Ashe’s feet rested against the wall, his head hanging off the bed.

  A few days had passed since he’d been accepted. He’d attended another guild meeting, but it had been nothing more than the do’s and don’ts. The don’t-need-to-be-a-hero speech, followed by a few guild items being handed out. Ashe had almost dozed off during it.

  He wore one around his neck. It was supposed to inform him when he was called to a portal; a low ping and a vibration were meant to tell him when to go to the Guildhall. But Ashe thought it must be defective, since it had yet to make a peep. His parents weren’t home, Rasmus couldn’t play any games, and he had already listened to the music he wanted to. Now only silence filled the gaps in his mind.

  Ashe slid off the bed and crumpled on top of himself like paper in a storm. For a second he didn’t move, too exhausted, too bored to care. Then he froze. Cold ran in his veins and he popped upright.

  The necklace vibrated, low, but it was there. Then the ping, low and dull.

  This was his chance to prove that he belonged.

  Ashe rolled on his side, face to the carpet. He reached underneath the bed and grabbed the kitchen knife he had hidden there. His father would notice eventually, but for now it had gone unnoticed.

  He oriented himself in the room. Two steps to the desk, then straight. He found his duffel bag, his walking stick. He quickly pulled the hoodie over his head, placed the beanie on, and slid the sunglasses on. The disguise was on. Something about it made him feel like he was wearing armor, like he was stronger now than moments ago on the bed.

  Ashe headed out, bus pass in hand. He hurried down the steps, then through the kitchen.

  He stopped for a moment as his stomach growled. “Probably a good idea to grab a snack,” he mumbled. He headed for the pantry and grabbed a few Clif bars, stuffed them in his bag, and continued.

  A breeze had turned into heavy gusts. The smell of rain in the air was thick; Ashe knew it would be coming soon.

  He stepped out his door, phone in his pocket, one earbud in his ear. His guide.

  He started his journey. It went by painfully slow; his legs refused to stay still on the bus, his mind running with ideas, with possibilities. He was like a child hopped up on sugar on their birthday. Uncontrollable.

  By the time the final bus stop neared, his body was exhausted, but his mind still ran wild.

  The world outside was more chaotic than normal. The rain had begun, heavy and thick. It rang against steel, and the wind drove the droplets into his face despite the hoodie. At times like this he didn’t mind being blind; he didn’t have to worry about it getting in his eyes.

  He worked with what he had. There was no point in complaining.

  He popped out his walking stick and followed the directions. When he heard, “Destination is to your left,” he stopped dead in his tracks, took a deep breath, and pushed against the door handle. He was soaked to the core, his shoes making a squishing sound with each step. But he didn’t care. The mission was the only thing on his mind.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Inside, people moved in chaos. Yells echoed out. He stood frozen, unable to see where he was supposed to go, so he followed the cacophony of sound instead.

  As he approached, the old woman’s voice rang out. He recognized her; she’d been a real hardass.

  “Did you get the call?” He nodded quickly. He didn’t need to be kicked out before it started.

  “Go to bus two.” He stood there awkwardly for a moment, until she realized. “Shit, sorry.”

  A few moments of silence felt like hours before she spoke again. Then in that ragged voice words formed. “Amalia. Come help him find bus two.”

  Before he knew it, the smell of a woman’s perfume rushed over him and an arm wrapped around his. He followed without question. Her voice brushed against his ear.

  “Nice to meet you, I’m Amalia. I’ll be your Intro Jumper.”

  He could tell he had missed something, presumably at the guild meeting. Instead of asking, he let her speak; he inferred what he could, the rest he would learn along the way.

  “It’s right here,” she said. He nodded and pushed his arms in front of him. As his hands met cold steel, he stepped inside. It was damp and smelled faintly of sweat.

  He sat down on a seat and tried to relax, even if he knew it wasn’t going to work. The seat was already damp and his wet clothes only added to the discomfort.

  Slowly, the bus filled. The clatter of metal, most likely armor, the thud of heavy feet and deep breathing followed by laughter and a girl’s voice all blended into a chime of chaos.

  He feared how he would fare among this many people. It was easier with fewer voices, fewer bodies in the chaos—at least for him.

  He hadn’t been ready when the bus started. It jerked back and Ashe fell forward. He managed to get himself back to his seat and strap his seat belt around him, but not before he heard soft laughter behind him. This wasn’t the start he had hoped for.

  Amalia spoke, clearly trying to move the attention away from him and toward her. “Alright, I will be your Intro Jumper. Please stay behind me at all times. We will be entering an E-tier dungeon.”

  Ashe swallowed. He didn’t exactly have a good history with those, but that was one of the reasons he had joined the guild.

  “There are six of us, so it should be no problem. I usually clear E-ranked portals in a group of three, the members are also present today and will be helping keep you safe. Please introduce yourselves.”

  A loud voice rang out along with the clatter of steel as someone shifted. It was the big man in armor. He spoke low and slow, like he had to first confirm the words in his mind.

  “My name is Joey. People call me Joe. I’ve been doing this for about a year now.”

  Ashe wanted to tell him to speed it up, but he didn’t. He just sat in silence, listening.

  Then a small girl’s voice was next, high-pitched, almost like a dog whistle. “So, I’m like, the scout. Or whatever. My name is Annie. I’ve been doing this for three months. Or something like that.”

  My god, her voice rubbed against his skull in the wrong way. It was like a knife against a porcelain plate. It sent a shiver down his spine.

  Then the rest of them were told to introduce themselves. “Uh. Hi. My— I— is Ted.” There was Ted. He was a nervous wreck; Ashe could hear his heartbeat, the quiver in his voice, and the constant fidgeting from his side.

  “Sup, Name is Tessa.” She seemed uninterested, bored to be here.

  If Ashe ever had a team, he really hoped he’d be with people he could tolerate.

  “Alright, we will be there in five minutes. Please get your things ready and be prepared. Once there, we don’t want to wait any longer than necessary.”

  The words sent the bus into motion. Weapons shifted, feet pushed against other feet. Ashe grabbed his knife from his bag, then fell back into his seat. That was all he had.

  The bus screeched to a halt and, before Ashe could unclip his seat belt, the sound of footsteps rushed out the doors. He sat frozen as air and jackets brushed against his cheek. When calm returned, he stood up and stepped outside.

  A voice rang out. “Hurry uppp…” It faded as she stepped into the portal, her voice fading until it vanished..

  A memory of those cold hands around his throat sent a shiver down his spine, and for a second he considered going back to the bus. This was it, a choice that would define his future. But it wasn’t a hard one. He knew he would go in. He could only hope this would go more smoothly.

  Then Ashe followed. The world shifted and the rain vanished in an instant. His stomach pressed against his ribs and his ears popped.