A swirl of shadowy mist parted as Vex stepped through the portal, the cool, damp air of the cave washing over him. The transition was jarring, the scent of wet stone and earth thick in his nostrils. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim glow filtering in from some unseen crevice above.

  "Well, this is... cozy," he muttered, scanning his surroundings with equal parts curiosity and trepidation. The cavern stretched before him, its jagged walls slick with moisture, glistening in the faint light.

  At the center, a great stone table lay shattered, jagged edges jutting upward like broken teeth. Vex stepped closer, fingers grazing the weathered surface. Ancient runes, their meanings shattered, curled across the fragmented stone, whispering of some forgotten past.

  "Guess I won’t be invited to dinner here," he mused, lips twitching into a smirk. "Unless we’re going for ‘post-apocalyptic chic.’"

  He stepped back, hands on his hips, scanning the cavern for anything of use. Rubble and crystalline formations littered the ground, their faint glow offering a ghostly ambiance. At the far end, a tunnel yawned open, its darkness beckoning him forward.

  Just as he prepared to move, something stirred in the shadows. Vex froze. Slowly, a massive slug slithered into view, its slimy body undulating as it left a trail of iridescent mucus in its wake.

  "Well, hello there!" Vex greeted, his voice echoing through the chamber. "I don’t suppose you can talk?"

  The slug blinked its eyestalks at him, utterly unimpressed.

  Vex chuckled. "Right, of course. Just a slug. A really, really big slug, but still—just a slug."

  For a moment, he simply watched the creature, oddly mesmerized by its hypnotic movements. Then, as if snapping out of a trance, he gave the slug a gentle pat on its glistening head. "Thanks for the company, buddy. I’d better get going. Big damn adventure ahead, you know how it is."

  With a final glance at his gelatinous acquaintance, Vex made his way toward the cave’s entrance. As he emerged onto the rocky outcropping, sunlight burst into his vision, momentarily blinding him. When his eyes adjusted, the sight before him stole his breath away.

  The coastline stretched endlessly, jagged cliffs rising like sentinels from the crashing waves below. The ocean roared, its spray misting his face, while seabirds wheeled overhead, their cries carried by the wind. The salty tang of the sea filled his lungs, fresh and invigorating after the stifling confines of the cave.

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  "Wow," he breathed, taking it all in. "This is... incredible."

  He stood there for a long moment, drinking in the view, letting the raw power of nature sink into his bones. But as much as he wanted to linger, he had work to do. He needed to test the portal.

  Stepping a few paces from the cave, Vex focused, attempting to summon the portal that would take him back to his guild domain. The last use was an instant transition—standing in the ritual circle and stepping through. But here, something felt... sluggish. Disconnected. It took effort, a willful push, before the portal finally coalesced, and with a flicker of shadow, he was standing back in his guild hall.

  His Shadowlings hovered nearby, watching him expectantly.

  "Alright, let’s see if this works," he muttered, stepping back through with them in tow.

  The world blurred. A moment later, they were back on the coastline.

  "Okay, that’s awesome," Vex grinned. "Looks like the exit point resets based on where I last entered. Good to know."

  He hesitated only briefly before sending his Shadowlings in different to scout the coastline. For now, he had something more immediate to focus on—the cliffs. They rose before him, slick with sea spray, their jagged edges a challenge he couldn't ignore.

  He took a breath and began to climb.

  The salt-slicked rocks made every movement treacherous. His fingers scraped for purchase in narrow crevices, his boots slipping more than once as the wind howled around him. The ocean crashed below, a constant reminder of what awaited should he fall.

  "Come on, Vex," he muttered, gritting his teeth as he hauled himself up another few feet. "You’ve got this. Just keep moving."

  Higher and higher he climbed, the wind growing more insistent, threatening to pry him from the cliffside. His muscles burned, but he forced himself to keep going, knowing he had little choice.

  "Okay," he admitted to himself, breathless. "Maybe this wasn’t the best idea."

  But there was no turning back. Only forward.

  As he climbed, his thoughts drifted. The past few days had been a whirlwind—establishing his guild hall, laying the foundation for something greater. He’d intended to stay put longer, to prepare, but after regaining a year’s worth of lost memories, he needed out. Needed the distraction.

  A single lost year had been regained, a void in his mind filled, yet its absence of his other memories gnawed at him, unraveling his mental stability bit by bit. So, he climbed. Focused on the burn in his limbs, the challenge before him—anything to stave off the chaos in his own head.

  And then, just as the first rays of dawn stretched across the sky, he reached the summit.

  Panting, he hauled himself onto solid ground and rolled onto his back, staring up at the shifting hues of sunrise. Golds and pinks painted the sky, melting into the deep blue of the retreating night.

  Vex let out a breathless chuckle. "Not bad."

  The salty air filled his lungs, the warmth of morning creeping over his skin. For the first time in days, he felt... lighter. Grounded.

  Pushing himself up, he gazed out over the landscape beyond the cliffs, a sea of endless sand. Somewhere out there, civilization waited. Answers waited. Adventure waited.

  For now, though, he was determined to focus on the challenge at hand, one step at a time.