THE ONE WHO WE COULDN'T SAVE

As the group slept soundly, a shadowy figure silently crept through the open window, their eyes scanning the room for valuables. The thief moved with practiced precision, carefully picking up a pouch of coins and reaching for Dylan's pack.

But before they could slip away, Dylan's enchanted senses kicked in. His eyes snapped open, instantly alert. Without a word, he rose to his feet, calmly shutting the window with a soft click, trapping the intruder inside.

The thief froze, realizing too late that escape was no longer an option. Dylan crossed his arms, a sly grin on his face. "Going somewhere?"

The thief remained silent, eyes darting toward the door. Slowly, they took a combat stance, ready to fight their way out. Dylan sighed, his voice calm but firm. "Look, I'm giving you a chance. Drop our stuff, and you can leave peacefully."

For a moment, the thief hesitated, weighing their options. The tension in the room hung heavy, with Dylan's sharp gaze never leaving the intruder.

The thief dashed toward Dylan, aiming to knock him aside and escape through the window. Dylan smoothly dodged, sidestepping the attack. The thief managed to unlatch the window and leap out.

Dylan sighed, muttering, "Why though." Without wasting another second, he jumped out after the thief, landing gracefully on the street below and sprinting after him through the dark alleys of the village, his eyes locked on the fleeing figure.

As the thief kept running, panting heavily, he glanced back only to find Dylan nowhere in sight. Relieved, he turned the next corner only to freeze as Dylan stood there, arms crossed, with a mischievous grin.

The thief spun around and bolted in the opposite direction, but every time he rounded a corner, Dylan was already there, waiting, casually leaning against the wall.

"Lost already?" Dylan teased, appearing once again right in front of him. "You know, running in circles isn't going to help you much."

The thief, clearly panicking now, stumbled backward, realizing he had no way out.

The thief, eyes wide with panic, lunged at Dylan with a dagger. Dylan effortlessly sidestepped, his movements fluid and almost lazy, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Whoa, easy there," Dylan said, dodging another wild swing. "You're gonna hurt yourself at this rate."

The thief slashed again, but Dylan casually leaned back, the blade missing him by inches. "Is that really your best? Come on, at least make it interesting," Dylan teased, dancing around the strikes with ease.

The thief, now visibly frustrated, was breathing heavily. Dylan tilted his head. "Done yet? Or do you want to keep playing?"

As the thief raised his hand, a glowing magic circle formed in palm. voice rang out with intensity:

"By ember's breath and sun's great might,

Ignite the sky, unleash the light!

Flames unbound, expand and grow,

Inferno vast, in fury glow!"

The air around them grew scorching as fire began to swirl, threatening to erupt into a destructive inferno. Dylan's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?!" Dylan yelled, stepping forward in a blur of speed. Without hesitation, he punched the thief square in the gut, interrupting the incantation.

"What are you doing casting that kind of spell in the middle of a city?!" Dylan growled, his fist still pressed against the thief's stomach as the magic circle faded into sparks. The thief gasped for air, collapsing onto his knees.

"You could've burned the whole place down," Dylan continued, glaring at him. "Lucky for you, I hate unnecessary collateral damage."

As soon as the words left Dylan's mouth, he paused, a memory flashing in his mind the time he and Cauis sparred in the training grounds. What started as a friendly match always escalated into chaos, leaving shattered walls, broken furniture, and unhappy maid in the kingdom.

A small smirk crept onto his face despite himself. "Okay... maybe sometimes collateral damage happens," he muttered. "But at least I don't try to set an entire city on fire."

He turned back to the thief, shaking his head. "Seriously, what were you thinking?"

The thief, now panting and out of breath, stopped for a moment. As she turned toward Dylan, her voice was surprisingly feminine, tinged with frustration. "Because of you, I wanted to escape peacefully, but every corner I go, you're there!"

Dylan replied, his tone firm yet still tinged with frustration, "Well, maybe if you didn't steal our stuff, I wouldn't have chased you. Just give it back, and I'll let you go."

As the thief had no choice, she reluctantly handed back all of their belongings. Without a word, she quickly fled, disappearing into the shadows of the night. Dylan smiled to himself, muttering under his breath, "She's fast... Her skills would be useful. Maybe a thief in our party wouldn't be such a bad idea."

As Dylan returned to the room, he took a moment to ensure the safety of his companions. With a subtle flick of his wrist, he cast a protective spell around the windows. The magic would trigger an electric shock to anyone who tried to open or touch the windows. Satisfied, he settled down, knowing that no one would be able to sneak in unnoticed again.

As Cauis woke up, he stretched and moved toward the window, eager to let in some fresh air. However, as soon as his hand touched the frame, a sharp jolt of electricity shot through him, making him pull his hand back with a yelp.

"Ow!" he muttered, rubbing his arm, realizing the mana radiating from the window had a familiar, electric feel to it. "This is Dylan's doing, isn't it?" he sighed, rubbing his forehead.

With a groan, Cauis grumbled to himself and made his way to Dylan's room. The others weren't far behind.

First, June walked in, rubbing her hand as she muttered under her breath. "You know, I could've done without that little shock this morning."

Alisan followed right behind her, her tone just as irritated. "I felt that too! What kind of prank is that? This is why I don't trust magic around you, Dylan!"

Axel strolled in last, his face scrunched up in confusion. "Dude, seriously? A shocking window? Really?" He crossed his arms, giving Dylan a playful but accusing glare.

Cauis chuckled. "I see we're all on the same page."

Dylan, still rubbing his eyes and half asleep, blinked a few times before looking up at the group. His gaze was blurry, and he scratched his head in confusion. "Wait, what? What are you all—"

Then it hit him. The windows. The spell. He groaned, realizing what had happened. "Oh, right. I… uh, might've put a little something on the windows last night"

He rubbed his eyes and sat up a bit straighter, trying to explain himself. "Look, I didn't want any more unexpected visitors, okay? Last night, after that thief tried to steal our stuff, I figured it would be a good idea to make sure nobody could just sneak in again. So, I set up a little shock charm. A warning, really."

Dylan winced slightly, knowing they weren't going to be happy with his methods. "Guess I didn't think it through too well. You guys could've at least asked me before trying to open them."

June crossed her arms, her voice sharp and frustrated. "How could we know, Dylan? Sure, we can sense magic, but with how you use your magic, it's so unpredictable! We don't know what you're going to do next!"

She paced back and forth, clearly still annoyed. "You could've at least warned us or, I don't know, given us a heads-up before turning our windows into a trap!"

Dylan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Alright, alright. My bad, I'll make sure to give you a heads-up before I do something like that again," he said, his tone apologetic.

The group, still a bit annoyed but understanding, nodded. They all made their way downstairs to eat, the tension easing as they sat around the table.

After finishing their meal, they turned their focus back to their mission. Dylan asked the innkeeper, "Hey, do you know where the dungeon with the relic is? We've been looking for it."

The innkeeper, a middle-aged man with a weathered face, looked up from cleaning the counter. "Ah, the old ruins..." he muttered, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "You're looking for the Sunken Crypt. It's a day's travel southeast of here, deep in the forest. But be warned, it's said to be crawling with dangerous creatures, and not many come back from it."

The group exchanged glances, knowing their path was about to get even more perilous. "Thanks for the info," Dylan said, offering a smile before turning back to his friends.

"We should get ready," Axel said, cracking his knuckles. "This is going to be another rough one."

With that, the group gathered their things and prepared to head out once more, the dungeon and its mysterious relic awaiting them.

As the group went out of the city head to southeast they were all energetic and was ready.