Rita floated in the icy water, her mind clinging to a single thought:
'How did it come to this…?'
Her body was shivering, and not just from the cold.
It felt as though every memory was flooding her mind at once, from the days when dungeons were the last thing on her mind to the moment Marcus, her uncle and the man she secretly admired, stayed behind, facing down that flood.
Rita closed her eyes, trying to summon a calm that was slipping through her fingers like the water seeping through the cracks in the door.
Rita's thoughts drifted back to those days at her family's house, where life had been comfortable and worry-free. Everything changed the afternoon Marcus, after years away, came to visit.
That night, Marcus had captivated the entire family's attention. Her father and other relatives watched him with admiration, though he downplayed it, saying he was just a collector and that the job wasn't as glamorous as people thought.
Still, the others wouldn't stop talking about his bravery, knowing how dangerous those places could be.
For Rita, it all sounded like fantasy until her family's words echoed in her own mind.
Not long after, a comment from her ex-boyfriend sealed the destiny she was already carving out for herself:
"You're nothing without your parents; you're just living off them like a parasite."
Although they'd broken up because of his possessive attitude, for Rita, his words stung.
That was when she decided to join a guild.
If Marcus could do it, so could she—and in time, she'd go even further.
After a grueling selection process, she got her shot as a collector. Passing the entrance test had been an unexpected achievement, especially since she was an unawakened woman with no special powers.
She still remembered, with pride and surprise, the moment Marcus came to congratulate her on succeeding.
"I admire you, niece," he'd told her, with a sincere smile that, despite her pride, made her feel a bit insecure. "What you're about to face won't be easy."
But Rita didn't want anyone, especially him, to think she couldn't handle it alone.
"Thanks, but… Uncle, please, don't treat me like your niece on the job. I don't want special treatment; I want to be seen as just another member of the guild."
He nodded, even though her words hurt him inside.
"I understand, Rita. I just wanted to give you this, as a small congratulations," he said, taking out a small box of chocolates—her favorite.
She couldn't help but smile and accepted the gift. From that day on, Marcus kept his promise. Weeks passed, and Rita faced the difficulties of the job. Sometimes, extracting crystals from monsters was tough, and there were times when her teammates had to lend her a hand. Nevertheless, Marcus always kept his distance, just as she had requested.
As the weeks passed, Rita started to feel proud of the money she was making, even beginning to think that all the warnings about dungeon dangers were overblown.
As long as she wasn't on the front lines, all she had to do was wait for the hunters to finish their job.
But then there was this dungeon. This time, instead of a regular collection where they would gather crystals and leave… those damned worms showed up. Rita was terrified to see live monsters so close, and she never expected that one of them would lead her to this blasted casino!
At first, the goblins and their gambling felt like a ridiculous game, but the horror sank in as she watched a companion fall.
Realizing how dangerous the situation was becoming, she went down a floor to find a secluded spot to cry, but to her surprise, Marcus appeared.
"What do you want?" she asked irritably.
Marcus sighed and replied,
"I've won some rounds… and I think I'll soon have enough to get out of here. I'd rather you take these tokens and add them to yours to leave. I'll find my own way out."
His words pierced her heart, and though she tried to appear strong, she couldn't stop her eyes from filling with tears.
"No. I can do it alone, Uncle. I was… just pulling myself together."
For a moment, they looked at each other in silence until they heard a loud noise from the floor above.
"Follow me."
Without another word, Rita followed him down to another set of stairs that went even deeper.
On this floor, unlike the others, there was a narrow hallway lined with huge, reinforced metal doors on both sides.
'Are these giant vaults? Is this where the goblins keep their stuff? But why isn't any of them guarding it?' Rita wondered.
It was there that they ran into Damian, who had also reached that floor.
Without much talk, Damian and Marcus opened one of the doors, and to their surprise, there were piles of gold coins inside. But that didn't matter to them. Rita and Damian rushed inside while Marcus stayed outside.
"What are you doing, Uncle? Get in here!" Rita yelled, desperate.
"I have to help the others, Rita. Take care of yourself, and don't forget who you are," he replied, giving her one last, affectionate look before signaling Damian to close the door.
'What? Wait! Why is he playing the hero here? There's no one around to see him! What he's doing is so stupid!'
Damian closed the door, and Rita screamed, banging on the metal as water started to seep in, soaking her feet and rising little by little.
"Uncle! Answer me, Uncle!"
Damian watched Rita's reaction in silence, and seeing that she couldn't open a door like that on her own, she started to pray in desperation, hoping Marcus was okay and would come back.
But soon, the other people's screams faded until only the sound of the water remained, still rising.
Soon, the room where they were trapped started filling up, and they both began to float.
As she floated, feeling the pressure of the water against her body, she looked at Damian, who was struggling to stay afloat nearby.
"Do you… do you think we're going to die here?" Rita asked, her voice trembling, unable to hide her fear.
Despite his exhaustion, Damian gave her a calm smile.
"It'll be fine, Rita. Don't lose hope."
But she knew he was only trying to comfort her.
"You don't have to lie, Damian. I know this… that this is the end."
Before he could respond, they both noticed something strange. The door began to move slowly, as if someone on the other side was trying to open it.
"Do… do you feel that?" Rita murmured, pointing at the door with a hint of hope in her voice.
Damian looked at it, both puzzled and alert.
"Do you want me to open it or try to keep it shut? If more water comes in…"
Rita, with her heart racing, wiped the tears mixed with water from her face and made a decision.
"I'll take the risk, Damian. Maybe… maybe it's someone else…"
Despite his exhaustion, Damian dove into the water to approach the door. This time, opening it was far more challenging than before, but little by little, he felt it start to give way, letting in even more water.
'Please, God… have mercy!' Damian thought as he summoned every ounce of his strength to open it.