The silence that followed Titan's dramatic destruction of the dungeon door was deafening. Aria and Leah trailed behind him, exchanging occasional glances, clearly too intimidated by Titan's looming figure to start another argument.
For his part, Titan was utterly unbothered by the awkward quiet. He marched ahead, glowing eyes scanning the corridor for traps or anything remotely interesting. His internal systems, however, buzzed with mild irritation.
How had he ended up babysitting two walking disasters?
---
The corridor stretched on, dimly lit by flickering blue runes along the walls. Despite the eerie ambiance, the group encountered no traps, no monsters, and no ominous sounds.
Naturally, this only made Aria suspicious.
"This is too easy," she muttered, breaking the silence.
Leah gave her a sharp look. "Could you not jinx us for once?"
"I'm just saying," Aria shot back, "after everything we've been through, doesn't this feel… wrong?"
Titan didn't bother turning around. He simply raised a hand, signaling them to stop.
"What now?" Aria asked, crossing her arms.
Titan pointed ahead. At the end of the corridor was another door. Unlike the first one, this door was plain—no glowing runes, no carvings, not even a handle. It was just… there.
"What kind of dungeon has a door like that?" Aria said, squinting at it.
Leah shrugged. "Maybe it's a fake door?"
Titan stepped forward, his glowing eyes narrowing as he analyzed the door. His systems detected no magic, no hidden mechanisms, no traps. It was, for all intents and purposes, just a normal door.
He pushed it gently.
It didn't budge.
Titan tried again, this time with a bit more force. Still nothing.
"Well?" Aria asked, tapping her foot.
Titan tilted his head, as if silently debating whether to humor her or break the door like the last one.
Leah stepped forward, placing a hand on Titan's arm. "Wait. What if it needs a password?"
Aria rolled her eyes. "A password for a door with no magic? That's the dumbest thing I've ever—"
Before she could finish, Leah stepped closer to the door and said, "Open sesame?"
The door remained firmly shut.
Aria burst out laughing. "Really? That's your big idea? What's next, knocking and asking nicely?"
Leah scowled. "Do you have a better plan?"
"Yeah," Aria said, smirking. "We let Titan smash it."
Titan, to his credit, didn't immediately smash the door. Instead, he gave it one last push, applying just enough force to crack the wood.
Behind the door was…
Another door.
---
"What. Is. That?" Aria said, staring in disbelief.
It was identical to the first door—plain, unremarkable, and infuriatingly intact.
Leah groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."
Titan took a step back, tilting his head as he analyzed the new door. Once again, his scans found nothing unusual.
"Well?" Aria said, crossing her arms. "What are you waiting for? Smash it!"
Titan raised a hand, then hesitated. He turned his glowing eyes toward Aria, who blinked in confusion.
"What?" she asked.
Titan's gaze shifted to Leah, then back to Aria. Slowly, deliberately, he stepped aside and gestured toward the door.
"You want me to…?" Aria pointed at herself.
Titan nodded.
Aria grinned. "Oh, this is going to be fun."
---
She approached the door with exaggerated confidence, cracking her knuckles for dramatic effect.
"Watch and learn," she said, planting her feet firmly.
Leah sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is a terrible idea."
Ignoring her, Aria raised her leg and kicked the door with all her might.
The door didn't budge.
Instead, the force of the kick sent Aria stumbling backward, clutching her foot.
"OW! What is that thing made of?!" she yelped, hopping on one leg.
Titan's shoulders shook slightly—a subtle indication that he might, in fact, be laughing at her.
Leah, on the other hand, couldn't suppress her smirk. "So much for 'watch and learn.'"
Aria glared at both of them. "Oh, shut up."
---
Titan decided it was time to take matters into his own hands—again. He stepped forward, raised his gauntlet, and slammed it into the second door.
The door splintered into pieces, revealing…
Yet another door.
---
"This is some kind of joke," Aria said, throwing her hands in the air.
Leah frowned. "Maybe it's a test? Like, a patience thing?"
"Patience?!" Aria snapped. "We've been here for hours! How is this patience?"
Titan, for his part, had already started working on the third door. He didn't bother waiting for the others to finish their argument. One solid punch, and the door was gone.
Behind it was…
A treasure chest.
---
Aria's eyes lit up. "Finally! Something good!"
She rushed forward, ignoring Leah's warning to be careful. The chest was simple, unadorned, and slightly dusty, but Aria didn't care. She knelt in front of it, her fingers twitching with excitement.
"Wait," Leah said, grabbing her shoulder. "What if it's a trap?"
Aria rolled her eyes. "What kind of trap would—"
The moment she opened the chest, a loud hissing sound filled the room.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
You have activated a Mimic!
---
The treasure chest sprouted legs, teeth, and a pair of glowing red eyes. It lunged at Aria, who screamed and scrambled backward.
"WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?!" she yelled.
Leah unsheathed her dagger, ready to fight, but Titan was faster. He grabbed the Mimic by its "lid," lifting it off the ground with ease.
The creature thrashed and hissed, but Titan's grip was unrelenting. With one swift motion, he slammed it against the wall, reducing it to a pile of splinters and goo.
Aria stared at the mess, her chest heaving. "I'm never opening a treasure chest again."
Leah smirked. "Good. Maybe Titan should handle that from now on."
Titan gave a small nod, his glowing eyes flickering with amusement.
As the group prepared to leave the dungeon, Aria shot one last glare at the broken chest.
"This place is cursed," she muttered.
Titan couldn't agree more.