Silence hung heavy over the group as they approached the dungeon's maw. Their decision was a wordless, mutual pact. With a single, determined glance, they stepped back into the abyss, where the scent of pulverized stone and the cloying miasma of monsters remained thick in the air.

  "Did the dungeon’s geometry change?" Saria asked, her voice tight with confusion.

  "That explosion must have been massive to warp the structure like this," Carol replied, leading them deeper into the shifting labyrinth.

  "So, what's the plan for finding this kid, 'Leader'?" Noire asked.

  "Oh, that's easy!" Carol pointed a finger upward, affecting an air of mock brilliance. "We simply follow the signs."

  Aria let out a weary sigh. "You really are hopeless."

  "Hey, it was just a suggestion!"

  Aria walked past her, her boots echoing on the jagged floor. "Whatever you say, Carol. Whatever you say."

  They eventually reached a sub-level they hadn't explored before. The chaotic, broken stonework smoothed out, transforming into a breathtaking grotto decorated with luminous Ender crystals that bathed the path in a soft, ethereal glow.

  "I didn't expect to find something this pristine down here," Aria admitted, looking around in astonishment.

  "It’s beautiful," Revir whispered, a sad smile touching his lips. "She would have loved to see this."

  "She? Who are you talking about?" Aria asked, her curiosity piqued.

  "None of your concern, Aria," Revir replied, the smile vanishing instantly.

  "E-everyone!" Saria waved her hand frantically. "There are people over here!"

  "Is it the boy?" Carol asked, rushing to her side.

  "No... but it looks like some of the other students survived the collapse."

  Carol looked down at the huddle of injured students. They were pale, clutching wounds that wept dark fluids.

  "We need a recovery potion. Does anyone have a spare?" Carol requested.

  "I have one," Aria said, reaching into her spatial storage. She pulled out a high-grade vial. "Use this. It’s a concentrated batch. It should be enough to stabilize all of them."

  "Thanks, Aria." Carol knelt and began carefully administering the liquid to the survivors.

  As the potion took hold, the students began to stir.

  "T-they’re waking up!" Saria whispered in relief.

  "Impressive. This stuff works almost too well," Carol noted, inspecting the closing gashes on a girl’s arm.

  "It’s to be expected. We used the highest-tier ingredients for the Ignis reserves, after all," Aria said, her pride returning.

  "Doesn't that make it incredibly expensive?" Carol asked with a nervous laugh. "You Holders really live in a different world."

  "I’ll take that as a compliment."

  Carol turned her focus back to the survivors. They met her gaze with a mix of gratitude and lingering trauma.

  "Relax," Carol said, her voice softening. "The area is secure. You’re safe now."

  "R-really..?" one boy stammered.

  Carol nodded. "Can you tell us what happened to your group?"

  A student with a bandaged arm spoke up, his voice trembling. "We were hunted. It was an unknown creature... it carried a massive, jagged blade and used magic with the speed of a veteran."

  "Magic?" Carol’s jaw tightened. (First the Chimera, now this. This isn't a random breakdown.) The image of the hooded figure flashed in her mind. (This has his fingerprints all over it.) "Tell me about the monster."

  "It looked like a gargoyle with a lizard’s tail," the student explained. "But the sword... it felt wrong. The Ender coming off it was... sinister. Like the stories of the Zarikh."

  "A Zarikh? The spawn of a Leviathan?" Saria gasped.

  "Wait, aren't Zarikh supposed to remain dormant until a decade before a Flame Eclipse?" Noire asked, confusion etched on his face. "We’re nearly a century away from that."

  "We’ll analyze the history later," Carol interrupted, her eyes locked on the student. "Did you see a child? A young boy?"

  The student thought for a moment, his eyes widening. "I saw two children on the lower terrace," he said, pointing toward the darkness on the far side of the grotto.

  "Of course, they’re deeper," Aria muttered, annoyed. "But you said two?"

  The student nodded. "A girl and a boy. I don't know how they got down there, but they’re in grave danger."

  The tension in the group spiked.

  "The plan remains the same," Carol declared. "We go deeper, retrieve them, and head straight for the surface. Everyone agree?"

  "But that monster... if it’s a Zarikh hybrid, we might be outclassed," Saria whispered, her worry palpable.

  "I will handle the creature myself," Carol stated, her voice flat and unwavering.

  The group stared at her in shock.

  "Are you insane? That thing has Zarikh-tier Dark Ender!" Noire shouted, his frustration boiling over.

  "I have a feeling," Carol offered a sharp, confident smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It’ll be fine."

  Rein watched her, noticing the way her fingers twitched near her wand. "I almost envy your ignorance, Carol," he muttered under his breath.

  "You survivors need to get back to the campus," Carol said, turning back to the injured students. "The path we took is clear. Go."

  "What about you?" one student asked.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "We have a promise to keep. A mother is waiting for her son."

  The group descended further. A heavy, suffocating silence settled between them, a tension far grimmer than anything they had faced before. To break the stillness, Aria spoke up.

  "Hey, Carol."

  "What is it, Aria? I'm trying to think," Carol snapped, her tone sharper than intended.

  "Are you thinking about how to kill that thing?"

  "Kill it?" Carol snorted. "I’m just focused on the goal."

  A sudden, distorted whisper echoed in Carol’s mind.

  (Everything is your fault...)

  Carol stopped dead in her tracks, her breath hitching.

  "Carol?" Noire’s voice was laced with genuine concern.

  "I-I’m fine," she responded, forcing a smile that felt like cracking glass.

  (What was that? Why did that voice feel so... heavy?) Her heart hammered against her ribs, a cold tremor running through her.

  "Maybe you should rest," Saria suggested nervously.

  "We don't have time to do that. Those children—"

  Revir cut her off. "It’s no use if you can't stand straight, Carol. You’re the one in the spotlight. Who’s going to save the day if the hero collapses?"

  "What about you?" she challenged.

  "I’m just a supporting character," Revir said with a carefree shrug. "Don't expect the backup to do the heavy lifting."

  Carol sighed heavily. "Fine. Five minutes."

  They sat among the crystals, catching their breath.

  "So, Carol," Aria said, breaking the quiet. "I’ve been meaning to ask... where did you learn to move like that?"

  "You mean, my sword style?"

  Aria nodded eagerly.

  "I learned it from Sir Grey. He’s been drilling it into me since I was small."

  "Wait, really?!" Aria leaned in.

  "Yeah. I don't like talking about it much, but..." Carol looked at her friends, seeing their genuine interest. "He’s my uncle."

  The group froze. "Grey is your uncle?!" then, loudly spoke in unison.

  Carol spent the next few minutes explaining their history. About the training, the overprotectiveness, and the strange bond they shared.

  "No wonder your forms are identical," Aria noted. "But it must be exhausting living with a man like that."

  "You have no idea," Carol groaned. "He’s obsessively overprotective. If I even wanted to go into town for supplies, he’d shadow me from the rooftops."

  The others gasped.

  "And once, he nearly got arrested because he hospitalized a group of thugs who were just looking at me the wrong way," she sighed, though a hint of warmth touched her eyes. "I never understood why he went that far."

  "I think it’s pretty clear," Revir said softly. "He genuinely loves you, Carol."

  "Maybe," Carol smiled, feeling a bit lighter. "Without him, I probably would have been monster bait years ago." She stood up, dusting off her robes. "Enough about my boring life. You ready?"

  Everyone stood in unison.

  "About your story," Rein said, catching Carol’s eye. "Do you mind if we tell our stories as well?"

  "Heh, anytime you want. I don't mind anyway." Carol said, turned her eyes back to the long, stonely corridor in front of her, continued on walked deeper.

  They reached the deepest level. The light from the crystals didn't reach here; the air was thick with the smell of old bone. Saria cast a light spell, illuminating a floor carpeted in skeletons.

  "This is literally a graveyard, isn't it?" Noire whispered.

  In the corner, they spotted a small boy, slumped and unconscious.

  "Aria, the potion," Carol commanded, rushing to the child.

  Aria tossed the vial, and Carol carefully fed it to the boy. He coughed, his eyes fluttering open.

  "W-who... are you?"

  "Your mother sent us. She’s waiting for you, kid."

  "R-really..? But what about the girl..?"

  "The girl?" Carol asked, confused.

  "Yeah. She looks... just like you," the boy whispered, coughing. "She showed me a flower and said there was a secret path below... but then the flower turned into bone, and the monsters came. She ran the other way... the monster followed her."

  (Flowers turning into bone? A classic Zarikh illusion,) Carol thought, a grim smirk forming.

  "Please... you have to save her!" the boy pleaded.

  "Why? You barely know her."

  "I don't have friends," the boy whispered. "Everyone ignores me because my magic is weak. But she was nice to me. She’s my only friend."

  Carol went still. After a long moment, she stood and faced Aria. "Aria, take the boy to the surface."

  Aria’s eyes widened. "Are you serious? Carol, this is a trap. I have a terrible feeling about—"

  "Aria." Carol’s voice was quiet, but it carried the weight of a command.

  Aria went silent.

  "I can't ignore a kid's request. And I won't let him live with the regret of not being able to save someone," Carol said, tilting her head. "You understand, right?"

  Aria sighed, defeated. "Fine. But you better come back alive."

  The group took the boy and began the ascent. Carol watched them disappear into the gloom. "I plan to."

  Carol walked deeper into the dark. Eventually, she saw the girl the boy had described. The resemblance was haunting—the hair, the clothes, the height. It was exactly how Carol had looked as a child. Carol let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

  "A little on the nose, don't you think, Zarikh?"

  The girl turned, a sweet, hollow smile on her face. "I'm impressed you recognized me, Priestess."

  "Priestess? You’ve got the wrong person. And you’ve got a terrible sense of style."

  "Oh, it's far too early for you to understand," the girl said, her voice distorting into a dual-toned hiss. "Actually, I'm a huge fan of yours!"

  "Is that why you're wearing my face?" Carol’s hand gripped her wand, the wood creaking.

  "He asked me to do it. We Zarikh have to stick together, after all."

  "He? The guy in the hood?"

  The girl nodded. "He needed me to lure you in. It’s funny, isn't it? Humans are so easy to manipulate."

  "You used a child as bait?" Carol’s Ender began to flare, the air around her humming with static.

  "Hehe! It worked, didn't it? Though it’s a shame... I can't show you my true form yet."

  "True form? Then that child...?"

  "Bingo! Just a vessel!" A massive, burning crimson eye opened in the darkness behind the girl.

  "W-what are you doing?!" Carol shouted, lunging forward.

  "He said he wants you to taste what a true despair should be. So I guess this should do!"

  The monstrous creature, the Livern, leaped from the shadows. Its massive claw descended, and the girl’s form vanished in a flash of Dark Ender. The child who had been used as the vessel woke up, widened her eyes in horror as she noticed a massive claw above her.

  "M-mommy..." The child let out a tears, sinked to the ground as her legs tremble in upmost fear.

  "No... No, don't do it" Carol shouted, tried her best to rushed forward to save the child. But it was already too late. The impact from the monster's claw was sickeningly loud.

  Carol froze as a result. Blood splattered across her cheek, warm and copper-scented. She stared at the crushed remains, the silence in the room becoming deafening.

  "Haha! Look at that! Smashed like a grape!" the Zarikh’s voice echoed from the monster's throat.

  Carol didn't speak. She wiped the blood from her face with a slow, mechanical motion. Her wand shimmered, transforming into a sword that glowed with a cold, predatory light.

  "I hope you’re ready, Priestess!" the Zarikh exclaimed, now became serious. "Show me... that you can survive without your 'destiny'."

  Carol didn't answer with words. She vanished in a burst of speed, her eyes burning with a blind, murderous rage that consumed everything else in the world.