The sun had barely risen over the horizon, casting a dull orange hue across the small town of Fairfax. The world outside seemed peaceful, almost serene. Yet, inside the cramped apartment that William Colwen shared with his younger sister, Emily, there was nothing but quiet tension. William rubbed his eyes, forcing himself to sit up on the worn-out sofa, the old springs creaking beneath him. His body ached from the long hours he had spent doing odd jobs to scrape together a living.

Emily, his only family left, was still asleep in the small bedroom they shared, her soft breathing the only sound that brought any peace to the otherwise cold and empty space. Their parents had passed away in a tragic accident two years ago, leaving William with the responsibility of raising his sister. The burden had been heavy, but he carried it because there was no one else.

He glanced at the small table in the corner of the room, where a few pieces of stale bread sat, half eaten, next to a small cup of water. It was all they had left. The funds were running out, and the few coins he earned from his work as a part-time laborer barely covered the bills, let alone enough to provide for the both of them.

If only my Element were stronger, William thought bitterly.

At the age of 10, every child was tested for their elemental affinity. Most of his peers had unlocked elements like fire, water, or wind elements that could be honed and developed into powerful abilities. But William had unlocked Darkness. While Darkness itself wasn't a G-rank element, his particular affinity with it was weak. To most, the element was intimidating and versatile, but William's control over it was lacking. His power was limited to weak, flickering shadows and stealth abilities, hardly enough to stand out in a world where elemental prowess defined everything.

The guilds wouldn't even look at someone with a G-rank element, and no one wanted to hire him for any serious work. He couldn't use his abilities to protect his sister, let alone give her a better life.

A loud thud echoed through the apartment as Emily stumbled out of her room, her hair messy from sleep. She rubbed her eyes as she yawned, her small frame still fragile from the years of struggle.

"Good morning, William," she said sleepily, her voice still thick with sleep. She didn't know how much their situation weighed on him. As far as she was concerned, everything was normal. She was just a kid, he didn't want her to feel the burden he carried. He didn't want her to know how close they were to being completely destitute.

"Morning, Emily," William replied with a forced smile. He stood up and made his way to the small kitchen area, grabbing a pot from the shelf and placing it over the stove. He'd scraped together a little money yesterday from a delivery job, and he planned to use it to make a warm breakfast for Emily.

"Is there more bread today?" Emily asked, her eyes hopeful.

William hesitated, his hand pausing mid-motion as he looked at the small scraps left on the counter. He didn't want to tell her the truth. He didn't want her to know that there was nothing left after today, that the coins from the last job would barely cover their rent, let alone any food.

"Yeah, Emily. Just a little longer," he lied, forcing a smile. He turned on the stove, hoping that the warm, comforting smell of breakfast would distract her from the look in his eyes.

She beamed up at him, not suspecting a thing. "I'm going to school today! I'm learning more magic spells in class!"

William's heart sank at her words. He remembered his own days in school, the excitement of unlocking his Darkness ability and feeling like he was part of something bigger. But for Emily, who was just starting to develop her own magic, it was still an exciting time. She had hope. She was full of dreams about what her future could hold.

But for him, there were no dreams. Only survival.

"I'll be sure to help you with your homework later, okay?" William said, pushing the knot in his throat down. He glanced over at her, his eyes meeting her bright, hopeful gaze.

"Thanks, William! I want to be a big help to you. I'll work hard!" Emily's optimism was contagious, but it only made the reality of their situation that much harder for him to bear.

William spent the next few minutes preparing the small meal, trying his best to act as if everything were normal. When the food was ready, he placed a small portion in front of Emily and one for himself. It wasn't much—just a simple bowl of rice and broth—but it was enough to get them through the day.

"I'll walk you to school later, okay?" William said after they'd finished eating.

Emily nodded eagerly. "I'm excited! We're learning all about mana and how to control it. Maybe I'll get to unlock an element like you!"

William's heart clenched. If only she knew how weak mine is, he thought bitterly.

After Emily had left for school, William set out to make a few more deliveries, using the last of his strength to carry heavy crates through the town. His Darkness abilities allowed him to sneak through shadows and avoid being seen, a small advantage when carrying heavy loads, but it didn't help with the backbreaking labor he had to endure. It didn't give him enough to make a real living, and it certainly didn't give him the power he needed to rise above the pitiful existence he was stuck in.

By late afternoon, William collapsed into his favorite chair, the exhaustion of the day weighing on him. He checked his coin pouch, only a few coins were left. Tomorrow, there would be nothing.

He leaned back, rubbing his eyes in frustration.

"I have to do better. I have to… get her the life she deserves," William muttered to himself, feeling a deep sense of despair wash over him.

The guilds were closed to him. He couldn't rely on his element for anything. The odds were stacked against him, and yet, he couldn't afford to give up.

I'll find a way, he thought fiercely.

But as the sun began to set, casting a dull glow over the horizon, William knew the truth. The future wasn't bright for someone with a weak Darkness affinity. And no matter how hard he tried, it might never be enough.

William set an alarm for early morning and fallen asleep on his couch

The sun was already setting when William made his way through the quiet streets of Fairfax. The dimming light cast long, cool shadows across the town, and the evening air was crisp. As the town began to quiet down, William's mind was consumed with thoughts of Emily. With each passing day, their situation seemed to grow worse. The money was running out, and the few odd jobs he could get were never enough to keep them from going hungry.

He walked aimlessly through the marketplace, the few remaining merchants packing up their stalls. He didn't even have the energy to stop and browse. His thoughts were too clouded by the uncertainty of the future. How much longer can we keep going like this?

It was then that he heard a soft voice calling his name. "William?"

He froze in place. The voice was familiar, and when he turned around, his heart skipped a beat.

Standing in front of him was Raven.

She looked just as he remembered her, only more beautiful, more confident. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her striking brown eyes seemed to shimmer with something he couldn't quite place. She was standing just outside a bakery, the last rays of sunlight catching her in a halo of gold, as if the world itself had decided to pause for her.

"Raven..." he said, his voice faltering. It had been years since they'd last seen each other. She had been his high school sweetheart, the one he had once shared his hopes and dreams with, but life had pulled them in different directions. And now, here she was again.

Raven smiled at him, and for a moment, William felt like everything was falling back into place. The weight on his shoulders seemed to ease for just a moment.

"I didn't expect to see you here," she said, her voice smooth and inviting. She took a step closer, her eyes scanning him with a mixture of curiosity and fondness. "How've you been? It's been so long."

William cleared his throat, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. "I've been alright. Just... trying to make ends meet, you know? Things haven't been easy, but Emily and I manage."

Raven's smile softened, and she placed a hand gently on his arm. Her touch was warm, sending a spark of electricity through his body. "You always were so hardworking, William," she said, her voice low and soothing. "I've heard about your struggles. But I also heard you're still working those odd jobs. There's something I need to tell you."

William's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Raven stepped back slightly, her smile turning playful, almost teasing. "I've been working with a team on a few dungeon dives," she explained, her tone light but confident. "We've had some success, but we need someone with your particular set of skills. We're heading into a dungeon tomorrow to retrieve a certain treasure. It's a bit tricky, but with your ability to move in and out of shadows, you could really help us."

William blinked, surprised by the offer. A dungeon dive? His thoughts raced, but he found himself unable to resist. He had always been drawn to Raven, but more than that, the promise of helping her, of being useful, was too tempting. He had always struggled to fit in, his weak Darkness element leaving him with few options. But this... this was a chance to do something more, something that might change everything.

"I don't know," he said hesitantly. "I'm not exactly the strongest mage. My element is... not exactly useful."

Raven tilted her head, her smile not faltering for a second. "Don't worry about that," she said, her voice coaxing him. "It's a simple dive. Nothing too dangerous. We just need someone who can get in, grab the treasure, and get out before we attract too much attention. Think of it as a small favor. You'll get a cut of the loot, of course."

The offer was tempting. The thought of having enough money to take care of Emily for once, to give her something more than stale bread and water, was almost enough to make William forget all his doubts. The look in Raven's eyes, her soft smile and the warmth of her touch, made it even harder to resist.

"I... alright," he said finally, unable to turn her down. "I'll do it."

Raven's eyes lit up, and she stepped closer to him, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "I knew you'd come through for me, William. I won't forget this."

The kiss sent a jolt through him, and for a moment, he forgot about everything, the doubts, the weight of his responsibilities. Raven was the same as he remembered, but she had grown into someone more powerful, more alluring. It was impossible to ignore the pull he felt toward her, and in that moment, he convinced himself that this was the right thing to do.

The next day, William found himself meeting Raven and her group just outside the edge of town. The morning fog still hung in the air, and the chill in the wind made him shiver slightly as he walked over. His thoughts were consumed with the anticipation of the dive, but there was a lingering unease in his chest, a small, nagging feeling that something wasn't right.

The group was already there, waiting for him. Raven stood at the forefront, her smile as bright as ever, flanked by three others.

First was Alden, the tall man with the sharp, calculating eyes. His element was Air, and he had a quiet, almost unapproachable presence. He gave William a curt nod but didn't speak much.

Next was Holly, the woman with fiery red hair and a sharp look in her amber eyes. Her Fire element made her seem fierce and confident, and she had a certain edge to her that reminded William of a predator on the hunt.

And finally, Garret, the burly man whose Earth element seemed to manifest through his very stance, steady, solid, and unyielding. His deep green eyes scanned William carefully as if sizing him up.

"William," Raven greeted him warmly. "Glad you could make it."

"Yeah," he said, trying to smile back. "Glad to be here."

"Let's head out," Alden said. "The dungeon's not far, and we don't want to waste any time."

The group moved out together, the forest surrounding them thick with towering trees. William walked alongside Raven, his heart still racing, but for an entirely different reason now. He felt a sense of belonging, like he was part of something important again.

But as they entered the deeper, darker part of the forest, something in the air shifted. William couldn't quite place it, but the atmosphere felt oppressive, as though the forest itself was holding its breath.

When they reached the entrance to the dungeon, an eerie silence fell over them. The massive stone doorway seemed ancient, covered in runes William didn't recognize. He looked over at Raven, who gave him an encouraging smile, but the feeling in his gut didn't subside.

"Everything okay?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Raven nodded, her smile almost too wide. "Yeah, just a little further. Don't worry. Everything's fine."

As the rest of the group moved forward, William hesitated for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. There was something wrong, something off about this whole situation, but Raven's soft touch on his arm reassured him. This is what she needs me for. I'll help. Everything will be fine.

But he was wrong.

Inside the dungeon, William's world would soon shatter.

The stone doors soon opened under the combined strength of William, Alden and Garret sending waves of putrid air pouring out into the surroundings causing the ladies to gag a bit before regaining their composure, The air is thick with the stench of mold and decay, like the lingering scent of damp earth and rotting leaves. The mustiness is almost palpable, a mix of old, wet wood and the sharp tang of long-since extinguished torches. Underneath it all is a faint, sickly-sweet odor, hinting at the remnants of ancient offerings and the grim evidence of what lies within.

With a quick gesture and a surge of mana Alden created an air current and blasted the miasma away and the group could finally breath comfortably, "The smell is still there but this way we can at least breath." Alden states as he and Garret take point with Raven and Holly following right behind.

William, on the other hand, stayed toward the back. He couldn't help but notice how they all looked so sure of themselves, so powerful. He, with his rank G darkness element, felt almost invisible in their midst. His only real utility was in being a distraction or a mule, and that was exactly how they used him. He didn't even mind. After all, he was doing it for Emily, his younger sister, and their difficult life after their parents' death.

The deeper they traveled into the dungeon, the more William's instincts screamed at him to turn back. The air grew colder, the walls seemed to close in, and the sound of distant growls echoed through the tunnels.

"Keep your wits about you," Alden said, his tone sharp as his eyes scanned the darkness. "We're not alone here."

As if on cue, the ground trembled beneath their feet, and the sound of skittering claws echoed from the darkness ahead. Before anyone could react, a pack of lesser creatures, monstrous, twisted versions of rats with razor-sharp claws and glowing red eyes, surged from the shadows. They were small, but fast—each one the size of a large dog.

Raven flicked her wrist, sending a jet of water toward the oncoming pack, freezing several of the creatures in their tracks. The ice shattered with a sharp crack as they tumbled to the floor, but the remaining creatures quickly recovered, more than eager to close in on their prey. Garret stepped forward, raising his hands, and the ground beneath the creatures' feet began to crack and shift. A massive pillar of rock shot up, trapping half of the creatures beneath it. The remaining pack lunged at them with fierce ferocity and Garret met the tide using a shield made of earth causing him to slowly slide backward as the group assaulted the tide with blasts of fire, spears of water and arrows guided by wind magic while William still in the back did his best to attack with thin tendrils of darkness that shattered upon impact only leaving shallow wounds on the massive rats.

Holly was firing Flare blasts toward a group of approaching rats, she didn't notice the rat jumping at her from behind, "SKREEEE!" it was nearing her neck when William with full focus summoned as much darkness around him to form a tendril of shadow the size of a human leg which proceeded to rush toward the rat and pin it into the dungeon wall where its blood began to fall in crimson torrents surprising William before a wave of exhaustion afflicted him as he used nearly his entire mana supply, "Thanks newbie I guess." Holly said dismissively as she returned to her spell leaving William feeling exasperated.

Alden was kiting the entire swarm as he cut through some with short swords and blasted others with arrows as Garret smashed his earth crusted mace into a group in front of him turning those close to him into pink mist while sending those further away flying from the force alone, "Holly are you almost done? I'm running out of arrows!" He launched his arrow into the eye of a rat climbing over Garret!

"Finished!" Holly roared as an unstable and angry looking flame formed around Holly who started stepping forward past Garret and Raven her flaming aura blazed around her turning blood into steam and roasting the corpses and bodies of any dead or nearby rats, "HISHHHHHH!" a few rats burst into flames as they couldn't retreat fast enough down the hallway causing William to look in awe and the rest of the group to whistle in appreciation, "FLARE WAVE!" Holly screamed, the flames coalesced into a wall in front of her before it flew towards the rats down the hallway who began to go into a frenzy trying to survive, "HSSHHHHHHH!" the wave of flames cascaded down the hallways and turned the remaining rats into cinders and ash!

Alden had begun to collect his arrows while Garret shed the blood crusted earthen armor he had formed over his usual chainmail and Holly recovered from using an Intermediate level spell with gasping breaths she didn't notice the ash pile in the corner behind her begin to shake as a hairless burned and clearly frenzied rat began to lung at the neck of Holly causing Alden, Garret and William to freeze in shock but before the rats razor sharp teeth can connect with the flesh on her neck a jet of water blasted the rat into pulp as it collided with the walls of the dungeon!

Raven flipped her hair arrogantly, "You gotta pay attention Holly that could have been your head and then I'd be out a best friend." She walked toward the hallway with a ball of water formed in her hand just in case and as she looked down the hallway she sighed, "Its clear, the rest of them are barely dust at this point we can move on once we rest up a bit!"

She looked at William, "Please bring out some seats and some of our potions William we need to recover our mana!"  William nodded as he reached toward his own shadow, "Bloop!" which seemed allow his hand to pass right through with an audible sound like he passed through water, "Got it!" He pulled out a few vials with luminescent blue liquid inside and handed them to everyone before reaching deeper for a set of folding chairs that he had stored before they stepped into the dungeon.

William swallowed the Luminescent blue liquid as the potion touches his tongue, it bursts with an electric tang, reminiscent of a vibrant citrus or a cool mint. There's a faint warmth, like a soft ember glowing in the background, giving it a subtle spicy kick. It feels effervescent, fizzing gently as it slides down your throat, leaving behind a trail of refreshing coolness that somehow also invigorates, like a shock of energy. The aftertaste is faintly sweet, with a hint of something floral or herbal, as if it carries the essence of mana-infused plants or crystals.

They rested for a about 30 minutes before continuing on their way with Alden and Raven giving each other knowing stares as they watched William put away the gear.