At the heart of the plaza, the gate began to pulse more violently, its glow intensifying. Mana radiated from it in every direction, building up in a way that seemed to strain against the very air around it. The light shifted to an intense red, growing brighter by the second, as if the gate itself was gathering energy for a powerful release.

Then it happened—a sudden explosion of mana, bright and overwhelming, erupted from the gate. The force rippled outward, a shockwave of power that swept across the plaza. The impact was instant and devastating, vaporizing everything and everyone within a 50-meter radius. Screams barely had time to escape before bodies were reduced to nothing, disintegrated in a flash of light and energy.

The blast didn’t stop there. It rolled through the plaza, toppling barricades and scattering debris as it went. The air felt dense, crushing, as if it were saturated with the overwhelming force of mana now flowing freely from the gate. The plaza, once filled with military tents and people, was now a zone of devastation—buildings torn apart, the ground scorched, and dust where humans had once stood.

Archael, standing far enough to avoid the direct blast, watched as the explosion rippled through the city. He saw the wave of mana stretch out, the force pushing against everything in its path. Even from this distance, the air felt heavy, charged with the energy that now flooded the area.

As the initial wave of destruction passed, the system windows flashed in front of every surviving human in Fenriv.

It was the first clear sign that the world had changed, and for those who had witnessed the gate's eruption, the reality of the trials ahead was beginning to settle in. 

For Archael, this was just the beginning. He watched the destruction unfold, knowing that this was merely the first of many trials the Norns had set in motion.

Joenie and Reine stood frozen in disbelief, the shockwave of the explosion rippling through the air. Even from where they were standing, they could feel it—like a heavy, suffocating blanket settling over the entire area. Every hair on their bodies stood on end, their skin prickling as if the very air had become charged with something unnatural, something wrong. The energy swirling around them felt sickening, as if it were reaching out, grasping at everything in its path. The atmosphere was heavy with an unseen force, and everyone in the vicinity could sense that something terrible had just occurred.

They both stared toward the plaza. In the distance, debris fell, and bright, pulsating energy radiated outward from the source of the blast. It was an almost otherworldly sight, the intensity of the light making it hard to believe it was happening just meters away. But that wasn’t what shocked them most.

Floating in front of their eyes was a translucent blue box, its presence surreal. No matter how they moved, the box stayed within their line of sight, its cryptic message etched across its surface. It followed their gaze, unrelenting, as if demanding their attention. The siblings were too stunned to process it, as if the explosion had knocked the sense right out of them and left them in a waking nightmare.

“We need to get out of here. Now!” 

Archael’s voice cut through the daze, urgency lacing every word, but the siblings barely registered it. They were still fixated on the scene unfolding in front of them, too dumbfounded to move.

“What just happened?” 

Reine's voice trembled as she blinked, trying to shake herself back to reality. She rubbed her eyes, as if that might make the blue box and the plaza scene vanish.

"What is this thing? W-What..." 

Reine tried to form a sentence, but her breath hitched, each word strained as though she was teetering on the edge of a panic attack.

Joenie, still in a daze, finally snapped out of it. 

"Did that thing... in the plaza... explode just now?" 

His eyes darted to the box hovering in front of him, the weight of the situation slowly sinking in.

Reine’s face drained of all color as realization struck her. Her gaze turned horrified, her eyes wide with fear. She whipped around, staring at the plaza with desperation in her eyes, her body moving instinctively toward it, but her legs felt like jelly. She could barely manage a single step before her knees buckled beneath her.

Joenie acted quickly, grabbing her by the shoulders, spinning her back to face him as he held her firmly. 

“What are you doing?!”

Reine began to shake uncontrollably, her hands gripping Joenie’s arms like a lifeline. She looked into his eyes, her own filled with terror and disbelief. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, her mind racing with jumbled thoughts. After a few moments of struggle, she finally steadied her breathing, but tears streamed down her face.

“My team… my team is there... t-they... they’re... no... no... I need to go back… I need to save them... I... I...” 

Her words spilled out in a frantic jumble, each sentence more desperate than the last, punctuated by shallow, gasping breaths.

“We can’t go back.” 

Archael’s voice came from behind, cold and devoid of any emotion. The tone of his statement ignited something inside Reine.

With what little strength she had left, she lunged at him, grabbing his collar with trembling hands. 

“Y-You... you knew... you knew this would happen, didn’t you?” 

Her voice cracked, the last words barely more than a whisper, tinged with disbelief and rage.

Archael barely reacted, his eyes meeting Joenie’s with a calm, unreadable look.

“Can you knock her out? Or should I?  We need to get out of here, fast, if you want her to stay alive.”

His words were firm, matter-of-fact, leaving no room for argument. The implication was clear—if Joenie didn’t act, Archael would.

Joenie’s grip tightened on Reine’s shoulders, his mind spinning with confusion. He didn’t fully understand what was happening, but one thing was clear: this man had saved them. If they had stayed behind, if they had hesitated even for a minute longer...

Joenie shuddered, unable to finish the thought. His eyes met Archael’s again. In a swift motion, Archael struck a precise point on Reine's neck. Reine’s body suddenly went limp, and Joenie, quick to react, caught her just before she hit the ground.

“How dare you?!” 

Joenie shot a furious glare at Archael, who had knocked his sister unconscious. If Joenie hadn’t caught her, she would have slammed onto the hard pavement.

“Sorry. You were taking too long to decide.” 

Archael responded without missing a beat. His tone was blunt, practical. 

“But you still want to live, don’t you?”

Before Joenie could respond, a deafening roar echoed from the direction of the plaza. The ground shook beneath their feet, and a heavy wave of energy surged through the air, sending a chill down Joenie’s spine.

The roar grew louder, more intense. The gate had opened fully, and whatever had been inside was now free. Steam and mana poured from the gate, twisting and writhing as the monstrous presence began to emerge.

"This is bad. The first wave has begun." 

Archael muttered, his eyes narrowing as he sensed the mana growing stronger. He glanced back at Joenie, his expression grim. 

“We’re running out of time. Joenie, please.”

Archael's gaze pierced through Joenie’s confusion, urging him to act. The first wave of monsters would be upon them soon, and if they stayed any longer, none of them would survive.

Joenie set aside his anger, his face tightening with resolve as he carefully adjusted Reine onto his back.  His movements were quick, yet careful, making sure she was securely positioned, her arms draped over his shoulders and her weight evenly distributed. Her head rested lightly against his shoulder, and with a grunt, he adjusted his grip, locking his arms under her legs to support her fully.

Archael, seeing Joenie ready, nodded slightly and motioned for him to follow. Without another word, Archael led the way, his steps light and deliberate as he darted out of the alleyway.

The city around them was a maze of chaos. The eerie glow of the gate pulsed ominously behind them, and every few steps, blood-curdling screams and guttural roars echoed through the streets. Shadows shifted unnervingly in the distance, and the sounds of destruction seemed to close in from all directions.

Archael moved quickly, his feet tapping lightly on the pavement as he navigated the twisting alleyways and narrow streets of the city. Once, as a guide, he would have effortlessly moved through the city, but now, bound by the limitations of a player’s stats, his strength of 5 was a pitifully low number. His legs strained with every step, his muscles burning as fatigue set in far sooner than he expected. His breath came in ragged gasps, his pace slowing as they turned through narrow alleyways and twisted streets, dodging debris and overturned vehicles along the way.

Joenie wasn’t faring much better. Though his strength was slightly above Archael’s, the weight of Reine on his back made each step feel heavier. His breathing was labored, his shoulders tensing as he tried to keep pace. The sound of his feet pounding the pavement was drowned out by the relentless noise of the city around them—shrieks, crashes, and the distant growls of the creatures now roaming the streets.

After what felt like an eternity of running, Archael finally skidded to a halt. His chest heaved as he turned to face Joenie, eyes scanning him deeply. Joenie, equally breathless, stopped a few feet away, adjusting Reine’s weight once more before looking up to meet Archael’s gaze.

Archael's voice came out strained but steady. 

“No matter what happens from now on..." He paused, meeting Joenie's eyes. 

"Will you trust me?”

Joenie, still catching his breath, glanced at him with a half-smile, though his eyes were sharp. 

“A bit late to ask me to take a leap of faith, don’t you think? What do you think I’ve been doing until now?”

Archael gave a brief nod, his expression unreadable. 

“I see. Good. Please keep doing that, then.”

In front of them stood a fortress-like house, cold and imposing. Unlike the other buildings, it was made of thick metal plates, reinforced with steel beams that crisscrossed like a machine's frame. The windows were narrow slits with metal bars, and the heavy, reinforced door resembled a bunker entrance. It looked completely out of place among the city's normal houses.

Without hesitation, Archael moved toward the gate, placing Cherra gently on the ground beside it. He did not look back at Joenie, his focus entirely on the task ahead.

Archael stood up, his tone flat. 

“Take care of her and wait here.”

Joenie barely had time to react before Archael activated Lotus Steps. In an instant, his form blurred, his movements a blur of speed as he disappeared from sight, leaving Joenie standing in stunned silence. The only trace of Archael’s presence was the faint shimmer of strange energy in the air where he had been moments before.