In a small makeshift camp, tucked away in the farthest corner, isolated from all other tents, a boy sat alone. The crude shelter was built from the coarse furs of slain monsters, stitched together in haste. Morning sunlight crept over the horizon, casting a golden hue on the blood-stained fabric. The chill of dawn clung to the air, sharp and biting.
Alex sat still, white hair bound behind his back, his fur clothes tattered and stained. He was was sitting legs crossed in meditation position, trying to mend the wounds scattered across his body. Fresh claw marks marred his arms, bruises darkened his ribs, and dried blood clung to his fingers. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, evidence of the sleep he hadn't known for days.
He had arrived at the encampment one week ago. Since then, Rina and Selene hadn't visited once. He wasn't expecting them to. He didn't save them for gratitude or friendship. He saved them because, in that moment, he wanted to.
The camp leaders had given him night watch duty the very day he arrived. And every night since, he stood guard while others slept. Tonight was no different. He fought off a pack of Lunar Wolves under the pale moonlight, barely surviving.
Sleep had become a luxury he could no longer afford.
The people in this camp made their hatred known. They didn't allow him to pitch his camp near anyone else. His exile wasn't silent—it was painted in distance and disgust.
Whispers stalked him like shadows:
"A dirty commoner traveling with the Ice Princess…"
"A peasant trying to sit with a goddess…"
They despised him. Not because of something he had done. But because he was born without a title. A commoner, surrounded by nobles.
Alex never flinched at the stares, never responded to the whispers. He didn't waste breath correcting them.
It was a fact. Like the sky being blue or the wind being cold.
What could he do about it? Nothing.
So he endured. Not because he liked it, but because he had no other choice.
That unyielding resolve began to shape his mind space. The barren, lifeless land within his mind space—once desolate—was starting to crack. Beneath the surface, water was rising, slow and steady. A transformation had begun.
Only two people ever visited his camp.
Riven Veylor and Anna Greymoor.
Anna sometimes brought food. Alex never refused her. She shared the name of his younger sister, and that alone was enough.
He hunted for himself most days. He preferred it. Trusted it more than charity.
Riven Veylor, on the other hand, gave off dangerous vibes. The man didn't act dangerous—he smiled too easily, spoke too sweetly—but something in Alex's instincts screamed predator. No matter how cheerful his voice or friendly his words, Alex felt like prey being circled by something waiting to pounce.
And there he was again.
Alex raised his head as Riven approached, his gait smooth, his grin as wide as ever.
"How are you doing, my buddy?" Riven asked, crouching with practiced ease.
Alex dipped his head slightly in respectful acknowledgment. "I'm doing okay, Mr. Veylor. What brings you here today?"
"Oh, I'm just saying hi to my buddy. Is there anything else I'd want to do?" Riven said, his smile curving like a devil's, as if he'd just offered a deal he already knew you'd accept.
He leaned in, voice dropping like a conspirator's whisper. "Have you heard about the Dimensional Key?"
Alex blinked. "No, I haven't. What's that?"
Riven's arm draped casually around Alex's shoulders, his tone laced with secrets. "That, my friend, is the key to an entire dimension."
"If you have the key, you own the dimension. Conquer one, and everything changes. Status, money, power... even admission to EE Academy can't compare."
Alex's eyes widened. "Is there really such an amazing thing?"
Riven chuckled. "Why would I lie to you? Ask anyone—everyone knows about them. EE Academy holds three C-rank dimensions because they own their keys. Each of the ten clans has some as well. It's an open secret."
"In the ten clans," he said, tone turning grand, "we say: if you get the Dimensional Key, you get everything."
With those words, Riven stood and walked away, the hem of his coat trailing like smoke.
Moments later, Anna Greymoor arrived with a small bundle of food wrapped in cloth. She smiled kindly, kneeling beside him.
Alex accepted it with a nod and began eating slowly. Between bites, he looked up and asked, "Ms. Greymoor, do you know anything about a Dimensional Key?"
Anna's eyes lit up with a distant dream. "Yes, I've heard of it. If you find one, you can become a high-ranking noble… I wish I had one." Her voice softened, wistful and fragile.
After she left, Alex lay back on the fur-covered ground, eyes staring at the stitched ceiling of his lonely tent.
Dimensional Key, huh…
Will that help me get stronger?
Will it help me enter EE Academy, at least?
He closed his eyes, exhausted. I don't trust Riven Veylor… but Ms. Anna Greymoor wouldn't lie to me.
On Alex's fifteenth day at the camp… something happened.