>> The 7th day of the 12th month, year 8258 AE

  Viktor woke up.

  Before his eyes was a familiar view. Smooth wooden beams stretched across the ceiling, warm with a honeyed tone, bearing only the faintest signs of age. A few cracks on the grain here and there, a bit of dust that gathered in the corners, but the wood still held a soft, polished sheen from years of careful upkeep.

  It was the same ceiling he had seen every morning, for as long as he could remember. This was home. It always had been. And it always would be.

  “Viktor! Wake up!” came the familiar voice from downstairs. His sister.

  “I hear you!” he yelled in reply. If he didn’t respond, she would keep calling, and that would be very annoying.

  With a groan, he pushed himself up and moved through the routine. He brushed his teeth, he washed his face, and he changed his clothes.

  As he made his way down the stairs, he caught a familiar scent, which wrapped around him like a warm, comforting blanket. He knew what was in the soup before he even saw the pot. Carrots, for sure. Parsnips, of course. Garlic, subtle but there. And something else... Maybe a shred of chicken, if he was lucky today.

  He didn’t need to see it. He didn’t need to taste it. He already knew. This smell was as much a part of his morning as the beams on the ceiling.

  In the kitchen, Vera was already setting the table, her long blonde hair tied back into a loose braid, though a few rebellious strands had escaped to frame her face. She looked up as he entered, one hand placing bowls on the table, the other already reaching for spoons.

  “Sleep well?” she asked, smiling.

  Viktor shrugged and slouched into his usual chair, the one with the uneven leg, which wobbled slightly as he sat. He tore a piece from the loaf of bread in the center of the table. It was still warm.

  “Yeah,” he replied, popping the hunk into his mouth.

  Beside him sat Leo, Vera’s nine-year-old son, who was hunched over the table, deep in concentration, poking at a tiny figure he had been carving from a broken spoon handle.

  Technically, they were uncle and nephew. But in every way that mattered, they were simply two boys growing up under the same roof. They shared the same food, the same parents, and the same endless, uneventful days of childhood.

  The boy glanced up at Viktor with a toothy grin. “You snored like a bear last night. I could hear it all the way from my room.”

  Viktor frowned. “I didn’t.”

  “Yes, you did,” Leo insisted. “It was like...” He leaned back in his chair, filled his lungs with theatrical purpose, and unleashed a monstrous, gurgling growl. He even threw in a bit of head-wobble for good measure. “Rrrhhhrrhhhhh—grkkkrrkkk—rrrhhrhhh!”

  Viktor snorted. “You’re imagining things. That was probably just the wind.”

  “Or an earthquake,” Leo said, cackling.

  Vera didn’t look up from ladling the soup, but Viktor could see the corner of her mouth twitch. Fighting a smile, probably. And taking Leo’s side, of course.

  “Eat before it gets cold,” she said, finally. “Both of you.”

  Viktor cupped his bowl between his hands, letting the heat seep into his fingers. He breathed deep, then took the first sip. Meanwhile, Leo slurped noisily, then blew on his spoon with exaggerated puffs.

  “Hot!”

  “That’s how soup works,” said Viktor.

  The front door creaked open. And a moment later, a tall man stepped into the kitchen, broad-shouldered, all muscle and sweat.

  Orion.

  He paused in the doorway, chest heaving, face flushed, and the ends of his dark hair curled damp against his forehead. His shirt was soaked and streaked with dirt where it clung to his waist, his jerkin was slung over one shoulder, and his boots left a trail of mud across the wooden floor.

  “Smells like soup,” he said.

  “What else would it be?” Vera replied without bothering to turn.

  Orion walked over to the table, ruffling Leo’s hair as he passed. The boy wrinkled his nose, squirming away.

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  “You stinks.”

  “That’s the smell of raw masculinity.” Orion grinned, dropping into the chair at the head of the table. He rubbed his hands together, then leaned forward, elbows digging into the wood, eyes flicking between Viktor and Leo. “Everyone alive? No one burned the house down while I was out?”

  Vera slid a bowl toward her husband. “You smell like a wet dog,” she said.

  Orion, completely unbothered, blew on his spoonful of soup. “That’s the smell of raw masculinity.”

  “Are you ever going to come up with a new line? Also, raw masculinity doesn’t usually involve tracking half the forest across my clean floor.”

  “But that’s exactly the reason why you fell in love with me.”

  Vera rolled her eyes. “Oh yes. That’s the reason. The mud. The smell. Truly irresistible.”

  “Don’t forget the devastating good looks,” Orion said, his grin obnoxiously shameless.

  Vera sighed. Loudly.

  Then she turned to Viktor and Leo. “Whatever you do, never end up like this guy.”

  “Hey now. They should become like me.” Orion clapped a hand on Viktor’s shoulder. “How about joining me for my jog tomorrow? You’re old enough. It’s time to train your muscles.”

  Viktor didn’t even blink. “Not interested.”

  “Oh come on.”

  “It’s hot. It’s sweaty. It’s smelly. And it’ll make my entire body hurt. Why should I sign up for that kind of torture? I’d rather stay at home with my books.”

  “No pain, no gain,” Orion said, stroking an imaginary beard as though he were quoting some ancient wisdom. “That’s how you get big and strong. That’s how you become a great adventurer. Like me.”

  “Nah,” Viktor replied, utterly unmoved. He then turned to his sister. “I’m going to work at the Guild like Vera. One day, I’ll become Guildmaster. And then I’ll order you around.”

  Leo nearly choked on his soup.

  “I’ve been betrayed.” Orion staggered back, hand pressed dramatically over his heart. “Stabbed by my own flesh and blood.”

  Well, technically, they were not blood related. Still, as much as Viktor hated to admit it, Orion was more than just his sister’s irritatingly energetic husband. He was the closest thing to a father he had ever had. Loud, ridiculous, occasionally mud-covered, too often shirtless, yes, but also faithful, devoted, and reliable. He was the man who could fix everything, the man who made things right. Not that Viktor would ever tell him that, of course.

  “What’s your plan today?” Vera asked, sliding her empty bowl to the side as she wiped her hands on a cloth. “You staying home, or heading to the Guild?”

  For once, Orion didn’t answer right away.

  That was rare.

  Normally, he would have tossed some lame joke at her before she even finished her sentence. Instead, he looked down, shoulders stiffening slightly. When he finally spoke, his voice came out lower than usual.

  “No, I’m going to meet some friends.”

  Vera’s eyes narrowed. “Are you seriously going through with it?”

  “We can’t just let them push us without pushing back, can we?”

  “That’s the Crown, Orion.” Vera’s voice was louder now. “How exactly do you think we’re supposed to push back against that?”

  “What happened?” Viktor asked, glancing between the two of them.

  His sister waved a dismissive hand. “Nothing. Kids don’t need to know.”

  “Hey.”

  Orion gave a tired smile. “Well, Viktor is old enough.”

  Vera frowned, but she didn’t say anything more.

  “So, what’s going on?” Viktor asked.

  His brother-in-law let out a deep sigh.

  “It’s about the dungeon. You know it, right? It’s not very far from town. The adventurers go down there all the time. Hell, I’ve been there myself. Not very successful, but enough to earn some savings. But... the King has decided to shut it down. No more public access. From now on, only those approved by the Crown will be allowed to go in. Officially, it’s to protect people from the dangers within. To stop adventurers from dying needlessly down there. But the truth is...”

  “He just wants all of the treasures for himself,” Vera said with a snort.

  Orion nodded. “Yes, there’s a rumor that the Royal Treasury is running short of coin, thanks to the Queen’s extravagant expenses. So the King has got to squeeze money from somewhere. And what’s better than a dungeon full of gold and Reliquaries?”

  “Can he just shut down the dungeon like that?” Viktor asked.

  Orion chuckled. “He’s a king. Don’t ask what he can do. Ask what he can’t. Trust me, that list is much shorter than you imagine.”

  “And the Guild just sits back and does nothing about it? Aren’t they supposed to be the ones looking out for the adventurers?”

  Orion glanced at Vera, whose face had twisted into disgust. “The Guildmaster has folded completely to the pressure,” she said.

  “So... what now? What are you going to do?” Viktor asked.

  “That’s right,” Vera said, fixing her husband with a hard stare. “What can you even do?”

  “I’m going to gather people. This decision affects the livelihoods of many. Individually, we’re powerless. But if we stand together, we can be a force to be reckoned with—”

  “Just a bunch of commoners...” Vera muttered under her breath.

  “It’s not just us adventurers,” Orion said, shaking his head. “Many rich merchants are losing big money over this. So they’ll fight too. And the nobles... more than a few worry that if the King successfully grabs this dungeon, he might do the same to others across the kingdom. And that will mess up the whole realm.”

  “You’re playing a dangerous game, Orion. Is it really worth it? I have a job. It doesn’t pay much, but it’s enough. And you’ve got savings. You don’t need to dive into those dark tunnels yourself. Take other work. A little less coin won’t kill us.”

  Orion met her eyes, unwavering. “It’s not just about us. I have many friends who will suffer greatly. They’re all good people. And not just them, the whole adventuring community is going to be gutted. The town, too. I can’t stand by and watch just because it doesn’t hit me as hard as it hits the others.”

  There was a silence, and when Vera’s voice came back, it was little more than a whisper.

  “I... I just don’t want anything to happen to you. If you get yourself thrown in a cell, or... worse, I don’t know how I’m supposed to live with that. Please, think about me. Think about Leo. Think about Viktor.”

  Orion laughed. Bright. Loud. Confident.

  “Don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen to me. Don’t you know? I’m the man who will never die. I can even stare into the Abyss and make it blink first.”

  He took her hands, pulled her in, and held her tight.

  “Don’t worry,” he said, gently patting her back. “Everything will be fine. The King will back down once he sees the pressure.”

  And somehow, just like that, the heaviness in the room lifted.

  Viktor had been feeling a bit uneasy due to the seriousness of the situation. But now, as he looked at Orion’s bright, fearless smile, all of that had vanished. Orion didn’t just look calm. He glowed, as if the sun were right behind him. And in that glow, all his worries were gone, burned away by the certainty he radiated.

  Well, of course, this was Orion. The man who could fix everything. The man who made things right. No matter how dark the road ahead, he would find a way.

  He always did.