Nox finally stumbled onto the scene, his lungs feeling like they were about to catch fire. He bent over, hands on his knees, just trying to suck in enough air to not pass out. 'Okay, seriously,' he gasped to himself, 'was this place always this far, or did she move it?'

He looked up, and there she was. Serian, perched on the edge of a low, busted-up wall, kicking her feet back and forth like some little kid who'd just gotten away with stealing a cookie. A smug, impossibly amused smile was plastered all over her face.

"I was starting to worry," she said, tilting her head. The look in her eyes was pure, unfiltered victory. "I thought maybe you'd gotten lost. You certainly took your sweet time."

He finally managed to straighten up, though his breathing was still ragged. "Yeah, well, you cheated." He knew damn well she hadn't—the girl was just freakishly fast—but he had to say something to salvage his pride.

Up ahead, not too far off, the city center gleamed like a mirage. It was completely untouched by all the chaos and ruin they'd just run through. The buildings were tall, sleek, and so clean they practically sparkled. He could see people moseying around in fancy clothes, looking like they didn't have a single care in the world. It was a totally different universe, the kind of place you only saw in movies about rich people.

"So," he finally said, getting his breath back under control. "What's the prize? You won the stupid race, so what do you want?"

She hopped off the wall, a playful glint in her eyes that made him instantly suspicious. "Hmm, that's a good question." She tapped a long, elegant finger against her chin, making a big show of pretending to think about it. "You must… tell me something you are afraid of."

He just stared at her, blinking. 'You've got to be kidding me. That's it? That's what she wants?' He'd been bracing for her to demand his sword or make him do a hundred push-ups or something equally humiliating. This… this was different. Way more personal than he was comfortable with.

"That's a weird prize," he grumbled, kicking at a loose rock on the ground.

"You agreed to the terms," she reminded him, her victorious smile not budging an inch. "No questions asked. But," she added, her tone softening just a little, "I am feeling merciful. You don't have to tell me now. I'll claim my prize later. Probably when it's most inconvenient for you."

He just grunted. 'Later. Whatever. Gives me time to make up a convincing lie.'

They started walking, and the change in scenery was jarring. One second they were on busted-up streets full of rubble and trash, the next they were on perfectly paved roads that looked like they were scrubbed clean every hour. The people here were just… living. Strolling along, laughing, completely oblivious.

"This place is creepy," he muttered, watching a woman in a ridiculously fancy dress walk a dog that was smaller than his boot.

"It feels… insulated," Serian observed, her gaze sweeping the area. Her earlier playfulness had vanished, replaced by that usual, hyper-aware watchfulness of hers. "The air itself is different. Still."

As they moved deeper into the district, Nox started noticing people who definitely didn't fit the rich-and-oblivious vibe. He spotted one guy with a massive, two-handed axe strapped to his back, just casually leaning against a wall. A little further on, a group decked out in mismatched armor were having a heated argument next to a fancy water fountain.

'Players,' he thought. 'Or whatever we're calling ourselves. This has to be some kind of hub. A safe zone.' He immediately started scanning the crowds, not just looking at the newcomers anymore, but searching for familiar faces. 'Where are they? Did they even make it out?'

Serian, of course, noticed the shift in his attention. Her eyes were sharp. "You're looking for someone." It wasn't a question.

He shot her a surprised glance. She picked up on things way too fast. "Is it that obvious?"

"Your focus changed," she replied simply. "You are no longer just observing the area. You are searching every face that passes. The girls from the school?"

"Yeah," he admitted, a knot tightening in his stomach. "Told them to meet me here if they could."

"The ones you lead," she stated, her voice quiet but certain. "You feel a duty to them."

He stopped walking and looked at her, really looked at her. 'How does she do that? Just cut right to the heart of it?' It made him feel exposed, like she could see right through the tough-guy act he tried so hard to maintain.

"Something like that," he said, his voice flat. He started walking again, a little faster this time. "Don't go analyzing me, princess."

"It's not analysis," she said, easily keeping pace. "It's observation. It's written all over you. It is as clear as the color of your eyes."

He didn't have a comeback for that, so he just kept quiet. They walked further into the district until they reached a large, open square. The place was packed. A massive crowd was gathered in front of a giant electronic billboard mounted on the side of a skyscraper. It wasn't showing ads for soda or anything normal. It was scrolling through lists of names and numbers.

'What the hell is all that about?' He steered them toward the crowd to get a better look. As they got closer, the text on the screen came into focus.

[ BOUNTY BOARD ]

[ Target: Gorok the Defiler - 50,000c ]

[ Target: Sludge Beast (Anomaly) - 15,000c ]

[ Target: The Mercenary 'Lola' - 20,000c ]

Nox saw Lola's name and his eyes narrowed. 'Well, well, well. Looks like she pissed off the wrong people. Good for her.'

But Serian's eyes were glued to a different name: 'Gorok the Defiler.' Her breath caught in her throat, a tiny, almost inaudible sound. Her whole body went rigid. 'That monster,' she thought, a cold dread washing over her. 'His name is known even in this strange world. This changes everything. The danger here is far greater than I could have possibly imagined.'

She turned to Nox, her face pale and her mood stone-cold serious. "Nox," she said, her voice low and urgent, cutting through the noise of the crowd. "We must leave this place. Now."

"Yeah, this crowd's giving me a headache anyway," he agreed, oblivious to her real reason. "And it's getting late. We can look for your fan club, and my girls, tomorrow."

They pushed their way out of the throng of people, moving away from the bright, overwhelming lights of the bounty board. The sun was setting, and the streets were quickly growing dark.

"We need a place to stay for the night," Serian stated, her gaze scanning the surrounding buildings for an inn or a hotel.

"Yeah, about that," he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm, uh, a little short on cash right now."

Serian stopped dead and looked at him, her head tilted. "Short on… cash?" she repeated, tasting the unfamiliar word.

"Broke," he clarified, feeling a little pathetic. "No money. Zilch. Nada." He turned his pockets inside out to show her nothing but lint.

Her pointy ears twitched in confusion. "Are you referring to currency?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine curiosity.

'Is she for real, or is this some kind of elf joke I'm not getting?' he wondered. "Yeah, money. You know, the stuff you pay with to get a room so we don't have to sleep on the street."

She reached into a small, intricately embroidered pouch at her belt that he hadn't even noticed before. After fumbling inside it for a moment, she pulled out a single, shiny gold coin. It looked ancient, heavy, and was covered in strange symbols that seemed to glow with a faint, inner light.

She held it out to him in her flat palm. "Will this be sufficient for our lodging?"

He just stared at the coin, his brain short-circuiting for a second.

"...The hell is that?"