Morning arrived far too quickly.
Kael woke to the feeling that someone was staring at him.
He cracked one eye open.
Lyria was sitting backward in a chair across the small tavern room, her chin resting on the backrest as she watched him with obvious amusement.
"You sleep like someone who got hit by a wagon," she said.
Kael groaned and pulled the blanket over his head.
"That's because yesterday I almost got stabbed by three bounty hunters."
"Technically four."
"That does not make it better."
Lyria laughed.
Across the room, Lyra sat by the window with a small cup of tea in her hands. Morning sunlight filtered through the glass and caught the faint frost patterns forming along her fingers as she absentmindedly played with her magic.
She looked entirely composed.
Like yesterday's chaos had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
"Good morning, Kael," she said.
He pushed himself upright slowly.
"How are you two already awake?"
Lyria pointed at herself.
"Lightning mage."
Then she pointed at her sister.
"Ice mage."
"That explains absolutely nothing."
Lyra set her cup down and stood.
"Mana circulation."
Kael blinked.
"What?"
"When mages reach a certain level of control," she explained calmly, "they can move mana through their body to reduce fatigue."
Lyria stretched her arms.
"It's like magical coffee."
Kael stared at them.
"…I want magical coffee."
"You'll get there," Lyria said. "Battery."
Kael groaned again.
"I really hate that nickname."
Lyra walked over and stopped in front of him.
"May I?"
Kael blinked.
"May you what?"
She gently placed two fingers against the center of his chest.
The moment she did, the bond stirred.
Kael felt a soft pulse of energy spread between them.
Lyra closed her eyes for a moment.
Lyria leaned forward with interest.
"Well?"
Lyra removed her hand.
"Your mana capacity is enormous."
Kael frowned.
"Is that good?"
"Yes."
Lyria grinned.
"It's very good."
Kael rubbed the back of his neck.
"So what exactly does that mean?"
Lyra crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"It means the bond is stronger than expected."
Lyria snapped her fingers.
"Which means it's dungeon time."
Kael immediately stood up.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Lyria grabbed his sleeve and started pulling him toward the door.
"Come on."
"Absolutely not."
"You agreed last night."
"I thought we were joking!"
Lyra calmly picked up her cloak.
"We were not."
Ten minutes later, Kael stood outside the eastern gate of the city staring at the dungeon portal.
He sighed deeply.
"I regret everything."
The dungeon gate stood between two massive stone pillars carved with ancient runes.
In the center, swirling blue energy twisted like a storm trapped in a doorway.
Adventurers moved in and out constantly.
Some carried heavy shields.
Others wore robes and carried staffs.
Everyone looked like they knew what they were doing.
Kael did not feel like he belonged here.
Lyria bounced lightly on her feet.
"I love this place."
Lyra studied the portal quietly.
"This is a Bronze-ranked dungeon."
Kael folded his arms.
"Bronze sounds manageable."
"It usually is."
Kael noticed the word usually.
"Usually?"
Lyria waved a hand dismissively.
"It just means there's a small chance of a boss appearing early."
"That sounds like a large chance."
Lyra turned toward him.
"The only way to learn how your bond works is through combat."
Kael sighed again.
"You two are very persuasive."
"Thank you," Lyria said brightly.
Before Kael could change his mind, she grabbed his arm and dragged him forward.
The moment they stepped through the portal, the world twisted.
Cold air rushed past his face.
For a split second everything went dark.
Then the dungeon appeared around them.
Kael blinked.
The cavern was enormous.
Jagged rock walls stretched high above them, lined with glowing blue crystals that cast soft light across the uneven ground.
Water dripped somewhere in the distance.
The air smelled damp and cold.
Kael slowly turned in a circle.
"Okay," he admitted.
"This is actually kind of impressive."
Lyria stretched her arms.
"Wait until something tries to eat you."
Lyra knelt briefly and touched the ground.
"Fresh tracks."
Kael tensed.
"Monster?"
"Yes."
As if summoned by the word, a low growl echoed through the cavern.
Kael slowly turned his head.
Three creatures stepped out from behind a cluster of crystal formations.
They looked like wolves.
If wolves were made entirely out of jagged stone.
Their bodies were formed from layers of dark rock, and faint red light glowed in the cracks between the plates.
Kael swallowed.
"Those are bigger than normal wolves."
"Stone wolves," Lyra said calmly.
"They're common in this dungeon."
The wolves lowered their bodies.
Then they charged.
Everything happened fast.
Lyria moved first.
Lightning burst from her hands as she dashed forward with shocking speed.
Her first strike slammed into the lead wolf and sent it crashing sideways into a rock wall.
Lyra raised one hand.
Ice spread across the ground instantly, freezing the feet of the second wolf mid-charge.
Kael stood there for half a second.
Then he realized he should probably do something.
"Right," he muttered.
The bond inside his chest pulsed.
He focused on it instinctively.
Immediately he could feel their magic again.
Lyria's power was wild and explosive.
Lyra's magic felt cold and controlled.
Without thinking, Kael pushed mana toward both of them.
The effect was immediate.
Lyria's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh that's nice."
Her lightning intensified instantly.
Lyra glanced back at Kael.
"Mana transfer confirmed."
Kael blinked.
"I'm helping?"
"Yes," both twins said at the same time.
The third wolf lunged toward him.
Kael jumped backward just as Lyra's ice spike erupted from the ground and skewered the creature mid-air.
Lyria finished the frozen wolf with a burst of lightning.
The cavern fell quiet again.
Broken pieces of stone wolf littered the ground.
Kael stared at the aftermath.
"…That was easier than expected."
Lyria grinned.
"Teamwork."
Lyra examined one of the shattered wolves.
"The bond is stabilizing our mana flow."
A glowing message appeared in Kael's vision.
Dungeon Monster Defeated
Shared Experience Gained
Kael rubbed his eyes.
"That system thing is weird."
Lyria leaned closer.
"You'll get used to it."
Then the ground shook.
The vibration was subtle at first.
Then stronger.
Dust fell from the cavern ceiling.
Kael frowned.
"Please tell me that's normal."
Lyra stood slowly.
"…Not exactly."
Another rumble echoed through the cave.
Something massive moved in the darkness deeper inside the cavern.
Lyria's grin slowly returned.
"Oh good."
Kael pointed toward the noise.
"That is not good."
Lyra's voice stayed calm.
"We appear to have triggered the dungeon guardian."
Kael froze.
"The what?"
A huge shape began to emerge from the shadows.
Stone scraped against stone as the creature stepped into the light.
It was enormous.
A towering humanoid made of layered rock and glowing crystal veins.
Its eyes burned with blue energy.
Kael stared up at it.
"…That's a boss monster."
The guardian roared.
The entire cavern shook.
Lyria cracked her knuckles.
"Well."
Lightning sparked across her hands.
Lyra raised her arms as frost spread across the cavern floor.
Kael felt the bond ignite again.
Mana surged between the three of them.
He took a deep breath.
"Alright."
He looked at the twins.
"Let's see what this bond can really do."