Chapter 22: Gathering in the Living Room

The low hum of the system's notification still echoed faintly in Ethan's mind as the group trickled into the living room. Karis stood by the window, as she often did, sharpening her knife in quick, precise movements. Naomi leaned against the back of the couch, her bow resting against her leg, while Lucas was sprawled on the floor with his shield propped up beside him, absently tracing patterns on the worn carpet. Ethan, seated in his lumpy armchair, stared at the glowing quest notification still hovering in his vision.

"So," Ethan said, breaking the tense silence. "Who else is really excited about our trip to the Chasm of Unmaking?"

Lucas snorted. "Oh, thrilled. Sounds like a great vacation spot. Very family-friendly."

Naomi smirked faintly. "I'm sure the brochure left out the part about permanent death."

"Probably under the fine print," Ethan quipped, rubbing the back of his neck. The weight of the quest was beginning to settle over him, pressing down like the dark mist he imagined would fill the chasm. "Seriously, though. This is bad, right? Like, worse than usual."

Karis set her knife down with a loud clink and fixed Ethan with her sharp, unrelenting gaze. "It's always bad. This is just a different flavor of bad."

"I'd call it catastrophic," Ethan muttered. "Maybe apocalyptic, if I'm feeling dramatic."

"Focus," Karis said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "The system wouldn't offer rewards like this unless the risk was higher than anything we've faced. That means we need to be prepared for anything."

Lucas sat up, leaning forward with his hands resting on his knees. "Prepared how? We've fought bosses and hordes before, but this sounds… different. Like it's going to be bigger."

"It will be," Naomi said, her voice calm but firm. "The system's escalating. Every fight we've had has been leading to something. And now we're here."

"That's not ominous at all," Ethan said, shaking his head. "But yeah, I get it. Bigger stakes, bigger risks, bigger chance of us dying horribly."

Lucas shot him a look. "Way to keep things positive, Ethan."

"Hey, I'm just managing expectations," Ethan replied. "No one likes a surprise death."

---

Initial Reactions

The group fell quiet, each of them processing the weight of what lay ahead. The glow of the system's notification hung in the corner of their shared vision, a constant reminder of the ticking clock.

"We've done hard things before," Lucas said finally, his tone steady. "We'll get through this too. We just have to stick together."

"Easier said than done," Naomi said, crossing her arms. "If this is as dangerous as it sounds, there's no margin for error. One mistake could get all of us killed."

"Good pep talk," Ethan said dryly. "Really motivating."

Naomi's lips twitched in the faintest hint of a smile. "Just being realistic."

"Here's the reality," Karis cut in, her voice slicing through the tension like her knife. "We don't have a choice. The system isn't giving us an option to walk away. So we either go in prepared, or we die trying."

The room fell silent again, her words hanging heavy in the air. Ethan looked around at his teammates—Lucas's quiet determination, Naomi's sharp focus, and Karis's unrelenting resolve—and felt the familiar knot of anxiety twist tighter in his chest. He didn't want to admit it, but they were right. This wasn't something they could run from.

"Fine," he said, pushing himself to his feet. "Let's go walk into the death hole. But if I die, I'm haunting all of you."

Lucas chuckled. "Deal."

---

The Descent Begins

The Chasm of Unmaking was a jagged scar in the earth, its edges glowing faintly with ominous blue runes. Mist churned within the abyss, moving as if alive, and a low, resonant hum vibrated through the ground beneath their feet. Ethan shivered as they approached the edge, the oppressive energy of the place settling over him like a weight he couldn't shake.

"Well," Ethan said, staring into the swirling darkness. "This definitely doesn't look like a trap at all."

"Stay sharp," Karis said, moving to the front of the group. "This isn't just another dungeon. The Forge wants us to fail."

"No kidding," Ethan muttered, gripping his glowing pipe tighter. "Anyone else feel like this place is watching us?"

"It is," Naomi said simply, her eyes scanning the mist. "The Forge always watches."

"Fantastic," Ethan replied. "I love being paranoid."

Karis ignored him, crouching near a glowing mechanism embedded in the rocky edge of the chasm. The device was covered in pulsing runes, its surface etched with sharp, angular patterns that seemed to shift under her touch.

"This is it," she said, her voice steady. "The platform trigger. Once we activate it, there's no turning back."

Lucas stepped up beside her, his shield resting against his leg. "And the catch?"

"The platform descends directly into the chasm," Karis said. "It's a one-way trip, and if we're attacked, there's no way off."

"Of course," Ethan said, throwing up his hands. "Why would the Forge give us an escape plan?"

Naomi smirked faintly. "We could always stay here. But then we'd just get another quest. Probably worse."

"Worse than this?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's worse than descending into a literal pit of doom?"

"Dying before we even get there," Karis said, pressing her hand against the mechanism. The runes flared brightly, and a deep rumble echoed through the chasm as a stone platform rose from the mist below.

"Well," Ethan said, stepping onto the platform with a dramatic sigh. "Let's get this over with."

The others followed, their footsteps echoing faintly as the platform began to descend. The rumble of stone against stone filled the air, and the swirling mist grew thicker, curling around them like cold, clammy fingers.

Naomi crouched near the edge, her bow at the ready. Lucas stood near the center, his shield raised, while Karis stayed at the front, her knife glinting faintly in the dim light. Ethan shifted nervously, his grip on the pipe tightening as the hum of the chasm grew louder.

"This is too quiet," Naomi said, her voice low.

"It's always quiet before the Forge strikes," Karis replied. "Stay alert."

Ethan glanced into the mist, where faint shapes moved just out of sight. His stomach twisted, and he forced himself to breathe. "Anyone else feel like we're being watched?"

"You are," a voice whispered, low and guttural, from the depths of the chasm.

The mist surged, and from its depths came a pair of glowing eyes, burning with an unnatural light. The platform shuddered beneath their feet as a massive, shadowy figure began to emerge, its form twisting and writhing like smoke made solid.

"Well," Ethan muttered, raising his pipe. "Here we go."