The sun had already dipped low over the academy when Lucy stepped out of her dorm room. She looked around the quiet hallway, clutching her books against her chest, then glanced back into her room. The spare key Arios had given her sat on the desk. Her lips pressed together as she frowned slightly.

"He said he would come back after talking to Instructor Garron," Lucy whispered to herself. "That was hours ago."

She tapped her foot nervously against the wooden floor. Her mind raced with possibilities. Maybe the discussion went long. Maybe Garron had called him for extra training. Maybe something unexpected came up. Yet the silence bothered her. Arios usually kept his word.

Lucy walked down the hall, her eyes drifting to the window. Outside, the academy grounds looked calm. Students moved in small groups, some laughing, others hurrying toward the dining hall. The ordinary sight did nothing to settle her nerves.

She reached the entrance of the dorm and leaned against the wall. "I should wait," she muttered. "But waiting feels worse."

Her stomach twisted. She thought about going to Liza, but Liza had gone off for field work. That left her alone with her worry. She chewed her lower lip, then pushed away from the wall. "I'll go check the training yard myself."

Her steps quickened as she moved across the grounds. The faint breeze tugged at her hair, carrying the smell of cooked food from the dining hall. She ignored it. Her focus was locked ahead. The training yard came into view, empty under the fading light. Lucy slowed, her heart sinking a little.

"No one's here…" She scanned the open space, then walked onto the dirt floor. The silence pressed against her ears. She crouched, brushing her fingers lightly over the ground. It felt undisturbed. No footprints. No sign of recent use.

"Where are you, Arios…"

Inside the illusion-dungeon, Arios swung his wooden sword in a precise arc, striking the jaw of a dire wolf as it lunged. The impact cracked with unnatural force, and the beast dissolved into mist. Two more wolves closed in, their glowing eyes reflecting the faint, warped light of the false forest.

Arios stepped to the side, his body calm, every motion efficient. The first wolf's claws sliced through empty air. Arios twisted and struck its ribs with the flat of his blade. The wolf yelped before fading into nothingness.

The second lunged immediately. Arios raised his sword, blocking the fangs, then shoved forward. His elbow connected with the wolf's head, knocking it down. Without hesitation, he stomped hard, and the illusion shattered around the creature as it dissolved.

He exhaled slowly. His chest rose and fell evenly. His breathing stayed steady, even though the fight had stretched for what felt like hours.

"Still more," Arios muttered. His eyes scanned the trees. He could feel the mana threads shifting, weaving new patterns. The illusion wasn't over.

The sound of growling returned, this time deeper, closer.

***

Lucy left the training yard and walked toward the faculty wing. The sky had turned a deep orange, and torches flickered to life along the pathways. Her pace quickened. If Arios wasn't in the yard, maybe Garron still had him inside.

When she reached the faculty doors, however, the hall was dark. Only a single lantern burned faintly near the entrance. She hesitated, then knocked. No answer. She knocked again, harder this time. The silence stretched.

Her heart thudded. "This isn't right," she whispered. She pulled back, chewing her lip again. She wanted to storm inside, to search every corner until she found him, but she knew barging into faculty rooms uninvited wasn't allowed.

She paced back and forth outside the door, clutching her arms. "What do I do…"

****

Arios stood in the center of the clearing, his grip on the wooden sword firm. The dire wolves emerged again, more than before. Their glowing eyes surrounded him from every angle. Their growls blended into a low, rumbling chorus.

He didn't flinch. He shifted his stance slightly, one foot sliding back for balance.

The wolves attacked together. Arios met them head-on. His sword cracked across one muzzle, his elbow smashed into another. He moved without wasted motion, dodging, blocking, striking in smooth rhythm.

One wolf clamped its jaws onto his arm, but Arios twisted sharply, slamming the hilt of his sword against its head until it released. He shoved it back and immediately struck another charging beast across the skull.

The fight dragged on. Mist filled the air as more wolves dissolved with each blow. Arios's body moved with practiced calm, never panicking, never rushing.

His thoughts stayed clear. "This isn't real. It's designed to wear me down. But illusions have limits."

He glanced briefly at the distorted sky again. "How long are you planning to watch, Garron?"

****

Lucy eventually gave up on standing outside the faculty hall. Her worry had only deepened. She returned to her dorm, stepping inside and immediately sitting down on the edge of her bed. Her hands trembled slightly as she stared at the key on her desk.

She picked it up, holding it tightly. "You wouldn't disappear without saying anything," she whispered.

She leaned forward, burying her face in her hands. Images ran through her mind—Arios fighting, Arios hurt, Arios lying somewhere alone. Her chest ached at the thought.

"I should… I should at least tell someone," she muttered. But she hesitated again. Telling someone meant admitting she was worried. Admitting she didn't know where Arios was. And if she was wrong, she'd look foolish.

Her fingers curled around the key. "No… I'll wait just a little longer. You'll come back. You always come back."

She lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, but her body refused to relax. Every creak of the dorm made her sit up, thinking it might be him. Every sound of footsteps outside the window made her rush to look. Each time, disappointment.

****

Arios cut through the last of the wolves in the current wave. The clearing grew quiet once again. Mist drifted slowly, rising before fading. Arios held his sword loosely, his gaze scanning the trees.

Silence pressed around him. For a brief moment, it felt like the dungeon was letting him rest. But he knew better. His instincts told him the next wave would be harder.

He crouched, brushing his fingers lightly against the dirt floor. It was solid under his touch, but he could feel faint vibrations—mana threads shifting again.

"They'll bring stronger ones next," Arios said to himself. "Dire wolves were just the start."

He stood, raising his sword once more. His eyes narrowed as the distant growls returned, louder, closer, heavier.

****

Lucy sat up abruptly, unable to stay still. She grabbed her cloak and swung it over her shoulders. She couldn't wait anymore. She stepped out of her dorm and began walking quickly toward the library. Maybe she could find something, some record, something about instructors or training dungeons. Anything that would explain where Arios might have gone.

Her boots clicked against the stone as she pushed through the quiet corridors. Students gave her curious looks, but she ignored them. Her eyes stayed fixed forward, determination hardening her expression despite the worry twisting inside her.

She reached the library doors and pushed them open. The smell of old parchment and ink filled her nose. The librarian glanced up, nodding politely, but Lucy didn't stop to speak. She moved between the shelves quickly, her hands brushing against books, scrolls, anything that looked like it might hold information.

"Training methods… illusions… hidden techniques…" she muttered as she scanned titles. Nothing obvious jumped out. Her frustration grew, but she forced herself to keep looking.

****

Arios faced the next wave as the trees shook violently. The ground rumbled beneath his feet. From the shadows, more wolves appeared. These were larger than before, their eyes burning brighter, their claws digging deeper grooves into the earth. Their growls rumbled like thunder.

Arios raised his sword calmly. "Stronger wolves. As expected."

The first one charged. Arios sidestepped and brought the blade down hard across its back. It stumbled but didn't dissolve immediately. He narrowed his eyes. "More durable too."

He struck again, faster this time, until the beast finally shattered into mist. The others lunged, and Arios met them one by one, his body moving smoothly, his strikes precise.

The fight stretched on, the sound of snarls and impacts echoing through the forest. Arios's expression never changed. He fought with the same calm as always, his focus unbroken.

When the last of the wolves dissolved, he exhaled slowly. "If this is all you can do, Garron, then you'll need better tricks."

****

Lucy finally slammed a book shut, frustration bubbling over. "Nothing… nothing useful." She rubbed her forehead, her eyes burning from scanning too much text. She stood, taking a deep breath, then closed her eyes for a moment.

"Arios… wherever you are… come back soon," she whispered.

She walked out of the library slowly, her shoulders slumping, but her grip on her cloak was tight. She wasn't giving up, even if she didn't know what else to do.

****

Arios stood in the silence of the false forest once again, waiting for the next wave. His grip tightened slightly on the wooden sword. He didn't speak this time. He simply waited.

The growls returned. Louder. Deeper. Endless.

The dungeon wasn't done with him yet.

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