The pain was overwhelming, gnawing away at Manasei's reason bit by bit. His vision blurred, his thoughts fraying as his consciousness teetered on the edge of oblivion.

'No!' he screamed inwardly, biting down hard on his lips, desperate to stay awake. Blood gushed from his gums, the metallic taste filling his mouth, but it was nothing compared to the agony ravaging his insides.

The poisonous insects seemed to crawl through his body, tearing and clawing at his very essence. It was a torment unlike anything he had ever imagined, a visceral reminder of just how unforgiving dungeons could be.

How did it come to this? he thought, a tinge of panic breaking through the haze. He had known the dangers of dungeons, but to be brought so low by what seemed like such a trivial mistake shook him to his core. He had been cautious, or so he thought. Yet the fruit's deceptive charm had torn through his instincts like they were nothing, leaving him at death's door.

'I can't fall unconscious here. If I do, I'm as good as dead!'

With sheer willpower, Manasei forced himself upright, his bloodshot eyes narrowing as he stumbled forward. His legs trembled, each step feeling like a monumental task, but he pressed on. He had to find shelter, somewhere secluded where he could recover, even slightly.

Time blurred as he moved, his surroundings a crimson haze. Every breath was a struggle, his body screaming for rest, but he refused to give in. What felt like an eternity later, his gaze fell on the outline of a small cave carved into the side of a hill.

His chest heaved as he scanned the area, his instincts urging him to ensure it was safe. With the last vestiges of his strength, Manasei stumbled inside.

The darkness of the cave embraced him, offering a brief sense of relief before his body finally gave out. He collapsed face-first onto the ground, unconscious.

A few moments after Manasei collapsed, the cave was illuminated by a faint red glow emanating from his missing arm. The light pulsed and grew, gradually spreading across his entire body as if searching for something hidden within him.

It found its target, the poisonous ants.

The insects had embedded themselves deep within Manasei's body, ravaging his internal organs with their venom. His once-healthy tissue had turned a sickly purple, the poison running rampant and unchecked.

But as the red light coursed through him, the insects began to react. A high-pitched shriek, almost imperceptible to human ears, filled the cave as the ants sensed the light. They scrambled in panic, their tiny forms darting through his veins, desperate to escape.

Some tried to pierce through his skin, their sharp mandibles working furiously to create an exit, but it was futile. The light moved surrounding his damaged organs. Wherever it touched, the corrupted tissue began to return to its natural state, the sickly purple fading into healthy hues.

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The ants swarmed chaotically, but the light pressed on, unrelenting. It surged over them, engulfing their forms in its radiance. One by one, the insects disintegrated, turning into traces of ash that scattered within Manasei's body.

The light continued its work, scanning every corner of his being as if ensuring no remnants of the poison or its carriers remained. Finally, satisfied, the crimson glow retreated, flowing back to his missing arm where it had first appeared.

The cave returned to its dim silence, with Manasei lying motionless on the ground, oblivious to the miracle that had just occurred. He remained unconscious, his breathing steady.

Manasei found himself in a strange and disorienting place. He wasn't sure if this was the afterlife, some twisted nightmare, or something else entirely. The darkness around him felt heavy, oppressive, but within it, he could see that man again.

The old elf.

The very man who had started everything, whose death had set Manasei on this path of pain and despair.

Hatred surged in his chest as he gazed upon the elf's face, but it wasn't pure. Laced within the burning resentment was a deep, gnawing self-blame. Manasei despised himself as much as he loathed the elf. He could barely stand to acknowledge the naïve fool he had been—the boy who had trusted the honeyed words of an old fox.

Their story had begun a year earlier, at a time when Manasei was desperate and searching for an orphanage to care for the children. He had already decided to leave them. Goneth had been right about that all along.

Manasei's life was weighed down by unresolved burdens. As much as he cared for the kids and appreciated how they had saved his life, he knew he couldn't stay with them forever. His past was a tangle of pain and unfinished business that wouldn't allow him peace.

But he couldn't simply abandon them without a plan. If he was going to leave, it had to be on his terms. He wanted to repay them by placing them somewhere safe, somewhere they would be cared for and protected.

That was when he first heard of the elf.

An elf who had reportedly set aside the long-standing feud between their races. A man who believed that children, regardless of their lineage, shouldn't carry the burdens of their elders.

The idea seemed preposterous to Manasei. He met the tale with suspicion and skepticism, his instincts screaming that it was too good to be true.

But desperation pushed him forward.

From simply observing the orphanage from a distance, Manasei had slowly worked up the courage to meet the man running it, Councilor Zolf.

At first, his distrust remained strong, but as time went on, the elf's actions seemed to speak louder than any rumors. Manasei saw firsthand how well the children were cared for. The orphanage was clean and organized, the children well-fed and educated. It was a place of laughter and hope, seemingly free of the bitterness and prejudice that plagued the city outside its gates.

Manasei began visiting more frequently, often under the pretense of observing how the orphanage operated. He wanted to ensure it was a place where the kids would thrive. Over the months, his skepticism slowly eroded, replaced by cautious trust.

He even started saving money, determined to ensure the children could be adopted into this sanctuary. Yet, despite his growing faith in the place, Manasei's sharp instincts never fully dulled. He made it a habit to learn as much as he could about Zolf during his visits. The elf seemed like an enigma, a rare anomaly in a world rife with hatred and division.

Manasei found himself drawn to Zolf, not out of admiration but out of a need to understand him. How could someone so openly defy the bitter feud between their races? Was it genuine altruism, or something more complex?

For a time, he believed he had found an answer to his struggles, a solution to his dilemma with the kids.

But all of that would change.

The illusion shattered on that fateful day when Manasei tore down the sheepish mask of the man he had come to trust..