor.
[I would.]
Sin ignored him.
[This isn't a tea party with magic. It's a fight. If you hold back because you're scared of being wrong, you lose.]
Titania swallowed.
The words struck something deep.
She had been raised to control herself. To behave. To be graceful. To bring honor to her name.
And what had that name done for her?
Nothing.
Her family name had not protected her.
Her noble blood had not saved her.
Her title had not broken the collar from her neck.
Her mana surged.
The air grew damp.
Water gathered around her in floating beads, trembling like stars caught in rain.
Garrick's smirk faded.
[There we go.]
Titania lifted her chin.
[I won't hold back.]
Sin's eyes sharpened.
[Then don't.]
Titania slammed her palm toward the ground.
[Aqua Bind!]
Water erupted beneath Garrick's feet and wrapped around his legs like living chains. It hardened instantly, locking him in place.
Garrick grunted.
[Not bad.]
Titania thrust both hands forward.
[Crest Water Shot!]
One attack became three.
The water bullets twisted through the air unpredictably, striking Garrick's torso and shoulder. The force pushed him back half a step.
Lyra's pen moved quickly over her evaluation sheet.
Sin crossed his arms.
[Better.]
Titania did not celebrate.
Garrick flexed his legs.
The water binding cracked.
Then shattered.
He stepped free, armor dripping.
[Good trick. But tricks don't end fights.]
He lunged.
Titania's instinct screamed at her to block.
Instead, she moved.
The broadsword swept past her, close enough for the wind of it to brush her cheek. She twisted and fired a burst of water at Garrick's wrist.
Splash!
His sword dipped.
His next swing missed.
Titania leaped back and clapped both hands together.
[Hydro Pulse!]
A shockwave of water exploded from the floor, crashing into Garrick mid-step.
For one brief second, the examiner lost his balance.
His boot slid back.
The chamber went still.
Garrick looked down at his foot.
Then he laughed.
[That's enough.]
Titania blinked.
[Huh?]
Lyra stepped forward.
[You passed.]
Titania stared at her.
[I passed?]
Garrick rested his broadsword on his shoulder.
[You've got talent. Good mana. Good instincts when you stop panicking.] His eyes hardened. [But you hesitate. Fix that before the world fixes it for you.]
Titania lowered her hands.
His words sank into her bones.
Sin pushed off the wall.
[She'll learn.]
Garrick looked at him.
[She better. The world won't be kind to her just because you dragged her here.]
Sin's expression did not change.
[Good. Neither will I.]
Titania slowly turned toward him.
[That is not comforting.]
[It wasn't supposed to be.]
Lyra held out a small metal plate engraved with the guild emblem.
[Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild, Titania Astro. You are officially E-Rank.]
Titania took the plate carefully.
It was small. Cold. Simple.
But it felt heavier than the collar that had once chained her.
This one did not mark her as property.
It marked her as someone who could move forward.
Sin turned toward the exit.
[We're done. Let's go.]
Titania looked at the plate, then at him.
[You really don't know how to let people enjoy a moment, do you?]
[Moments are expensive.]
[That doesn't mean anything.]
[It sounded wise.]
[It sounded stupid.]
[Then I'm consistent.]
Titania sighed and followed him.
…
Outside, Rize had grown even brighter.
The afternoon sun struck the white towers and turned the entire city into a sea of light. The canals shimmered blue. The roads glowed pale gold. Far above, the floating platforms moved between districts like silent ships crossing the sky.
Titania walked beside Sin, turning her guild plate over in her hands.
[Where are we going now?]
[Outcast Base.]
[Outcast?]
[My party.]
Titania looked up at him.
[You created your own party?]
[Yes.]
[Are they strong?]
Sin did not answer immediately.
His gaze drifted toward the central district of Rize, where the great circular structure rose like a crown.
[They're capable.]
[That's vague.]
[Accurate.]
Titania frowned.
[What kind of party is it?]
Sin glanced around.
A noble carriage rolled past, its wheels silent against the polished road. Guards walked beside it, pushing commoners out of the way without apology. A priest smiled at a crowd near a fountain, speaking of justice, blessings, and the glory of heroes.
Sin's voice became colder.
[The kind that takes jobs the guild refuses.]
Titania's fingers tightened around her guild plate.
[Like what?]
[Slavery rings. Corrupt nobles. Human trafficking. Assassination contracts against people who deserve worse than clean deaths.]
Titania stopped walking.
Her hand moved to her neck.
To the place where the collar had been.
Sin stopped too, but he did not turn around.
[The guild has rules. The law has loopholes. Nobles have money. Monsters with titles survive because everyone pretends paperwork is justice.]
Titania stared at his back.
[So you're vigilantes.]
[Something like that.]
[And the guild allows it?]
Sin looked over his shoulder.
[The guild doesn't ask too many questions when the bodies belong to people nobody wants to defend.]
Titania fell silent.
The radiant streets of Rize suddenly felt different.
Still beautiful.
Still grand.
But now, beneath the white stone and blue canals, she could feel something darker.
A city this bright cast long shadows.
[Why do you do it?] she asked quietly.
Sin's eyes dulled.
[Because no one did it for me.]
The answer was soft.
Too soft.
Titania did not ask more.
Not yet.
She stepped beside him again.
[Then I'm in.]
Sin's mouth curved faintly.
[You were already in.]
[Excuse me?]
[You accepted in the forest.]
[I was emotionally unstable.]
[Still counts.]
[That is unfair.]
[Freedom is full of paperwork.]
Titania stared at him.
[You are the strangest person I have ever met.]
[Wait until you meet Luna.]
[Should I be scared?]
[Probably.]
That answer did not help.
They continued through the city, moving away from the central districts and deeper into the older parts of Rize.
The radiant towers slowly gave way to quieter streets. The marble roads became older stone. The canals narrowed. The crowds thinned.
Eventually, Sin led her toward a district built beneath one of the city's outer cliffs, where ancient walls had been swallowed by vines and shadows. It was still part of Rize, but it felt forgotten by the shining city above.
A hidden path curled between abandoned watchtowers and old stone arches.
At the end of it stood a worn wooden sign.
Only one word was carved into it.
Outcasts.
Titania stared.
[That's ominous.]
[Branding matters.]
[Your branding says murder cabin.]
[Accurate.]
Sin pushed open a heavy wooden door set into the side of an old fortress wall.
From the outside, the place looked abandoned.
Inside, it was something else entirely.
Titania stepped through and froze.
The base was massive.
A wide hall stretched before her, filled with weapon racks, long tables, maps, books, crates, armor stands, and training equipment. Old banners hung from the beams. Wanted posters covered one wall. Mission routes were pinned across a massive map of Xadia with knives instead of tacks.
A forge sat cold in one corner, blackened from heavy use. There were rooms branching off in different directions, some marked by symbols, others by scratches, burns, or warnings written in very aggressive handwriting.
One note on the wall read:
DO NOT LET LUNA COOK AGAIN.
Titania stared at it.
[Should I ask?]
Sin walked past her.
[No.]
[Was it that bad?]
[The soup screamed.]
Titania slowly turned.
[The soup what?]
[You'll get used to it.]
[I do not want to get used to screaming soup.]
[No one does.]
The base was quiet, but not empty in the normal way.
It had presence.
A place that had seen laughter, blood, arguments, wounds, victories, and disasters that probably needed multiple apology letters.
Titania looked around.
[Where is everyone?]
[On missions.]
[All of them?]
[Most.]
[How many members are there?]
[Enough.]
[That is not an answer.]
[It is if you stop asking.]
She crossed her arms.
Sin ignored her and walked to the central map table.
Titania noticed the markings across the map.
Northern roads.
Slave routes.
Noble territories.
Hidden auctions.
Red circles.
Black crosses.
Names.
Some crossed out.
Her expression changed.
[These are…]
[Targets.]
His voice was flat.
Titania stepped closer.
There were too many.
Too many routes.
Too many names.
Too many places where people like her were still trapped.
Her stomach twisted.
Sin pointed toward a door on the far side of the hall.
[Training room.]
Titania blinked.
[Already?]
[Yes.]
[I just passed the guild test.]
[Good. Now pass mine.]
Her face paled.
[What kind of test?]
Sin's eyes gleamed beneath his mask.
[Survival.]
Titania stared.
[You're joking.]
[Sometimes.]
[Is this one of those times?]
[No.]
She looked toward the door.
Then back at him.
[I definitely regret this.]
[Character development.]
[Stop saying that like it makes sense.]
Sin opened the training room door.
Cold air rolled out.
Inside was a large chamber filled with magic circles carved into the floor, reinforced walls, weapon stands, and target dummies that looked as if they had personally insulted every member of the Outcasts.
Titania stepped inside carefully.
The door clicked shut behind her.
Sin remained outside for a moment.
His hand rested against the doorframe.
His expression changed when she could no longer see him.
The boredom faded.
The mask thinned.
For a moment, he looked tired.
Older than nineteen.
The base was too quiet without the others. Each empty chair reminded him that the Outcasts were scattered across Xadia, chasing missions, debts, blood, and ghosts.
And now there was Titania.
A former noble.
A former slave.
A girl with raw talent and rage sharp enough to become either a blade or a curse.
Sin looked back at the map.
At the slave routes.
At the hidden auctions.
At the rot beneath Rize's shining skin.
His fingers curled slightly.
[Let's see what you become, Titania Astro.]
From inside the training room came a loud crash.
Then Titania's voice screamed through the door.
[WHY DOES THE DUMMY SHOOT BACK?!]
Sin's faint smirk returned.
[Because enemies do.]
[I HATE THIS PLACE ALREADY!]
[Good. Regret builds character.]
[STOP SAYING THAT!]
For a moment, the Outcast Base did not feel empty.
For a moment, the silence cracked.
Above them, Rize shined like a holy city.
White towers. Blue canals. Golden sunlight. A crown of civilization built beneath heaven.
But below that light, in an old fortress hidden beneath vines and stone, something else had begun.
A girl who had been chained was free.
A leader who called himself an executioner had gained a new reason to keep walking.
And somewhere in the dark machinery of fate, the first gear began to turn.
The war was far from over.
In truth, it had barely begun.