Chapter 6: Return

[ ] = main character thoughts

[I'm alive...]

My hands are shaking as sweat drips down my back.

My heart is still racing, not because I'm scared, but from running so much.

The cold air in this place reminds me that somehow, I made it.

[I can't believe I survived...]

I had to give up everything to live 

- my treasures and what hurts more, my pride.

Franya. That barbarian with a heart of ice.

 She didn't even try to hide how much she looked down on me while saving my life. 

She didn't need to say anything - her shiny, clean armor next to my dirty clothes said it all.

[Yeah, they saved me... but at what price?]

Anger burns in my chest like fire. My heart pounds as I remember how she treated me.

 her laughs, her looks, the way she treated me like I was nothing but dirt under her boots.

[I can't take this shame anymore...]

My fists are so tight my nails dig into my palms. In my mind, one thought becomes clear as day.

[I have to get stronger. That's the only way. In this world, only the strong get to live in peace.]

This place feels smaller as I think about this.

But then I remember something different: the mage. 

There was something special about her, like a light in this dark world.

The way she looked at me, how she reached out to help without thinking twice... In a place where everyone acts like hungry wolves, someone like her won't last long. This world is cruel, and she'll learn that soon. Thinking about this makes my chest hurt.

[Time to go. I need to finish this mission. No more getting distracted.]

I stand up even though everything hurts. 

[This time will be different. No more mistakes. No more being weak.]

I move in the shadows like a hunter, watching each goblin before I strike. My stomach hurts from hunger, but that's just how it is down here. In this world, you do what you must to stay alive.

The goblins fall to my blade one by one. It's not pretty, but it's necessary. Their green blood stains the ground, and before their bodies disappear and bekame a void star, I eat their flesh. It tastes awful, but when you're starving, you can't be picky.

[Aghhh, this tastes horrible... But staying alive isn't supposed to taste good.]

I do three things over and over:

Kill goblins as quietly as I canEat their flesh before it disappears, trying not to throw upGrab all the void stars I can find

I sneak around like a shadow, getting better at it with each kill. I lure lone goblins away and kill them before they can make a sound. Their eyes go wide with fear just before my blade hits them.

When I find groups, I use my ability - thirty seconds where I move super fast and quiet as a ghost. Time slows down, and I dance between them like death itself.

I'm not bragging. This is just what I have to do to live. I stay away from other warriors now. The shame of what happened still burns too much. Being alone is safer anyway.

While the others were sleeping here in a group, where one was watching and the other was sleeping. I was alone not sleeping at all, my eyes were hurting, but I had to survive.

During my time here, I even saw a huge goblin, bigger than any I'd seen before.

It was like a mountain of muscle with sharp teeth. Its roar shook the whole cave. I had to run away, using my ability.

[Running... the one thing I'm good at. A dead thief can't steal anything, and I'm not dying in this place.]

I haven't seen the barbarian woman or the mage since then. I've been too busy trying to stay alive to think about them. They feel like people from another dimension now.

[Finally... just two more goblins and I'm done.]

My pockets are so full of void stars I can barely move. They make noise when I walk, like coins jingling.

[There they are! The last ones...]

But just as I'm feeling happy about being almost done, I see two figures step out of the shadows. Their smiles remind me of hungry wolves.

warrior 1: "Well, well... looks like our friend has been busy." 

warrior 2: "Yeah, why not share some of that with us? Sharing is caring, right?"

[Great... I know what's coming next. They're like wolves who smell blood.]

I turn and start running.

 They shout threats behind me as I run.

 I use my ability one last time, dropping some void stars as I escape. Better to lose some treasure than my life.

The portal to the city finally appears before me, a bluish glow promising salvation.

[Ah, Drakathen... never thought I'd miss you so much.]

When I stepped out of the portal, people stared at me like I was some kind of monster. Can't blame them, really. I was covered in dirt and blood, my pockets bulging with void stars. My hands were all scarred up, and my face... well, let's just say I'd seen better days.

But I wasn't paying much attention to their stares. Around me, I saw so many different faces showing all kinds of emotions.

Some people were laughing and hugging. They were the lucky ones whose loved ones made it back. They held each other tight, crying happy tears and patting each other's backs.

Others weren't so lucky. They were crying for the ones who didn't make it back. Sons, brothers, husbands, fathers - gone forever. I couldn't look at their faces for too long. Yeah, I know this is supposed to be just a game, but seeing that kind of pain up close... it hits different. Makes it feel real.

And then there were the quiet ones. Just standing there, waiting, hoping their loved ones would still come through that portal. Their eyes never leaving the blue light, holding onto hope like it was the last coin in their pocket.

[Time to get to the guild and get this over with.]

As soon as I walked in, everyone turned to look at me. Some looked scared, others curious, a few even looked disgusted. I didn't care.

The guild secretary looked up and smiled that fake smile of hers. "Welcome back." Then she got a better look at me and her eyes widened. "Well, well... didn't think you'd make it."

"Yet here I am, standing right in front of you." "So you are."

I pulled out my void stars and dropped them on her desk. "Count them and give me my money."

"Of course," she said, starting to sort through them.

After a while, she looked up. "You've collected 214 void stars. Let me break down the conversion for you. Each void star is worth one bronze coin. Ten bronze coins make one silver, and ten silver make one gold. I won't bore you with the rest. In total, you've earned two gold coins, one silver, and four bronze."

Not a fortune, but enough to keep me alive.

I took the coins and immediately pulled out a silver one. "Here's for my debt."

The secretary's eyes narrowed. "So you are a man of your word. I've been watching you since you came in, wondering if you'd mention the debt. If you hadn't..." She drew her finger across her throat. "Your head would have been decorating our wall before sunset. But you kept your word. You've earned a little respect from me."

"Thanks. Dorruk always keeps his promises."

After leaving the guild, I needed to find a place to stay. Nothing fancy - just somewhere cheap and quiet. I didn't want to waste money, so I started searching the streets of Drakathen.

After looking around for hours, I found a small room for rent. The owner was a middle-aged guy named Hector who made his living selling fish.

"Are you Hector?" I asked when I found him. "Yeah, that's me. What do you want?"

"I saw your room for rent." "Ah, right."

He looked me up and down. "Why would you want to stay here? There are much nicer places around."

"I need somewhere cheap and quiet. This fits the bill."

"You're a weird one," he said, eyeing my clothes. "Those clothes make you look like a criminal."

"They keep me warm and they're comfortable. That's all there is to it."

"Okay, but are you sure? This place smells like fish. Might bother you."

"I don't mind."

"Well then, the price is one gold coin per month. Not asking much. But there's one more thing - you'll have to talk with me sometimes. Living alone gets boring, you know? Keep me company now and then, and we'll call it even."

"That's fine by me."

"Then we have a deal."

I handed him the gold coin and moved in that day.

The next morning, when I felt a bit better and my wounds had started to heal, I knew what I had to do next.

[Time to start my real mission.]

There's someone out there who can help me get stronger, someone who can teach me how to survive in this world.

His name is THORIN IRONFIST.

[And I won't stop until I find him.]

chapter-end.