The dust settled slowly, cloaking the battlefield in a heavy silence. All around them, shards of shattered stone littered the ground—remnants of the fierce clash.

  Alynia finally moved. She pushed herself up with effort, swaying slightly under the weight of exhaustion. Every muscle in her body ached, and even the smallest motion sent waves of dull pain through her limbs.

  Veil, however, remained frozen in place.

  His eyes didn’t leave Alynia.

  He wanted to make sure she was alright, but something held him back—a hesitation he’d never felt before. He knew it was still her… and yet, the memory of what he’d just witnessed chilled him to the core.

  Alynia took a few steps forward before leaning against an unbroken boulder. She slid down to the ground with a tired sigh and looked up at Veil.

  “Little Wolf… bring me my things,” Alynia said, calm but drained.

  Veil flinched slightly at the sound of her voice.

  He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and immediately set out to find the tights and boots she had left behind earlier. But a quick glance around was enough to realize the Hydreon’s shockwave had scattered everything far and wide.

  He searched for several minutes, turning over stones, venturing deeper into the debris. At last, he found them… but they were soaked.

  He returned to Alynia and silently handed her the bundle. And only then did he truly notice—

  She was back to normal.

  The claws were gone, her pupils had returned to their usual shape, and that crushing aura… had vanished.

  A weight lifted off his shoulders—but not entirely.

  Alynia took her things and rummaged through her bag, pulling out some dry wood. With slow, deliberate movements, she arranged a small pile on the ground and lit a fire. Every motion drew a wince from her, betraying just how much effort even simple tasks now demanded.

  Soon, the fire crackled gently, its warmth a welcome relief after the relentless ordeal. Alynia placed her clothes near the flames to dry, then sat down again.

  A long silence settled between them.

  Only the sound of burning wood broke the oppressive calm.

  Then, at last, Veil spoke.

  “How do you feel?” he asked carefully.

  Alynia lifted her gaze, observing him for a moment before answering.

  “I’ve been better,” she replied wearily, a touch of dry irony in her tone.

  She closed her eyes for a second, her expression revealing the depth of her exhaustion.

  “But at least… we’re still alive,” she added, quieter.

  Veil nodded. He wished he could leave it at that. But he couldn’t. One question had been gnawing at him since the fight ended.

  “That was… what, exactly?” he asked, hesitating.

  Alynia raised a hand, cutting him off with a sharp gesture.

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  “You were never supposed to see that,” she said, her voice firm.

  Her gaze hardened.

  “And you’re not to speak of it to anyone,” she added in a low, cutting tone.

  Veil opened his mouth to argue, but she didn’t give him the chance.

  “As for the details—this isn’t the time,” she concluded, more curtly.

  Veil clenched his fists. He wanted answers. But something in her voice made it clear—he wouldn’t get any tonight.

  He looked away, though his thoughts kept circling.

  “Alynia… who are you, really?” Veil murmured, barely audible, troubled.

  She caught the hesitation in his voice, and after a moment, she spoke again.

  “If I’m ranked A in the Guild, there’s a reason for it. I’m not weak,” she replied, her tone more composed.

  Veil raised his eyes to her, but instead of reassurance, he felt a fresh wave of unease wash over him.

  That didn’t answer anything. If anything, it only raised more questions.

  A tense silence hung between them.

  Eventually, Veil broke it, his voice quieter, more hesitant:

  “…What’s a Guild? And… what does being rank A even mean?” he asked, confused.

  Alynia stared at him—surprised.

  Then, the faintest smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, laced with exhaustion and irony.

  “You’re serious, Little Wolf?” she asked, half-teasing.

  But Veil didn’t laugh. He wasn’t looking at her with his usual expression, nor with confusion.

  He looked… sad.

  “I don’t know anything about this world… I’ve lost everything. All I have are scattered fragments—flashes of moments I don’t understand,” he admitted, calm but sincere.

  Alynia didn’t look away.

  She had known.

  She’d suspected it from the first day she saw him—since the moment that circle of light pierced the sky and struck the ground.

  But this was the first time he said it out loud.

  A quiet sigh escaped her lips before her gaze turned steadier.

  “A break won’t hurt us,” she said gently, but seriously.

  She settled more comfortably against the boulder, her eyes watching the flames.

  “I’ll explain everything. But in exchange… you’ll tell me what you do remember,” she offered calmly.

  Veil nodded, and though Alynia seemed relaxed, her voice carried a clear fatigue when she began again.

  “The Guild is the heart of our work. If I’m here, going through this dungeon, it’s because they assigned me this mission. Everything we take from the monsters belongs to me. But the reward waiting on the final floor—that goes to them,” she explained calmly.

  She paused, and Veil took the chance to ask a question.

  “There’s always a reward at the end? And if someone decides not to hand it over… what happens?” he asked, genuinely curious.

  Alynia raised an eyebrow before answering.

  “Yes, a dungeon always has a reward. It can be useful… or not, depending on the difficulty. But no one knows what it’ll be beforehand. It’s random,” she explained in an instructive tone.

  She reached into her satchel and pulled out a few items collected from the fallen monsters—small stones, a shard of crystal, and a worn-down piece of jewelry.

  “That’s how it is. You never know what creatures will drop… and it’s the same with a dungeon’s core,” she added, calmly.

  Veil listened intently. It was all new to him—and for the first time, he was actually learning something about this world, however brief. That gnawing emptiness inside him, the absence of memories, made every bit of information feel precious.

  Alynia continued.

  “So, the Guild sends people like me—adventurers—to retrieve those treasures in exchange for payment,” she said plainly.

  She opened her coin pouch, pulled out a few coins, then handed a small copper piece to Veil, who took it, intrigued.

  “Every adventurer has a rank. They don’t send beginners into dungeons like this one,” she explained in a neutral tone.

  She paused for a moment, her gaze drifting toward the fire.

  “…They shouldn’t have given it to me, either. I still wonder what they’re playing at…” she murmured, perplexed.

  Her voice was barely audible—more a thought spoken aloud than a real statement. Veil thought he heard something, but not clearly enough.

  “Huh? What did you say?” he asked, curious.

  Alynia gave a slight shake of her head and continued without answering.

  “Anyway, ranks go from F to A for regular adventurers. After that, you move up to S, SS, and S+,” she resumed.

  She crossed her arms, her tone growing more serious.

  “Ranks S and SS are rare. Those adventurers can handle tough enemies with little help. But S+… those are on another level. You can count them on one hand. They’re living legends,” she explained matter-of-factly.

  Veil said nothing, completely absorbed. Everything she said fascinated him.

  How is it possible I know nothing about any of this? he thought, awestruck.

  Alynia studied him for a moment before wrapping things up.

  “Anyway, that’s the basic idea. The Guild gives us missions, we complete them and bring back what they want in exchange for money. The rest? We keep it or sell it—up to us,” she concluded calmly.

  Veil nodded, taking it all in. Then another question rose to the surface.

  “And… what happens if someone fails the mission?” he asked, hesitating.

  Alynia gave a faint smirk before answering in a teasing tone.

  “If you mess up, you can go sleep with pigs on a farm to pay off your failure,” she quipped, amused.

  She shrugged.

  “You won’t get paid, and you’ll get penalized. Simple as that,” she added, still playfully.

  Veil pulled a skeptical face.

  A quiet moment passed between them.

  But Alynia hadn’t forgotten.

  She slowly turned toward Veil, eyes narrowing slightly with intent.

  “Now it’s your turn,” she said softly, watching him, a touch mischievous.

  Leaning back against the boulder, she folded her arms.

  “I’ll tell you the rest later. But you… tell me what you remember,” she added calmly.

  Veil reached out and handed the coin back to Alynia.

  She looked at him for a moment but said nothing. Her attention drifted instead to his expression… to that veil of uncertainty clouding his eyes.

  He lowered his gaze toward the fire.

  The flames danced, casting shifting shadows across the rocks. Their warmth was gentle, a soft contrast to the oppressive darkness surrounding them.

  But to him, there was only emptiness.

  Why…? Why can’t I remember anything? he thought, troubled.

  Alynia had just explained the Guild, how this world worked, its rules. But still—nothing.

  He was learning, yes. But nothing stirred within.

  No distant echoes, no flicker of familiarity. Just that haze… that constant doubt.

  The silence stretched on.

  Alynia, still seated against the boulder, watched him for a while before finally breaking the quiet.

  “What are you waiting for?” she asked in an even tone.

  Veil jerked his head up, pulled out of his thoughts.

  “Ah… sorry,” he murmured, hesitant.

  He ran a hand through his hair, trying to find the words.

  “You kept your word… so I’ll keep mine,” he sighed.

  He drew a deep breath.

  But how do you tell a story…

  …when there’s nothing to tell?

  When there’s nothing to remember?