Chapter 15

The team didn’t hear from Grace the following day, nor did she show up for training. Penny tried to joke about it. “Maybe she’s just allergic to group bonding?” But even she sounded uncertain, the joke falling flat. Ethan didn’t want to pressure her. He simply adjusted drills back to account for her absence.

Alice was the only one who got a message, when Grace texted her on the second day.

Grace: Hey. I’m okay. Just ... processing. I’ll reach out when I’m ready.

Alice didn’t reply with questions. Just a simple: Take your time. We’re here.

It was late afternoon when Grace finally reached out again.

Grace: Can we talk? You and Ethan. Together, if that’s okay.

Alice responded almost immediately. Of course. Got a place in mind?

Grace: The cafe in my hotel. I’ll send the address.

Ethan and Alice arrived together, taking a seat next to each other, leaving the other side of the table open for Grace. Grace got there a few minutes later, glancing over at them before heading to the counter to order.

Grace sat, nodding in greeting, hands clasped tightly, not speaking right away.

“I’ve been thinking. About everything you told me.” she said finally. “About the Bond, about what it means.”

Alice nodded, letting her guide the conversation at her own pace.

“Ethan.” Grace spoke, looking at him. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I do, or at least I think I do. I saw what you did in training. I felt it. You brought us together as if we’d been together for months.” She took a breath. “But what you’re asking, it’s also ... Invasive. Intimate. I just finished spending the last year fighting to reclaim my autonomy, and now what you’re offering feels like being asked to give it away again. Even with all of the benefits, even when it’s with you.”

Ethan’s voice was gentle. “That’s fair. And I agree with you. When you started telling your story last night was when I knew we couldn’t delay telling you about my Class.”

Grace turned to Alice. “You said you didn’t react well at first, right?”

Alice nodded, giving a dry smile. “I didn’t. I hated the idea of his class, what it meant for us. The team and our relationship. It took time and a couple of conversations for us to work through it. Penny helped, a lot. She likes to joke around, but she’s probably more in tune with how everyone around her is feeling than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Grace nodded as Alice explained her experience coming to terms with Ethan’s class. “I’m afraid of falling right back into the same patterns again. It took me the better part of two years to find the courage to break away from my ex. I worry that I’m just jumping right into the next thing that ends up before me.”

“The Bond...” Ethan hesitated. “You’re not wrong. It’s a huge commitment. Not only do you have the emotional ties, but one created by my Class. One of the biggest aspects of this I’ve struggled with is the power imbalance inherent to the Bond. The only real way to address it is to make sure that you feel totally comfortable both entering it, but also raising any concerns you have.”

“I don’t want to be someone’s project. I can’t do that again.”

Alice shook her head. “You wouldn’t. I promise that. So does Ethan.”

Ethan nodded. “Alice is right. You’d come into the team on your own terms, or not at all. You decide what happens, and when, bottom line. Always.”

“I want to start training with you. Without the Bond.” Grace explained. “I want to get to know both of you again. It’s been nearly 15 years since we were friends, and we’re adults now. I’m not going to make a decision this important without getting to know the team first.”

“The briefing starts at 7. Don’t be late, or Harris’ll have you running laps.” Ethan responded, a grin spreading across his face.

“I’ll be there.” Grace smiled back. “Now, do you remember that time when we got into trouble...”

Grace was on time the next morning, already waiting as the rest of the team arrived. Smiles passed across the entire team as they arrived, happy to see her there. She slotted into the routine the team had built over the last weeks, as if she were there from the start. From the start she showed exactly why she had been recommended by Guildmaster Warren. She picked up on the dynamic of the team right away. She watched the team, all of them. The way Ethan timed his Boost, how Penny would command her Minion to move, the way Alice pivoted after her strikes, the openings Mei needed to land a spell. By the end of that first week she was already contributing to refining their tactics and teamwork.

By the second week, Grace was already matching Penny’s energy, playing right into her theatrics and egging her on. There was more than one collective groan as Grace and Penny worked together to get the team to laugh, one corny joke after the other.

In the third week, the team began to see exactly what sort of a natural talent Grace was, with the work ethic to match it. They all saw that Grace had everything she needed to be a true master of her craft. From one on one duels with Alice, to the way she somehow managed to end nearly every bout without taking a hit, they all saw her for what she was: A force of nature.

By the end of the month, Grace had become a part of the team in every way, barring one. A Bond. For that reason alone, it came as a complete surprise when their advisor team called them in for a briefing off schedule.

“You’ve been registered as active in the Dungeon Response Network.” Announced Strategist Lee.

The group was silent, shocked by the announcement.

“I don’t understand, I haven’t taken the Bond, yet.” Grace was the first to raise an objection to the announcement.

“We understand. We’ve also decided that you are ready regardless.” Lee countered. “Your current level of teamwork has proven sufficient for us to approve you for your first dungeon raid.”

Ethan spoke up next. “I can’t heal Grace without a Bond, how are we supposed to raid if I can’t?”

“Quick heal,” Mage Thompson answered. “It’s undergone trials and is now being put into widespread use. It will allow you to raid without Grace taking a Bond. Even more so considering she ends most training sessions untouched.”

At the confused expressions, Thompson continued. “They’ve managed to make some breakthroughs based on dungeon health potions. While not nearly so effective, quick heal has the benefit of being capable of being manufactured, rather than found by chance. You’ll be given some while on call. It should allow you to stabilize most wounds and give you time to evacuate the dungeon where medical staff will be on hand.”

Harris stepped forward as she finished speaking. “From here on out, you’re on call for E rank dungeons, one on two off cycles. One day on call, the full 24 hours. Two full days off. We’ll continue training as normal on your first off days, allowing you to rest and remain fresh for any dungeon appearances while you’re on call.”