The silence stretched, thick with the aftermath of the battle. The air, previously buzzing with snarls and shadows, hung heavy with a newfound emptiness. Eren, Lucy, and L stood amidst the dust and debris, the weight of their victory settling upon them.
"Well," Eren finally said, his voice hoarse, "that was… unexpected."
Lucy chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "Unexpected is putting it mildly. Shadow wolves, disappearing cages… what's next, fire-breathing unicorns?"
L, ever the pragmatist, shook his head. "No time for flippancy. We need to assess the situation." He scanned the arena, his gaze lingering on the glowing symbols etched on the walls. "The markings seem to be our only leverage here. We need to understand them better, perhaps find a way to use them to our advantage."
Lucy straightened, her gaze hardening with newfound resolve. "Agreed. But first, let's catch our breath and see if we can salvage anything from this fight." She surveyed the fallen wolves, their forms dissolving into wisps of darkness.
Eren, noticing her focus, frowned. "What are you looking for?"
"Supplies," Lucy explained, kneeling beside one of the wolves. "These creatures may be shadows in essence, but their bodies were real enough. Maybe we can find some usable items – claws, teeth, even scraps of fur."
Eren nodded, understanding dawning in his eyes. "Good thinking. We'll need all the help we can get." He joined Lucy, scavenging the remains of the shadow wolves while L continued his study of the wall markings.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
As the sun, visible through a high opening in the arena ceiling, began its descent, casting long shadows across the chamber, a sense of unease settled in Eren's stomach. The victory, though satisfying, felt hollow. Deus had retreated, but for what purpose? Was he regrouping, preparing a new challenge?
A shiver ran down his spine as he glanced towards the platform where Deus' cage had stood just moments ago. A faint shimmer lingered in the air, a residual energy signature.
He voiced his concern to L, who had paused in his analysis of the symbols. "What do you think that means? Where did Deus go?"
L's brow furrowed. "Difficult to say definitively," he admitted. "The residual energy suggests some form of teleportation, but the destination remains a mystery."
"So we're basically sitting ducks waiting for him to come back?" Lucy interjected, her voice laced with frustration.
L sighed, his eyes glinting with a newfound determination. "Not necessarily. These markings… they might hold the key to navigating this arena, perhaps even a way to escape."
He gestured towards a section of the wall where he'd been tracing symbols earlier. "See these? Based on my observations, this sequence seems to be… a map."
Eren and Lucy exchanged a surprised look. A map? Was it a map of the arena or possibly… a way out?
As L delved into explaining the intricate patterns embedded within the markings, a sliver of hope began to bloom in their hearts. They were far from home, their powers stripped away, but they weren't entirely helpless. This arena, with its cryptic challenges and hidden secrets, might just be their only path to freedom.
With renewed determination, Eren, Lucy, and L huddled around the wall, their gazes fixed on the glowing map etched in stone. Their fight for survival had just begun, and this map, a cryptic message left behind by an unseen force, might be their only guide.