Noon the next day.
Kaelen sat on the roof of the shelter, watching the sky.
He'd been there since morning, telling himself he was just getting fresh air. That he wasn't actually waiting for anyone. That the daughter of Magnus Vael's chief advisor wouldn't be stupid enough to come back to The Undercroft after barely escaping yesterday.
But he was waiting.
And he knew it.
"She's not coming," Crust said. "She's upper city. They don't keep promises to people like you."
"Maybe."
"Definitely. She got what she wanted—a little adventure, a story to tell her rich friends. Now she's back where she belongs, and you'll never see her again."
Kaelen didn't respond. He just kept watching the sky.
And then he saw it.
A glint of metal, descending through the smog.
A vehicle—sleek, silver, shaped like a teardrop. A personal flying car, the kind only the wealthy could afford. It descended smoothly, landing in the alley behind the shelter with barely a sound.
The door hissed open.
Aria stepped out.
She was wearing different clothes today—still expensive, but more practical. Dark pants, a fitted jacket, sturdy boots. Her long hair was tied back in a practical braid.
She looked up, saw Kaelen on the roof, and waved.
Despite himself, Kaelen smiled.
"I stand corrected," Crust said, sounding genuinely surprised. "She actually came back."
Kaelen climbed down from the roof and met her in the alley.
"You came," he said.
"I said I would." Aria grinned. "Did you think I wouldn't?"
"Honestly? Yeah."
"Well, here I am." She gestured at her flying car. "And I brought transportation. No more walking five kilometers through ruins."
"That's... actually really helpful." Kaelen looked at the vehicle. It was beautiful—all smooth lines and polished metal. Probably cost more than everyone in The Undercroft would make in their entire lives combined. "But won't people notice if your car is missing?"
"It's registered under my name. My caretakers think I'm at a study session with friends in the Central District." Aria's grin widened. "They never check. As long as I'm back before dinner, no one knows I'm gone."
"And if they find out?"
"They won't. I'm careful." She tilted her head. "So? Are you going to show me more of the wasteland, or are we just going to stand here?"
Kaelen hesitated. "Aria... yesterday you almost died. Multiple times. Are you sure you want to do this again?"
"More than anything." Her expression turned serious. "Kaelen, I've spent my whole life in a golden cage. Everything is perfect. Safe. Boring. Yesterday was the first time I felt alive. The first time I did something that mattered."
"Getting attacked by mutated wolves matters?"
"No. But surviving them does. Fighting. Struggling. Winning." She stepped closer. "I want to learn. I want to be strong like you. Please, Kaelen. Teach me."
Kaelen studied her face. She wasn't joking. Wasn't playing around. She genuinely wanted this.
"This is a terrible idea," Crust said.
"Probably."
"She could get hurt. Killed. And her father will blame you."
"I know."
"And you're going to say yes anyway."
"...Yeah."
Kaelen sighed. "Okay. But we do this my way. You follow my orders. You don't take unnecessary risks. And if I say run, you run. Understood?"
Aria's face lit up. "Understood! Thank you, Kaelen!"
"Don't thank me yet. You're going to hate me by the end of the day."
They flew to the wasteland in Aria's car.
The vehicle was smooth, silent, and incredibly fast. What would have taken an hour on foot took less than five minutes.
"This is amazing," Kaelen muttered, watching the ruins blur past below them.
"Right? I've had it since my fifth birthday. Never really used it much until now." Aria glanced at him. "Where should we go?"
"There." Kaelen pointed to a relatively clear area—not too close to the city, but not too deep into dangerous territory. "Land there."
She brought the car down smoothly. They stepped out into the wasteland.
Aria looked around, taking in the desolate landscape. "It's so... empty."
"That's because everything that lives here wants to kill you." Kaelen summoned Fenrir from the Storage Void.
The Thunder Wolf materialized in a flash of golden light, now even larger than before—easily the size of a small horse. His silver fur gleamed, and blue electricity crackled across his body.
Aria gasped. "He's gotten bigger!"
"He grows as I grow stronger." Kaelen scratched behind Fenrir's ears. "Ready to hunt, boy?"
"Always ready, Master!" The wolf's tail wagged. "Who is small human? She smells like flowers again."
"This is Aria. She's going to be training with us."
"Training? Flowers-human is very small. Very weak."
"That's why she needs training."
Fenrir sniffed Aria carefully, then sat down and offered his head. "Okay. Fenrir will protect flowers-human."
Aria reached out hesitantly and petted him. "He's so warm. And I can feel the electricity. It's like... static, but stronger."
"That's his Thunder element. He's a legendary beast. One of three I need to find and tame." Kaelen activated his Divine Sense, scanning the area. "Alright. Lesson one. How to spot danger before it spots you."
The first training session was brutal.
Kaelen started with basics—how to move quietly, how to read terrain, how to spot signs of mutated creatures. Aria absorbed everything eagerly, asking questions, taking mental notes.
Then they encountered their first creature.
A mutated rat. Level 2. Small, manageable.
"Your turn," Kaelen said.
Aria's eyes widened. "Me? But I don't have any weapons!"
"You have this." Kaelen pulled a metal pipe from his Storage Void and handed it to her. "Same thing you tried to use against those wolves yesterday. Only this time, you're not panicking. You're ready."
"Kaelen, I don't—"
"Yes, you do. Trust yourself." He stepped back. "Fenrir and I are right here. We won't let you die. But you need to do this yourself."
The rat noticed them. Its red eyes locked onto Aria, and it hissed, baring yellow teeth.
Aria gripped the pipe tightly, her hands shaking.
The rat charged.
Aria screamed and swung wildly. The pipe connected with the rat's side, sending it tumbling. But it recovered quickly and lunged again—
Kaelen's hand shot out, catching the rat mid-leap with a burst of golden light. It slammed into the ground, stunned.
"Again," he said. "Finish it."
Aria's face was pale, but she stepped forward. Raised the pipe.
And brought it down.
The rat stopped moving.
[Aria has slain: Mutated Rat - Level 2]
Kaelen couldn't see the notification—it wasn't part of his system—but he saw the moment it clicked for her. The moment she realized she'd actually done it.
"I... I killed it," she whispered.
"You did. How do you feel?"
"I don't know." She looked down at her shaking hands. "Scared. Excited. Sick. All at once."
"That's normal. It gets easier."
"Does it?"
Kaelen thought of the thirty-seven creatures he'd killed. The way it had become almost routine.
"Yeah," he lied. "It does."
They trained for three more hours.
Aria fought six more rats, three mutated lizards, and one weak wolf. She was clumsy, uncoordinated, and terrified. But she didn't give up. Every time she got knocked down, she got back up.
By the time the sun started to set, she was covered in bruises, her clothes torn, and she could barely stand.
But she was smiling.
"That was incredible," she said, leaning against Fenrir for support. "I can't believe I actually did all that."
"You did well," Kaelen said honestly. "For your first real day, you did really well."
"Will you train me again tomorrow?"
"If you want."
"I do. Same time?"
"Same time."
Aria climbed into her flying car, wincing at her bruises. "Thank you, Kaelen. For giving me this chance."
"Just... be careful going home. And take a hot bath. You're going to be really sore tomorrow."
She laughed. "I will. See you tomorrow!"
The car lifted off and disappeared into the sky.
Kaelen watched it go, Fenrir sitting beside him.
"Flowers-human is very determined," the wolf observed.
"Yeah. She is."
"Master likes flowers-human?"
Kaelen felt his face heat up. "I... she's a friend. A student."
"Fenrir sees how Master looks at her."
"You don't see anything."
"Fenrir sees everything."
Crust laughed in Kaelen's mind. "Even the wolf notices. You're terrible at hiding your feelings, little god."
"Shut up. Both of you."
They laughed together—wolf and catastrophe—while Kaelen tried very hard not to think about the way Aria smiled when she was excited.
The next day, Aria returned.
And the day after that.
And the day after that.
It became routine. Every day at noon, her flying car would descend into the alley. Every day, they'd fly to the wasteland together. Every day, Kaelen would train her—pushing her harder, teaching her to fight, to survive, to be strong.
And every evening, she'd fly back to Avalon Prime, exhausted and happy.
One week passed.
Aria could now kill Level 3 creatures on her own.
Two weeks.
She'd developed calluses on her hands and a burn scar on her arm from a fire-spitting lizard.
One month.
She could hold her own against Level 4 creatures with Kaelen's support.
Ryker and Lira joined them sometimes, and the four of them became a team. Ryker taught Aria knife-fighting techniques. Lira showed her how to exploit weak points.
And Kaelen... Kaelen found himself looking forward to noon every day.
Three months.
Aria was faster now. Stronger. More confident. She'd traded her metal pipe for a real weapon—a short sword she'd bought from a black market dealer using her allowance.
She was becoming a real fighter.
Five months.
They were hunting Level 5 creatures together. Aria had scars now—real ones, earned through real battles. But she wore them like badges of honor.
Kaelen had reached Level 15.
[New Quest Complete: Reach Level 15]
[Reward: Skill Evolution Token, 800 XP]
[Level 15: 1100 / 3500 XP]
He used the Skill Evolution Token on Divine Burst, upgrading it from Rank F to Rank E. The blasts were stronger now, more focused, and cost less energy.
"You're getting stronger," Aria observed one day as they rested after a fight. "I can tell. The way you move. The way you fight. It's different than when we started."
"So are you."
"Not like you." She looked at her hands—scarred, calloused, strong. "But I'm trying."
"You're doing more than trying. You're succeeding."
She smiled. "Thanks to you."
Seven months after Aria first returned to the shelter.
Kaelen was Level 18.
[Level 18: 500 / 5000 XP]
Aria had become genuinely talented. She could take on Level 6 creatures with minimal support. Her sword work was clean, efficient. She'd developed her own fighting style—quick, precise, exploiting openings.
Ryker joked that she was scarier than Kaelen sometimes.
It was a good day. They'd just cleared out a nest of mutated scorpions, and everyone was in high spirits.
"Same time tomorrow?" Aria asked as she climbed into her flying car.
"Same time," Kaelen confirmed.
"Good. I found a location on the map that might have higher-level creatures. Want to check it out?"
"Sounds perfect."
"Great! See you then!" She waved and took off.
Kaelen watched her go, feeling... content. Happy, even.
For the first time in both his lives, things felt right.
The next day, noon came and went.
Aria didn't show up.
"Maybe she's just late," Ryker said, but he sounded uncertain.
"Yeah. Maybe."
One hour passed.
Two hours.
Three hours.
At hour four, Kaelen's stomach was in knots.
"Something's wrong," Crust said quietly.
"I know."
And then, finally, at hour five, the flying car appeared.
But it was moving differently. Unsteady. Almost wobbling.
It landed roughly in the alley, scraping against the wall.
The door opened.
Aria stumbled out.
And Kaelen's blood ran cold.
Her face was bruised. Swollen. Her lip was split, bleeding. And her arm—her right arm was bent at an unnatural angle. Broken.
"Aria!" Kaelen ran to her, catching her before she fell.
"Kaelen..." Her voice was hoarse, pained. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"What happened? Who did this to you?"
"My father." Tears streamed down her face. "He found out. About the classes. About... about everything."
"Found out what?"
"My tutor told him. That I haven't been going to lessons. For months. He got so angry." She was shaking now, her whole body trembling. "He demanded to know where I'd been. And I... I tried to lie. I tried. But he..."
She pulled up her sleeve.
Burn marks. Fresh ones. Deliberate.
"He tortured you," Kaelen said, his voice flat.
"He wanted the truth. So I... I told him. About the wasteland. About training. About..." She looked at him, her eyes full of anguish. "About you."
Kaelen's world tilted.
"He knows about me?"
"Yes. I'm sorry. I tried not to say anything, but he..." She broke down completely, sobbing. "He said he's going to find you. Hunt you down. Make an example of you for 'corrupting his daughter.' I tried to tell him it wasn't like that, but he wouldn't listen."
"This is bad," Crust said. "Very bad. If Magnus Vael's chief advisor is hunting you—"
"I know."
Kaelen held Aria carefully, mindful of her injuries. "It's okay. We'll figure this out."
"No. You don't understand." She pulled back, looking at him with devastated eyes. "I can't come back. Ever. My father has guards watching me now. Full surveillance. I barely managed to slip away this one time to warn you."
"Aria—"
"I'm sorry, Kaelen. For everything. For putting you in danger. For..." She touched his face gently with her good hand. "For having to leave."
"You don't have to—"
"I do. If I try to come back, they'll follow me. They'll find you. And I can't..." Her voice broke. "I can't let them hurt you."
Kaelen wanted to argue. To tell her they'd fight. That they'd find a way.
But he could see it in her eyes.
She'd already made up her mind.
"Will I see you again?" he asked quietly.
"I don't know. Maybe. When we're older. When things are different." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Kaelen. For these seven months. For showing me what it means to be strong. For..." She stepped back. "For being my first real friend."
She turned and limped back to her car.
"Aria, wait—"
"Don't follow me. Please. It's safer this way." She climbed into the vehicle, tears still streaming down her face. "Goodbye, Kaelen."
The door closed.
The car lifted off.
And she was gone.
Kaelen stood in the alley for a long time, staring at the empty sky.
Ryker found him there an hour later.
"She's not coming back, is she?" his friend asked quietly.
"No."
"I'm sorry, man."
Kaelen didn't respond. He just kept staring at the sky, his fists clenched so tightly his nails drew blood.
"This is Magnus Vael's doing," Crust said, his voice cold with anger. "Through his advisor. He's reminding you of your place. Of what happens when you reach above your station."
"I know."
"What are you going to do?"
Kaelen's jaw tightened.
"I'm going to get stronger. Strong enough that no one—not Magnus, not his advisors, not anyone—can ever take away the people I care about again."
"Good answer, little god. Good answer."
That night, Kaelen couldn't sleep.
He lay in his pod, staring at the ceiling, replaying Aria's broken expression over and over in his mind.
The burns on her arm.
The terror in her eyes.
The way she'd apologized for something that wasn't her fault.
This world is broken, he thought. And it's my fault. I destroyed it once. And now it's rotting from the inside.
"You can fix it," Crust said quietly. "But first, you need power. Real power. The kind that makes gods and tyrants kneel."
"I will."
And then, as if the universe was listening, a notification appeared.
[NEW QUEST AVAILABLE]
[Quest: Seek the Commander's Legacy]
[Description: Deep in the wasteland, in the ruins of the old kingdom's military stronghold, lies the soul of your father's greatest general. Seek him out. Learn from him. Become what you were meant to be.]
[Location: Marked on Map]
[Reward: ???]
[Accept? Yes / No]
Kaelen stared at the notification.
A general. His father's general.
Someone who could teach him. Make him stronger.
He selected [Yes] without hesitation.
Tomorrow, he would go.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
But tonight... tonight he let himself grieve.
For Aria.
For the seven months they'd had.
And for the girl who'd shown him what it meant to care about someone.