Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece

Kyle's eyes opened slowly, blinking against a dull red glow that filled the sky.

A throbbing ache pulsed at the back of his head.

His limbs felt heavy, like he'd been crushed under rubble.

Groaning softly. He pushed himself upright and clutched his head, trying to gather his thoughts.

His memory was foggy, scattered.

But then. Like a dam breaking. The memory returned.

The dungeon.

The gate.

How it had turned pitch black in the middle of activation…

How the swirling vortex had pulled him and the others in.

His breath caught.

He looked around, and immediately froze.

Just a few feet away. A corpse lay sprawled on the dirt.

Its black armor cracked. Dark blood dried across the breastplate.

The knight's helmet had rolled off, and the man's lifeless eyes stared blankly at the sky.

Kyle scrambled backward in alarm. His hand brushing against cold, cracked stone.

His heart pounded in his ears. Where were they?

He turned his gaze toward the horizon. And what he saw sent a chill down his spine.

Not far from where he sat. Two groups of armored soldiers were locked in brutal combat.

One side wore crimson-red armor, burning like fire.

The other was clad in black. Their blades flashing like shadows under lightning.

Magic flared as fireballs exploded across the field. And sparks burst with every clash of metal.

Kyle coughed once. The air was thick with the stench of ash, blood, and iron.

He glanced frantically around.

A short distance away. He saw Eleanora, Cedric, Serena, and Cassian lying on the ground in various states of confusion.

They were groaning, slowly moving, trying to recover like he had.

Kyle got to his knees and crawled toward them. "Guys! Wake up!"

Cassian blinked up at him, rubbing his face. "Ugh… What… where are we?"

Serena sat up next, her hair dusty. A gash running along her sleeve. "That gate… it turned black. And then… it dragged us in?"

"I remember being pulled in," Cassian muttered. "Like I was spinning inside a tornado."

Kyle helped Cedric sit up. "You okay?"

"Head's killing me," Cedric grunted. "But I'm alive."

Then. A soft gasp made them all turn.

Eleanora was pale. Almost ghostly. She was sitting still. Her hands shaking as she stared toward the battlefield.

Her lips moved as she whispered to herself.

"…No… no, no, no… this isn't right… it wasn't supposed to be like this…"

Cedric crawled to her side. Putting a hand on her shoulder. "Eleanora? What's wrong? Do you recognize this place?"

She didn't answer at first. Then, in a trembling voice, she whispered, "This isn't a normal dungeon… This is a Black Dungeon…"

Everyone froze.

Kyle furrowed his brows. "What do you mean? Like… a high-rank dungeon?"

Eleanora shook her head quickly. "No. Worse. Much worse." She swallowed hard.

"Black Dungeons are special. They're also called as Scenario type Dungeons. They don't follow normal dungeon rules."

"What kind of rules are we talking about?" Serena asked. Already pulling herself into a defensive stance.

Eleanora lowered her voice, whispering quickly.

"They give you an objective. Sometimes it's not even about killing monsters. It could be solving something. Surviving. Protecting someone."

"Whatever the scenario is. You have to play along. If you fail—"

She paused. Her hands gripping her sleeves tightly.

"—You die. And sometimes… the dungeon doesn't let you leave at all. It traps people here until the scenario is complete."

"Traps us?!" Cassian hissed. "You mean like… forever?!"

"If we don't complete the objective, yes."

A moment of silence passed between them.

Far ahead. The clang of battle continued. Screams echoed. Another explosion shook the earth.

Cedric ducked behind a half-broken wall and peeked over it. "We're too exposed here. We need to move before either side notices us."

Kyle nodded in agreement. "Let's get to cover—"

But just as they stood up—

Ding.

A mechanical chime rang out in the air. Blue light flickered in front of their eyes.

All five of them stopped as shimmering screens appeared before them.

——————

Scenario: War of Attrition

Objective: Eliminate the Enemy Commander

Choose Side.

Failure: Death.

——————

"What the hell is this?" Cassian said, his voice tight with unease.

"No way out…" Serena murmured. "It really is a scenario dungeon."

Before anyone could speak further. A loud yell rang out from nearby.

A Red-armored knight had spotted them.

He pointed and roared something, then charged at them. His greatsword glinting with red aura.

"Get back!" Kyle shouted.

The group scattered. The knight's sword came down fast—but Cedric moved in.

He stepped between the others and the enemy, gripping his longsword tightly with both hands.

Their blades met in a loud clang, and sparks flew as Cedric held the block.

For a second. The two struggled—then Cedric twisted his sword, using his weight to shove the knight back.

The red-armored warrior staggered two steps, caught off guard.

He growled and prepared to strike again.

But—

Ding.

Another chime echoed in the air.

——————

Side Selected: Black Knights.

You are now recognized as allies of the Black Legion.

Warning: Betrayal will not be tolerated.

——————

The blue text glowed across their vision.

Everyone stood stunned.

Cedric lowered his sword slightly, panting. "Just because I blocked that guy…?"

Cassian looked at the others. "So… we're on the black knights' side now? Just like that?"

Eleanora nodded slowly.

"The dungeon made the choice for us. The moment we interfered. It recognized us as part of the scenario."

Kyle looked toward the battlefield.

The red and black forces were still clashing in the distance. But some of the black knights had begun to notice them.

A few were pointing. One of them, carrying a broken spear, was limping toward their direction cautiously.

Kyle clenched his fists.

There was no undoing this.

No time to run. No room for regret.

Whether they liked it or not. They were now part of this war.

He took a deep breath. Then looked at the others.

"Get ready. We've already chosen a side. Now we survive."

———