Chapter 23
Weeks pass, and the crypt dive gets closer. Sonny trains the way he always trains, but he also shows up for the crypt team sessions. Bull, Jess, Thomas, and Sonny meet twice a week, sometimes in the gym, sometimes in the library, sometimes in an empty field outside campus where spells can fly without getting them in trouble.
Their plan stays simple. Sonny scouts first. The move as a unit. Bull and Jess take point on offense. Thomas supports and shields. If anything feels wrong, they retreat. No heroics.
When the week of their slot arrives, the team feels the pressure. They’re second to enter. The first group returned bruised and frustrated, failing to clear the third floor. That makes the assignment feel real.
On dive day, the four meet outside the crypt entrance with their professor and a small group of staff. They have their backpacks full of supplies for the expedition. The crypt mouth is an arch of stone that doesn’t match the surrounding landscape.Air flows out of it like the crypt is breathing.
The professor looks them over. "This is a test. If you face major peril, you retreat. That is not failure. That is discipline."
Bull rolls his shoulders. "We’re fine. We got this."
Jess elbows him. "Don’t say that out loud."
Thomas swallows. "We’re really doing this."
Sonny gives a short nod expressionless. "One floor at a time."
They step into the crypt. The temperature drops immediately. The light changes, dimmer and bluer, like the walls absorb warmth. The corridor opens into the first floor and the air smells like wet stone.
Jess exhales. "Okay. It’s pretty creepy in here."
Bull grins. "Finally."
Thomas adjusts his bag straps. "Sonny. Recon" Sonny acknowledges his duty and heads out alone. He moves without sound, presence tucked in tight. To the rest of the group it looks like he simply fades into the shadows between pillars.
Forty five minutes later, Sonny returns. He draws a rough route in the dirt with the tip of a small knife.
"Goblins," he says. "Small packs. Two choke points. The floor boss is likely a goblin lord. We take this path. Fewer engagements."
Bull studies the map. "You did that fast."
"Stealth and speed is what I’m bringing to the table," Sonny replies.
Thomas looks impressed. "You didn’t get spotted?"
"No," Sonny says.
They start moving. Their first couple engagements are quick and ugly. Goblins rush in with rusted blades and shrieking voices. Bull meets them head on, metal forming along his forearms as he swings like a battering ram or shooting metal bullets that tear through goblin flesh. Jess freezes the ground under their feet, making the goblins slide and stumble, then launching frozen bolts at them. Thomas keeps his enhancement spell on Bull and Jess and throws up a shield when a spear comes too close. Sonny stays near the back, stepping in only when something slips past or approaches Thomas. A kunai flashes. A goblin drops. Sonny is quiet about it.
Five hours in, the team finds the boss chamber.
The goblin lord is larger than the others, wearing scavenged armor and a crooked crown.
It roars and charges.
"Bull, right side," Sonny says. "Jess, left. Don’t chase."
Jess blinks. "He’s giving orders?"
Bull grunts. "I heard him."
Thomas reinforces them both. Bull anchors the fight, taking the goblin lord’s first impact and holding ground. Jess circles and freezes his feet in place, limiting his mobility, then attacking of her own accord.
When the goblin lord overcommits into Bull’s guard, Jess sends a spike of ice up at its knee. The boss stumbles. Bull capitalizes. He drives a metal coated fist into the goblin lord’s chest and follows with a second strike that collapses its armor inward. The goblin lord drops. Jess finishes him with an icicle through the broken armor. A portal blooms open behind the corpse, shimmering like a mirror.
Jess exhales hard. "Floor one. Complete."
It takes six hours total, including time to clear small packs and regroup. They rest for an hour in a safer corridor.
Sonny takes out a small kit and starts cooking.
Thomas watches, confused. "You brought spices?"
Sonny glances up. "Yes. Food will be important."
Bull snorts. "Of course he did."
Jess tastes the food and freezes. "This is stupid good."
Bull and Thomas look at her funny then try some. Their faces light up in delight.
“Oh my god Sonny. I did not know you were a chef.” Bull complements him.
Sonny shrugs. "Fuel up, then we move."
They step through the portal to floor two. The second floor is larger. The air is drier. The stone is smoother, like it’s been worn down by time and footsteps.
Sonny leaves for recon again. He returns an hour later. "Golems. A lot. This floor is long. We should camp halfway."
Thomas nods, already tired just hearing it. They move.
Golems hit harder than goblins. They don’t bleed. They don’t panic. They just keep coming. Bull’s metal magic dents stone bodies. Jess uses ice to lock joints and slow movement. Thomas’s shields start to matter now, catching blows that would break ribs.
After four hours of travel and multiple skirmishes, they find a defensible alcove and set camp. They rotate watch shifts.
Sonny and Thomas take the first watch. Thomas sits with his back against the wall, breathing hard. "I’m fried."
Sonny looks down the corridor. "Rest when you can."
Thomas hesitates. "I feel like I’m not doing enough. Bull and Jess are doing everything."
Sonny remembers Ellie’s advice. Instill confidence in him.
"Remeber our rule, don’t be a hero. You are doing your job, and that’s all we need from you," Sonny says. "Floor one is easy. Floor two and three we will lean on you more. Support roles are vital to crypt dives."
Thomas blinks. "You really think so?"
"I know so," Sonny says.
Thomas exhales, a little steadier. "Thanks." A silence settles.
Thomas glances at Sonny. "Why do you look sad all the time?"
Sonny’s answer is automatic. "Lots of people have asked me that question. I credit a tough upbringing. I try not to talk about it much."
Thomas nods. "Oh. Okay." After a moment, Thomas adds, "You’re kind of an inspiration though. Low rankers talk about you. You make us feel like rank isn’t everything. Plus you defy everything we know about magic, energy, and ether. Like the power tiers didn’t take Sonny into account."
Sonny’s eyes stay on the dark hallway. "Rank is not everything. But the cost to attain my level of ether use is not worth it."
Thomas frowns. "What do you mean?"
"Forget it," Sonny says.
Thomas and Sonny continue to chat about nonsense until Bull and Jess wake up for the next watch. Sonny and Thomas sleep.
As Sonny drifts off, he thinks about Ellie. He thinks about Thomas. He realizes, in a small and surprising way, that he is making friends. The thought warms him more than the sleeping bag ever could.
The crypt waits, silent and patient, for what comes next.
