The next morning, James woke up to the smell of smoldering embers and the sound of Garrick sharpening his axe.

  The night had been… surprisingly good. Instead of diving headfirst back into the dungeon, they'd spent the evening around the fire, telling stories, talking shit, and actually learning about each other. It was a rare moment where death wasn’t looming over them like a pissed-off raid boss.

  But now? Now it was time to go back in.

  James sat up, rubbing his face as Lyra stretched beside him. “So. We ready to get instantly obliterated again?”

  Riona grinned. “Damn right.”

  Lillian slung her bow over her shoulder. “We do have a plan this time, right?”

  Garrick stood, rolling his shoulders. “Step one: Don’t stand where the boss is going to appear.”

  James smirked. “Solid strategy.”

  They packed up quickly, shaking off the last bits of exhaustion. Then, without further delay, they turned back toward the dungeon entrance.

  And stepped inside.

  The air changed the moment they crossed the threshold.

  James could feel it—thicker, heavier, like stepping into a place that didn’t quite follow the same rules as reality. The dungeon had already shifted, resetting overnight. The layout was different. The halls weren’t the same ones they’d explored yesterday.

  Even the light felt off, flickering strangely against the stone.

  Lyra exhaled. “I hate this place.”

  Riona cracked her knuckles. “At least it keeps things fresh.”

  James eyed the corridor ahead. "Fresh is one way to put it."

  This time, they moved carefully. Yesterday's overconfidence had cost them a full wipe—today, they weren’t making the same mistakes.

  The first few rooms were silent. No enemies. No traps. Just cold stone and the distant sound of water dripping somewhere in the distance.

  Then the first fight hit.

  A pair of twisted, humanoid figures lunged from the darkness, their bodies shifting, their faces featureless except for jagged mouths that split open too wide.

  James reacted on instinct, drawing his sword as he sidestepped the first attack. Lyra already had her daggers out, moving faster than the creatures could track.

  Riona went in next, spear flashing as she drove it through the closest creature’s midsection. It screeched—not in pain, but like it was trying to mimic the sound of human agony.

  James didn't hesitate. He brought his sword down hard, severing its head in a single motion.

  Stolen story; please report.

  The body collapsed, but the head? The head kept laughing—a dry, broken chuckle that made his stomach turn.

  Then it melted into the stone.

  Lillian loosed an arrow at the second creature just as it lunged for Garrick. The shot pierced its shoulder, staggering it long enough for Garrick to bring his axe down in a brutal overhead swing.

  CRACK.

  The creature split in half.

  Then, like the first, its body sank into the stone, absorbed by the dungeon itself.

  Lyra took a step back, shaking her head. “That was… unsettling.”

  James exhaled. “No loot. No XP notification.”

  Riona grimaced. “It’s like the dungeon is recycling them.”

  Lillian nocked another arrow, scanning the shadows. “Great. Love that.”

  They pushed forward.

  After another hour, they reached the puzzle chamber.

  It was a massive stone hall, lined with carved symbols along the walls and a set of four large pedestals in the center. A door on the far end remained sealed shut, heavy iron locks bolted into place.

  James eyed the pedestals warily. “Alright. Who wants to bet stepping on the wrong one gets us killed?”

  Lyra raised a hand. “I’ll take that bet.”

  Riona walked up to the carvings, running a gloved hand over the symbols. “These markings… they’re not just decoration.”

  Lillian stepped closer, studying them. “They’re different from the rest of the dungeon. Older.”

  Garrick crossed his arms. “So what, we just start guessing?”

  James stepped forward, inspecting the pedestals. Each had a different symbol carved into its surface—similar to the ones on the walls. Four options. Four pedestals.

  Then he noticed something.

  On the far left wall, one symbol was slightly more faded than the others.

  James pointed. “That one’s different.”

  Lyra followed his gaze. “...You think it’s the key?”

  “Only one way to find out.”

  James placed a hand on the corresponding pedestal.

  For a moment, nothing happened.

  Then the air shifted—and the door unlocked with a heavy clang.

  Riona exhaled. “Huh. That was almost too easy.”

  James narrowed his eyes. “Yeah. Which means the next part probably won’t be.”

  As if on cue, the moment they stepped past the threshold, the ceiling rumbled—and the walls started closing in.

  Lillian groaned. “Spoke too soon.”

  James sprinted forward. “RUN!”

  The group bolted down the corridor as the walls lurched inward, grinding against the stone floor. The passage wasn’t long, but every second counted.

  James heard Lyra curse as she slipped on the uneven ground—he grabbed her by the arm, yanking her forward just before a section of wall slammed shut behind them.

  Riona dived through the narrowing gap, rolling to her feet.

  Garrick was the last one through, barely making it before the stone sealed shut.

  The room fell into silence.

  They had made it.

  James let out a breath. “Okay. So, puzzles are still bullshit.”

  Lillian laughed breathlessly. “Yeah, no arguments there.”

  Garrick cracked his neck. “What’s next?”

  Riona pointed ahead. “That.”

  James followed her gaze.

  At the center of the room stood a massive, circular door, carved with intricate patterns. Unlike the previous locks, this one had no obvious mechanism.

  Lyra squinted at the carvings. “Looks like another puzzle.”

  James sighed. “Great.”

  But as he stepped closer, something about the door felt different.

  The air around it was… wrong.

  James frowned.

  And then—

  The door moved.

  Not opened. Not unlocked. It shifted, unfurling, like something beneath it had just woken up.

  And suddenly, James was very sure this wasn’t just another puzzle.

  This was something worse.

  Something alive.

  Lyra took a slow step back. “Uh… guys?”

  Then the grinding started.

  Deep. Mechanical.

  And in the center of the door, a single, burning red eye snapped open.

  James froze.

  And then, without warning—

  The dungeon shifted again.