The dungeon gate shimmered like a mirror of liquid glass, humming with ancient energy. Team Seven stood at its threshold—five students, handpicked from Hunter Academy's elite, yet strangers to one another.
"In and out," Jax grunted, tightening his grip on his sword. "No screw-ups."
"No promises," Kaen said with a smirk, stepping in first.
The world around them rippled—and changed.
They emerged into a forgotten cathedral buried underground. Stained-glass windows, cracked and faded, lined the stone walls. Cold air wrapped around them like a cloak. Magic hung in the air—old, thick, and wrong.
Rin tapped her scanner. "Mana levels are unstable. We're not alone."
"Monsters?" Zian asked, her golden eyes narrowing.
"No," Elion said softly, "it feels… older."
Then came the sound: stone grinding. From the dark, armored wraiths emerged—hulking figures of rusted metal and hollow eyes. Ten. Twenty. More.
Zian stepped forward instinctively. "Formation—!"
But she froze.
The wraiths… they hesitated. Their heads tilted.
Kaen stepped beside her, casually picking up a piece of fallen glass. "They recognize something."
The moment broke. The wraiths charged.
Jax roared and met them head-on, cleaving two apart. Rin unleashed a barrage of mana bolts. Elion wove illusions to misdirect attacks.
Zian hesitated again.
In her vision, the wraiths weren't enemies. They were kneeling… waiting.
Her heart pounded. "No. I command you—"
Suddenly, three wraiths turned—and attacked the others.
"What the hell?!" Jax yelled.
Kaen watched her calmly. "You're remembering, aren't you?"
"I'm not—!" she began, but her hands were trembling. One wraith fell at her feet, unmoving… but not dead. It was waiting.
The battle ended in minutes. The team stood panting, confused.
"That wasn't right," Rin said. "Why did some of them turn on each other?"
Kaen gave Zian a side glance.
"Because they weren't enemies to her."