The forest felt endless, like a living labyrinth designed to break our spirits. Shadows crept along the undergrowth, and every crackle of a twig or distant rustle had us whipping our heads around in paranoid unison. It was the kind of place you didn't want to linger in, but unfortunately, it was the only direction we had.
The faint glowing trail in front of us—one of those ominous notification things that only I seemed to understand—hovered like an ethereal breadcrumb.
[Path To The Sanctum Unlocked. Proceed To Stabilize Connection.]
The others trudged behind me, exhausted and wary. They didn't question the trail too much, mostly because we had no alternatives. But for me, the sight of it only deepened the knot in my stomach.
The Sanctum. I knew exactly what that meant. The idea was both comforting and terrifying in equal measure.
Maya broke the silence. "You sure this is the right way, Eliot?"
I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. This… this should lead us to a safe zone."
"Safe zone?" Kyle asked, his voice skeptical.
"It's like… a hub," I said, choosing my words carefully. "A place where we can regroup and catch our breath. Trust me, it's better than staying out here."
It wasn't a lie, technically. The Sanctum was the heart of the game—the player's base where summons rested, trained, and prepared for battle. It was supposed to be a haven. Supposed to be.
What I didn't say was that getting there meant we'd officially cross into someone's account, and there was no telling how that would play out for us.
The trail led us deeper into the woods, and the oppressive air thickened with every step. Then, just when I was about to suggest stopping to rest, the trees abruptly parted, revealing a clearing bathed in soft, glowing light.
At the center of the clearing stood a massive stone archway—a gate.
My stomach dropped.
It looked exactly like the summoning gates from the game: towering and ornate, carved with glowing runes that pulsed faintly with energy. The swirling vortex at its center shimmered like liquid light, beckoning us forward.
"Whoa," Danny breathed, stepping closer. "What is this thing?"
I swallowed hard, doing my best to keep my voice steady. "It's a… portal. It leads to the Sanctum."
Maya frowned. "And you know this how?"
Crap. Think, Eliot, think.
"I've, uh, seen something like it before," I said vaguely. "It's a gateway to a central location. Sort of like… a fortress. If we go through, we'll be safe."
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "You're awfully confident about something we've never seen before."
"Do you have a better idea?" I shot back, gesturing at the ominous forest behind us. "We can't stay out here. You saw what happened with the Guardian. We're sitting ducks if something else shows up."
That seemed to quiet them, though I could tell they weren't entirely convinced. Honestly, I wasn't convinced either. I knew what the Sanctum was, but I also knew that stepping through that gate meant officially entering the game's ecosystem—and all the risks that came with it.
Especially for someone like me.
The thought of synthesis lingered in the back of my mind like a bad itch. If the player running this Sanctum saw me, a 0-star, Level 0 summon, I'd be first on the chopping block. I'd seen it happen countless times in the game. Characters like me were practically made to be sacrificed.
But I couldn't explain any of that to the others without sounding insane.
Danny approached the gate, peering curiously at the swirling vortex. "So, we just… step through? That's it?"
"Pretty much," I said, trying to sound casual. "It'll take us straight to the Sanctum. Think of it as… a home base."
Maya still looked hesitant, but Sarah stepped forward, her expression resolute. "If it's a safe place, we should go. We can't keep wandering around aimlessly."
Kyle nodded reluctantly. "Alright. But if this thing disintegrates me, I'm blaming you, Eliot."
"Noted," I muttered, though the joke hit a little too close to home.
One by one, we stepped closer to the gate. The air around it was warm and buzzing with energy, making the hair on my arms stand on end. I hesitated at the edge, my pulse pounding in my ears.
This was it. Once I stepped through, there was no going back.
"You coming, or what?" Maya called over her shoulder.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to move. "Yeah. Let's do this."
With that, I stepped into the vortex.
The sensation was disorienting—a rush of light and sound, like being yanked through a tunnel of static. My stomach flipped, and for a moment, I thought I might pass out.
Then it was over.
…..
I stumbled forward, nearly losing my balance as solid ground appeared beneath my feet.
We were in a massive courtyard, surrounded by towering stone walls etched with glowing runes. The air was warm and still, filled with the faint hum of magic.
At the center of the courtyard stood a massive obelisk, its surface pulsating with energy. Surrounding it were smaller pedestals, each glowing faintly.
"This place is… incredible," Maya said, her voice filled with awe.
Kyle nodded. "Definitely better than that creepy forest."
Danny was already poking at one of the pedestals, his curiosity overriding his caution. "What do you think this thing does?"
I knew exactly what it did, and the sight of it made my chest tighten. It was the synthesizer—the mechanism used to combine low-tier characters into higher-tier ones.
I forced a smile, trying to hide my growing panic. "Probably just… decorative. Don't mess with it."
Before anyone could press further, a notification appeared in front of us:
[Welcome To The Sandstorm. Connection Stable.]
Another followed, this one directed at me specifically:
[First Summon: Eliot Kane (0-Star).]
I stared at the glowing text, dread settling in my stomach. The others glanced at me curiously, but before they could ask, the sound of the mechanical voice chimed again.
[Processing Summons…]
My heart raced . But inside, all I could think was: Please don't throw me into the synthesizer.