As Rain opened his eyes, he was greeted by sunlight glaring directly into them.
For a moment… he treated the day like any other. Still half-asleep, his body heavy, he actually considered rolling over and going back to bed.
Then it hit him.
Rain shot upright, grabbing his phone. "Fuck… fuck. Fuck."
10:00 a.m.
Exactly one hour before he was supposed to meet Roxy for the dungeon raid.
His heart started racing. How could I forget to set a timer? His mind spiraled, but there was no time to dwell on it. Rain rushed into the bathroom and turned on the shower, keeping it short—five minutes. Normally, he'd spend at least twenty just standing there, letting the water run. Today, he couldn't afford that.
He brushed his teeth quickly, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His silver-white hair stuck out in every direction. He didn't bother properly styling it. Instead, he scrunched it with his hands, letting the slightly wavy strands fall naturally, resting just above his light blue eyes.
Good enough. He murmured
Rain threw on his clothes, grabbed his gear, and glanced at the time one last time before heading out. His stomach twisted—not just from being late, but from the thought of what was waiting for him.
A dungeon.
And a person he had never met.
Suprisingly those 2 both were scary for him. Naturally him entering a dungeon for the first time would of course take priority of his fear. But meeting someone.. someone new that he had never met.
Especially someone that he needed to rely on for a dungeon raid.. it was.. slightly terrifying. Luckily enough. Roxy's profile had many things that eased rain's fear.
Yesterday when rain swiped right on her profile.. he saw her rank, skill, age, race, he saw mostly everything important about her.
She was a rank 3—perfect for a rank 1 dungeon raid. She rated herself a six out of ten in skill. She was eighteen… the same age as Rain. And thankfully, she was human.
Well—being an elf wouldn't have mattered much either. It was the other races that were the real problem.
Rain left his home and started walking down the streets of Thyrris. Something felt different today. Inside his chest, his heart felt lighter. Better. Maybe, deep down, Rain knew today could change something. That this raid—this meeting—might finally give him the purpose he'd been searching for his entire life.
At the bus stop, Rain checked his phone and felt his anxiety spike again. His heart was already racing from the thought of meeting Roxy, but now the fear of being late crept in. Making a bad first impression was one of his biggest fears.
Rain wasn't normal. He knew that.
Sitting on the cold, dirty bench, surrounded by strangers, was enough to make his heart jump. He hated that feeling—the sudden rush, the tightness in his chest. Why do I get like this? he wondered. No one else in this world seemed to struggle the way he did. Even being near unfamiliar people made his blood race, stole his confidence, made his words stumble before they even left his mouth.
Once on the bus, Rain closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He focused. Meditated. It was one of the few things that actually helped. And by the time the bus reached its destination, his heart had finally slowed.
Rain stepped off the bus, took a deep breath, and began to walk.
He was still in Thyrris, even though the bus ride had lasted twenty minutes. The city was abnormally large, home to nearly nine million people.
It was one of the most important cities in the world, and for one specific reason.
Thyrris Academy—the place Rain was walking toward.
The walk took around fifteen minutes. By the time he arrived, it was 10:50 a.m.
Rain paused before the academy's massive doors and drew in another deep breath. He had not seen this place in years. The last time he had been here was when his sister awakened. The academy only accepted awakened individuals—specifically Rank 2 awakened and above.
The academy's architecture was said to be insane.
Rain had heard it cost nearly two hundred billion dollars just to build, not including the yearly expenses for instructors and maintenance.
He stepped inside.
The interior was even more extravagant than the exterior. Gold accents lined nearly every surface. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting warm light across polished floors. Hundreds of students walked through the halls, all dressed in pristine, professional academy uniforms.
They all looked clean. Refined.
Much better than Rain's cheap attire.
"Is that you… Rain?"
The voice struck something buried deep in his memory.
He turned, scanning the academy halls, until he finally saw her.
"Oh my god—it is you!" she said, her face breaking into a smile.
She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him without hesitation.
Rain stiffened for a moment before hugging her back. The gesture felt awkward, unfamiliar.
"Hey, Mia," Rain said. His tone was mostly flat, but there was a faint warmth beneath it—just enough for her to notice.
She pulled away and frowned slightly.
"Hey. You haven't told me anything about what's been going on with you these days."
Rain scratched the back of his head and looked down. "Yeah…" He was about to continue when he suddenly remembered the time.
"Ah—!"
He started walking away, picking up his pace slightly. "I'm sorry. We'll have to catch up next time. I have to go to the dungeon hall."
"WAIT!"
Rain stopped and turned around.
"You're going the wrong way," Mia said.
He froze, then realized. It had been years since he'd been here, and the academy was so massive that even familiar places blurred together.
"I can take you," she said, her eyes wide with enthusiasm.
Rain sighed inwardly.
He followed her.
It had been at least two—maybe three—years since Rain had last seen Mia. He hadn't shown it, but the change shocked him. She had never been unattractive before, but now she was undeniably beautiful, to the point that it completely eclipsed how she used to look. If Rain remembered correctly, she should be twenty now.
Her long pink hair flowed down to her waist. Her eyes were a deep black, so dark they almost swallowed her pupils, giving her a mysterious appearance. In reality, she was anything but mysterious. She was kind—genuinely so.
She was much shorter than Rain, standing around 5'3, while he stood at 5'10.
"So…" Mia spoke as they walked toward the dungeon hall.
"Why are you going to the dungeon hall?"
Rain didn't answer immediately. He was too busy comparing the girl beside him to the memories he still carried. When she glanced at him again, he finally spoke.
"I awakened," he said casually.
"Huh?" Mia stopped mid-step. "YOU DID?"
"But you're eighteen. That's so late—how did you awaken now?"
Rain sighed. "I know right."
It surprised even him. After turning sixteen, he had assumed it would never happen. He had accepted it. Then, a couple days ago, he awakened out of nowhere.
It still felt unreal.
Awakening at eighteen was nearly unheard of. Anyone past that age was considered incapable of awakening.
They were nearly at the dungeon hall when Mia spoke again.
"Hey."
Rain looked at her.
"Make sure you stay safe, okay?"
He couldn't quite read her expression.
"If you get hurt before you tell me what you've been doing all these years…" She paused, then smiled. "I won't forgive you."
They arrived at the dungeon hall, and Mia turned away, leaving him there.
The hall was massive—far larger than Rain had expected. At least twenty portals lined the walls, all grouped together. Large staircases descended beneath them. The entire room was stark white, while the portals themselves glowed in different colors depending on dungeon rank.
Rain stepped inside and was immediately met by a crowd. Hundreds of people filled the hall, all wearing armor. The sight made his chest tighten.
He reached into his bag and gripped his dagger.
It had been a gift. Not exceptional, but serviceable. He couldn't afford armor, but deep down he believed he wouldn't need it for a Rank 1 dungeon.
He began pushing through the crowd, searching for Roxy. The press of bodies made his anxiety spike, but he kept it bottled inside.
Eventually, he found her.
She sat alone in a corner, hood pulled low over her head. Even though she looked strange like that, Rain recognized her instantly—despite only having seen her in photos.
He walked up to her, forcing himself forward.
"Hey," he said. His voice lacked confidence, but he smiled anyway.
She lifted her head and returned the smile, subtle but warm. "Hi."
Her voice was calm. Soothing. Completely free of nerves.
That made sense. She was Rank 3.
They talked briefly, though the conversation felt awkward—at least to Rain. He couldn't tell if it truly was, or if he was distorting things.
Rain quickly checked his phone.
11:00 a.m.
Together, they climbed the first staircase—the one assigned to their dungeon.
Each gate had a guard, and theirs was no exception.
Rain reached the top slightly ahead of Roxy and spoke first. "Hey."
The guard was short—around 5'6—and thin. He held a tablet and wore basic academy attire. After a few seconds, he spoke in a slightly nerdy voice.
"Roxy and Rain, I presume?"
"Yes," they said in unison.
The man looked directly at Roxy, barely sparing Rain a glance. It stung his ego slightly, but he ignored it.
"So, Roxy," the guard continued, "as you know, Rain is only Rank 1."
He paused.
"You are Rank 3. That means you have authority over him at all times. Do not forget that."
Roxy nodded.
"This is a Rank 1 dungeon. It perfectly replicates a real one. The monsters inside can kill you."
Another pause.
"The dungeon hall exists for training, but that does not mean it is safe. Be prepared to die."
He sighed, clearly repeating words he had spoken countless times.
"This dungeon perfectly replicates a real dungeon."
He finally looked at both of them.
"Are you ready to risk your lives?"
"Yes," Roxy answered immediately.
Rain hesitated, then nodded. "Yes."
They filled out the required forms, acknowledging that the academy would not be responsible for their deaths.
Then, together, they stepped into the gate.