The light faded.

  I materialized in familiar surroundings. White stone walls. Blue flickering light overhead. The gentle hum of protective magic that meant safe.

  The safe room.

  I collapsed against the wall immediately. My legs—one of them still cracked from the fall—gave out. I slid down until I was sitting on the cool stone floor, my back pressed against the alcove's curved surface.

  The imp tumbled off my shoulder, landing with a soft thump. It lay there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling.

  "We're alive," it said.

  "WE MADE IT," the hare said, curling into a trembling ball in the corner. "WE ACTUALLY MADE IT BACK."

  I looked down at myself. My left forearm was still charred black from holding the Titan Guardian's core. Pieces of bone were missing, crumbled away. My leg had a visible crack running from knee to ankle. My pink sash was torn in several places. My name tag hung at an angle.

  And my boots, oh my beautiful, hole-filled boots, were completely destroyed. One had lost its sole entirely. The other was held together by what looked like sheer willpower.

  Then the notifications started.

  They appeared in my vision like a cascade. One after another.

  TRIAL PARTICIPATION COMPLETE

  CALCULATING REWARDS...

  WALLS DESTROYED: 3

  BONUS EXPERIENCE: 150 XP

  PARTICIPANTS ASSISTED: 5,614

  BONUS EXPERIENCE: 280 XP

  UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT: TITAN PILOT

  BONUS EXPERIENCE: 300 XP

  UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT: PATH MAKER

  BONUS EXPERIENCE: 400 XP

  SPECIAL RECOGNITION: SELFLESS SACRIFICE

  BONUS EXPERIENCE: 500 XP

  I stared at the numbers. My experience bar had completely overflowed.

  "You were level 2," the imp said, sounding impressed. "You gained 4 levels."

  More notifications appeared.

  NEW TITLE EARNED: GIANT KILLER

  NEW TITLE EARNED: THE ALTRUIST

  NEW TITLE EARNED: CROWD FAVORITE

  I pulled up my full status screen.

  CHARACTER STATUS

  NAME: DANIEL KERES

  LEVEL: 6

  EXPERIENCE: 1,225 / 1,500

  ATTRIBUTES:

  STRENGTH: 4

  AGILITY: 7

  ENDURANCE: 5 (3 base + 1 from boots + 1 from name tag)

  COGNITION: 9

  INSTINCT: 9

  PRESENCE: 1

  UNALLOCATED ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 20

  SKILLS:

  DELAYED REACTION (LEVEL 1) - QUEST PROGRESS: 4/10

  SURVIVOR'S INSTINCT (PASSIVE)

  POCKET SAND (LEVEL 1) - QUEST PROGRESS: 2/10

  SKILL POINTS AVAILABLE: 4

  EQUIPMENT:

  PINK SASH OF NON-AGGRESSION (DAMAGED)

  OFFICIALLY UNOFFICIAL NAME TAG (ENDURANCE +1)

  TOAD'S BLESSING (RING)

  WANDERER'S BOOTS (HEAVILY DAMAGED)

  TITLES:

  FRIEND OF FROGS

  GIANT KILLER

  THE ALTRUIST

  CROWD FAVORITE

  ALLIANCES:

  DEPTH SETTLEMENT

  THE LOWER DEPTHS (MAGNIFICUS)

  REWARDS PENDING: 4

  INVENTORY:

  WEBBED GLOVE (RIGHT HAND)

  LESSER RESTORATION VIAL

  TITAN CORE FRAGMENT

  "Twenty attribute points," I said aloud. "Four skill points. Four rewards."

  The imp climbed onto my good knee.

  "GOOD. WHATEVER THAT MEANS," the hare said.

  I took a deep breath and pulled up my attribute screen again.

  UNALLOCATED ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 20

  "Okay," I said. "I need to be smarter about this. No more almost dying."

  "What are you thinking?" said the Imp.

  "My Cognition and Instinct are already at 9. My Instinct been carrying me through everything. But my Strength is pathetic, my Endurance barely keeps me standing.

  "YOU SHOULD PUT SOME INTO ENDURANCE," the hare suggested

  "Fair point." I studied the numbers, thinking about every close call, every moment where I'd barely survived. "Let me try this distribution."

  I allocated the points carefully:

  STRENGTH: 4 → 7 (+3)

  AGILITY: 7 → 10 (+3)

  ENDURANCE: 5 → 10 (+5)

  COGNITION: 9

  INSTINCT: 9 → 12 (+3)

  PRESENCE: 1 → 4 (+3)

  I confirmed the allocation, keeping the final 3 points unspent for now.

  As I confirmed the allocation, energy flooded through my skeletal frame.

  My bones thickened. I could feel them becoming denser, stronger. My movements felt smoother, more coordinated. The stiffness I'd been carrying since the trial faded away.

  "Now the skill points," I said, pulling up that menu.

  SKILL POINTS AVAILABLE: 4

  "You could put them all into Delayed Reaction," the imp suggested. "Get it to max level first."

  "Or spread them out," I countered. "Get more versatility."

  I thought about the Titan Guardian fight. About every close call. About what had actually saved me.

  "Two into Delayed Reaction," I decided. "One into Pocket Sand. And save one for later."

  I allocated the points:

  DELAYED REACTION: LEVEL 1 → LEVEL 3

  POCKET SAND: LEVEL 1 → LEVEL 2

  "There," I said, leaning back against the wall.

  A new notification appeared, different from the others. This one pulsed with a soft golden light.

  COMPANION DETECTION

  YOU HAVE 1 TRUSTED COMPANION AND 1 TRUSTED PET IN CLOSE PROXIMITY.

  WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD THEM TO YOUR TEAM?

  I looked at the imp on my knee, then at the hare in the corner.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "It's asking if I want to make this official," I said. "Add you both to my team. But I need to ask first—do you want to be my companions? Permanently?"

  The imp didn't hesitate. "We've been traveling together this long. Might as well make it official."

  "YES," the hare said immediately. "YES. OBVIOUSLY YES. WE'RE A TEAM."

  I smiled and selected YES.

  Two more notifications appeared.

  COMPANION ADDED: TUTORIAL IMP

  PET ADDED: ANXIETY HARE

  Something shifted. I could feel it—a connection, like invisible threads linking us together. I could sense their presence in a way I hadn't before. Not their thoughts, but their general state. The imp's steady determination. The hare's nervous energy.

  "Well," the imp said, settling more comfortably on my knee. "That's done then."

  "WE'RE OFFICIALLY A TEAM NOW," the hare said, sounding pleased despite its perpetual anxiety.

  I looked at them both. Despite everything—the terror, the exhaustion, the near-death experiences—I felt something warm in my chest. We'd survived together. We'd made it back.

  "Should we... have a team name?" I suggested.

  The imp perked up immediately. "The Bone Brigade."

  "TOO SCARY," the hare said.

  "The Accidental Heroes?"

  "TOO ACCURATE," the hare replied.

  The imp tapped its chin thoughtfully. "The Pink Sash Squad?"

  I looked down at my torn, stained sash. "Maybe not."

  "THE SURVIVORS!" the hare suggested.

  "Too depressing," the imp said.

  "The Depth Divers?"

  "THE PANIC PARTY?"

  "The Skeleton Crew?"

  Each suggestion was worse than the last. I held up my good hand.

  "Let's... let's talk about this later," I said.

  COMMON REWARDS AVAILABLE: 4

  I focused on the first reward notification. It expanded, showing a swirling pattern of light that coalesced into something tangible.

  A piece of fabric materialized in my hands.

  It was a shawl, almost completely see-through.

  GOSSAMER SHAWL OF MINOR INCONVENIENCE

  RARITY: COMMON

  EFFECT: +1 PRESENCE, MAKES YOU SLIGHTLY MORE NOTICEABLE IN AN AWKWARD WAY

  DESCRIPTION: THIS TRANSLUCENT SHAWL CATCHES THE LIGHT IN UNFORTUNATE WAYS. PEOPLE WILL DEFINITELY LOOK AT YOU. WHETHER THAT'S A GOOD THING IS DEBATABLE.

  I held it up. The fabric was so sheer I could see my finger bones through it perfectly. It shimmered with an opalescent quality that somehow made it both elegant and deeply embarrassing.

  I draped it over my shoulders experimentally. The gossamer fabric settled around me, catching the blue light of the safe room and reflecting it in weird, attention-grabbing ways.

  "This is absolutely not my aesthetic," I said flatly.

  "IT MAKES YOU LOOK FANCY THOUGH," the hare offered. "LIKE EXPENSIVE FANCY."

  "I look like I'm gift-wrapped," I said. "Badly."

  The imp hopped closer, tilting it’s head as ?t examined me. "It does catch the light nicely."

  "It catches the light in a way that makes everyone look at me. That's the opposite of what I want." I started to take it off. "I'm more of a 'blend into the background' kind of person."

  The imp's eyes lit up as I removed the shawl. "If you're not going to use it..."

  I paused, holding the gossamer fabric. "You want it?"

  "It's pretty," the imp said, reaching out to touch the shimmering material.

  I looked at the imp, then back at the shawl. The translucent fabric caught the light, creating little rainbow reflections. "I mean... it's basically see-through. Isn't that a little... girlish? Would it even suit you?"

  The imp looked up at me, head tilted. "Daniel. I'm female."

  I froze.

  Completely froze.

  My jaw literally dropped open. If I'd still had muscles in my face, they would have been doing something dramatic.

  "You're... what?"

  "Female," the imp repeated, looking amused. "Girl. Woman. She. Her. Vagina."

  "But—" I gestured vaguely at her. "You're... you've been... we've been traveling for..."

  "Did you just assume all imps were male?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

  "I— no— I mean—" I was stammering. Actually stammering. "You never said! You never mentioned! How was I supposed to know?"

  "You never asked," she pointed out reasonably.

  "THAT SEEMS LIKE IMPORTANT INFORMATION," the hare said, also sounding surprised.

  "Is it?" the imp asked. "Does it change anything?"

  "No! Of course not! But—" I was still processing. "You've been my companion this whole time and I didn't even know your gender!"

  "To be fair, you've been too busy not dying to ask personal questions."

  She had a point. Still, I felt incredibly awkward. I looked down at the gossamer shawl in my hands—I could literally see my hand bones through it—then back at her.

  "So... you actually want this? The see-through fancy plastic wrap shawl?"

  "Yes, please." She reached for it eagerly. "It's elegant."

  "It's transparent."

  "Elegantly transparent."

  I handed it over, still feeling stunned. She draped it over her small shoulders immediately. The gossamer fabric settled around her, catching the light and creating a soft, shimmering aura. Through the translucent material, I could see her dark purple skin, but somehow the shawl made her look... ethereal. Fancy, even.

  "How do I look?" she asked, doing a small twirl. The shawl floated around her like a cloud.

  "You look great," I said automatically. Then, more uncertainly: "Should I have been calling you 'she' this whole time?"

  "Probably," she said, admiring how the shawl caught the light. "But like I said—we've been busy."

  "I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD START OVER WITH INTRODUCTIONS," the hare said.

  The imp laughed, the gossamer shawl shimmering with the movement. "We're a team now. Officially. I think we're past formal introductions."

  I put my skull in my hands. Well, my good hand. The other one was still charred black.

  I focused on the second reward notification. It expanded with the same swirling light pattern.

  This time, soft fabric materialized—small, delicate wraps designed for tiny paws.

  SOFTSTEP PAW WRAPS

  RARITY: COMMON

  EFFECT: +2 STEALTH, ENABLES SILENT JUMPING, REDUCES FALL DAMAGE

  DESCRIPTION: THESE CUSHIONED PAW WRAPS MAKE EVERY LANDING SOFTER AND EVERY STEP QUIETER. PERFECT FOR THE PERPETUALLY ANXIOUS WHO NEED TO FLEE QUICKLY AND QUIETLY.

  I picked them up. They were incredibly soft, made of some kind of padded cloth that seemed to absorb sound just by existing. Four little wraps, perfectly sized for hare paws.

  "Hey," I said, turning to the hare in the corner. "I think these are for you."

  The hare's ears perked up immediately. "FOR ME? REALLY?"

  "They're paw wraps."

  "OH. OH THAT'S PERFECT. I'M ALWAYS LANDING TOO HARD WHEN I PANIC JUMP. MY PAWS GET SO SORE."

  I carefully wrapped them around the hare's paws, one by one. The fabric adjusted automatically, conforming to each paw perfectly. The hare lifted each foot experimentally, testing the wraps.

  "HOW DO THEY FEEL?" the imp asked, adjusting her new shawl.

  The hare took a tentative hop. Then another. Then a bigger one.

  Complete silence.

  Not even the soft thump of paws hitting stone. Just... nothing.

  "OH," the hare breathed. "OH THIS IS AMAZING. I'M SO QUIET. I'M LIKE A CLOUD. A SILENT, CLOUD."

  The hare started bouncing around the safe room, each landing completely soundless. "LOOK! NO NOISE!"

  The imp, still admiring her gossamer shawl, smiled. "We're really gearing up now. What else you got?"

  I focused on the third reward notification.

  A matte black can materialized in my skeletal hand. It was surprisingly cold to the touch, with neon red text blazing across its surface:

  HELLRUSH – INFERNAL ENERGY DRINK

  "DRINK FAST. RUN FASTER."

  RARITY: COMMON

  EFFECT: INSTANTLY RESTORES 50 STAMINA, +3 SPEED FOR 5 MINUTES, SLIGHT BURNING SENSATION

  DESCRIPTION: BOTTLED IN THE SECOND CIRCLE, THIS BEVERAGE PROMISES EXPLOSIVE ENERGY.

  I turned the can over in my hand. The metal was unnaturally warm.

  "Let's save this for when we actually need it."

  I focused briefly, willing the can into my inventory. It vanished from my hand with a soft shimmer of light.

  "Smart," the imp said, nodding approvingly. "Energy drinks are basically emergency supplies. Never waste a good panic button."

  "One more reward left," the imp said, adjusting her gossamer shawl.

  I focused on the fourth and final reward notification.

  The swirling light coalesced into something... unexpected.

  A box materialized on the floor in front of me.

  Not just any box. A small cardboard carrier with a handle on top, air holes punched carefully into the sides, and a wire door on the front. The kind of box you'd use to transport something living.

  Something alive was definitely inside it.

  I could hear tiny scratching sounds. A soft mewling.

  "Is that..." the imp started, moving closer.

  "WHAT'S IN THE BOX?" the hare asked, hopping over silently on its new paw wraps.

  I knelt down—carefully, because my leg was still cracked—and peered through the air holes.

  Two enormous golden eyes stared back at me.

  Something in my chest—where a heart should be—seized up completely.

  "Oh my god," I gasped.

  My hands shook as I unlatched the wire door. A tiny orange tabby kitten practically exploded out of the box, all oversized paws and impossibly fluffy tail. It couldn't have been more than a few weeks old.

  "A CAT!" I shouted, my voice cracking with emotion. "IT'S A CAT! IT'S A TINY PERFECT CAT!"

  The kitten mewed—the most precious sound I'd ever heard—and immediately headbutted my skeletal shin.

  I scooped it up so fast I nearly fell over, cradling it against my ribcage like it was made of glass. The kitten purred—a sound like a tiny motor, the best sound in any universe—and started kneading my bones with its soft little paws.

  "Oh my god oh my god oh my god," I babbled, holding the kitten up to look at its face. "Look at you! LOOK AT YOUR FACE! Your little whiskers! Your little ears! I had a cat before—when I was alive—her name was Pepper and she was my best friend and I loved her so much and now YOU'RE HERE and you're PERFECT—"

  The kitten climbed up my ribs, using my spine as a ladder, and perched on my shoulder. It rubbed its face against my skull and I actually started crying. Well, not crying—I don't have tear ducts—but making embarrassing sobbing sounds.

  "Oh no," the imp said, watching me completely lose it. "You're already in love."

  "IN LOVE?!" I clutched the kitten to my chest. "I would DIE for this cat! I would fight a HUNDRED Titan Guardians! I would jump into a THOUSAND abysses! This kitten is the most important thing that has ever happened to me!"

  The kitten batted at my eye socket playfully, tiny claws catching on bone. I laughed—a wild, slightly unhinged sound—for the first time in what felt like forever.

  "Look at you!" I cooed, holding the kitten up again. "Look at your little face! Your little BEANS! Who's a good kitty? Who's the BEST kitty? YOU ARE! You're the best kitty in the entire hell! In the entire UNIVERSE—"

  I stopped mid-sentence.

  The kitten was standing up.

  On its hind legs.

  Like a person.

  "WHAT—" I started.

  The kitten took a step. Then another. Walking upright on its back legs, front paws held slightly out for balance, tail swishing behind it like a counterweight.

  It walked across the stone floor—bipedal, casual, like this was completely normal—moving around the safe room with perfect balance.

  "Daniel," the imp said slowly. "Your cat is walking like a tiny person."

  I threw myself on the ground dramatically, face-down on the cold stone.

  "I CAN'T HANDLE THIS!" I wailed into the floor. "IT'S TOO CUTE! THE CUTENESS IS LETHAL! I'M DYING!"

  "ARE YOU OKAY?" the hare asked, concerned.

  "NO! LOOK AT IT!" I lifted my skull just enough to point at the kitten, who was still walking around on two legs, completely oblivious to the chaos it was causing. "IT'S WALKING! ON TWO TINY LEGS! WITH ITS LITTLE PAWS OUT FOR BALANCE! THIS IS THE CUTEST THING IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!"

  The kitten continued its bipedal stroll, tail swishing, exploring the safe room like a tiny furry person.

  "IT'S SO PRECIOUS I MIGHT ACTUALLY EXPLODE!" I shouted, still face-down. "MY BONES CAN'T CONTAIN THIS MUCH JOY!"

  I scrambled over on my hands and knees, studying the walking kitten with absolute fascination. Now that it was moving upright, I could see something I'd missed before. There was text emblazoned across its chest in glowing golden letters, like some kind of magical tattoo:

  KITTEN COWBOY

  "KITTEN COWBOY?!" I shouted with delight, throwing myself backward onto the floor again. "YOUR NAME IS KITTEN COWBOY?! I CAN'T! I LITERALLY CANNOT! THIS IS TOO MUCH!"

  The kitten—Kitten Cowboy—continued walking on its hind legs, completely unbothered by my meltdown. It stretched its little front paws over its head mid-stride and yawned, still walking. Then it strolled over to the reward box and started batting at the cardboard flaps, all while standing upright.

  "This is wonderful," I said, finally managing to compose myself a bit. A smile spread across my skull as I watched the tiny kitten.

  Kitten Cowboy gave up on the box and started exploring the safe room, walking upright on its hind legs with perfect balance. The tiny kitten strolled around like a miniature person, tail swishing behind it.

  The imp burst out laughing at the sight.

  "Look at you go," I said warmly, watching Kitten Cowboy's bipedal adventure. "You're amazing, little one."

  Kitten Cowboy turned and walked back toward me with wounded dignity, as if offended by my patronizing tone. Still on two legs, the kitten climbed up onto my lap and walked—still upright—back and forth across my skeletal thighs like a tiny tightrope walker.

  I settled back against the wall, holding the walking kitten carefully in my hands. "Incredible," I murmured, watching those tiny legs work.

  "THIS TEAM KEEPS GETTING WEIRDER," the hare said.

  "I don't care how weird it is," I said quietly but firmly. "This is my cat now. I'll protect Kitten Cowboy with everything I have."

  Kitten Cowboy stirred in my arms, opened one golden eye, and mewed softly. Then it reached up with one paw and patted my skull affectionately before settling back down.

  I smiled, a genuine contentment washing over me.

  "Okay," the imp said, her gossamer shawl shimmering as she moved. "I have to admit. That's extremely cute."

  "THE CUTEST," the hare agreed, hopping closer to get a better look at the kitten. "VERY SWEET."

  I carefully sat down against the wall, still cradling Kitten Cowboy like the most precious treasure in existence. The kitten adjusted in my arms, found a comfortable position, and resumed purring.

  For the first time since materializing in this hell as an animated skeleton, I felt pure, overwhelming joy.

  A system notification materialized in front of me, floating in the air with shimmering golden text:

  SYSTEM NOTIFICATION

  PET ACQUIRED: KITTEN COWBOY

  RARITY: LEGENDARY

  Would you like to add KITTEN COWBOY to your party as a pet companion?

  [ACCEPT] [DECLINE]

  I looked at the notification and smiled.

  "Accept," I said calmly, reaching for the glowing [ACCEPT] button.

  My skeletal finger pressed through the floating text. The notification flashed brilliant gold, then dissolved into sparks of light that swirled around Kitten Cowboy.

  The kitten opened one eye, completely unbothered by the magical light show.

  SYSTEM NOTIFICATION

  KITTEN COWBOY HAS JOINED YOUR PARTY!

  PARTY MEMBERS: DANIEL (LEADER), IMP, HARE, KITTEN COWBOY

  "Welcome to the team, Kitten Cowboy," I whispered, gently stroking the kitten's soft orange fur. "Best decision I've ever made."

  Kitten Cowboy purred louder, as if in agreement.