In the dim light of the cave, Crimson slammed his shoulder into Gale, knocking him to the ground. Lilith collapsed , gasping for air.
"You were right," Crimson exclaimed, grabbing Lilith by the arm. "This witch is Nox!"
Gale sprawled on the rocky floor and smirked as he propped himself up. "Well, now that my cover's blown, I suppose I'll take my leave. But don't get too comfortable—I'll be back." His voice echoed ominously through the cave as he suddenly became still.
Lilith clutched her throat, coughing violently. "Wait—cough—stop her!" she choked out, but Crimson shook his head.
"You can't move right now," he said, his tone resolute. "I'll find her myself." Without another word, he darted deeper into the cave.
The jagged walls of the passage flickered with an eerie light, the embedded stones flashing in rhythm with his accelerating steps. Crimson sped through the labyrinthine tunnels, past forked paths and chambers where motionless mages stood frozen, their wide-open eyes staring into nothingness. A chill ran down his spine. I hope I'm not too late.
Lost in his thoughts, Crimson suddenly found himself sliding down a steep slope. He landed hard at the bottom, groaning as he pushed himself to his feet. Before him stood another cavern, the entrance shrouded in thick vines. Brushing them aside, he stepped in and froze.
At the edge of the cave, illuminated by a pale, unearthly glow, stood a girl. She wore an enormous witch's hat, a single strand of pink hair spilling from beneath it. Mist fogged the lenses of her glasses, obscuring her gaze. It was Nox.
Crimson opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Nox turned and leapt off the cliff's edge.
"No!" Crimson yelled, racing to the precipice. He peered over in desperation, only to see her falling through the void.
Suddenly, the air rippled. A shadowy figure with leathery, bat-like wings swooped up from the darkness, catching Nox mid-descent. Crimson stumbled back as the creature soared upward, carrying her away.
"No," he whispered again, his fists clenched. He could only watch as the figure and Nox vanished into the distant mountains, leaving him alone in the silent, flickering cave.
He says with a smile, "It is really Nox, that girl has completely changed."
Crimson rose to his feet, his sharp gaze fixed on the distant mountains. She's heading there… The air still buzzed faintly with the residue of her magic. Her beast manipulation had grown stronger. He searched the area, but his efforts yielded little. The only signs of life were the twisted forms of a few Dream Walkers, writhing weakly on the ground. The sight brought only one thought to mind: Miles… Gale…
---
Miles stirred, his unconscious mumbling breaking the stillness. "I love you, Laurel…" His lips puckered slightly, as though reaching for a phantom kiss. Before the slumbering words could fade, rough hands yanked him upright.
"What the—?" Miles stammered, his eyes fluttering open. His vision swam as two mages, one on either side, held him firmly by the arms.
"Hey! I was just with my girlfriend soon to be my wife—" he began, confusion clouding his words before a stern voice interrupted him.
"It looks like he was controlled as well. Let him go," a third mage commanded, stepping forward with authority.
The two restraining him obeyed without question, releasing Miles unceremoniously. They moved past him to lift a lifeless body lying nearby and began carrying it out of the library. Miles staggered, his mind racing to piece together what had happened. His gaze darted between the departing mages and the corpse.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice tinged with panic. "And… who's that?"
The mage who had spoken earlier stepped closer, offering a steadying hand and placing Miles' sword, now sheathed, into his grasp. "I should be asking you that," the man replied, his tone clipped. "I'm Vondak."
"And the dead man?" Miles asked, his stomach twisting.
Vondak's expression darkened. "That was my father. An Arc Mage." He hesitated, his voice sharpening. "A Dream Walker possessed you—and somehow, you killed him."
The words struck Miles like a bolt of lightning. He stumbled back, his breath catching in his throat. "I… no, that's not possible. I didn't…" His mind reeled, fragments of memory surfacing like pieces of a shattered mirror. "We were here… for Gale. He invited us to his room, and then… that's all I remember."
Vondak studied him for a long moment before nodding. "I believe you. Dream walkers can twist even in the strongest of minds. But…" He folded his arms, his tone growing grim. "Killing an Arc Mage—Dream Walker or not—is no ordinary feat. Whatever happened, you survived."
Miles' legs gave way, and he sank to his knees. "I… I killed someone," he whispered, his voice trembling. Tears welled in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks. "Another life… gone, because of me."
Vondak's gaze softened briefly, but his voice remained firm. "The weight of death isn't something you'll escape here. But if you let it consume you, you'll never make it out alive."
Miles clenched his sword, his knuckles white, tears streaming silently. The truth bore down on him, a storm he wasn't ready to face.
---
Gale blinked, his vision blurry, as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. "Lilith? What are you doing here?" he croaked, his voice hoarse. Suddenly, his body convulsed, and with a violent heave, he vomited out a wraith-like figure—the Dream Walker. The shadowy entity disintegrated into nothingness, leaving an unsettling silence in its wake.
Gale groaned, clutching his pounding head. "What the hell just happened?" he muttered, his tone laced with frustration and confusion.
Before he could process further, Lilith stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a firm embrace. "There's the Gale I remember," she murmured with a soft smile.
Gale stiffened, his hands hanging awkwardly at his sides. After a moment, he grudgingly returned the hug, his voice tinged with bitterness. "What are you doing here, Lilith? I never thought I'd see any of you assholes again."
Lilith pulled back slightly, her eyes brimming with an emotion Gale couldn't quite place. "Gale, I'm sorry. Lance tried to—"
"Stop," Gale interrupted sharply, his voice cutting through her words like a blade. He shook his head. "It's all in the past. Let it stay there."
Before Lilith could respond, a voice chimed in from behind them. "Looks like you're finally awake," Crimson drawled, his tone mockingly casual.
The moment was shattered. Gale's expression darkened as he pulled away from Lilith. In a flash, he spun and tackled Crimson to the ground with feral speed, his knee pressing into Crimson's chest.
"Don't you dare mock me," Gale snarled, his hand tightening around Crimson's throat. His eyes burned with a wild intensity that made Crimson's smirk falter.