The night passed quietly under the veil of Etheria's starlit sky. The great forest slumbered with the rhythm of its own ancient breath, gentle wind in the trees, faint chirping of nocturnal creatures, and the occasional sound of a party member snoring from somewhere deep in the house.
In the common room, a large hearth cast its golden light across carved wooden floors and high arched ceilings supported by branches interwoven with glowing vines. Lucretia sat curled in a plush chair near the fireplace, a blanket draped across her lap and a mug of now-cold tea in hand. She looked more tired than usual. Her silver hair, though brushed neatly, hung a little lower. Her eyelids drooped as she stared into the flickering flames.
Yuuna entered first, quiet as always. She moved like a shadow, a floating page of a book. Gabyola followed shortly after, posture impeccable even in slippers. She studied Lucretia with a narrowed gaze.
"You look tired, Mother," Gabyola said gently, lowering herself onto a cushioned stool beside her.
Lucretia exhaled, long and soft. "I didn't sleep well last night. I dreamed of corridors, endless stone halls stretching into darkness. It was cold. Too cold for a dream."
Yuuna tilted her head. "A dungeon?"
Lucretia gave a slow nod. "Yes, I think so. But not one I've seen before."
At that moment, Fahleena burst into the room in fuzzy socks and heroic flair. "Mother! I demand, no, request, a shared sleeping arrangement. The fate of my dreams depends on proximity to maternal mana aura."
Lucretia chuckled softly. "You may sleep with me, my dramatic little knight."
Fahleena nodded gravely. "Accepted."
---
Lucretia stood and led Fahleena to her room. The girls' corridor had been renovated with individual rooms, but Fahleena often ignored boundaries when emotional drama demanded proximity.
Later that night, Lucretia lay stiffly on the edge of Fahleena's bed while her daughter slept soundly in the center, arms flopped outward, legs shifting like a slow-turning windmill, the blanket a twisted casualty. Lucretia smiled faintly as she hung onto her remaining corner of the mattress. Despite the chaos, she slept.
And she did not dream of dungeons.
---
The morning in Etheria was brisk, wrapped in the perfume of dew-drenched leaves and the sound of birds warming their throats. Mana motes drifted lazily through the air like fireflies that had forgotten the night had ended.
In the main hall, breakfast was underway. Fuhiken had taken up cooking duties again, his apron already slightly flour-dusted. Orchid was tied to the chair, again, because she insisted she "had a recipe" and the others voted unanimously for containment.
Yetsan had already finished eating and now re-cleaned his armor, muttering about pollen particles and invisible dirt.
After breakfast, Kyle and Yuuna wandered toward the office building, their boots crunching against gravel. The path was lined with mana-fed flowers that glowed faintly at the tips, nature enchanted with subtle spells. Inside the office, Lucretia stood beside the large map wall. Her face looked well-rested. Her eyes, clearer.
"Oh good," she said when she saw them. "Come in."
Yuuna stepped forward first, her eyes already scanning the residual mana in the air.
"You don't look tired anymore," she said.
Lucretia smiled faintly. "I slept better than expected."
"Despite Fahleena's rotational sleeping technique?"
"Barely survived it," Lucretia said with a chuckle. "She sleeps like a spinning wind spell on a trampoline."
Yuuna nodded. "She's improved. Last year she kicked me off the bed."
Lucretia's expression turned thoughtful. "But the strange part, no dreams. Not a single corridor. No dungeon, no shadows. Just warmth."
"Maybe the dream served its purpose," Yuuna said.
Kyle scratched the back of his head, caught one ixcited word. "Hey, what's a dungeon anyway? Sounds cool. Traps? Monsters?"
Yuuna answered calmly, "It's an enclosed labyrinth filled with danger and loot, usually governed by magical rules and a core."
Kyle's eyes lit up. "Like a battle maze?"
"In essence, yes," Yuuna replied. "They're ideal for training, loot gathering, or magical research."
Kyle turned to Lucretia, eyes gleaming. "Can we make one?"
Lucretia paused, smiled, then stepped forward. "I thought you'd never ask."
She raised her hand, and the room's mana stirred.
The floor beneath them pulsed with energy, thin glowing lines etched into the stone came alive, spreading out like roots. A deep humming filled the air, resonating in their bones. Books rattled on shelves. Loose scrolls trembled.
Above them, a ring of light formed midair, shimmering like ripples on water. From it, a long staff descended slowly, rotating as if presenting itself. It was beautiful and ancient, crafted of smooth, ironwood bark twisted with threads of silver mana. At its top, a large, hexagonal white crystal inside a ring-shaped frame. Around it, three smaller crystals, yellow, blue, and magenta. it was such beautiful art. The air grew heavy with reverence. Then the magic circle fading.
"This," Lucretia said softly, "is the Staff of Creation."
The staff hovered for a moment longer before slowly descending into Lucretia's outstretched hand. As her fingers wrapped around it, the crystals flared with light.
"With this," she continued, twirling the staff slightly, "you can open a small, pocket-sized world, your very own dungeon. Think of it as a magical sandbox, floating somewhere not-here, shaped entirely by your wild little imaginations."
Kyle gaped. "We get to build it?"
Lucretia nodded. "But there are rules. It must be balanced. Dangerous, but survivable. Challenging, but fair."
She stepped forward, and with her other hand, summoned a second object from the light, a black crystal orb, smooth and humming with dark energy. It hovered above her palm, faint lines of magical script swirling just beneath its surface.
"This is your dungeon core. It will anchor the dimension. Without it, the dungeon collapses."
She offered the staff first. Kyle reached for it, then flinched slightly, it was heavier than he expected, pulsing with weight not just physical, but magical. He grinned.
"This is so cool," he whispered.
Yuuna stepped forward and took the core. It pulsed warmly in her hands, unsettling, like it had a mind of its own, quietly observing her. Her expression remained unreadable as always, but deep inside, her thoughts raced. How much data can this hold? How many parameters? How deep can I structure the floors? It was, in essence, the ultimate blank document, and she intended to fill every line.
Lucretia gave a final nod, twirling a strand of hair. "Go on then, make your dungeon dreams come true. But bring the staff back, please. It's not a toy… despite how shiny it is."
They left the office with solemn excitement. Outside, morning sunlight gleamed through the trees.
---
Sinryo and Sakura were waiting near the path.
"Hey," Sinryo called. "You two look like you just came back from a prophecy."
Kyle held up the staff dramatically. "We're gonna make a dungeon."
Sinryo's eyes widened. "Seriously? Like with traps? And maybe cursed frogs?"
"Exactly that," Kyle nodded. "Also spikes. Definitely spikes."
"I'm in," Sinryo grinned. "But no boulder chases. My legs are too short for drama."
Yuuna walked past them. "We'll need supervision. Let's bring Fuhiken and Gabyola."
"Why?" Kyle asked.
"In case you two get creative."
Kyle shrugged. "Fair."
As they headed back to gather the others, Kyle leaned toward Sinryo. "So, how big should the first cave be?"
"Big enough to hide from Gabyola when she inevitably catches us mislabeling trap buttons."
Kyle laughed. "Let's name the first room 'Oops'."
Elsewhere, the giant mana tree stood tall and silent, its ancient branches swaying gently in the breeze, bathed in dappled sunlight. A quiet hum of magic pulsed from its core, as if sensing the stirrings of something new. It had weathered storms, nurtured life, and watched over decades or maybe centuries and even millenniums. But even it, old as it was, wise as it claimed to be, was not entirely prepared for what those twelve little sparks of chaos were about to unleash upon reality.
Or perhaps… it was bracing itself already. Just in case.
---