Adrenaline surged through my veins, a desperate prayer still echoing in my mind as I fought to reach Clover. A soft click sounded, and my heart sank. I wasn't going to make it!

Just as the thought finished, the air shifted. An unfamiliar presence enveloped me, not comforting or safe like my own spirit, but not malevolent either. I pushed aside the odd sensation, focusing on Clover. Miraculously, the trap hadn't sprung yet. I was almost there…

Reaching her, I grabbed the back of her cloak and pulled her against me, shielding her with my body. “Bolster!” I shouted, and the spikes shot up, harmlessly scraping my now-shielded armor. I staggered back, Clover still clamped to my front.

Adrenaline ebbed and flowed, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I navigated around the holes, dragging us toward the door we hadn't yet gone through. We were almost across the room; we might as well continue forward.

Out of the trap's range, I released Clover and let out a shuddering sigh. “I hate traps.”

She nodded numbly, her face chalk white, knuckles tight around her mace. “Trust me, I do too.” She blew out a shaky breath and patted my scratched chestplate with a laugh. “Nice save. I didn't think you had it in you to move like that, especially in armor. One second you were across the room, then boom, you were dragging me out of the trap.”

Now that the danger had passed, I frowned. “I don't think it was just me. There was a…presence here, and I think it increased my speed or something.”

There was no other explanation. It was impossible to cross the room that quickly, even for someone not in heavy armor.

Clover eyed the floor warily and nodded. “Apparently, the Old One wants us both alive. That's comforting.”

I leaned back against the wall, the last of the adrenaline draining, leaving me faintly exhausted. “I don't think it was them. This felt different. My spirit feels like safety; this one was…lighter. I'm sorry, this isn't making sense.”

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To my surprise, Clover's eyes lit with understanding. “No, it makes perfect sense. That––” She stopped, her expression closing. A hint of pain flitted through the mask, and she swallowed. “That was the Lady of Light, my spirit. Her main focus is healing, but she can also buff certain physical attributes.”

I'd never given much thought to the spirit of Light before, but now I bowed my head in gratitude.

Thank you, for helping me save her.

The presence brushed against my back again before fading away. Clover stared at the floor between our feet, earlier pain still evident.

She'd seemed happier when she thought it was my spirit helping us…

Setting a hand on her shoulder, I asked. “What's wrong? Isn't it a good thing that we have two spirits watching out for us?”

After a long silence, she finally nodded, though conflict continued to war across her features. “It is, but I haven't heard from the Lady of Light in almost a year. I assumed she'd cast me out.”

In the short time I'd known Clover, I’d never seen her so lost. It twisted something in my chest to see that look on her now. I squeezed her shoulder. “Maybe it's a misunderstanding. She clearly helped me save you, so she can't be too mad. Why would she be anyway? You're trying to save a town by hunting down a magical herb. That's hardly a bad thing.”

Her free arm curled around her waist, gripping tightly. “I made a mistake nearly a year ago. A stupid, naive mistake, and it cost…so many lives. She has every right to never talk to me again. I just don't understand why she answered you.”

I lifted my hand to give her space, only to pause when she leaned in, keeping the contact. She didn't react outwardly, her eyes still locked to the floor, so it was probably an instinctual action. I relaxed my hand again and offered my usual clumsy brand of comfort. “Maybe she's not as angry as you think. Sometimes my siblings do things they don't mean to, but the consequences still make me mad. That doesn't mean I wouldn't step in to save them if the need arose.”

She froze, turning the words over slowly before nodding, the pain giving way to the tiniest spark of hope. “Yeah, maybe that's it…”

Straightening, she shook off the uncertainty, a light pink flush working over her cheeks as she laughed. “I'm sorry you had to deal with that. You probably don't care about a stranger’s sob story.”

She turned to continue through the door, but I caught her arm.

Shame and embarrassment clung to her like the spore cloud from earlier. It felt wrong on her. Clover was many things, and confident was one of the biggest ones.

She shouldn't feel bad that this news rattled her. It would bother anyone in her place.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of here. I said gently. “And if I can help it, I'll make sure you see that.