Vanishing Bonds

The portal shimmered faintly as Josh stepped through, the warm, golden glow of the Relicolus Shield fading as it deposited him back into the real world. The air was different here—fresh, light, and sharp with the familiar smell of the bustling city. The first thing Josh noticed was the evening skyline of Tondo, Manila, the jagged outlines of buildings and the faint hum of vehicles in the distance.

But something felt... off.

Josh turned to look behind him and saw the dungeon gate—once pulsating with dark energy—shaking violently, cracks spidering out from its center. A moment later, with a deafening sound like thunder, the gate imploded in on itself, leaving nothing but a faint scorch mark on the ground. The dungeon was gone.

Josh stood still for a moment, his mind racing. The battle with the DragonLizard, the sacrifice of KingOrc, the relentless training—it all felt both distant and painfully immediate, like a dream he couldn't shake. He glanced down at his hands, still scarred from years of combat within the dungeon, and clenched them into fists. It was real. All of it.

The sound of voices pulled him from his thoughts. Turning toward the commotion, he saw a group of reporters swarming a team of Hunters just a few meters away. The Hunters, clad in pristine armor and carrying high-tech weapons, were being bombarded with questions. Camera crews jostled for the perfect shot as the reporters shouted over one another.

"Can you confirm the dungeon has been neutralized?" one reporter asked, thrusting a microphone forward.

"Was it true that this was a D-Rank dungeon that evolved into a Block Dungeon?" another added.

"Were there any casualties?"

The Hunters looked tired and irritated, their expressions curt as they tried to answer the barrage of questions. Josh watched from the sidelines, unnoticed by the bustling crowd. His clothes were tattered, his body battered, and he looked nothing like the polished warriors being interviewed. He was just a kid to them, a nobody.

For a moment, Josh felt a pang of frustration. He had been the one to clear the dungeon, to face the DragonLizard and survive its wrath. Yet here he was, invisible, while the Hunters took the credit. But the thought of Maria quickly overtook his indignation, grounding him. She was all that mattered now.

Without another glance at the scene, Josh turned and slipped away into the alleyways of Tondo. The familiar, chaotic energy of the city enveloped him—the street vendors shouting their wares, the tricycles rumbling past, the faint aroma of grilled isaw wafting through the air. It was both comforting and overwhelming after three years in the dungeon's isolated world.

As he neared his home, a sense of urgency gripped him. "Maria," he whispered, quickening his pace. The cramped streets blurred past him as he dodged pedestrians and stray dogs. His heart pounded not from exhaustion but from anticipation. He needed to see her, to make sure she was okay.

When he reached the rundown shanty he called home, he hesitated for a moment, catching his breath. The structure was the same as he had left it—rickety bamboo walls, a patchwork roof of tin and tarp—but it felt... emptier somehow. The usual hum of life was missing.

"Maria?" Josh called out, pushing the door open.

The small interior was dim, illuminated only by the faint light of a flickering bulb. The cot where Maria usually lay was empty, the blanket neatly folded. Josh's stomach twisted as he scanned the room, his eyes darting to every corner.

"Maria!" he called again, louder this time.

There was no response.

Josh's breathing quickened as he began searching the house, overturning crates and checking every nook and cranny. He found no sign of her—no shoes, no clothes, not even the medicine bottles that usually cluttered the small table. It was as if she had vanished.

Desperation clawed at him as he rushed outside, scanning the narrow alleyways. He asked the neighbors—an old woman selling fish balls, a group of children playing tag, a tricycle driver parked by the corner—but none of them had seen Maria.

"Maybe she went to the clinic," someone suggested.

Josh clung to the hope and headed toward the small health center a few blocks away. The journey felt agonizingly slow, every second stretching into an eternity. When he arrived, he burst through the doors, startling the staff.

"Excuse me," he said, his voice trembling. "Have you seen my sister? Maria Villanueva? She's small, frail… she's sick. She comes here for medicine sometimes."

The nurse at the reception desk frowned, flipping through a logbook. After a moment, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't see her name here. Are you sure she came in recently?"

Josh's heart sank. "Yes, she… she must have," he stammered, his voice breaking.

Another nurse approached, her expression sympathetic. "Maybe she's at the barangay office. Sometimes they help patients who can't afford care. You should check there."

Josh nodded numbly, muttering a quick thanks before rushing off again. The barangay office was a short walk away, but it felt miles apart as dread gnawed at him. When he arrived, the clerk on duty gave him the same answer—no record of Maria.

Panic set in as Josh retraced his steps, visiting every familiar place he could think of: the sari-sari stores, the church where Maria sometimes prayed, the corner where she liked to watch the jeepneys go by. Each place yielded the same result. No one had seen her.

By the time Josh returned home, the sun had set, casting long shadows across the shanty town. He stood in the doorway of their tiny house, his chest heaving as tears welled in his eyes. "Maria…" he whispered, his voice cracking. "Where are you?"

The weight of the moment crushed him, the exhaustion of his journey catching up to him all at once. He sank to his knees, his mind racing with questions. Had she been taken? Had something happened to her while he was gone? Was it his fault for leaving her, even if only for a few hours by the world's time?

As he sat there, the glow of the relic at his side flickered faintly, a reminder of the power he now carried. Josh clenched his fists, determination flaring within him. "I'll find you, Maria," he vowed, his voice steady despite the tears streaming down his face. "I'll find you, no matter what it takes."