Year X765

Soul Claw was one of the strongest squad of slayers in all of Alzer. Its members Althea, Mack, Kent, June, Reyes, were all A-rank mages with years' worth of experience.

They would scout sanctuaries with low-level rookies to help them gain experience and train them. Klaus was one of the combatants they wanted to help. Klaus didn't have much experience when it came to scouting so, they chose a Jack-level sanctuary. They stopped in the nearby town of Buckley to stock up on supplies.

"Psst ... Hey Reyes, look here, these bracelets look nice, don't they?"

"Kent, why would you want bracelets? You don't even have a girlfriend."

"I'm talking about June, dummy. You could give these to her. I know you both have something going on." Kent said, smirking.

"What? I don't know when or how to give this to her. Heck, I don't even know if she likes me."

"Come on, dream a little." Kent encouraged him.

Reyes then hesitantly bought the bracelet. The squad decided to spend the day in the town and leave for the sanctuary in the morning. All Reyes could think of the whole day was when and where to give the bracelets to June. He kept wondering what he would say when he gave them to her.

Soon dawn arrived, and they embarked on their expedition. They reached the den in just a few minutes. 

"So this is how a Jack level den feels like." Klaus said, mesmerized.

Klaus had never seen a den before nor felt its aura.

"Yeah. But there is something strange about this den."

"Come on, Althea, this is a perfectly normal den. Stop worrying so much." Kent said.

Kent, their tank, was the most carefree person in the group. He was the absolute opposite of June. They checked to see whether they had everything that they would need and entered the den. They used the Transporter stone to teleport into the sanctuary.

When they saw the sanctuary, they were amazed.

"Woah! It's a lot greener than what I thought." Klaus remarked with surprise.

"Why do you think it's called 'sanctuary'?" Reyes said.

"Alright, listen up. Our objective is to slay the Alpha. Try to avoid killing beasts. Slaying the Alpha will be enough to reduce the sanctuary's aura."

After Althea's command, they then started their search for the Alpha. Almost two hours later, they still didn't find the Alpha, so they decided to take a break.

"June, I want you to scout the area and make sure everything is safe. Take Reyes with you." Althea ordered.

"What? Why me?" Reyes was surprised.

Kent told Reyes that this would be the perfect opportunity for him to give her the bracelets. Reyes, although hesitant, agreed and started to scout the area with June.

"It's a lovely sanctuary, don't you think, Reyes?"

"Yea. I don't think I have ever seen a sanctuary as beautiful and vast as this. There is twice the number of fruits here."

"I know, right. I mean, we could live here."

They both chuckled and walked on, As they were nearing their campsite. Reyes thought this was the moment and he should give her the bracelets.

"June, I know this might sound cheesy, but I've liked you for a while now. Will you accept this bracelet?" Reyes asked nervously. 

June stood there surprised for a few seconds, then smiled and took the bracelet.

"You know, when we were still in Buckley buying supplies, I overheard your conversation with Kent, and I felt a little excited."

A bright smile lit up Reyes's face. He was able to confess his feelings, but this feeling of happiness didn't last long. They felt a strong, sickening presence. They rushed towards the camp to see if everyone was okay.

"Althea, what the hell was that?" Reyes asked with mild panic.

"I'm not sure. I thought you and June encountered something dangerous."

Kent was completely frozen stiff from the presence. He then said,

"This strong presence…. It can only mean one thing. We're in a false sanctuary. A JOKER!"