The straps of Alex’s backpack dug into his shoulders as he and Ryan walked through the shadow-covered campus. The early morning September sun was low still, throwing thin, orange bars of light between the red-brick residence buildings. His hand was buried in his pocket, rolling the smooth black stones he carried. The familiar weight calmed the nervous static rising in his chest.

  “You look like you’re walking to your own execution,” Ryan said, half-grinning.

  “I’m going to spend the weekend with people I’ve never met. Doing I-don’t-know-what in I-don’t-know-where.” Alex’s voice was tight. “Execution sounds about right.”

  “Please. You always worry too much. You’ll be fine once you get underway.” Ryan checked his shoulder. Too hard, almost knocking him off the path.

  “Besides, I’m in the next group, remember? A few more weeks and I’ll be right there with you. And –” he jabbed a finger in the air in front of him. “I will take this moment to point out that I was right.”

  Alex frowned. “About what?”

  “About the fact that you haven’t thought about Marissa all day.”

  “It’s 6:30 in the morning. I’ve only been up for 30 minutes.”

  “Since the interview then… For a while.” Ryan fished for the right statement exasperatedly. “You are not thinking about her – anymore!” he finished.

  The stones stilled in Alex’s palm. He opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again. Ryan smirked like he’d just won a bet.

  “You should be excited,” Ryan pressed. “Think of it as leveling up. This is your big cutscene moment, dude. Cue the anime opening theme music.”

  Alex groaned. “You’re not helping.”

  “Hey – Get your hero-face on!” Ryan exaggeratedly squared his shoulders, puffed his chest, and struck a pose. “When the cameras swing your way, you gotta look like you were born for this.”

  Alex rolled a stone harder between his fingers. “If I make any face, it’ll be the ‘what the hell am I doing’ face.”

  Ryan just laughed. “Seriously man, you are the smartest guy I know, but sometimes you just have to turn it all off. You know?”

  Alex knew, but ‘turning it all off’ wasn’t really a skill he’d ever developed.

  They entered the Agora, sunlight still pouring through the high windows. The building was just starting to wake up with the soft patter of footsteps.

  On the far side of the room, sitting on the steps near the door, was a tall guy with broad shoulders. He stood as Alex and Ryan approached and smiled at them. He was easily a head taller than Alex. He wore jeans, a fitted tee, and arms carved from gym equipment. Alex braced for meathead energy.

  “Whoa guy - what are you? 6’5”?” Ryan said. He had zero shame and less tact at the best of times. His company was either really good for Alex, or really bad. He could never quite decide which, despite all the years they had been friends.

  “6’6”... and a bit,” he said and held out his hand. He still wore that big smile. It was too early in the morning for it, thought Alex.

  “Don’t mind my friend here. Smiling isn’t really his thing.” Ryan laughed and slugged Alex who scowled at him.

  “I smile,” Alex said. Although this guy was smiling enough for all three of them Alex thought.

  “Jason Halloway. You can call me Jay. You must be Alex and Ryan right? I’ve seen your show.” He held out his hand and Ryan shook it.

  “Really! Awesome. Oh no, not him – handshaking is also not really his thing. So, are you a fan? How long have you been watching Side Quest Heroes?" It was okay, Ryan did enough talking for both of them. Especially when there were fans around. Or pretty girls. Or, well, pretty much always really.

  “Sure! You guys are great. I just started watching this season, I saw one of your posters around campus.”

  Alex spun to Ryan. “What? Posters? We have posters?” Ryan just waved a hand towards him as an answer – shushing him.

  “...but I plan on going back and watching the first campaign at some point. I need to know what the deal with this Kaladrin is!” Jay said.

  Alex groaned but Ryan was eating it up.

  “You must have been playing for a long time because your character improv is great. It even encouraged me to start looking around for a group to join. I do a little acting and can’t think of a better way to incorporate practice into my schedule.”

  “What are you studying?” Alex asked, because he really didn’t look like an acting major. Were there even acting majors at Lakehead? He didn’t even know.

  “Engineering. My father wants me to be an architect or a lawyer. But engineering has been a pretty good fit so far and it keeps him off my back.”

  “But you want to be an actor? Or a comic?” Ryan asked.

  “No! Not a comic. An Actor. And now I get that opportunity. Who would have thought way up here in Northern Ontario is where that dream would come true huh?”

  “An Engineering Actor huh? I can see it.” Ryan laughed.

  Jay chuckled. “Don’t tell anyone. I’m supposed to be the dumb barbarian. Gotta protect the brand.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “But give me a stage and I’ll Conan it up all day.”

  Ryan laughed, clearly charmed. Alex found himself liking Jay despite his intimidation factor.

  While they talked, another young man walked up to them and stood a few steps away, turned towards the doors. Ryan jumped right in.

  “Are you here for the Dungeon Bus too?” He called out to the new arrival. The young man turned towards them and looked as nervous as Alex felt.

  “Yes. You’re all here for the show?” He was dressed well, in beige slacks and button shirt.

  “Well, not me,” answered Ryan. “I got hired too, but I have something I can’t get out of this week, so they're going to bring me in on the next cohort, next month. I’m super jealous of you guys!” Ryan was practically bouncing as he spoke. Alex shook his head.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “What’s your name?” Jay asked the new arrival.

  “Danny,” he offered.

  “Well Danny, I hope you’re ready! We’re in for a hell of a weekend!” Jay said.

  “Ooo - rub it in why don’t you,” Ryan said with a hand on his chest, acting like he had just been stabbed.

  “What role did they give you?” Alex asked Danny. He was shorter, maybe 5’7” on a good day. He had thick black hair and nervous eyes.

  “Ranger.”

  “Really?” said Ryan. “You don’t look like a ranger. How did you get that role?”

  “Oh, I grew up in the country. Learned to shoot bows and spent lots of time in the forests. I guess they thought that was close enough.”

  “Well, sure sounds like a Ranger. Sorry, I didn’t mean to doubt you!” Ryan said. “I just meant you don’t look like a typical ranger. A tall Aragorn or Legolas type, you know?” Jay laughed.

  Before Danny could respond the hiss of brakes pulled their attention outside. A short yellow school bus rolled up to the curb. The Dungeon Inc. logo gleamed on its side, half peeling as the paint underneath flaked away.

  The driver hopped out, wiry and stone-faced, and swung open the back door of the bus. Inside, a welded rack had replaced half the back few seats, ready for all the backpacks and bags.

  Following him was the tall blonde recruiter from the day before. She walked towards the building and swept into the Agora like she owned the place. Her crisp blazer was immaculate, and her smile was bright enough to stop all of their conversation. She sported the same two pins as the previous day too: The Dungeon Inc. enameled pin shone on her lapel and another in bronze, shaped like a sword, hung on her shirt collar.

  “Alex, Jason,” she greeted the two by name first - they were standing closest to the doors. “And Daniel and… Ryan - nice to see you. Did you change your mind about coming this weekend then?”

  “Oh I wish,” said Ryan. “But no, I just came to see this guy off. I can’t wait though!”

  “Wonderful. Well, we can’t wait to have you join us. Your enthusiasm will translate wonderfully onto the screen!” she said, laughing. And Ryan and Jay joined in. Alex and Danny watched on.

  “Well, I guess we’re just waiting on – ah.” Her eyes darted towards the stairwell to the right of the doors where a girl stepped out of the shadows and sauntered forward.

  She wore an oversized hoodie with the hood up, despite the warmth, and had her hands jammed in the front pocket. She looked like she’d rather be anywhere else. Her sharp dark eyes swept over the group like she was skimming a grocery list.

  “There she is,” the recruiter said, beaming wider. “Ravenna, our rogue. I should have expected you to be hiding in the shadows, eh?”

  The girl sighed. “I was just waiting where it was quiet and cool.”

  Ryan leaned toward Alex, whispering, “Rogue, huh? They nailed this one.”

  Alex ignored him and hitched up his backpack with one hand.

  Before anyone could respond, another voice bubbled in-too bright, too loud.

  “Oh my gods, you guys! Are you my team? This is SO exciting!”

  A girl with a mop of curly red hair practically bounded into the room from the direction of the Outpost, the campus pub, earbuds dangling around her neck. She wore a denim jacket covered in enamel pins, most of which jingled with every movement. In one hand she clutched a flute case plastered in stickers; in the other, an oversized iced coffee sweating with condensation.

  “Melissa Harper,” she announced without being asked. “But everyone calls me Mel. Or Lyra. Oh wow, Alex Mercer? You’re so much cuter than in your streams!”

  Alex froze mid-step. “Ah…”

  Ryan stepped forward with the save. “Are you a Side Quest fan?”

  “Oh! Ryan too! I didn’t see you. Of course I am. A fan that is. I even wrote a ballad about Kaladrin’s death and sent it in to you last year. Do you want me to sing it?” She swung the flute case around in front of herself like she was going to actually play it right there – and she probably was.

  Jay grinned. Ryan smothered a laugh. Ravenna muttered something that sounded like ‘kill me now’.

  The recruiter looked on delightedly. “And now our bard. The gang’s all here as they say.”

  Mel squeezed in, between Ryan and Jay, already rummaging in her bag. “I brought snacks for everyone! And stickers! Who wants one?” She peeled off a random monster sticker and slapped it onto Alex’s sleeve before he could protest.

  Ryan leaned over to Alex and said “Have fun with this one!” It was pure sarcasm. Even Alex picked up on it right away.

  The recruiter clapped her hands, every inch the ring leader full of stage-host energy. “Alright, everyone. Bags in the back, butts inside. We are now officially on a schedule.”

  Alex turned to Ryan as they all walked out through the glass doors. “Well, I guess this is it.”

  Ryan punched his shoulder with a grin. “Go make me proud, man. And text me when you’re famous. Actually, don’t get famous yet. Wait until I’m there and we’ll get famous together!”

  Alex managed a shaky smile. “Yeah, definitely.”

  He waited his turn and then slid his backpack into the back of the bus. As he turned around he saw that Ryan had stayed up on the sidewalk. He was sporting a huge stupid grin on his face with both hands in front of him in a double thumbs up. Alex smiled despite himself.

  “And don’t forget – and this is very important – I will always hate you for getting to do this first,” Ryan said in mock seriousness. “Now go out and try to not get yourself killed.”

  Alex just rolled his eyes and moved to the bus's door. As he climbed up he leaned back out and gave his friend the finger. They both laughed.

  The bus smelled like vinyl and dust, the seats were patched with duct tape. Alex hadn’t been on a school bus in years. It turned on and the rumble of the engine vibrated up through the floor.

  Alex used to ride at the back of the bus, but Ravenna was already there, hood up and earbuds in and didn’t look like she wanted any company.

  Jay had dropped into one of the front seats, striking up a conversation with the driver and the recruiter and Mel had sprawled out on a seat, immediately unpacking snacks and trying to hand out granola bars to everyone. Danny perched on the edge of the seat across from her.

  Alex sighed and picked the middle of the bus, behind Danny.

  The door hissed shut and the bus jolted forward with a certain finality. There was no going back now.

  Alex looked out the side windows as the bus trundled around the Agora circle and watched as Ryan jumped up and down, waving, until the bus disappeared out of sight.

  By the mid–21st century, the concept of corporate nationality had become functionally obsolete. Capital, data, labour, and logistics no longer respected borders, and states increasingly lacked the means—or the incentive—to enforce jurisdiction over entities that could relocate their operational footprint faster than legislation could respond.

  In response, the International Economic Harmonization Council ratified the Transnational Charter Framework, recognizing qualifying corporations as post-national actors. These entities were granted limited sovereign authority within their owned and operated infrastructure, including internal governance, security, arbitration, and regulatory compliance, provided they maintained transparency agreements with legacy governments.

  In practice, corporations did not replace nations. They outgrew them. Citizenship became a matter of access. Governance followed supply chains. Law followed leverage.

  Public anxiety framed this shift as dystopian. The world’s growing body of trillionaires have long framed it as inevitable.

  Excerpt from Sovereignty After Borders: Governance in the Infrastructural Age

  International Economic Harmonization Council, 2059

  ———

  Earth-3 presents a jurisdictional opportunity unencumbered by legacy governance. No recognized states. No charter bodies. No competing claims of sovereignty.

  Under the Charter Framework, the establishment of infrastructure constitutes governance. Completing our application through the IEHC will give us a free hand in the governance of this new world.

  Control the portals.

  Control the supply lines.

  Control the narrative.

  Everything else follows.

  Internal Memorandum re: Strategic Application to IEHC

  Dungeon Inc.

  Thanks for sticking with the story so far!!

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  Dungeon Inc. // RECRUIT DIV.

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  ? ━━━? THE STORY CONTINUES… ?━━━ ?