POV Aron Brightcloud

As I awoke the next morning, the familiar walls of the medical wing greeted me. I lay in a patients-room that appeared to be like the one I had inhabited after my first incident at the academy.

Having recovered from my little meltdown, I felt much better. My self-programming gave me an edge in dangerous situations, it let me operate logically and strategically, but the built-up emotions always had to be experienced and paid for at some point. Back to my pragmatic self I focused on the most important question.

How should I proceed now?

It was imperative that nobody found out what had happened. Most-likely they would soon send someone to inquire about the events that transpired during the dive. I needed to have a believable story ready. I had already prepared the building-blocks when I had arrived half dead from the portal. I simply had to finish the details. Coming out on top of this ordeal should be doable.

Not long later, I heard a knock from the door. The game was on. I slipped into the character I wanted to portrait. As a sixteen years old that never had experienced such a disastrous situation, they would want to see a shell-shocked and frightened teen. At least for the next few days I would be that. Afterwards I would build my character back up and come stronger out of it, giving the onlookers a beautiful story of hope, despair, iron will and growth.

Teacher Monrose entered the room with a worried countenance.

“How are you, Aron? Can you tell me what happened?” He mustered me, stepping closer to the bed.

I swallowed and slipped into the prepared “new” memories. He forced me to remember the terrible events. Slowly, I convinced myself to talk. I didn’t want to, the pain still too raw and massive for me to bear.

“I-We had bested the boss on the first floor, everything was going great. Anna had killed it with a massive lightning bolt while I had distracted the b-beast. We arrived at the second floor. It had been created in the form of a f-forest. Still high on our s-success, we decided to explore it...”

Slowly my own story grabbed me, I didn’t want to remember it yet I did. Anna had died! My first real friend here at the academy! The one who hadn’t turned her back on me when everybody else did. I wanted to stop; it hurt so much! No! She had earned at least this much! Her story needed to be told! The world should know of her gallantry and sacrifice. I owed her that much!

Pushing my breaking countenance back, I proceeded.

“Suddenly there were wolves! Everywhere! We tried to return to the portal, but the way was shut. The way was shut…”

My eyes had fallen off him, gazing absently out the window, imprisoned in my own world…

“At first we fought. She stood tall and proud, slinging spells at the enemies, binding some of them and killing even more! I tried as well, but couldn’t keep up. My core too weak to bear the strain. Slowly, my side collapsed. As noble as she was, she switched a part of her focus to my side, supporting me while holding her part of the line. At first it looked like we would prevail. But it shouldn’t be.

On her side a beast broke through, her lightning barrage too weak due to the help on my side.

I-I couldn’t save her! I tried, I really did! But they were everywhere! They ripped her apart! I couldn’t help her. They were everywhere! At first I tried to reach her but more and more arrived, they bit into me; it hurt so much! I wanted to help her, but I couldn’t. I-I!”

I cried, reliving the atrocious events. Seeing the claws slice her flesh, ripping out whole chunks of it as she got buried below the ravenous beasts. I needed to run, I needed to hide! I didn’t want to die!

Teacher Monrose tried to sooth me.

“Stop Aron, breath in and out, everything is okay. Relax, calm your emotions.”

He patted my shoulders, not sure how to placate me.

Only after some time had I regained enough emotional control to follow his order. I breathed in and out deeply, trying to calm myself.

“Yes that's good, relax yourself, you are safe, nothing will happen to you. Tell me, how did you escape?”

“I-I somehow survived their initial onslaught. I ran as fast as I could. They tried to hunt me down. Oh god, I still can hear their snarling and claws as they ripped through wood and scratched over rocks in pursuit!”

My breathing increased.

“Everything was a blur! I-I cut and shot some of them down as they tried to jump me. I don’t know how long I ran. Suddenly I came to a clearing. I-I stepped into it. I-it was a trap.”

They were everywhere. Oh god, I didn’t want to die. No!

My hands were white from the pressure I exercised on my blanket. My body began to shake as fear filled my very being. I cowered into the blankets, trying to hide from the ravenous beasts.

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They attacked! My fear had grown to a point I couldn’t recognize it anymore! I would die here.. Alone.. No! I couldn’t let this happen! With a shout I launched myself at the incoming beast! I would not die here! I needed to kill! To tear, to rend apart!

With a furious shout I attacked teacher Monrose, too far gone to realize where I was.

Luckily for me, he reacted quickly and caught me in the air with a levitation spell. He didn’t let me touch him. My mind completely on autopilot, I flailed around, trying to reach something I could hurt!

“Stop.” His words possessed weight I couldn’t ignore. They brought me back from the mental abyss.

Coming to me, I panicky turned my head left and right, trying to ascertain that I was save.

“I-I, uh, what, I am sorry!” I realized where I was. I had tried to attack a teacher! What had I done?!

“It is okay, Aron. Relax. That’s enough. I understand what had happened. Nothing will happen to you. I promise.”

I looked at him, trying to read his face. Was it true what he said?

“Yes. Nobody wants to do anything to you or blame you for what has happened.”

I looked at him surprised, this was going easier than I had thought.

“Wha-why?”

Monrose patted my shoulder sadly. “I am sorry, Aron. as I said, this wasn’t your fault. Yesterday many other adventurers have died. Us reached reports of multiple occasions throughout the day. That was also the reason why all of us had been standing at the entrance of the dungeon. I wanted to make sure that all of you came back safe.

The dungeon is actively expanding, changing its difficulty. As a first response we have stopped all small teams of four or fewer novices from participating in dungeon dives for now.

This was a tragedy, but not something you could have prevented. You are innocent. One could even say it is a miracle that you survived. Bringing your friend back was a very courageous act, even though you don’t seem to remember how you actually did it. From another point of view, this shows your inborn gallantry even more. You did it despite having been this far gone. The healers had informed me about your critical injuries when they healed you. You have narrowly slipped by your own death, yet you have held on to Anna, protecting what you could of her body. The Silverus family is very grateful for that.”

He nodded to himself.

“As your class teacher, I formally present you with 100 contribution points for your heroic behavior. Take your time and recover well, young man.”

It looked like they had already decided on their own what had happened. This brief episode of him questioning me had only been a formality. Naturally I didn’t complain.

He gave me one last look before he departed from my room. I kept my sad expression. Yet my inner world looked different, calm and collected I had played my role.

My logical mind went over the new knowledge. The dungeon had been acting up during the past few weeks, but never had I thought that it would converge exactly with this incident. My story would have also worked without the support, but it made it even easier to sell. I even got contribution-points out of it, I hadn’t expected that at all. The aim had always been to get off scot-free. Being rewarded was a welcome surprise though.

The next hour I contemplated over the best course of action.

Maybe I should-

Another knock could be heard from the door.

“C-Come in, please.” In response, it opened. Giving me a view of Anna?! -no Jane standing there looking at me with a complex expression.

“How are you, Aron?” She slowly moved closer.

“I-I am so sorry, Jane. I couldn’t protect Anna. I tried, but-”

“It is okay. I have spoken with Teacher Monrose. He has already informed me of what had happened during your dive. We are really grateful for you bringing back her corpse. I-I don’t blame you for not being able to save her. By all accounts you shouldn’t have survived as well. It is a miracle that you did and even brought her corpse back.”

I felt the deep pain she was in, yet she spoke the truth. She truly didn’t think I was at fault. The only one I had been worried about was her. One couldn’t accurately predict the actions of the people who were so emotionally involved.

This made me very happy. Another enemy was something I didn’t need at the moment. In such situations my gift proved itself a god’s sent, letting me recognize her true intentions clearly.

“T-Thank you Jane, this means much to me. Yet I wonder, if I had acted differently, could she still be alive? Maybe if I had been better I-”

“No, stop Aron. You did what you could. You have been at death’s door yourself, stop thinking in that direction. I am happy you where there for her.”

She took my hand in hers, squeezing it encouragingly.

“Thank you, Aron. Stop blaming yourself.”

I squeezed back, playing the thankful yet burdened young man she needed me to be.

“Recover well, Aron.” With that, she let go and left my room.

I followed her with my eyes until the door had closed. Good, Person number two had been successfully convinced.

I- another knock could be heard from the door.

Who was it now?

It opened before I could even speak, and young earl Stardust entered my chamber. I didn’t much interact with him before. As a noble, he had an inborn arrogance. It showed now as well, but this time I could see respect in it as well.

“Young baron Brightcloud, I am happy you have mostly recovered. I am here on lady Nightshield’s orders. She values strength. You having survived this ordeal and brought Jane’s sister back coupled with your shield affinity have lifted your worth in her eyes. She is willing to take you in as one of her subordinates if you bow to her superiority.”

This fit very well into my plans. I had no problems with bowing to the young Marchioness. Other people might think that it would besmirch their “honor” I didn’t have that misconception. Yet I thought that there had to be another reason at hand. Yes, I had gotten stronger, but it should not have been enough for her to reach out to me from her side.

One part was most likely the lifting of the group size we needed to go dungeon diving after this accident. The lady’s group only consisted of four people, she needed another person. Eventually there were even additional reasons I didn’t know of yet. In the end it didn’t make a difference to me, the arrangement would give me what I wanted. Naturally, I would keep my guard up until I understood her entire agenda.

“T-thank you for the message, I will gladly join her group. Please thank her in my name for this gracious offer.”

The shock deep in my bones from the near death, I had lost some of my cocky behavior that I had upheld in previous encounters.

At least that was the picture I wanted him to see.

“Very good, I shall do so. Recover well.” I observed his receding back. At last I was alone.

This entire event had been one twisted fuck up. When I had first arrived here, nobody wanted to have anything to do with me. Only one person had decided that I was worth the help after I had saved her life. As thanks for it, I killed her in cold blood. But no, there was no punishment or price to pay. I got lauded as a hero, receiving contribution-points and new “friends” for it.

Life was not fair, life was not kind. If you wanted something you had to grab onto it with all your strength, fight for it and stop at nothing, only that gave you an actual chance at acquiring what you wanted.