The room was simple yet elegant in its careful design—at least that’s what Derek thought. A vaulted ceiling and spacious walls provided plenty of room for large ritual circles. The deep gray granite walls were inscribed with enchantments and inscriptions meant to block out magical interference from the neighboring rooms. These same inscriptions stabilized the room's ambient magic, ensuring it was a safe place for performing powerful rituals. The walls were lined with magical glowstones, providing excellent lighting. But these stones gave off a subtle magic of their own, which could potentially disturb the delicate balance of ambient magic required for the ritual. To prevent this, the stones were encased in small magical arrays that filtered their resonance and protected them from the effects of any ritual performed within the room.

  Andrea, Naiome, and Kalic stood together at the edge of the room, watching as Derek meticulously drew an intricate ritual circle in the center. Of the three, only Naiome had any understanding of magical theory, but even she couldn’t make sense of the complex runes, sigils, and patterns Derek was inscribing on the floor. They stood in silence as Derek hunched over his book of notes, occasionally muttering to himself as he flipped through pages filled with diagrams and explanations of the ritual they were about to perform.

  “How much longer is this going to take, Derek?” Naiome asked gently.

  Derek shot them an annoyed glare. “We could have finished this hours ago, but you three wanted to sleep in after drinking last night. Then you wanted to eat before coming here, which delayed us even more. We had to walk all the way from the hotel at the city’s outskirts to the center, getting soaked in the rain along the way.”

  “Right, sorry,” she said sheepishly.

  The three had been waiting in silence for over an hour, well aware of Derek’s growing frustration. And to be fair, Derek had every reason to be upset. The night before, to celebrate their arrival in Pinewood City, the team had gone out for drinks, and they hadn’t exactly taken it easy. The result was that Andrea, Naiome, and Kalic hadn’t woken up until noon, before insisting on having breakfast at a café near their lodgings. After leisurely finishing their meal, they finally gave in to Derek’s complaints and headed into the city to complete the ritual.

  The reason they were staying at a hotel on the outskirts of the city in the first place was due to their financial situation. They were still relatively new to adventuring, and most of their time had been spent traveling rather than accepting contracts. As a result, they didn’t have much money, most of their earnings coming from the few harvesting rituals Derek had performed along the way. This forced them to choose a cheaper option on the city's outskirts. The hotel itself wasn’t bad—it was clean, comfortable, and had enough space for the four of them—but the distance from the heart of the city was a problem. The long walk from their hotel to the magic society, especially in the pouring rain, had left them soaked and tired. By the time they finally reached the adventuring district and rented a ritual room, Derek was thoroughly fed up.

  They had rented the room for a couple of hours, and it wasn’t cheap. The ritual they needed to perform required specific conditions, and those requirements made the cost higher than they could comfortably afford. Every minute wasted was more money down the drain. Derek worked in silence, placing the necessary items around the circle, using magical instruments to ensure every element was precisely where it needed to be. After finishing the preparations, Derek stood back, surveying his work with satisfaction.

  “The ritual needs a lot of mana,” he said, looking up at the others. “That’s why I couldn’t do it alone, otherwise I would’ve done this much sooner. I’ve added three spots in the circle where you three can sit and infuse your mana into the ritual. Between the four of us, we should have enough to power it.”

  “And if we don’t?” Kalic asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Reaching into his bag, Derek pulled out four small vials filled with a shimmering light blue liquid. “I procured some cheap mana potions from an alchemist. They’re not great—apprentice made, but they were cheap and all we could afford. They won’t restore much mana, but it should give us just enough to complete the ritual.”

  The group exchanged somber nods. Each of them took a potion and moved carefully into their positions within the ritual circle. Navigating the complex lines on the floor with caution, they sat down at the spots Derek had indicated.

  At Derek’s signal, they placed their hands on the designated points for mana infusion, and the ritual began. The intricate lines of the circle lit up, slowly coming to life as mana flowed into the countless patterns. Each of them could feel their mana draining rapidly as the ritual's demands grew stronger. One by one, they drank their potions, their mana quickly replenishing but being consumed just as fast by the hungry ritual.

  Concern began to creep in as the mana from the potions was also quickly drained. They exchanged worried glances, unsure if they had enough mana to complete the ritual.

  Fortunately, they had just enough. The final lines of the circle lit up in a brilliant white light. The ritual hummed with energy, and in a flash, the items within the circle were consumed. A pulse of energy rippled out from the circle, searching for whatever it was the team had been sent to look for.

  Andrea, Naiome, and Kalic all groaned, rubbing their aching heads from the mana depletion. Derek, meanwhile, pulled out his notebook, grimacing as he looked at the center of the circle. Strange runes and symbols had appeared within the circle, their meanings unclear to everyone but Derek. He scribbled furiously, recording every detail before the symbols could fade. As he continued to write, a frown began to form on his face.

  The symbols eventually stopped appearing, and the glowing lines of the ritual began to dim, leaving nothing but a fine layer of ash where the items had been. As the others nursed their headaches, Derek pored over his notes, his frown deepening.

  “So?” Andrea finally asked, breaking the silence.

  “It’s not here,” Derek said, shaking his head in disappointment.

  “I told you it wouldn’t be,” Kalic replied with a shrug. “They sent us here because they knew it was an unlikely spot for whatever they’re looking for. Did you at least get all the data you needed?”

  “Yeah,” Derek replied with a sigh. “I recorded everything. It’s clear this isn’t the place. All we have to do now is submit the report to the adventurers guild and claim our reward.”

  They sat quietly for a few moments, recovering their strength. Finally, Naiome broke the silence. “So, what do we do now?”

  “What do you mean?” Kalic responded. “We took this contract to get away from home and see the world. Now we’re in a new city. Let’s explore it, get stronger, and when we’re ready, we’ll move on to the next place.”

  The others nodded in agreement before Kalic continued, “But first, let’s get the reward we spent months traveling for. Derek, why don’t you head over to the adventurers’ guild and claim it.”

  “What?” Derek asked, surprised.

  “You did the ritual,” the scale-kin grinned at his friend. “It’s only fair that you go claim the reward. Andrea, Naiome, and I will clean up the ritual room and meet you there, right guys?”

  Rather than answer, the two girls shared a look.

  ***

  Lukas had done plenty of reading in his time. From fantasy to sci-fi, he’d encountered many descriptions of teleportation—some where the world shifted around you, others where everything spun uncontrollably, making you nauseous. Some even described being broken down into particles and reassembled elsewhere in an instant.

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  This, however, was different. It was as if Lukas had simply blinked and found himself somewhere entirely new. There were no strange sensations or movements—just a blink, and the world around him had changed. He still had his hand out, reaching for a door knob that was no longer there.

  Lukas took a startled step back before even registering the new room he had appeared in. It was a cave, though clearly one that had been transformed into a study. The room was large, with a ceiling at least twenty feet high, adorned with small stalactites hanging above. The space was roughly circular and spacious—at least fifteen meters in diameter. The walls were rough and uneven, not shaped by tools but left in their natural form. Yet despite this, the room was filled with furniture: stands, shelves, cabinets, and cases, all holding strange trinkets and objects. The walls were embedded with pale blue crystals that glowed softly, casting a natural light throughout the space. At least Lukas assumed the crystals were the source of light, as there were no torches, windows, or candles.

  The centerpiece of the room was a large wooden desk, something that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a CEO’s office. The desk was massive and ornately carved, sitting atop a lavish rug in the center of the room. Behind the desk was an equally grand chair, and for a moment, Lukas felt the urge to sit in it, just to feel something soft under him after all he had been through.

  Shaking off the thought, Lukas noticed three objects placed neatly on the desk, lined up in a row. He felt an odd pull toward them and almost approached to examine them, but stopped himself. He was in a strange place, and caution was necessary, no matter how relieved he was to finally find signs of civilization. After all, this wasn’t the only room here.

  Besides the set of double doors he had entered—or perhaps teleported through—there were four other doors around the room, each spaced evenly and made of wood. All were closed. Oddly, there was a large empty space directly behind the desk, just large enough to accommodate a fifth door, though none was present.

  Drawing his sword, uncertain of what might lie behind each door, Lukas cautiously approached the nearest one on his left. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if the door would teleport him again. After all, the first one had. He paused and thought. If this was some kind of dungeon, there was a chance he needed the items from this room to progress. Lukas wasn’t a big gamer, but he had read enough to know that was often the case. Without whatever the room contained, he could end up stuck—or worse.

  But what kind of dungeon had a well-furnished study as part of it? In most of the stories he’d read, rooms like this were either in ruins or covered in dust and cobwebs. And if a room like this existed, it was usually the last one, not the first. Could this be someone’s home? That seemed unlikely, given the door had appeared out of nowhere, and Lukas was certain it hadn’t been there when he first entered the cave. Besides, who would live out here, in the middle of a monster-infested forest?

  Lukas wasn’t convinced this was a dungeon, and yet it didn’t seem like anyone’s home, so what was it? Perhaps this was some kind of special encounter, like in those old games where you stumbled upon a strange, out-of-place area with hidden secrets. Whatever it was, Lukas knew he needed to sweep the place before letting his guard down.

  Nodding to himself, he lightly touched the knob and held his breath. When nothing happened, he sighed in relief. No teleporting doors here—at least not this one. Grasping the knob firmly, Lukas turned it slowly and carefully pushed the door open, peeking inside.

  Beyond the door was what appeared to be a library. As Lukas opened the door fully, he saw more clearly—bookshelves lined the walls and formed two rows in the center of the room, each packed with books. The shelves were so tall that there was even a rolling ladder to reach the higher sections.

  For a moment, Lukas forgot everything else and just stared. For what felt like ages, he had been filled with questions—questions about this world, its dangers, and how to navigate it. Now, in front of him, was a treasure trove of knowledge waiting to be explored. His first instinct was to drop everything and start reading, but he forced himself to remain focused.

  This one room alone was worth more to him than anything he had encountered so far—absolutely priceless. But first, he needed to make sure there was nothing dangerous lurking within. Stepping inside, the cool stone floor beneath his feet shifted to hardwood, like something from a house back home. As he crept through the aisles, he couldn’t help but glance at the books. They varied in size, age, and condition. Some were thick, dusty tomes, their pages yellowed with age. Others were newer, sleeker, and thinner. What caught him most off guard was the fact that he could read the titles. He’d assumed his translation ability worked only with spoken language, but the spines of these books were clearly written in English—or at least something he could understand.

  After several minutes of careful searching, Lukas finished his sweep of the library and found nothing amiss. Everything was meticulously organized, with no dust or signs of disarray. It was almost unnervingly perfect. Still, he pushed the thought from his mind, reminding himself that this was likely some sort of special encounter. The oddness of it all made a certain amount of sense.

  Satisfied there was no immediate threat, Lukas returned to the central room. He approached the second door, sword still at the ready, though with slightly less caution this time. Opening it, he stepped into what appeared to be some sort of laboratory. Along the walls were countertops and cabinets filled with strange trinkets that looked like ornamental desk toys. The cabinets were stocked with flasks, tubes, vials, beakers, and other glass instruments. In the center of the room was a large stone table, as if it had risen from the cave floor itself. Scattered across the table were more strange objects, though Lukas recognized a mortar and pestle as well as what appeared to be a cauldron inscribed with unfamiliar symbols.

  It didn’t take long for Lukas to realize he was standing in some kind of magical laboratory. Most of the equipment was unrecognizable, but he assumed it all had some magical function. He wasn’t sure what the lab was for, but judging by the variety of tools, it seemed like an all-purpose workspace.

  He poked around the room briefly, curious but cautious, before moving on. The more rooms he explored, the more relaxed he became. So far, nothing had jumped out at him, and everything seemed relatively normal, given the circumstances. He began to believe more and more that he had simply stumbled upon some kind of hidden, magical sanctuary.

  After stepping back into the main room, Lukas moved on to the next door. He passed behind the desk and the empty space on the wall as he approached the third door. This time, he was less cautious, opening the door quickly but still keeping his sword ready, just in case. As the door swung open, Lukas’ guard immediately went up again.

  The first thing he saw was grass. Then bushes. Flowers. And finally, trees. Lukas instinctively raised his sword, expecting something to lunge at him from the greenery.

  Was this the outside again? Or was it part of the strange place he had been teleported into? It didn’t seem like the forest he had come from—the trees were different. They weren’t the towering redwoods he was used to; they were smaller, deciduous trees, more like the kind you’d find in a suburban park.

  But that didn’t mean there wasn’t danger lurking here. Something could be hiding among the neatly arranged flower beds and berry bushes. Or perhaps in the large, elegant fountain in the center, its water gurgling softly.

  Yeah, this was definitely a garden.

  Lukas cautiously stepped forward, trying to make sense of how a place like this could exist inside a cave. The walls, covered in vines and moss, were cleverly disguised behind rows of bushes and plants. What confused him the most was the ceiling—or what appeared to be the sky. Clouds and sunlight filtered down as though he were standing outside, but he couldn’t see beyond what was clearly an illusion. The wall stretched upward about thirty meters before blending seamlessly into the “sky.”

  As Lukas took another step forward, his foot met soft grass, and the fresh scent of the forest hit him. He made his way through the garden, recognizing several of the flowers growing in abundance. Some were familiar, while others were completely foreign, but Lukas resisted the urge to stop and examine them. He had to ensure the area was safe before he could relax.

  During his search, he found several small ponds scattered throughout the garden, each filled with water plants, both on the surface and growing beneath it. For the thousandth time, Lukas wanted to pause and investigate, but he reminded himself that now wasn’t the time. Many of the trees in the garden bore fruit, though none he recognized. One tree had something resembling apples, except they were bright yellow. The other fruits were completely alien to him, which made sense—he was on another planet, after all.

  As Lukas neared the back of the garden, he discovered a small slope leading downward into the ground. Following it cautiously, he found a damp, dimly lit area filled with neatly arranged fungi. Some of the mushrooms emitted a faint glow, casting soft light over the area. It was clear this section was used to grow plants that thrived in darkness and moisture.

  Shaking his head in wonder, Lukas returned to the main garden and made his way back to the door he had entered through. From there, he walked toward the final door, pausing in front of it. He debated whether or not he should bother with his sword, considering how uneventful the previous rooms had been. But in the end, he decided to play it safe. Knowing his luck, this would be the room where all the bad things were hiding.

  So, with his sword raised one more time, Lukas turned the knob and cautiously swung the door open.