Abandoned Apothecary

I woke to the scent of mildew and ash, the air still thick with the ruined breath of the blighted village. A breeze drifted through a collapsed window frame, stirring dead ivy that clung stubbornly to stone. The remnants of this place—once hollow, now familiar—had begun to feel almost... homely. Almost.

The camp stirred. Lae’zel was already upright, kneeling beside a post with her sword drawn and whetstone in hand. Her thighs were bare from mid-armor down, tight and honed, shifting with subtle tension as she worked. The breastplate hugged her chest closely, and her posture—rigid, but slightly withdrawn—betrayed a quiet discomfort with how her form had begun to draw eyes. Not that she said anything. She just ground steel against steel and ignored everyone.

Shadowheart stood a few paces off, bent low as she buckled the last strap of her boot, her hair tumbling over one shoulder. Her armor clung in all the right ways, the hem teasing the curve of her upper thigh. When she stood, she met my gaze immediately. Her mouth curved just slightly, a smile that was flirty and submissive in equal measure, the invitation from yesterday clearly still fresh in her mind.

Karlach stretched with a loud yawn that ended in a shake of her head and a lazy grin. Her top was barely a top—leather straps and tight plates that left most of her inked and scarred skin exposed, all of her confidence on display. When she reached up to tie back her hair, her chest lifted shamelessly with the motion. She caught me watching, winked, and didn’t bother pretending it wasn’t on purpose.

None of them had crossed into their next stage yet, but I wanted to see just how close they were. I pulled up the UI, curious to see the numbers for myself.

[Lae'zel: Approval 68][Corruption: 30%]

[Shadowheart: Approval 80][Corruption: 31%]

[Karlach: Approval 70][Corruption: 34%]

Karlach was close. Not just physically—emotionally, her eagerness was turning into need. But she still clung to that bright, righteous core. That would be a problem, especially in the grove. Auntie Ethel’s situation would demand... flexibility. And Karlach wasn’t quite there yet.

Four days. That was the window. Four days until we had to meet her in the grove. Five until the goblin attack. I needed to loosen her morals just enough before then.

Wyll, ever eager, stepped up with that heroic smile he had practiced in the mirror. "Should I come with you today?"

I patted his shoulder. "Maybe next time."

He nodded and stepped back, "Then the camp is mine to guard. Hold fast out there, and may your blades strike true."

I turned to the others. "There might be something left in this village. Something buried, something worth alot."

Lae’zel didn’t respond. She just adjusted her grip on her sword.

Karlach squinted toward the crates and barrels. "As long as there's something weird to poke at or break—I'm in"

Shadowheart just watched me. A small nod followed.

We moved together, weaving through crumbled alleys and vine-choked doors. The apothecary still stood, leaning like it was tired of its own weight. I led them there with a kind of offhand suggestion, knowing very well what lay beneath.

Karlach kicked the door open. The hinges screamed. Dust rained from the ceiling. Less than a minute inside, she let out a triumphant whoop and called back to us. She hadn’t even meant to be thorough—she just had a knack for charging straight at whatever was in front.

She stood beside a shattered cabinet, one boot tapping at a subtle seam in the floor. A trapdoor—disguised, but not well.

"Think it’s a wine cellar? Or like, zombie alchemist stuff?"

"Let’s find out."

The cellar had once been alchemical—coils of distillation tubing still clung to broken tables. Books mildewed into spongy bricks. Karlach was already hurrying from corner to corner, rifling through crates and tipping barrels just to see what might be inside. Her curiosity was infectious, half-feral, and entirely unashamed. Shadowheart followed at a slower pace, gaze flicking disinterestedly across the shelves, offering the occasional dry comment without much real investment. Lae'zel kept to the edges of the room, blade drawn, eyes sharp—watching for traps, enemies, anything hostile.

I took my time. Flipped through pages. Knocked on walls. Ran a hand across empty racks with performative curiosity.

Fifteen minutes of theater.

Then I turned, walked to a patch of wall that looked exactly like every other, and slapped my hand against it.

"Here."

Lae’zel frowned. "You deduced this... how?"

Shadowheart muttered something under her breath.

"We’ll need something explosive, Karlach!" I continued undeterred.

Karlach grinned wide. "On it!"

She hauled over a few cracked casks filled with some long-forgotten brewing spirit. Shadowheart stacked them. I stepped back.

"Shadowheart."

Without hesitation she send small fire bolting through the room..

The explosion was fast, loud, and satisfying. Flame licked the stone. Smoke curled.

But the wall didn’t crumble.

It slid. Smooth, deliberate. A hidden door easing itself downward, stone grating against stone. A lever on the opposite side had been triggered by the **** of the explosion.

Lae’zel narrowed her eyes, but said nothing.

Shadowheart stared amused.

Karlach beamed. "Gods, I love this part."

I smiled satisfied. Skipping the skeleton hide-and-seek and puzzle-nonsense never got old—and the look on their faces when the plan just works? Worth it every time.

Hey Everyone! First off, thank you all for the likes and favorites, and most of all the comments !!
I took some time to go through the past chapters and change the settings so you can now add a custom name, as a treat.

Now you have replayability with more immersion ;)