The sun had dipped lower, casting the dunes in deepening reds. In-game nightfall wasn’t far off, which also meant morning in the real world was just around the corner.

  After three more skirmishes—routine fights against ordinary beasts—the caravan arrived in a sheltered valley nestled between three towering dunes. No elites, no bosses. Nothing else had come looking for trouble.

  “We’re here,” Amari announced, pleased. “This is where we’ll build our village.”

  “Men, form a perimeter. We’re camping here,” Captain Apollos said, catching Amari’s cue.

  As the soldiers dismounted and began pitching tents, Jack and the others took a moment to look around.

  Unlike the cramped valleys they’d passed, where dunes pressed close together, this one opened into a wide, flat basin with room to breathe and build. The towering dunes on all sides offered natural cover, blocking line of sight from the fortress-topped cliffs near the wadi. Despite the caravan’s size and the thud of hooves on sand, no beasts had attacked since they’d entered the valley.

  Even the temperature felt more forgiving, the shadows casting a cool edge over the heat.

  Jack had only one concern.

  “Do these ever… move?” he asked, nodding toward the looming walls of sand. “With the wind, I mean.”

  Amari shook his head. “Nope. Terrain’s static. Same reason trees grow back when you cut ’em down. System resets everything.”

  Jack nodded, filing that away. It would have sucked to build a village only to have it swallowed up by a dune avalanche. With that assurance, he had no reservations. It really did seem like the perfect spot.

  He opened his inventory. His eyes landed on the golden cube, its faces etched with memories from the Breach.

  Golden Village Creation Cube (Legendary)

  His Majesty, the King of Eternia, no longer wishes to remain confined within the twin-walled Rings. He has declared it time to reclaim the lands beyond and has entrusted a select few with the authority to lead that effort.

  Effects:

  Grants the right to establish a golden-grade village at a location of your choosing outside the Ring;

  This item has been imparted with special features;

  The village will be under royal protection for 10 days.

  Bound to: JackofDiamonds, AmariNinja, Marie, Horace, and RobbieRobber

  They’d all had so many questions: how villages worked, what benefits came with founding one, and especially what the cube’s “special features” were. Now, they were finally about to find out.

  Jack reached for the cube but paused when his eyes flicked to the system clock. He glanced over at his father and Rob. They were waiting—for him to call it.

  Taking a steady breath, Jack turned toward the others. “Amari, we…”

  “I know,” Amari said. “It’s okay, Jack. Go take care of your father. We’ll start the village when you get back. Things will get busy once we place the cube.”

  “Thanks... What about you? And the soldiers?”

  Amari shrugged. “We’ll hang out, scout the area a bit. We hired the caravan for twenty-four hours, and the soldiers will stay here. We’ve got a solid fallback. By the time you’re back, we should have a better feel for the map.”

  “Good. Let me know if you find any signs of a clay deposit or water.”

  Amari smiled. “Will do.” He walked over to Rob, exchanged a few quiet words, then returned to clasp hands with José. “All the best with your treatment, Mr. José.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” José replied, giving Amari a crisp salute.

  Jack and Amari chuckled. His dad always treated Amari’s leadership like a proper command.

  The rest of the group exchanged farewells. Marie gave Rob a particularly long hug. It stung a little, watching them so lovey-dovey, especially with how weird things had become between him and Holly.

  And then it was time.

  Jack turned to his father and clasped his shoulder. “What do you say, Dad? Ready to get treated?”

  José nodded, eyes bright. “Let’s do it.”

  Jack hesitated. The village was within reach. The cube. The answers. But his dad came first.

  It was time to log out. Time to take care of things in the real world.

  The cube could wait. Soon, he’d be back—and he’d find out what it really did.

  Jack blinked as the desert dissolved into light. The three Sousas logged out of New Earth.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  *

  Rob was behind the wheel. They’d had no choice but to rent a hovercar—his father’s old van only sat three. It had been years since Jack had ridden with Rob driving, but he handled the vehicle smoothly. All those years maneuvering trucks, forklifts, and cranes on construction sites had apparently turned him into a great chauffeur.

  He kept going on about how the rental still smelled new—leather seats, clean vents, that factory-fresh scent. But to Jack, it reminded him of a hospital. Or maybe that was just his mind bracing for what was coming. Maybe part of him was already there.

  The roads were mostly empty. Early enough to beat the traffic. They were making good time.

  “Everyone okay back there?” Jack asked, glancing into the rearview mirror.

  “All good, all good,” his father replied, voice steady. He was watching the city drift by through the window. He looked calm.

  His mother, on the other hand, kept sighing and tapping her foot. Her fingers gripped her purse a little too tightly.

  “Mom. Relax. It’s going to be okay.”

  “I know, I know,” she muttered, not looking at him.

  “The treatment’s safe. It’s routine. They’ve done this thousands of times.”

  She gave a tight nod but said nothing. Jack let it drop. It didn’t matter how many times he tried—she refused to calm down.

  The clinic stood in a quiet part of town, tucked between a few office buildings and an aging apartment complex. Inside, it was all soft lights and muted colors. An aquarium stretched along one wall, alive with dozens of tiny schooling neon fish with bright blue stripes.

  Above the reception desk, framed portraits showed smiling faces of all ages and backgrounds, each one frozen in perfect health and happiness. This place reeked of money. Given how much they were leaving behind here, Jack figured the aquarium could’ve been big enough to fit whales. And if those cheerful posters had been swapped out for Rembrandts and Van Goghs, he wouldn’t have been surprised.

  “José Sousa, is it?”

  “Yes. S-O-U-S-A,” his father said patiently.

  “Good! You’re our first appointment of the week!” she said excitedly, as if that awarded them some kind of award. But all they got was a form. The receptionist handed them a sleek tablet. “Can you please fill this out?”

  “I already filled all this out online,” José said, squinting at the screen.

  “It looks quite similar to the online one, but it’s a little different, sir,” the receptionist replied with a practiced smile. “The system won’t let us proceed otherwise.”

  José sighed but went along with it.

  After filling everything out, Jack sat with his parents in the waiting area—comfortable blue chairs in tidy rows, facing a wall screen that played the news on mute. They were the first to arrive, but others soon trickled in: a teen with his mother, an elderly couple.

  Jack found himself glancing at their shoes and clothes, wondering if they could afford half-a-million-credit treatments too.

  “José Sousa?” a nurse called. Her voice was clear but gentle. She stood in white scrubs, her professional smile not quite reaching her eyes.

  Jack stood, heart giving a single, heavy thud.

  They followed her down a short hallway into a consultation room. The lighting was soft; the air carried that faint chill common to medical spaces. A monitor on the wall displayed José’s name and ID number, along with a few quiet lines of medical data.

  A man in a white coat stood to greet them.

  “I’m Doctor Rajesh,” he said, calm and unhurried. “I’ll be overseeing your nano-chemotherapy today.”

  “José Sousa. Nice to meet you.”

  “I’m Maria, his wife. These are our son and nephew,” she added.

  “Pleasure to meet all of you,” the doctor replied with a nod, then turned back to José. “So. Nano-chemo. It’s a straightforward procedure. We’ll inject nanites into your bloodstream—engineered to identify and dismantle any cancerous cells. Highly targeted, minimally invasive, and very effective. The treatment takes about six hours. There's no risk involved. You can rest easy.”

  “The success rate isn’t quite 100%, though, is it?” Maria asked.

  “It’s not,” the doctor admitted without hesitation. “But not because the treatment is dangerous. Some cancerous cells are just very good at playing hide and seek. Worst case, your husband would come back for a second round.”

  “And we wouldn’t have to pay for that, correct?” Maria asked.

  “That’s right, ma’am.”

  Jack glanced at his mother. She gave a small nod, but her expression didn’t change. The doctor’s words were hitting the same wall they always had.

  “Are we ready?” Dr. Rajesh asked, rising from his seat.

  “Yes, doctor,” José said with a steady breath.

  He turned to Maria and took her hand. “Relax, sweetheart. It’s going to be okay,” he said gently, in Portuguese.

  “I know,” she whispered. “I’ll be right here waiting, okay?”

  He nodded, then turned to Rob.

  “Go get that cancer, Uncle!” Rob said, trying for a grin.

  José chuckled, then turned to Jack. His eyes were already glassy.

  “Son... thank you.”

  Jack swallowed. “Just stop thanking me and go get yourself healed, Dad.”

  Dr. Rajesh opened the door behind him. “This way, Mr. Sousa.”

  They watched as José followed the doctor through the doorway. Still upright. Still smiling. Still himself.

  Then the door shut.

  The nurse motioned to the opposite exit. “I’ll walk you back to the entrance. The waiting room’s just past the lobby.”

  “Thank you,” Jack said softly.

  They followed her in silence.

  The waiting room had filled up. They found seats near the aquarium. Inside, the fish twisted and turned in synchronized waves.

  “Mom, are you sure you don’t want to go home and rest?” Jack asked.

  She shook her head immediately. “I’m only leaving when your dad leaves,” she said.

  Jack nodded. It wasn’t fear keeping her here. It was loyalty. That quiet, immovable strength his mother had always carried. She needed to be there the moment it was over—as if her presence alone might make the treatment go faster.

  Time stretched. The clock ticked. The muted TV flickered. Jack sat beside her, hands clasped, leg bouncing despite his best efforts to stay still. Rob leaned against the wall, scrolling through his phone.

  There were still several hours left before the treatment ended.

  Jack stood. “I’m going to get some coffee. Anyone want one?”

  “I’ll take one,” Rob said.

  “Not for me, baby. Thank you,” Maria murmured, eyes still fixed ahead.

  Jack made his way to the vending machines around the corner and swiped his card. He selected a latte for Rob and a black coffee for himself. As the machine hummed to life, he checked his phone.

  Nothing. No new messages. No missed calls.

  He refreshed the chat. Then did it again. Still nothing.

  Holly hadn’t said a word since yesterday. The silence felt wrong. Heavy in a way he couldn’t quite name.

  His thumb hovered, then tapped her number. He let it ring.

  Voicemail.

  He sighed and pocketed the phone.

  “Hey,” Rob said, appearing beside him.

  “Rob. Here’s your coffee.”

  Rob smiled. “You gave me the black one. I think you meant to hand me the latte, huh?”

  “Right. Sorry.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Holly. She’s not returning my calls or replying to my texts.”

  “Still, huh.” Rob took a sip. After a beat, he added, “The campus isn’t far from here.”

  Jack nodded. He’d thought about it. But he wanted to be here. For his dad. For his mom.

  “Go,” Rob said. “I’ll tell your mom you stepped out for some fresh air. I’ll stay with her.”

  “No, I-”

  Rob patted his back. “Seriously. Go.”

  Jack hesitated. Leaving felt wrong. But staying, with that silence gnawing at him, felt worse.

  “Text me if anything happens, okay?”

  “I will.”

  Jack downed the coffee in a few gulps and headed for the exit. His fingers were already swiping through his phone, calling a car to take him to campus.

  He needed to find Holly. He needed to understand what her silence meant.

  His father’s words echoed in his chest: Who knows where we’ll be tomorrow?