Arden stared at his reflection in the mirror.
Green light pulsed from his eyes—bright and sharp.
He lifted a hand and touched his face, like he wasn't sure it was still his.
"…What's… going on…?"
He turned to Verona and the whole world tinted itself green, like someone dipped reality into dye.
A soft whrr rose in his ears as a translucent screen shimmered into existence beside Verona… floating there, humming like it had a heartbeat.
Then something else appeared—
A rotating octagon sphere, formed from thin emerald lines, spinning lazily over her head like some weird celestial ornament.
Arden's breath shook.
"…What… is this…?"
Lines of text crawled into place on the screen.
————
NAME: Verona
RACE: Human
AGE: 22
HEALTH: 82
STRENGTH: 9
ENDURANCE: 10
MANA: 0
SKILL APTITUDE: None Detected
CLASS: —
RANK: —
THREAT LEVEL: Minimal (0.7%)
————
Verona blinked at him.
"Arden… what's wrong with your eyes?"
Arden opened and closed his mouth like he didn't know what to say.
"I… I'm confused myself."
He rubbed his eyes—too hard, like someone trying to erase a dream—and the green world snapped back to normal.
"You sure you're alright?" Verona's voice thinned with worry.
"Yes." He lied, or half-lied. Even he wasn't sure.
She picked up the tray from the floor. Looked back one last time before stepping out.
Arden whispered at his reflection, "What did I just see…?"
—————
Later.
Arden split wood shirtless. Sweat sliding down his back. His mind miles away.
"Leaving this morning aside… that power from the dungeon… I still haven't tested it."
"Arden!"
He flinched, snapped out of his haze.
Verona stood there, eyes wide.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"You… you split the wood and the tree trunk in one chop."
Arden turned. His brain stuttered.
He had actually sliced the log… and the tree trunk beneath it… clean in two.
"…I… did that?" His voice barely crawled out.
Verona stepped closer. "Arden, I think you need rest. Maybe your healing magic didn't heal everything. Please… rest."
But Arden kept staring at his hands like they belonged to another man.
"Where did this strength come from…?" he whispered.
"Arden! Arden!"
Arden came back to his senses . He looked at her.
She sighed. "Rest. Please."
Arden nodded and walked back inside, silent.
Verona stayed behind, staring at the axe embedded on the ground at the centre of the servered trunk.
"A healer shouldn't have this kind of strength…" she muttered.
She grabbed the axe, pulled—
Nothing.
She groaned, pulled harder.
"Arghhh!"
Still nothing.
It was stuck like the ground itself didn't want to let it go.
She straightened up, breathless.
"…Is he sure he's just a healer?"
————
Inside, Arden put his shirt on.
His eyes returned to the mirror.
"Only she… has the answers."
Without wasting anymore time, he stepped out of the house and made his way to the big tree.
He stood beneath it.
"This is where am sure I can connect to her and enter the white world…"
He sat down under the shade and closed his eyes.
He waited.
Nothing happened.
His heart dropped.
"What's going on? Why didn't it work…? It always worked when I fell asleep or closed my eyes, so why isn't it working now ."
He stood abruptly.
" The power I displayed at the dungeon and my strength now, not to talk about how my healing has improved ."
The memory of the dungeon flooded his thoughts—the madness, the power, the way he grabbed the boss by its neck.
His voice echoed in his skull:
I want it all.
A cold realization slid into him.
"…Did I… gain the boss's power?"
He tapped his chin. "Now that I think about it, the powers I used in the dungeon clearly was the one the boss used on me except mine was more refined ."
His mind played back he screamed and the way the wolves reacted to it and attacked the boss.
"The scream… The wolves turning on their leader… My strength now... the boss controlled its pack with its howl. But when I screamed… they attacked him instead."
His brows knit tight.
"Meaning… I took its powers. But I don't know if i can still use it."
He looked up at the birds on the branches. Squirrels on the bark.
"Should I test it on these animals…?"
He shook his head immediately.
"No, there's no need for me to harm the poor innocent animals just so I can test my theory ."
He turned toward the faraway village.
"I'll take a walk to clear my mind."
He headed back toward the house.
"I'm going to the village," he said.
Verona perked up. "Really? I was about to go buy groceries. We can go together."
Arden nodded. "Sure."
————
The marketplace buzzed—voices, smells, sunlight bouncing off metal and fruit skins. Kids ran around chasing each other.
Arden and Verona walked in hoods, shadows softening their faces.
"I'll go to that shop," she said, pointing at the shop ahead .
"Alright. I'll wait."
She walked off. Arden stayed behind, watching people move like drifting lanterns.
After a moment, Verona came back.
"Let's head home."
They walked.
Then—
"Stop—! Stop this... this is cheating!"
A girl's voice sliced through the noise.
Arden froze.
Verona turned. "Arden? What is it?"
But Arden's eyes widened.
"That… voice…"
He turned.
There she was.
Selena.
Beside her was a brown-haired, green-eyed man.
"Calm down, Selena," the man said gently.
Arden's breath hitched.
"Se… Selena…"
Memories hit him like falling stone—her, the dungeon, the betrayal.
His eyes flared purple. Just for a second.
"Arden!" Verona grabbed him. "Your eyes—are you okay?"
The glow faded.
Arden turned away, voice low and cracked.
"It's nothing. Let's keep walking."
Verona stared for a heartbeat, confused… but walked beside him.
Selena glanced their way. Her stare lingered.
The man nudged her. "Everything alright?"
Selena smiled.
"It's nothing, Dale."
Dale offered his arm." It's getting late. Let's go home."
She wrapped her hand around his and rested her head on his shoulder.
They walked away together, into the sunset.