Morning came and the group stood just outside the dungeon’s mouth, the air crisp and cool. Grillin, who on day one could barely steady his hands, now stood with his shoulders squared and fists clenched, not in fear, but focus. Aiko stretched her arms, purple eyes flicking over the cave entrance with interest, while Ryuji cracked his knuckles and flashed his usual cocky grin. Yoshinori stood silent, analyzing every detail. His mind was already dissecting the mission, calculating possible threats. No mistakes today. Not with a Shadow Beast dungeon. Hiroto faced them, arms crossed, the same unreadable look on his face. “This dungeon’s different,” he began. “Shadow Beasts don’t play by the same rules as normal monsters. Brute force won’t always work, not unless your spiritual energy is greater than theirs.” He pointed at each of them in turn. “You three, C Rank. That means unless a bear in there is D or low C, you’re not going to hurt it without spiritual energy.” Aiko frowned. “So, like… punching it won’t work?” “Won’t even leave a mark,” Hiroto replied flatly. “The only exception is if you can concentrate your spiritual energy enough to burn through the shadow, or,” he nodded to Yoshinori, “if you use light-based energy. Lightning counts.” “I see,” Yoshinori muttered under his breath. Ryuji laughed. “Guess you’re finally the star of the show.” Yoshinori ignored him. “Anything else we should know?” Hiroto’s lips curled into a smirk. “Yeah. There’s something else inside. A surprise. When you come across it… just know your mind isn’t playing tricks on you.” Aiko narrowed her eyes. “What the hell does that mean?” Hiroto turned his back. “You’ll know it when you see it.” Yoshinori stepped forward slightly. “Hiroto-” “I’ve said enough,” Hiroto cut in, voice low but firm. “Remember, I’ll be on standby out here. If anything goes wrong, call for me. But I don’t expect it to.” The group exchanged glances, then turned toward the yawning cave entrance. As they crossed the threshold, the atmosphere instantly shifted. It was cold, not physically, but spiritually. Hollow. The cave swallowed sound, each footstep muffled like they were walking through fog. No wind. No echoes. No presence. The ceiling above was lined with stalactites, glistening with dripping condensation. The only sound was the rhythmic plop of water droplets falling onto the stone floor. “This place feels… dead,” Aiko muttered. Two hours passed with little event. The path twisted, curved, narrowed, and narrowed again. Eventually, the walls pressed in so tightly they had no choice but to crawl. “This can’t be right,” Ryuji said, hunched forward. Yoshinori shook his head. “There were no other tunnels. This is the only way through.” One by one, they squeezed through the narrow passage. The stone scraped against their shoulders. They could barely breathe. But then, light. Not spiritual energy. Not torchlight. Sunlight. They emerged into a wide-open cavern that defied everything they knew about dungeons. Grass swayed gently beneath their boots. A stream flowed nearby, its crystal waters trickling over stones with peaceful clarity. Trees stretched toward a sky that shouldn’t exist, with light pouring through an unseen source. The wind carried the scent of wildflowers. Somewhere, water lapped softly against rocks. It was… beautiful. “What the hell…” Ryuji whispered, squinting up at the light. “This isn’t an illusion,” Yoshinori said, scanning for signs of spiritual interference. “I’d feel it.” “It feels real,” Grillin muttered, brushing his fingers across the grass. “Smells real too.” “How does this exist inside a cave?” Aiko asked, stepping cautiously into the open field. Yoshinori knelt near the water, dipping a hand in. “This is a Shadow Dungeon. And this… this must be what Hiroto meant.” A chill ran through him, not from fear, but from the quiet understanding that something was wrong here, even if it felt so right.  The group trudged through the soft grass as they tried to make sense of their surroundings. Nothing added up. They were in a cave or at least, they were supposed to be. But the sky above them stretched endlessly in every direction, painted in soft blues and streaked with white clouds. The sun gleamed high above, warm and golden, shining down with a gentle light that felt far too real. “This… this isn’t right,” Yoshinori murmured, scanning the horizon. “We’re underground. We should be underground.” “And yet we’re lookin’ at clouds,” Ryuji muttered, shielding his eyes. A breeze rustled through the leaves of nearby trees, and the smell of clean water drifted through the air. They descended toward the stream that snaked gently through the field and stopped beside it, marveling at the crystalline water. Fish darted below the surface, their silver scales flashing in the sunlight. “This is unreal,” Aiko whispered, crouching down beside the stream. They followed the water, hoping it might lead somewhere with answers. Aiko and Ryuji walked up front, chatting while the others lagged behind. Grillin lumbered along silently, eyes wide with quiet awe. Yoshinori was deep in thought, barely speaking. Aiko glanced over at Ryuji, a rare softness in her eyes. “Y’know… this place is beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. If I had stayed in that kingdom, I never would’ve.” Ryuji smirked, hands behind his head. “You mean if you hadn’t run away and become an alcoholic maniac?” She nudged him hard with her elbow. “Shut up. I’m being serious for once.” He laughed. “Fine, fine. It is kinda nice. But don’t forget we’re still inside a cave. This whole thing could be fake. A trick.” Aiko looked around again, her expression thoughtful. “Maybe. But it feels real to me. The grass, the sun… even the water tastes real.” They walked in silence for a few more steps before Aiko looked at him again. “Hey… thanks.” Ryuji blinked. “For what?” “For picking me,” she said quietly. “Back at the start. You didn’t have to.” He gave her a sly grin. “Anything to have a chance with you.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Ugh, of course you had to ruin the moment.” Behind them, Yoshinori’s pace slowed. His eyes stayed locked on the sky above. Eventually, they reached a wide lake, the source of the stream they’d been following. It shimmered under the unmoving sun like glass. “Let’s stop here,” Yoshinori finally said. “We’ve been walking for almost five hours since entering the cave. We should rest and reassess.” Grillin squinted up at the sky. His brow furrowed. “Wait a minute… the sun, it hasn’t moved.” Aiko turned toward him. “Huh?” He pointed. “It’s been in the same spot the whole time. Haven’t you noticed? It’s… frozen.” Aiko’s smile faded. She looked back up, eyes narrowing. “Wait… you’re right.” Ryuji frowned. “So, what? Time stopped?” “No,” Yoshinori said quietly, scanning the surroundings again. “We’re moving. Time’s still flowing… I can feel it. But this place, this dungeon isn’t.” “What does that even mean?” Aiko asked. Yoshinori shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. It’s like… we’re inside a space that’s disconnected. Stagnant. Artificial, maybe. It’s reacting to us, but it isn’t part of the world’s natural flow.” He knelt beside the lake, watching the reflection of the frozen sun ripple with the water. “I’ve read about places like this in some ancient journals my father kept. Places that seem real but don’t belong. Dungeons that… bend the laws of reality.” “So what, we’re stuck in a loop?” Ryuji asked. “No,” Yoshinori said, standing. “We’re just somewhere we weren’t meant to be. We need to be extremely careful from here on out.” From the treeline ahead, the air shifted. A low rumble rolled through the clearing followed by another. Then another. Six massive shapes emerged from the shadows between the trees. They weren’t ordinary beasts. Each one moved like liquid darkness given form, their fur a mass of swirling black mist that trailed behind them like smoke. Where eyes should’ve been, there were only two faint, glowing orbs cold, hollow, and watching. “Shadow Bears,” Yoshinori whispered. His voice was calm, but his stomach twisted. Aiko cursed under her breath. “Guess nap time’s over.” Ryuji cracked his neck and grinned. “Finally, something to hit.” The bears spread out, moving in a semicircle around them, their deep growls vibrating in the air like distant thunder. The ground quivered with each step. Before Yoshinori could issue a plan, the first bear lunged. Aiko reacted instantly, her eyes flashed purple as she swapped places with a nearby rock, reappearing behind the creature. “Ryuji! Go!” In a blink, she swapped Ryuji in midair above the bear’s back. He crashed down hard, landing on top of it. The beast roared, twisting violently as it tried to shake him off. “Yeehaw!” Ryuji shouted, gripping a patch of its smoky fur. “This thing’s got some kick!” “Stop playing around and kill it!” Aiko yelled, darting back as another bear swiped at her, its claws tearing through the air where she had stood moments before. Yoshinori stayed calm, assessing the field. The bears were coordinated, not wild. They moved like they shared a single mind. He remembered Hiroto’s words: “Brute force won’t work unless your spiritual energy is greater than theirs.” Perfect chance to test it. “Grillin, Aiko, handle the left side! Ryuji, keep that one busy!” he shouted, charging straight into the middle of the pack. Three bears turned toward him. The air rippled from their collective roar. Yoshinori sprinted forward, closing the distance before they could lunge. His fist glowed faintly as he pushed spiritual energy into it, nothing fancy, just raw flow. He struck the first bear square in the jaw. The impact echoed but the bear barely flinched. Its form wavered, the shadow rippling, then solidifying again. “Thought so,” Yoshinori muttered, sliding back to dodge a claw swipe. “Physical strength won’t cut it.” He ducked under another swing, spun, and drove a low kick into the creature’s leg. It staggered slightly, but the wound closed almost instantly. His energy wasn’t enough, not yet. He gritted his teeth. “Alright… time to push harder.” Behind him, Grillin barreled through two bears, swinging both fists like wrecking balls. His strikes shook the ground, forcing the beasts back, even if they didn’t fall. Aiko zipped between attacks, swapping herself and rocks, trees, to stay mobile and confuse them. Ryuji, still riding his bear, hardened his fist with shimmering energy and pummeled its head with rapid strikes. “How’s this for a light show!” “Remember what Hiroto said!” Yoshinori yelled, catching the group’s attention. “They’re made of shadow, hit them with light, not muscle!” He slid back again, planting his feet. His fists clenched, energy building around him. Lightning crackled faintly at his fingertips, Yoshinori exhaled. “Let’s see who’s got more spirit.” The shadow bear thrashed wildly, trying to shake Ryuji off its back. But Ryuji held firm, legs clenched around its torso, eyes narrowed with focus. “Not today,” he muttered, hardening his right fist until it shimmered like obsidian. With a roar, he began hammering down again and again each strike rippling with spiritual energy. The blows echoed like distant thunder, slamming into the bear’s back in rapid succession. The bear snarled, its shadowy form starting to flicker, patches of its body breaking apart like ash in the wind. Ryuji gritted his teeth and struck one final time, a massive punch directly to the spine. With a distorted growl, the bear’s limbs buckled beneath it and it collapsed, its shadowy form dissolving into the earth like smoke. “Boom. Down goes the beast,” Ryuji breathed, smirking. But his celebration was short-lived. A low growl sounded to his right. He turned and a second shadow bear was already midair, claws bared and heading straight for him. “Shi-” He raised his arms instinctively, but the hit never landed. A flash of light burst beside him as Grillin’s massive fist collided with the bear mid-leap. His punch was glowing with radiant spiritual energy, like fire wrapped around iron. The shadow bear’s face crumpled under the force and it was sent flying, crashing into a nearby rock before disintegrating into a smoky puddle. Ryuji blinked, lowering his arms. “Damn. You’ve got a hell of a right hook.” Grillin exhaled and held out a hand. “You alright?” Ryuji smirked and took it. “Hard back, remember? I’m built different.” Grillin chuckled, the spiritual flame around his hand fading into nothing. “That makes two of us.” Suddenly, Aiko blinked into view beside them, her expression sharp. “We’ve got one more,” she said quickly. “Last bear’s not going down. My swap and strikes aren’t even phasing it.” Ryuji cracked his knuckles. “Alright. Let’s team up.” Grillin nodded. “Three on one. Let’s go.” They sprinted across the clearing. The last shadow bear stood taller than the others, its shadow body more stable. Its red eyes glowing brighter than the rest. It growled low, pacing slowly, like it was daring them to try. Aiko swapped with a rock behind it and delivered a hard kick to its spine. The bear didn’t even flinch. Ryuji sprinted forward, then dropped low, his boots skidding against the grassy earth. He slid under the towering shadow bear, his body nearly parallel with the ground. As he passed beneath its ribcage, he cocked his arm back, spiritual energy surging into his hardened fist. “Eat this!” With perfect timing, he drove his fist upward into the bear’s ribs mid-slide. The impact echoed with a solid crack, causing the beast to lurch to the side, its legs stumbling as it struggled to stay upright. Ryuji rolled out from under the bear and popped back to his feet behind it. “Tough bastard,” he muttered. “Cover me!” Grillin shouted. The other two backed off as Grillin stood tall and rolled his shoulders. He closed his eyes for a second and summoned everything he had left into one final punch, his fist igniting with a brighter spiritual flame than before. He charged the bear, ducking low beneath a wide swipe, and planted his feet. He roared, slamming his empowered fist into the bear’s chest with the force of a cannon. The impact lit the bear’s body with cracks of light then its form shattered like stained glass. Silence followed. Then a soft breeze. And the last shadow bear was gone. The three stood still, breathing heavily. Ryuji exhaled. “You really saved the light show for last, huh?” Grillin smiled sheepishly. “Figured it was time.” Aiko crossed her arms. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.” “Too late,” Ryuji added. “You already made fun of his weight.” “Shut up,” she muttered. Over on the other side of the clearing, Yoshinori stood calmly, facing down three approaching shadow bears. His expression remained unreadable as he raised one arm and gripped it tightly with the other, concentrating his spiritual energy with precise control. Crackling sparks lit up his palm, and with a sharp hum, a long blade of concentrated lightning formed in his hand bright, jagged, and vibrating with destructive potential. “If light’s what hurts you,” he muttered, his voice calm, “then this should be perfect.” The nearest bear roared and charged forward on all fours, its form twisting with black mist. Yoshinori didn’t flinch. He flicked his wrist, and a pulse of lightning fired from the edge of the blade like a whip crack. The bolt arced through the air and sheared off both of the bear’s front legs with precise aim. The creature’s momentum sent it crashing face-first into the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust and shadow. Behind him, the other two bears struck at once. Yoshinori pivoted sharply, narrowly ducking beneath one set of claws. The second bear lunged from his right and he met it with a quick slice, the tip of his blade nicking its side and cutting through the swirling shadows. A piece of its form tore away and evaporated with a hiss. He glanced back and the first bear’s legs were beginning to regenerate, but slowly. “I don’t want to waste energy on this,” he said under his breath, eyes narrowing. “Five seconds.” He lowered into a stance and began to spin the blade slowly in one hand. Electricity swirled around it like a storm coiling into a spearpoint. The moment all three bears stepped forward, he exploded into motion. Yoshinori stepped into a wide, sweeping arc, his lightning blade cutting a full circle around him. From its tip, a blazing pulse of electricity burst outward, slicing through all three bears in one fluid strike. The force of the swing also ripped through the treeline behind them, leaving a charred crescent in the ground and scorch marks trailing through the distant trees. The bears froze, their bodies split mid-movement. Then, one by one, they disintegrated, fading into wisps of smoke and vanishing into the wind. Yoshinori exhaled softly, letting the lightning blade dissolve back into nothing. “Four seconds,” he murmured, satisfied. He turned and began walking back through the trees. In the distance, he could already see Grillin, Ryuji, and Aiko regrouping. Time to join the others. Aiko looked up as Yoshinori emerged from the trees. She crossed her arms, tilting her head. “Well? How’d it go with your shadow bears?” Yoshinori slowed his stride as he approached, his expression calm but focused. “Efficiently,” he replied. “They’re gone.” “Efficiently?” Ryuji raised an eyebrow. Yoshinori said simply, “My lightning is the key. The boss won’t go down to brute force. I’ll need all of your help, especially your swapping.” Aiko smirked. “So I’m the most important, got it.” Yoshinori continued, “Ryuji, you’ll have to draw its attention long enough for me to find an opening. Grillin your hits leave a mark. When I give the signal, I want you to land a blow that finishes the job.” Ryuji raised an eyebrow. “Hold up. Did you just assign me the role of bait?” “You’re the most mobile. You can harden your body and tank a few hits. It’s not about being bait, it’s about surviving long enough to make it count.” Ryuji crossed his arms, clearly unimpressed. “Uh-huh. Sounds like bait to me.” “Some real main character energy,” Aiko said, nudging Ryuji. Grillin chuckled. “I don’t mind throwing hands again. Shadow bears or not, if it moves, I can punch it.” Yoshinori finally looked up. “There are more in the woods. The pressure in the air, it’s growing stronger. We’re headed in the right direction.” A silence settled briefly, broken only by the soft rustle of leaves overhead. A breeze swept across the clearing, another reminder that this place felt far too real to be hidden beneath the earth. Yoshinori stood and scanned the treeline again, frowning. “This dungeon makes no sense. How can something like this, sunlight, trees, rivers even exist underground?” Ryuji took a seat and put his arms behind his head. “What if it doesn’t?” Yoshinori turned to him. “I mean… what if this place isn’t actually underground?” Ryuji continued. “What if it’s like… I don’t know, another world or something?” Yoshinori was quiet for a long moment. “You… might be right.” Aiko raised an eyebrow. “Wait, seriously?” “Think about it,” Yoshinori said. “There’s no sign of time passing. The sun hasn’t moved an inch since we arrived. There’s even a chance that from the moment we entered, time stopped flowing for us too. Which means… when we leave, it could be only minutes after we first entered.” Ryuji blinked. “That’s way too confusing for my head. I just wanna punch the boss and get my badge.” “Not a bad plan,” Grillin said through a yawn, rolling onto his side. “Still,” Aiko said, watching the unmoving sun above them. “It’s kind of sad, isn’t it? A place like this… locked away forever.” Yoshinori said as he laid on the ground, “Let’s get some rest and continue moving later.” Aiko watched him for a second before lying back too, staring up at the ever-blue sky that would never turn to night. No stars. No change. Only stillness. And a lingering unease that tomorrow’s battle would be unlike anything they’d faced before. The group had only managed a few hours of rest before something changed in the air. A heavy pressure rolled in, invisible but suffocating like a storm cloud without thunder, creeping across their skin and sending instinctive chills through their spines. Yoshinori’s eyes opened instantly, his senses already sharpening. “Something’s out there,” he said quietly. “I feel it too,” Aiko murmured, already reaching for her gear. Ryuji stretched with a groan and cracked his knuckles. “Great. Barely slept and now we’ve got a nightmare bear lurking.” Grillin stood up. “It’s gotta be the boss. Feels… big.” Without another word, the group broke down camp quickly and headed into the direction the first wave of bears had come from, the thick treeline that seemed darker now than before. The deeper they moved into the forest, the quieter everything became. Just the sound of boots over dirt. Aiko moved to walk beside Yoshinori, glancing at him sideways. His eyes were narrowed, focused ahead but his jaw was set like he was holding something back. Always was. “You never sleep deeply, do you?” she asked softly. “No time to,” he said without looking at her. “That’s not healthy,” she replied. “You know that, right?” He gave a faint shrug. She huffed. “Okay, fine. If you won’t tell me your sleep habits, tell me something else. Anything.” He finally glanced at her. “Like what?” “Where you’re from. What you do when you’re not zapping shadow bears. Something human.” Yoshinori was quiet for a moment, then said, “I live in the mountains with my parents. Off the grid.” Aiko blinked. “That sounds… peaceful. Lonely too, maybe?” “Not really. My dad talks enough for three people.” She laughed softly at that. He continued, “It’s quiet. Isolated. But I like it. Clear skies. Cold mornings. You can hear your thoughts out there.” “That’s rare,” Aiko said. “What made you want to become an adventurer then? You don’t strike me as the thrill-seeking type.” Yoshinori’s expression turned a little more serious. “Because I want to carry on my father’s research.” Aiko tilted her head. “That’s sweet.” He nodded once. “Around the time I was born, he got sick. Before that, he was out all the time, searching, learning, collecting information. I watched him every day… the way his mind worked. I wanted to be like him.” “You must be close,” Aiko said, a little more gently. “We are,” he replied without hesitation. “He’s the smartest person I know. Everything I am now, he trained me to be. Fighting, energy control, even thinking like this. He never wanted to stop… but his body gave out before his mind did.” Aiko’s voice softened. “I’m sorry. That must be hard to watch.” “It is,” Yoshinori admitted. “But it gave me direction. I became an adventurer to finish what he started.” She smiled, genuinely touched. “So what was the research?” Yoshinori slowed for half a step, then said, “…I can’t tell you that.” Aiko blinked in surprise at his quick deflection. “Why not?” He didn’t answer. Just kept walking, eyes ahead. Aiko pursed her lips, realizing she wouldn’t get anything else. But instead of pushing, she smiled again. “Thanks for sharing what you did. That was more than I expected.” Yoshinori gave a slight nod. “You’re persistent.” “You’re a vault,” she shot back, smirking. They kept walking, the others up ahead, unaware of the quiet connection forming behind them. As they pushed deeper into the strange, unending forest, something unusual came into view, stone ruins, half-swallowed by time and overgrowth. Ryuji narrowed his eyes. “Wait… are those buildings?” “No way,” Aiko said, slowing her pace. “There’s a village inside the dungeon?” They approached cautiously. Seven buildings, ancient and crumbling, formed a rough circle around what looked like a dried-out well. Moss covered the stone, ivy hung from shattered rooftops, and nature had long since reclaimed the wooden doors and window frames. “This shouldn’t be here…” Yoshinori muttered, heart picking up. “There’s no record of structures ever being found inside a dungeon, not like this…” Grillin touched a wall. “Feels real.” “It is real,” Yoshinori whispered. “But how?” They stepped inside the largest building, which had once been a two-story home. The roof was partially caved in, and roots had pierced the floorboards. Dust danced in the slivers of light that somehow filtered through the dense ceiling above. Yoshinori drifted through what remained of a hallway and found what used to be a bedroom. The bedframe was rusted, the mattress long since decayed. On the other side of the room, a desk sat crooked in the corner. He walked over, knelt, and carefully pulled open its drawer. Inside, wrapped in dried cloth, was a book, leatherbound, the edges cracked with age. He slowly opened it. Dust scattered with the motion. A diary. The handwriting was careful, patient. “My name is Aaron Kyros. I live in the village of Kuroi. I am a farmer. My days are simple, waking with the sun, tending the fields, and returning before the wolves prowl.” Yoshinori flipped through more pages, mundane entries about crop rotations, livestock care, and the village elder’s weather predictions. But toward the back… things changed. The handwriting grew shaky. Words were crossed out. Sentences ran too long. He leaned closer. “Today… the sky turned black. Not like a storm. This was different. Lightning poured from the heavens but made no sound. The air cracked, not with thunder, but like glass breaking. The clouds swirled in unnatural shapes, spinning around a great eye above us, and the sky, it wasn’t blue anymore. It looked like space. We could see… other places. Cities floating in the dark. Shapes moving in them. Watching. Then… silence. My ears bled. I don’t remember anything after that. I woke up on my farm like nothing had happened. But I know it did. I know it did.” Yoshinori’s hands trembled. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His vision blurred as the words pulsed in his mind, echoing something deep and primal, something wrong. He closed the book abruptly. Aiko stepped into the room, pausing when she saw him. “Hey… you good?” Yoshinori looked up, eyes wide, chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. He said nothing, just shook his head. “Yoshinori-” A deafening crash split the room. Stone and wood shattered as a hulking mass crashed through the ceiling, landing in a shower of debris between them. A Shadow Bear, larger than the others snarled, its glowing eyes locking onto them. “Move!” Yoshinori snapped, shoving the book beneath a pile of debris as he rolled backward. Aiko flipped over a broken beam and summoned her energy, already preparing a swap as the bear roared and lunged. “Not inside the ruins!” Yoshinori called out, leaping through the broken doorway. They burst out into the village square as the others came running. “Ambush!” Ryuji shouted, hardening his fists. The bear tore through the wooden wall behind them, exploding into the open with a roar that rippled through the air like thunder. But as Yoshinori steadied himself, gripping his wrist to summon his lightning… His thoughts weren’t on the bear. They were still on Aaron Kyros. Kuroi. The eye in the sky. The memory that wasn’t a dream. The past that shouldn’t exist… trapped in a dungeon that shouldn’t exist. Something ancient was watching. And Yoshinori had just taken the first step toward finding it. From the left, two more Shadow Bears erupted from the ruined treeline, shadows rippling across their massive forms as they barreled toward the group. “More incoming!” Aiko shouted. The space between the ruined buildings was too tight. The bears were forcing them into a close-quarters brawl where maneuverability was nearly nonexistent. Grillin gritted his teeth and surged forward. “Screw tight spaces!” He charged his spiritual energy into his fist, which flared with a brilliant glow. He met the first bear head-on and slammed a brutal punch into its snout. The blow cracked through the silence like thunder. The Shadow Bear’s head snapped back as its body lifted off the ground and went flying toward one of the old buildings. “No!” Yoshinori suddenly shouted, eyes wide. The bear was on a direct collision course with the building Yoshinori had just come out of. He stepped forward instinctively, but before he could act, a sharp pulse of energy snapped through the air. Aiko’s spiritual aura flared purple as she swapped the bear mid-flight with a chunk of nearby stone. The rock slammed harmlessly against the wall. The bear? It crashed to the ground a few feet away, dazed. Yoshinori exhaled, relieved. “Nice save…” But Aiko’s eyes narrowed in realization. “I was able to swap it,” she muttered to herself. “That means… my spiritual energy is greater than this one.” Her lips curled into a determined grin. “Ryuji!” she shouted, already moving. Ryuji was in the middle of trading blows with one of the Shadow Bears, his hardened arms deflecting swipe after swipe. He didn’t have time to respond before he blinked. The world flipped. Suddenly, he was on the opposite side of the battlefield, standing in open space while the bear he was fighting was now directly in front of Aiko.Before it could react again. She swapped herself beside Ryuji in a flash. “What the hell was that?!” Ryuji barked. Aiko pointed at the bear with her thumb. “That one’s mine. I can damage it. You’re the distraction.” Ryuji’s jaw dropped. “Why is everyone using me as bait?!” “You’re fast and durable. You’ll be fine,” she said, already charging her energy. “Be a good meat shield.” Ryuji groaned dramatically. “I deserve better than this…” But the bear was already charging again. “Go!” Aiko barked. With a muttered curse, Ryuji took off in a zig-zag sprint, hardening his body just as the Shadow Bear lunged. Its claws raked harmlessly across his stone-like back as he led it in circles through the debris. “Come on, come on…” Aiko whispered, energy surging into her fist. At just the right moment, as Ryuji slid low under the bear’s swiping paw, she swapped with him. The bear skidded in surprise too late. Aiko was already there. With a scream of determination, she drove her glowing fist straight into the bear’s snout. The impact detonated with a burst of light, blowing apart its head like a puff of black smoke. The entire creature dissipated instantly into curling mist. Ryuji appeared behind her a second later, clapping slowly. “Okay… I’ll admit… that was sick.” Aiko panted, shaking out her fist. “Told you.” He smirked. “Remind me not to piss you off.” The two of them didn’t waste another second, they turned and sprinted back through the village, heading toward the others to regroup. But in Aiko’s mind, a fire was beginning to spark. She’d proven to herself she could be more than support. Grillin and Yoshinori stood back-to-back as the last two Shadow Bears prowled around them, snarling low, their bodies flickering and warping like smoke given form. Yoshinori’s right fist pulsed with a soft white aura, spiritual energy charged, but no lightning. He narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to try this without lightning,” he muttered. “Leave the flashy stuff to me,” Grillin said, cracking his knuckles with a grin. The bears lunged. Grillin stepped forward like a wall. His massive arms shot out, catching the bear mid-charge in a grapple. Their shadows twisted around him, but Grillin dug his feet in like a rooted mountain. With a shout, he shifted his weight and lifted the bear straight off the ground. He spun and slammed the beast into the crumbling roof of a nearby ruin. The impact sent debris flying as the roof buckled. The bear tried to scramble up, but Grillin wasn’t finished. With surprising agility, he leapt onto the rooftop, fists raised high, and dropped down like a meteor. His fists came down again and again, glowing with spiritual energy. With each hit, the bear’s form unraveled further until it burst into a cloud of dark mist beneath him. “Yeah!” Grillin roared, standing atop the wreckage, panting. “That’s what I’m talking about!” Across the square, Yoshinori was locked in a fast-paced exchange with his bear. He ducked under a swipe, countered with a spinning elbow, then followed with a sharp hook. Each strike glowed with spiritual energy, but the bear was more resilient than he expected. It roared and lunged, claws slashing through the air and clipped his shoulder. Yoshinori hissed, stumbling back, a deep scratch burning across his shoulder. The wound bled, but not bad enough to stop him. He clenched his fist tighter, the aura around it flaring brighter. Before the bear could press the advantage, Grillin landed beside him like thunder. “Got your back!” He charged straight at the bear and unleashed a hammer-like punch to its ribs, sending the creature flying across the ruined plaza and crashing into the old well at its center. Yoshinori didn’t hesitate. He blurred forward, spiritual energy surging up his arm as he struck again and again quick, controlled jabs into the bear’s chest, neck, jaw. Each blow landed clean, driving the shadow back until, finally, the creature let out a screech and dispersed into fading mist. Silence followed. The village was quiet again. Yoshinori exhaled, shaking out his hand as the aura faded. Footsteps echoed behind them as Aiko and Ryuji arrived. “Looks like you boys had fun,” Aiko said, brushing some dust off her jacket. Ryuji raised a brow. “That punch into the well? Brutal.” Grillin shrugged, sweat dripping down his face. “That’s what happens when you fight the big Grill.” Yoshinori nodded, wiping his shoulder. “They’re getting stronger. If the boss is anything like these… we’ll need to step up.” They all exchanged glances. Yoshinori quietly slipped back into the ruined house while the others rested near the collapsed well. Dust still hung in the air, the scent of ancient wood and earth heavy in his lungs. He moved a few broken beams aside and, beneath the rubble, found what he was looking for, the old book. He exhaled with relief and brushed it off carefully. The worn leather cover was cracked, the pages frayed, but it was intact. He slid it into his back pocket and stood in silence for a long moment before returning to the group. When he rejoined them, the others had already gathered their gear. They could all feel it now, an oppressive energy lingering in the air. The boss was close. “We should take a breather,” Ryuji said, stretching his arms behind his head. “Catch our breath before going in.” Grillin nodded. “Good call. No point rushing in after we just fought.” Yoshinori glanced at the sky that never shifted. “We’ve been in here for fifteen hours,” he muttered. “Let’s end this before we hit the two-day mark.” “Agreed,” Ryuji said, flopping down onto a nearby rock. “Fighting endless shadow bears is getting old. Take out the boss, and the rest should vanish.” Everyone nodded in agreement except Aiko. She watched Yoshinori out of the corner of her eye. He was silent, his expression unreadable. The memory of his face back in that room, the sweat, the tremble, like he’d seen a ghost still lingered in her mind. She wanted to ask, but now wasn’t the time. Instead, she reached into her bag and pulled out four apples. “Here,” she said, tossing one to each of them. “Snack time.” “Wow, you packed snacks?” Ryuji grinned, catching his midair. “You’re full of surprises.” “Try not to choke on it,” Aiko replied flatly. They bit into the apples and shared a moment of calm. The sweetness was refreshing after hours of walking and combat. Ryuji wiped juice from his chin and turned to Grillin. “Yo, big guy, how the hell do you move like that? You’ve got agility that makes me feel like I’m dragging boulders.” Grillin chuckled and scratched the back of his head. “I dunno… I just move, I guess?” “That’s your explanation?” Ryuji laughed. “Bro, you’re built like a tank. What are you, 300 pounds?” Before he could say more, Aiko kicked him lightly in the shin. “Stop before you make it worse.” Grillin didn’t seem offended, he just smiled and finished his apple. Moments later, they were back on the move, following the source of the ominous energy. The trees thickened ahead, shadows growing darker, heavier. Then they saw it. Beyond a grove of trees stood a massive clearing… and in the center was it. The Shadow Bear Boss stood twice the height of the others. Its body rippled like liquid darkness, with glowing crimson eyes and jagged claws that looked as if they could carve through steel. Around it stood five more shadow bears, each as large and deadly as the ones they’d fought before.  The team ducked behind bushes. “Okay…” Aiko whispered. “That thing’s enormous. Game plan?” Yoshinori stepped forward. “I’ll take on the boss. My lightning is the key to taking it down.” He looked at Aiko. “You’ll be supporting me, your swaps will give me openings.” She gave a firm nod. “Got it.” He turned to Ryuji and Grillin. “Ryuji, you’re bait.” “I hate you,” Ryuji said immediately. “Why am I always the bait?” “Because you’re fast, annoying, and can take hits,” Aiko replied with a smirk. “Grillin,” Yoshinori continued, “once Ryuji lures the five away, you’ll pick them off. Keep them separated. Once you thin them out, circle back to help me.” Grillin nodded, fist tightening. “Understood.” “But the problem,” Yoshinori said, eyes narrowing, “is separating the five bears from the boss. If they all move together, we’re done.” “I could try swapping them away,” Aiko offered. Yoshinori shook his head. “That would drain you too much, and I need you focused. No wasting energy.” He looked at Ryuji. “You’re going to run straight through them and make them chase you.” “What!?” Ryuji’s eyes widened. “That’s your brilliant plan? Sprint through a pack of death bears and hope they chase me like I’m made of honey?!” “Exactly,” Yoshinori said with a straight face. “You’ll be fine.” “You guys suck,” Ryuji muttered. “If I die, I’m haunting you.” “Noted,” Yoshinori replied. Grillin patted Ryuji’s shoulder. “Just don’t get caught. I’ll be right behind you.” Ryuji sighed, then took a deep breath. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.” The team rose from cover, nerves steeled and formation set. Ryuji sprinted out of the treeline, arms flailing and voice booming. “Hey uglies! Come and get me!” The five shadow bears snapped toward him in unison. With a guttural roar, they lunged forward, galloping like beasts made of pure malice. Their forms bled smoke and shadow as their claws tore up the grass. Behind them, the Shadow Bear Boss rose and began to follow, towering and radiating a heavy pressure that made the very air feel thinner. Yoshinori’s eyes sharpened. “Now, Aiko!” Without hesitation, Aiko summoned a sharp pulse of energy. She swapped Grillin with a stone directly in the path of the boss. Grillin landed with a thud, fists already glowing. The massive boss stumbled slightly at the sudden block in its path, releasing a low growl as shadows rippled around it like a living aura. Yoshinori and Aiko caught up seconds later. “Grillin, go!” Yoshinori barked. “Stick to the plan!” “On it!” Grillin grunted and sprinted off after the other five bears, quickly vanishing. Now, the field was set, Aiko and Yoshinori versus the Boss, and Grillin and Ryuji versus the guards. Grillin crashed through the brush like a wrecking ball and finally caught up to Ryuji, who was still running full speed. “Took your sweet time!” Ryuji yelled. Grillin didn’t reply; he just charged spiritual energy into his right fist and, without slowing, turned to face the bear closest behind them. With a thunderous roar, he slammed his glowing punch straight into its skull, dispersing the creature into black mist on impact. “Four left!” Grillin shouted. The remaining shadow bears didn’t pause. They only grew more ferocious. One pounced directly at Ryuji, and he had just enough time to harden his body and brace himself. The bear slammed into him, claws screeching across his armored arms as they both crashed into the dirt. Ryuji gritted his teeth and kneed the bear in the gut, flipping it over, then rolled to his feet and slammed a hardened elbow into its head. “Not so easy this time,” he growled. A second bear leapt at Grillin from behind. He turned just in time, barely blocking with his forearms, but the shadow claws raked across him, sending him skidding back with a grunt. “These ones are stronger,” Grillin muttered, blood on his lip. “We can still take ’em,” Ryuji said, hardening his skin again and charging up. Suddenly, the third and fourth bears struck together, one targeting Grillin’s legs while the other swiped at his head. He jumped just in time to avoid the trip but caught a slash across his side. He growled, spun mid-air, and hammer-fisted one of the bears into the ground, shaking the forest floor. But it didn’t disappear. It twitched, rising again. “These aren’t like the last batch…” Grillin muttered. Ryuji launched forward, ducking under one bear’s slash and sliding between its legs. As he passed under, he punched upward into its ribs, using the slide’s momentum to launch it sideways. The bear snarled in pain but wasn’t down yet. He popped up from the slide and immediately dodged another swipe. “We’ve gotta coordinate!” Ryuji yelled. “One at a time!” Grillin nodded, eyes locking onto the bear Ryuji just hit. Together, they rushed it from opposite angles. Ryuji punched it in the knee to stagger it, and Grillin followed up with a devastating body shot that exploded it into mist. “Three left!” The remaining bears regrouped, snarling, flanking the two of them. They attacked simultaneously. Ryuji blocked one but took a slash across the chest, even through his hardened skin. He stumbled, but Grillin caught him. “I got this one!” Grillin yelled, powering up another massive strike and flooring the bear that had wounded Ryuji. It staggered, and he didn’t give it time to recover, two more punches and it burst into smoke. Ryuji spat out dust. “Two more… Let’s end this!” The final two bears began to retreat slightly, trying to circle them. “Don’t give them room,” Ryuji said, charging again. They split up, Ryuji engaging one with a flurry of quick, hardened strikes to the body and jaw while Grillin battled the last, trading heavy blows with brutal force. Both bears fought like they were defending something. Ryuji finally stunned his bear with a sharp elbow to the eye and followed up with an uppercut to its jaw that shattered its head into mist. At the same time, Grillin ducked under the final bear’s swipe and slammed an uppercut into its chin, sending it flying skyward. As it came down, he leapt up with it, charging his full spiritual energy into a punch, and slammed it into the ground with a crater-forming finish. They were both breathing heavily. Ryuji leaned on a tree, clutching his scratched-up arms. “That… was a pain.” Grillin wiped sweat off his brow. “But we did it.” The two of them looked at each other and grinned through the bruises and blood. “Let’s go help the others,” Grillin said. “Yeah,” Ryuji agreed. “Bet that boss ain’t gonna go down easy.” And together, they ran toward the battle. The Shadow Bear Boss loomed ahead, its massive frame shimmering with dark spiritual energy. Its crimson eyes narrowed not with rage, but intelligence. It wasn’t just waiting, it was studying them. Aiko and Yoshinori stood their ground, breathing steady, minds sharp. Then Yoshinori charged forward, lightning dancing down his arm. The bear rose onto its hind legs, a towering wall of shadow, and brought its claws down like falling axes. Yoshinori rolled left, the ground rupturing behind him, and with a clean upward slash, severed the bear’s front right leg at the joint, shadow mist hissing from the wound. Before the beast could react, Aiko hurled a rock to the opposite side of the bear then swapped Yoshinori with it. Already mid-swing, Yoshinori cleaved through the bear’s second front leg, forcing it to crash face-first into the earth, its roar muffled in the dirt. “Now!” Aiko shouted, lobbing another rock high above the bear’s head. Yoshinori appeared midair, descending like a bolt himself, lightning blade raised for a finishing strike but the bear screamed. A thunderous, guttural roar erupted from its mouth, a shockwave of spiritual force that blasted Yoshinori backward through the air. He hit the ground with a grunt, skidding through grass. “Yoshinori!” Aiko called, eyes wide. The bear stood again on its hind legs, its arms regenerating, slowly but surely. Shadowy tendrils stitched together muscle and bone. Gritting his teeth, Yoshinori raised a hand to the sky. “Fall.” Three lightning bolts came crashing down in sequence, hammering the bear’s torso, searing away chunks of its shadowy form. Smoke billowed, but the beast endured. With a low growl, it extended its regrown claws, now pulsating with spiritual energy, and slashed forward. A wave of compressed energy blasted out and struck Yoshinori dead in the chest. Blood sprayed from his chest as he staggered, but he stayed on his feet. Lightning surged again. His blade pulsed in one hand while his other fired twin bolts, straight through the bear’s side, piercing clean through and exploding out the back. The bear roared again, staggering. “Keep it guessing,” Yoshinori growled. Aiko nodded, eyes sharp with focus. She threw another stone behind the bear. Yoshinori vanished from in front of the bear and reappeared behind it, blade already swinging. The blade sliced clean across the beast’s thick neck just as Yoshinori summoned another bolt from the sky. Lightning split the sky, crashing down on the wounded beast, blasting it forward with a searing burst of light. “Swap us now!” Yoshinori barked. Aiko swapped them both away in an instant, just as the bear thrashed blindly. They reappeared meters away, both panting, singed, and bleeding. Yoshinori dismissed his blade in a flicker of sparks. Then he raised both hands toward the heavens. The sky darkened. Lightning churned like a storm waiting to fall. He brought his arms down. A colossal bolt of lightning twice the size of any before tore from the sky, slamming down onto the Shadow Bear Boss. The entire clearing lit up white. The ground shook. A crater formed beneath the beast. Smoke and static filled the air. When the dust cleared… The boss was gone. Yoshinori dropped to a knee, completely drained, his body trembling with exhaustion. Aiko moved beside him and knelt silently. They’d done it. The monster was gone. But the toll was written across Yoshinori’s scorched armor and shaking hands. He had given everything. And the dungeon began to quake faintly, its end approaching Ryuji and Grillin arrived moments after the final bolt faded from the sky, stumbling out of the trees with dirt-streaked faces and wide grins. “You did it!” Ryuji whooped, fist raised. “I knew you’d cook that bear!” Grillin looked over the scorched battlefield, eyes landing on Yoshinori barely standing, his body trembling with fatigue and offering a proud nod. “Damn good job, both of you.” Aiko helped steady Yoshinori. His armor was cracked, his breath ragged, but there was a quiet fire in his eyes. “The boss is gone,” he said softly, looking back at the now-silent clearing. “But… what happens to this place now?” No one answered. The lush grass, the flowing water, the sky above that never moved, everything felt oddly still, like the dungeon itself was exhaling a final breath. With a final glance, they turned and began retracing their steps. They crawled back through the narrow stone tunnel that had brought them to that impossible pocket world and just like that, the illusion of sunlight and forests was gone. Cold, damp cave air greeted them as they emerged at the dungeon’s entrance, and there stood a familiar face: Hiroto Makabe, arms folded, smiling wide with pride. “Finished in under 24 hours,” he said, but his eyes scanned their exhausted faces carefully. “And you made it out in one piece. I knew you would.” Hiroto chuckled and asked, “So? How was it?” The group recounted their experience, the strange land of sunlight and rivers hidden deep underground, the regenerating bears, the shadow boss’s spiritual energy, and the brutal final battle. Yoshinori remained quiet. His hand subtly brushed against the pocket at his side, where Aaron Kyros’s ancient diary sat. Its weight wasn’t heavy, but the meaning behind it pressed on him like a boulder. He said nothing of the book. Not yet. This truth, the name Kuroi, the sky that turned to stars, the village swallowed by the mysterious eye, belonged first to his father. He would tell him. And after that… he would find the truth. As the sun began to dip in the real world sky, the group boarded their carriage. The roads of the Kingdom of Radiance stretched ahead of them. Aiko leaned back in her seat, gazing out the window, her mind still in that forest. Ryuji snored, arms folded, finally letting himself crash. Grillin smiled softly, watching his teammates, then closed his eyes. Yoshinori stared ahead silently, the reflection of the sun gleaming in his gaze but in his mind, he saw the name: Aaron Kyros. There were things beneath the world’s surface that no one understood. But he would. One day.