The golden light of the magical lamps in our hotel room flickered as I pulled my boots on, the leather creaking in the morning silence. It was another day in the underground city, a place that felt like being trapped inside a single lantern in a blacked-out room. The shadows were thick and heavy, pressing against the jagged stone walls of "The Deep Rest." Elphyete was standing by the mirror, running a brush through her shimmering silver hair. Her long ears gave a small, rhythmic twitch, the tips a faint, nervous shade of pink. We were preparing for a full-scale search today. No more sightseeing, no more clothing shops. We had to find the Building of Entertainment and the King.
As we reached for our gear, a small pair of arms suddenly wrapped around my leg with surprising strength. I looked down to see Salphy, her silver eyes wide and shimmering with tears that hadn't quite fallen yet. She was wearing the practical dark green trousers and beige shirt Tokine had picked out for her, and her long black hair was slightly messy from sleep. She looked up at me, her small grey-skinned face full of a desperate, pleading expression.
"Please," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Don't leave me with a babysitter again. I want to go with Mommy and Daddy."
Elphyete stopped brushing her hair and turned, her ears drooping slightly. "Salphy, it might be dangerous today. We're going to places where the bad people are. It's better if you stay here where it's safe."
Salphy didn't let go of my leg. Instead, she tightened her grip and looked at Elphyete. "I'll be quiet! I'll be a good girl! I just... I don't want to be alone. What if the bad men come back? Please, let me come with you." She began to beg, her voice rising in a frantic, heart-wrenching tone. She was begging for Elphyete and Sogha to bring her while everyone tries to find the king.
I looked at Elphyete, and I could tell she was already losing the battle. Her ears were a deep, vibrating pink now, a clear sign of how much the girl's words were affecting her. I knelt down so I was at Salphy's level, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"If we bring you, you have to stay exactly where we tell you. No running off, no shouting. Do you understand?" I asked.
Salphy nodded so hard her black hair flew into her face. "I promise! I'll be like a little shadow! I won't make any noise!"
Elphyete sighed, but there was a soft smile on her face. "Alright, Salphy. You can come. But stay close to Sogha and me."
We headed down to the lobby, where the rest of our massive group was already waiting. It was a crowded scene. Sir Vael was slumped in a chair, looking like he was trying to fall asleep while sitting up. Zhandra was standing by the door, her hand resting on the hilt of her weapon. Ishighi sitting while waiting and Alea is jumping and she sounds excited. Tokine and Celdrich were checking their gear, while Euphyne is laughing and hanashighi and Eufrien were discussing the map of the city. Everyone was coming along today—Sir Vael, Ishighi, Zhandra, Tokine, Celdrich, Euphyne, Eufrien, and Alea. It was the most people we had ever moved with at once.
"Oh, look who's joining the party!" Tokine chirped, seeing Salphy holding my hand. "Going to help us find the King, little one?"
Salphy gave a determined nod, though she squeezed my hand a little tighter as she saw the serious faces of the others. We stepped out of the hotel and into the dark, damp streets. The air of the dungeon floor was cool and smelled of ancient earth and the faint scent of smoke from distant forges. The city felt even more imposing today with so many of us walking together. Our footsteps echoed off the stone buildings, a rhythmic drumming that seemed to warn the shadows we were coming.
We walked for hours, weaving through the labyrinthine districts. We passed the rare food restaurant we had visited before, and the clothing shop where we had spent so much time. The further we went, the darker and more jagged the architecture became. The people on the streets started to look thinner and more desperate, their eyes following our large group with a mix of fear and greed. We still haven't found the building yet, and the frustration was starting to show on everyone's faces. Elphyete's ears were twitching constantly, searching for any sound of the arena or the King's presence.
We were crossing a wide, bridge-like path that spanned over a deep, dark ravine when the atmosphere suddenly changed. The flickering lamps along the path began to dim, and a group of figures stepped out from the shadows of a large, jagged stone tower. They were a bunch of bandits, dressed in mismatched armor and holding wicked-looking daggers. They looked rough, their faces covered in scars and grime.
"Look at this rich group," the lead bandit sneered, his eyes landing on Elphyete's silver hair and our high-quality gear. "You lot must have a lot of gold in those bags. Why don't you make it easy on yourselves and hand it all over?"
Ishighi stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "You're making a mistake. Move aside."
The bandit laughed, a cold, rasping sound. "We aren't alone, boy. We've got some big friends to help us collect our toll."
The bandits began to chant in a low, gutteral language. Suddenly, the ground beneath the bridge began to shake violently. Two massive circles of dark energy appeared on the stone, and out of the ground rose two titan giants about 30 ft tall each. They were horrifying to look at, made of jagged grey stone and glowing purple crystals that pulsed like beating hearts. They were so tall their heads almost touched the cavern ceiling, and their shadows swallowed our entire group. Salphy let out a small gasp and hid behind Elphyete's cloak, her silver eyes wide with terror.
The giants let out a roar that vibrated in my chest, their massive stone fists clenched and ready to crush us. The bandits were grinning, thinking they had us trapped. The rest of our group started to draw their weapons, ready for a massive fight. Tokine had her scythe out and Celdrich is holding his katana.
I looked over at Sir Vael. He was still standing at the back of the group, yawning widely. He looked like he was more bothered by the noise the giants were making than the threat they posed. He was the teacher of the class and basically the strongest, but he was also extremely lazy at the same time. He looked at the 30-foot titans with an expression of pure boredom.
"This is so loud," Sir Vael muttered, his voice sounding tired. "And it's taking way too long. I just want to find a chair."
Sir Vael stepped forward, not even bothering to take his hands out of his pockets. He looked up at the two massive stone giants, who were currently raising their fists to smash the bridge. Sir Vael just snaps his fingers, a sharp *click* that sounded surprisingly loud in the sudden silence of the ravine.
And then, it happened. There was no explosion, no flash of light, and no sound of breaking stone. Suddenly, the two titans disappeared. They didn't fall, and they didn't crumble; they were just gone, as if they had never been there in the first place. The massive shadows they cast vanished instantly, and the bridge stopped shaking. It was because Sir Vael had deleted the concept of the two titans existing. They weren't just killed; they were removed from the very idea of reality.
The bandits stood there with their mouths hanging open, their hands still raised from the summoning ritual. The leader started to stammer, his face going pale as he looked at the empty space where his 30-foot giants had been just a second ago. He looked at Sir Vael, who was currently rubbing his eyes and looking for a place to sit down.
"Where... where did they go?" the bandit leader whispered in shock.
"They didn't go anywhere," Sir Vael said, his voice flat. "They just aren't a thing anymore. Now, go away before I decide that the 'concept' of bandits is also a nuisance."
The bandits didn't need to be told twice. They turned and scrambled back into the shadows, running as fast as their legs could carry them. The bridge was silent again, the only sound being the distant hum of the city. Everyone in our group was staring at Sir Vael. Even Eufrien and Ishighi looked impressed, though they tried to hide it.
Salphy peeked out from behind Elphyete's cloak, her silver eyes searching the air for the giants. When she realized they were gone, she looked at Sir Vael with a look of absolute worship. "That was... that was so cool!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the ravine. "You just went *snap* and the big monsters went bye-bye!"
Sir Vael just gave a small, lazy wave of his hand. "Yeah, yeah. Very cool. Now can we please find this King so I can go back to the hotel? My feet are starting to hurt."
We continued our walk, but the mood had shifted. The bandits had been a reminder that this city was dangerous, but Sir Vael's display of power reminded us that we were more than capable of handling it. Elphyete's ears were a bright, proud pink as she looked at Salphy, who was now walking with a much more confident stride, her hand still tucked into mine.
"We're getting closer," Ishighi said, pointing toward a large, dark structure that was starting to loom out of the shadows ahead. It wasn't the Building of Entertainment yet, but it looked like the entrance to the district where the arena was supposed to be.
The dark stone buildings here were even taller and more jagged, lit by flickering red lamps that gave the streets a bloody glow. We haven't even found the building yet, but the air felt heavier here, full of the sound of cheering crowds and the metallic scent of blood and sweat. We knew we were on the right track.
"Are you okay, Salphy?" Elphyete asked, reaching over to squeeze the girl's hand.
"I'm okay, Mommy," Salphy said, her silver eyes glowing in the red light. "I have Daddy and the cool snap-man with me. I'm not scared."
I looked at Elphyete and smirked. I just went quiet for a bit, trying to process everything that had happened. We were a strange family in a strange world, walking toward a confrontation with a King we had never met. But as we moved deeper into the darkness, I felt a sense of purpose. We were going to find the King, and we were going to get back to the surface, and we were going to do it all together. The search continued, our boots hitting the stone in a steady, unbroken rhythm as the shadows of the underground city stretched out to meet us.