Maybe A New Beginning: [Welcome to Halloween]

The ship creaked and shook as it came into the dock, ropes thudding and sails flapping wildly in the wind. Kaito stood at the edge of the deck, gripping the taffrail. His legs still didn't quite trust the idea of this new land after three days at sea, but the moment the city came into view, his stomach dropped.

Hallowrest wasn't ideally welcoming.

Cracked stone towers stood visible from the fog like in those historical movie about royalty. The harbor was packed with ships of all kinds, merchant vessels, sleek smuggler crafts and even rusted boats held together by string and prayers. The streets were alive with shouting, barking, haggling, and the distant sound of weapons clashing. And everything smelled like blood, sweat, and maybe food? He couldn't really tell.

"Smells like money and murder," Lyria muttered, stepping up beside him. Her expression was calm, but her fingers twitched near her sword.

Seren, a little paler than usual, joined them at the railing. "It's a dump. Perfect for us."

Kaito's Error System pinged. And yes they system's voice had come back.

[New Location Discovered: City of Hallowrest]

[Local Quests: 47 Available | Warning: Divine Surveillance Active]

[System Stability: Unstable – Proximity to Fragmental Field Detected.]

He frowned. "Why does it always feel like the system's about to cough up blood?"

Seren glanced at him. "Because you're not supposed to exist. And this place is crawling with things that might know that."

They descended the docks into chaos.

A towering beastkin merchant argued with a cloaked elf. A street kid nearly pickpocketed Kaito, until Lyria caught the boy's wrist mid swipe and gave him a look that sent him running.

"Subtle," Seren said dryly.

"He'll remember it," Lyria replied.

The moment they passed the city gate, Kaito felt it. A pressure in the air. Like static. Like eyes.

His Error System flared again.

[Warning: Masked Entities Detected – Divine Class Proximity.] [Auto-Shield Engaged – Duration: 3 Hours Max.]

He shivered.

Lyria felt it too. She stepped closer. "Eyes are on us."

"Not just eyes," Seren murmured, raising two fingers as a blue sigil glowed in her palm. "Something's following our scent."

They moved fast.

They didn't stop until they reached a slightly less crumbling district near the old city wall. A crooked inn leaned against a sagging tower, its sign flapping loosely in the breeze.

"THE HOLLOW HEARTH."

Lyria stared at it.

"Sounds cursed," Kaito said.

"Perfect," Seren added.

Of course, she had think that.

Inside, the innkeeper had a patch on one eye and smelled like burnt ale. He gave them a room with two beds, technically. One was more of a cot.

They went upstairs in silence.

Once the door clicked shut behind them, the weight in the air seemed to ease. Just a little.

Kaito flopped onto the nearest bed, stretching.

Lyria locked the door. "We shouldn't stay long."

Seren warded the window with runes. "We need information first. Then supplies. Then maybe figuring out why your glitch boy here is triggering divine protocols like a damn beacon."

Kaito raised a hand. "Still in the room, thanks."

The System pinged again, softer this time.

[New Entry Unlocked: Labyrinth Protocol.] [Initiating Sync...]

He sat up. "That doesn't sound ominous at all."

They didn't notice the eyes watching from across the street.

Not human.

Not alive.

Just watching.

The room was cramped and the moment they hwr set their bags down, the question of who was sleeping where came up.

"I call the window bed," Seren said immediately, dropping her pack beside it.

"Not a chance," Lyria replied, her tone sharp. "You snore when you're overworked. You take the cot."

"That was one time, and it was a magical overload...."

"Still counts."

Kaito rubbed his face. "I'll sleep wherever. Floor's fine."

Both women turned to glare at him.

"You're the reason we're being hunted by half the continent, and now possibly gods," Seren said, planting a hand on her hip. "You're not sleeping on the floor like some tragic orphan."

Kaito raised both hands. "Technically, Lyria is also being hunted so..."

Lyria narrowed her eyes. "He sleeps near me. For protection."

"Of course," Seren muttered. "Definitely not because you're territorial."

"Can I vote for not dying tonight? That seems like a solid plan."

They ended up with Kaito in the middle bed, Lyria on his right, and Seren sulking at the foot of the window bed, arms crossed.

The tension didn't ease. Not even after dinner, which was a questionable stew and some hard bread that may or may not have been older than Kaito.

He lay back, staring at the cracked ceiling, exhaustion weighing on him.

Then he felt it, warm breath on his neck.

Lyria had leaned closer. "You're stiff."

"Yeah, I... well, a lot happened today. City of death, invisible watchers, looming divine execution."

Her fingers brushed his chest. "I meant your shoulders."

He swallowed hard.

Behind him, Seren huffed. "If you two start panting again, I swear I'll hex the bed."

Lyria turned just enough to glance at her. "You're the one who said he shouldn't sleep alone."

She definitely didn't say that.

Seren's eyes narrowed. "I also said not to die. Not to get seduced into system triggered nonsense."

Lyria smirked, her hand dangerously close to Kaito's stomach. "Jealous?"

Seren scoffed. "Of what? I don't get system shocks every time he moans."

Kaito choked. "Okay. That's... that's a very specific accusation."

The Error System spoke again, almost like it was laughing.

[Emotional Tension Detected. Partial Sync Accelerating...] [Warning: Shared Bed Proximity May Cause Fragmental Cross Reactivity.]

Lyria leaned closer, lips near his ear. "We should test that. For science."

She was definitely imitating Seren now.

Seren turned away sharply. "I hate this room."

Kaito wasn't sure if he was going to explode from awkwardness or the overwhelming urge to see just how much closer Lyria intended to get.

He found out a moment later when her lips brushed his jaw.

"Sleep tight, Kaito," she teased.

He didn't.

The next morning....

Kaito woke to someone shaking him. Hard.

"Up. Now," Lyria said, strapping on her sword.

He blinked. "What's going on? Did I miss breakfast or something?"

"No time," Seren said from the window, her voice low. She was already dressed, runes floating at her fingertips. "There's movement outside."

The Error System flared to life.

[Emergency Ping: Threats Nearby. Category – Unknown.] [Labyrinth Surge Detected Within One Mile. Entry Point: Hallowrest Sewer Access C-9.]

"Sewer access," Kaito muttered. "That can't be good."

"Nothing here is," Lyria replied. She tossed him a cloak. "You're glowing again. Put that on."

Kaito pulled it over his head, still dizzy. "I miss when mornings started with cereal."

They slipped out the back of the inn just as a strange sound echoed down the alley like footsteps, but louder. Like metal on stone, but hollow. Seren whispered a warding spell under her breath. Lyria signaled them to move.

Hallowrest's alleys were dank, dark and even dripping. The deeper they went, the stronger the pulse in Kaito's head.

It was draining him.

The Error System began to stutter now.

[Entry Point Reached: Sewer Hatch C-9.] [Do You Wish to Enter Labyrinth Y/N?]

"Do we have a choice?" Kaito muttered.

Lyria opened the hatch. "Only if you want to get eaten by whatever's there."

"I think we can take a little chance." Seren said, clearly worried.

They descended.

The tunnels were worse. Cold, wet, and something was definitely alive beneath the stone.

A door sealed in crystal stood at the end of the tunnel. Glowing softly.

The system pinged again.

[Labyrinth Protocol Engaged. All Fragments Active. Sync Initiated.]

Kaito touched the door. It peeled open.

Inside: shadows, steps leading down, and a pulse, like a heartbeat in the air beating.

Seren let out a low breath. "This place is old. Definitely not built by humans."

Lyria gripped her blade. "Then we'll be careful. Stick close."

Kaito stepped forward, heart pounding.

He didn't know what waited in the dark.

But something was calling.

And the Error System, for once, was deadly silent.