The Weight of Secrets

The journey back to Duskhaven was quiet.

Not the eerie, unnatural quiet of the dungeon—but the kind of silence that came after a long battle, when exhaustion finally set in.

They had won. That should have been a good thing. But something about the fight stuck with Arlan.

The way the gnoll had looked at him.

The way it had hesitated before attacking, as if sensing something unnatural.

As if sensing him.

Tomas walked beside him, resting his sword against his shoulder. "You good?"

Arlan blinked, shaking the thoughts away. "Yeah. Just tired."

"Same." Tomas let out a tired chuckle. "That last fight was rough. But you handled yourself well."

"Thanks." Arlan forced a small smile.

Leila, walking a few steps ahead, glanced over her shoulder. "I still can't get over your creepy rat."

"Bones isn't creepy," Arlan muttered.

Beren snorted. "No, he's terrifying. And I love it."

Arlan sighed.

Bones—perched comfortably on his shoulder—clicked his tiny skeletal jaws, seemingly pleased with himself.

The group walked in relative peace for the next hour, the familiar sight of Duskhaven's wooden gates coming into view as the sun hung low in the sky. The town always looked a little different after returning from the dungeon—like they had left something behind and come back as different people.

Arlan wasn't sure what he had left behind this time.

But he knew he had brought something back.

Duskhaven's Changing Atmosphere

The moment they entered the town, they could feel it.

Something was off.

The marketplace was still bustling, the taverns still filled with loud voices, but there was a strange tension hanging in the air—something that wasn't there when they had left.

Mira picked up on it first. "Do you hear that?"

Arlan listened. It was hard to pick out at first, but soon he heard it too.

Whispers.

Not from anyone directly speaking to them, but from passing conversations.

"…another one gone?"

"Third group this week…"

"…heard the paladins are looking into it."

Leila frowned. "Something happened."

Beren rolled his shoulders. "Probably more rumors. People love to talk."

Arlan exchanged a glance with Mira.

This wasn't just talk.

This was spreading fear.

The Guild Hall and More Questions

The guild hall was more crowded than usual when they arrived. Adventurers—both rookies and veterans—gathered in groups, their voices hushed. The usual air of casual competition had been replaced with something else.

Uncertainty.

Gareth, the ever-grumpy guild clerk, barely acknowledged them as they handed in their quest report. His usual sarcastic remarks were absent. He simply stamped their papers, muttered, "Good timing," and waved them off.

"Good timing for what?" Tomas asked, frowning.

Gareth looked up, rubbing his temples. "Another missing group."

Leila crossed her arms. "You mean adventurers?"

"Yeah." Gareth sighed. "Six of 'em. Went into the dungeon yesterday, never came back. No trace of them. Not even a body."

Arlan's stomach twisted.

Mira leaned on the counter. "And the guild hasn't done anything?"

Gareth scowled. "What do you expect us to do? The dungeons are dangerous—that's the risk of the job."

"Three groups in a week isn't normal," Leila pointed out.

Gareth grumbled. "That's why we've sent word to the paladins."

Arlan felt his chest tighten.

"The paladins?" Tomas repeated.

Gareth nodded. "They're already sniffing around. Some noble's throwing a fit over his missing son—he was one of the adventurers that vanished." He sighed. "If it was just rookies going missing, no one would care. But now? The Holy Order's getting involved."

Leila frowned. "That's bad."

"Really bad," Mira added. "If the paladins start treating this like a corruption issue…"

"They'll purge the dungeon," Beren finished, scowling.

Arlan swallowed hard.

Purge.

It wasn't just monsters the paladins went after when they suspected corruption. It was people.

People with forbidden powers.

People like him.

The group found a quiet corner of the guild hall to sit, their usual post-quest banter absent.

Mira leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "We need to be careful."

Tomas raised an eyebrow. "Careful about what? It's not like we've done anything."

Leila tapped her fingers on the table. "Yet."

Beren exhaled. "We're involved, whether we like it or not. We were the ones who found that crypt."

Arlan kept his head down.

He had been trying to avoid standing out. To keep his head low. But with the crypt, the missing adventurers, and now the paladins getting involved…

They were already too deep.

"Do we go back into the dungeon?" Tomas asked.

Silence.

That was the real question.

On one hand, more dungeon runs meant money, experience, and survival. But on the other…

If things kept escalating, one wrong move could get them all killed.

Arlan exhaled slowly.

"…One more run."

The group looked at him.

"If we stop now, it'll look suspicious," Arlan said. "And we need money. We pick an easy quest. First or second floor only. No risks."

Mira studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Alright."

Tomas grinned. "I like it. One more run."

Leila smirked. "And if we die, it's your fault."

Beren chuckled. "Fine by me."

Despite the laughter, Arlan felt the weight of their choice settle on him.

One more run.

And after that?

Everything would change.