The dungeon was darker than any of us had expected. The air was thick and damp, each breath carrying a metallic taste. Shadows flickered from our torches, dancing across the jagged walls, while the sound of distant growls echoed through the chambers. This was definitely the kind of place Jay-Jay should have been kept far away from.

“So, what’s the plan here?” Jeanna asked, her voice muffled by the weight of the atmosphere.

Alice was practically bouncing on her toes, clutching her weapon. “Simple. We explore, we avoid the traps, we take out the monsters, and we find that portal.”

Sabrina gave her an incredulous look. “Simple? You call that simple?”

Alice shrugged. “It's what I do in every game. Besides, we have a tiny six-year-old dungeon expert with us. What could go wrong?”

Jay-Jay, of course, beamed at that, clearly pleased with the idea of being part of the team. “Don’t worry, I’ve seen my brother do this loads of times. Just stay behind me.”

Jeanna muttered under her breath, “We are literally letting a kid lead us into a deathtrap. This is how horror movies start.”

We pressed on, with Jay-Jay leading the way as confidently as ever. Every now and then, he would point to a particularly suspicious-looking stone on the floor or tug us away from a hidden trigger, showing us the secrets of the dungeon as if it were his own backyard.

The further we ventured, the more twisted the dungeon became. Corridors narrowed into suffocating tunnels, and eerie, glowing symbols lined the walls. Alice was in her element, rattling off dungeon lore and enthusiastically pointing out every possible trap or secret.

"Guys, if this were a game, I'd be maxing out my experience points right now," she said, her eyes gleaming. “This is it! We’re about to find the big boss room!”

“I swear, if you mention one more game mechanic, I’m throwing you to the monsters,” Jeanna grumbled, rolling her eyes.

Sabrina chuckled. “You know, we really should've ended up in one of Jeanna’s books instead of this bloody dungeon.”

Jeanna perked up immediately, a sly smile creeping across her face. “Yes! Exactly! I mean, wouldn’t it be great if we were stuck in an adult romance novel right now? We’d be lounging in a lavish palace, maybe with a few steamy encounters with the hottest guys this world has to offer.”

Sabrina snorted. “Yeah, because that’s what we need right now—less blood, more bodice ripping.”

Jeanna’s eyes twinkled. “A handsome, brooding guy could burst out of the shadows any second now. His shirt already torn, revealing chiseled abs. He'd look deep into my eyes and say, ‘You’re the one I’ve been searching for all my life. I can’t fight it anymore...’” She sighed dramatically, clutching her chest for added effect.

Alice snorted. “Jeanna, if a brooding, shirtless guy bursts out of these shadows, he’s probably going to try to eat you, not fall madly in love with you.”

Jeanna shot her a wink. “Hey, sometimes the eating part is a good thing.”

Alice and Sabrina both burst out laughing, while Jay-Jay looked utterly confused. “Why would he want to eat you? That’s gross.”

“Ah, sweet summer child,” Jeanna cooed, patting his head. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

Jay-Jay scrunched his nose. “I don’t think I want to.”

We pressed forward, the mood a little lighter thanks to Jeanna’s romantic daydreams. But as we ventured deeper, the oppressive atmosphere of the dungeon returned. The growling we had heard earlier grew louder, and Jay-Jay held up his hand to stop us.

“Shh. I hear something.”

We all froze, straining to hear whatever had caught Jay-Jay’s attention. And then, there it was—a low, guttural growl, coming from the shadows ahead. The air seemed to grow colder, as though the dungeon itself was watching us.

Sabrina swallowed hard. “What... what do you think it is?”

Jay-Jay’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “That’s one of the monsters! But don’t worry, they hate loud noises.”

Jeanna raised an eyebrow. “Well, I hate loud noises too, but I’m not some dungeon beast.”

Alice looked back at her, smirking. “Oh, really? You sure you aren’t? With the way you scream when the Wi-Fi goes out...”

Jeanna huffed. “Excuse me for being passionate about my internet connection.”

Before Alice could fire back, the growl grew louder, closer, and from the darkness ahead, a pair of glowing eyes emerged. The creature was massive, a hulking figure covered in dark, glistening scales, with claws as long as swords.

“Well... that’s... bigger than I thought,” Alice muttered.

The monster roared, and for a split second, we all stood frozen in fear.

Then Jay-Jay took a deep breath and let out a scream that could have shattered glass. “RAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”

The rest of us followed suit, our voices echoing off the dungeon walls in a cacophony of panicked yells. For a moment, the monster hesitated, as if confused by our bizarre tactic.

It worked.

The creature snarled, recoiling from the noise, its huge form retreating slightly into the shadows. Jay-Jay grinned. “See? Told you! It hates loud noises!”

Sabrina let out a relieved laugh. “Well, that’s one way to fight a monster. Jay-Jay, you’re a genius.”

But the reprieve was short-lived. The creature wasn’t fully retreating—it was circling us, waiting for another chance to strike. Alice’s eyes widened with determination. “We need to finish this, now!”

Jeanna, clearly not impressed by the brute’s appearance, deadpanned, “Seriously? No abs? No smoldering gaze? Ugh, even the monsters in this world are a disappointment. I bet in my fantasy, this thing would turn into a hot guy who’s just misunderstood.”

“Jeanna, I swear—" Sabrina started, exasperated.

“Yeah, yeah, focus,” Jeanna said, finally gripping her weapon. “Guess I’ll have to wait for the next one.”

With renewed focus, we advanced toward the beast, ready for whatever came next. Jay-Jay stood behind us, still grinning, his earlier fear completely replaced by excitement.

As the monster lunged again, we fought back with everything we had. The battle was chaotic, loud, and a lot more dangerous than anything we’d faced so far. But with Jay-Jay’s bizarre tactic and our determination, we managed to push the creature back until, with a final blow from Alice, it collapsed into a heap of scales and smoke.

We stood panting, victorious but shaken. “That was... insane,” Sabrina said between breaths.

“Welcome to dungeon life,” Alice quipped, wiping sweat from her brow. “It’s only going to get worse from here.”

Jay-Jay, however, was practically bouncing with excitement. “That was awesome! Can we do it again?”

Jeanna looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and exhaustion. “Kid, if we survive this dungeon, I’ll buy you all the ice cream you want. But next time, let’s make sure the monster’s a little better looking, alright?”

Sabrina groaned. “Of course you’d still be thinking about that.”

We continued deeper into the dungeon, our victory giving us a small boost of confidence, but the weight of the journey ahead still hung over us. The portal awaited, somewhere in the depths, and with it, the promise of new adventures—and probably more chaos.

As we pressed forward, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation. The portal was close, I could feel it. And with Jay-Jay tagging along, things were only going to get more unpredictable from here.

Whatever the future held, we were in for one hell of a ride.