We arrived at a cave, its cool interior a stark contrast to the desert heat. Scattered around the chamber were makeshift furnishings: crates repurposed as tables; threadbare blankets spread over uneven stone to create sleeping areas.

A small altar in the corner caught my eye. Wilted flowers were scattered around the personal trinkets that adorned its surface: a tarnished locket, a broken wooden toy, and a cracked mirror.

An old man lay on a straw bed. Yellow veins threaded across his skin like cracks in porcelain, pulsing with each rattling breath. His fingers twitched against the blanket, catching and releasing the fabric like he was trying to hold onto something slipping away.

Beside him, a young prepubescent boy sat cross-legged. His clothes had many patches, but his eyes were sharp as he ground herbs with practiced hands. He looked up when we came in.

“Ada, you’re back!” the boy greeted her, jumping to his feet. "There's someone else?"

"It's alright, Eli," Ada's voice came from behind me. "He's a traveler. I've brought him here to rest."

Eli nodded slowly, his gaze never leaving me. I noticed his hands hadn't stopped grinding the herbs even as he watched me - the kind of unconscious skill that comes from endless repetition.

"Hello," I said softly. "I'm—"

A violent coughing fit from the old man cut me off. Eli was with him in an instant. He supported the old man's head gently, helping him take small sips between coughs.

The old man's eyes fluttered open. "Elijah?" he rasped, raising a trembling hand at Ada. "Did you... find Elijah?"

Ada's face tightened, a flicker of pain crossing her features before she schooled them into a neutral expression. "He's gone," she said softly, moving to the old man's side. She knelt beside him, taking his outstretched hand in hers.

Ada turned to me. "There used to be more of us," she explained, her voice low. "But one by one, they succumbed to the curse. Now there's just the three of us left."

I opened my mouth, looking for the right words, but found none. Instead, I watched as Ada moved to a makeshift kitchen and pulled out various cuts of dried meat and withered vegetables.

“You must be hungry. Would you like something to eat?” she asked.

I was about to politely decline, but I saw my HP at 9%, not ideal conditions for whatever might come next. It was best to recuperate and so I nodded.

As Ada prepared the meal, I noticed more details about the cave. Chalk marks on the walls caught my attention - tallies, perhaps? Or a calendar? Next to them were crude drawings that could only have been made by a child. Scenes of people standing under the sky. Had Eli drawn these, or were they left by others who had passed through?

The young boy inched closer to me. "I'm Eli," he said. "Are you sick too?"

Before I could answer, Ada interjected gently, "Eli, remember what we talked about? It's not polite to ask such questions."

Eli's face fell. "Sorry, Ada. I just thought... maybe he was like us."

An aromatic blend of herbs and spices filled the room as Ada neared completion.

“Ada, can I help,” Eli asked, bouncing on his toes.

Ada's face softened. "Sure, Eli. Why don't you set out the plates?"

Soon, Ada was portioning out the meal onto three mismatched plates. The care she took in making sure I got the best pieces didn't escape my notice.

"Eat," Ada said, handing me a plate. "I hope it’s to your taste."

I took a tentative bite. The meat was tough but flavourful, the vegetables tender and earthy. It was simple food, but Ada’s kindness made it taste like a feast and I could feel my HP recovering. We ate in silence for a while, the only sounds the scrape of utensils on plates and the old man's labored breathing.

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Status Effect: Well Fed HP Recovery Rate increased by 20% Temporary bonus to CON

Finally, Eli broke the silence. "Are you going to stay with us, mister?" Eli asked, his eyes wide with hope. "I could show you my mushroom patch! It's not much, but Ada says I have a talent for finding the ones that glow in the dark corners."

I shook my head, “Sorry, I’m just passing through”

Eli's face fell, but he nodded. "Oh okay, I just thought... maybe..."

Ada reached out and ruffled his hair affectionately. "It’s okay little one. You still have me.”

After the meal, Ada gathered vials of red and blue liquid from a cupboard. "Here, take these health and mana potions. We...dont’t need them anymore." She said as she held out the vials.

Item Obtained: Basic Health Potion x3 Item Obtained: Basic Mana Potion x3

"Thank you," I said as I accepted the potions, trying not to think about why they had extras.

"Liquid candy! You’ll like those.” Eli declared, a spark of childish enthusiasm breaking through. “I like the red ones, they make my body lighter.” He thought for a moment before adding, “the blue ones are good too. They give me more energy.”

Suddenly, the old man began to cough violently, blood splattering his chin. "Ada, its time, please..." he wheezed.

What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion. Ada's face set in grim determination as she pulled out a dagger from a sheath at her waist. "Eli," Ada's voice was steady. "The herbs, please."

Without hesitation, Eli retrieved a small pouch from his workstation. How many times had he performed this ritual?

I lurched forward, instinctively trying to stop her. This wasn't right. But Eli's small hands grabbed my arm with surprising strength. "It's okay, mister," he said, his voice eerily calm. "He's reuniting with the God of Light."

The old man's breathing steadied as Eli administered the herbs. "Thank you," he whispered, eyes focusing on Ada with sudden clarity. "Tell Elijah... tell him I'm sorry I couldn't wait..." His voice cracked.

Ada knelt beside him, one hand gripping the dagger, the other smoothing his hair back like a mother comforting a child. "Close your eyes," she whispered.” Think of the good days. Think of how happy we all used to be.”

The old man smiled faintly, eyes drifting shut. "Yes... I see them..."

The sickening sound of the dagger plunging into flesh filled the cave, followed by Ada's quiet sobs. I looked away, unable to bear the scene.

Tears streamed down Ada's face as she continued to stab the old man repeatedly. "We grant each other mercy when the time comes," she explained between sobs. "Better to visit the God of Light than to become a monster.”

She paused for a moment in silent contemplation before adding “Although I wonder if God would welcome cursed ones like us.”

Throughout it all, Eli maintained his grip on my arm, but now I realized it wasn't just to restrain me - he was trembling. Looking down, I saw tears running silently down his face, even as he maintained that eerily calm expression.

Once the grim task was complete, she covered the body with a blanket. She pulled out her golden locket, clutching it tightly as she bowed her head in silent prayer. "May the God of Light grant you the peace we could not find in life," she whispered.

Eli finally released my arm and moved to the altar I'd noticed earlier. He took the wilted flowers and replaced them with fresh ones from his herb collection. Then he carefully removed a ring from the old man's finger and placed it among the other trinkets - another memory added to their grim collection.

The solemn mood made me intensely uncomfortable, as though I had intruded into a private moment that wasn’t mine to witness. I didn’t belong here.

“I should probably go now.” My voice emerged as a horse whisper. "Thank you for the food. And for the potions, and..." The words tangled in my throat. What exactly was the proper etiquette for leaving someone's home after watching them perform a mercy killing?

Ada nodded, composing herself with visible effort. She pointed towards the cave entrance. "If you go east, you'll reach Caelivitas. It might take a while, but you'll get there eventually." She reached to her waist and pulled out a pouch of crystalline dust. “Take this as well. It’ll help you avoid the light zombies.”

As she handed me the pouch, her sleeve rolled down, revealing glowing veins of yellow snaking up her arm. I couldn’t help but stare at them. The pattern was different from the old man's - less advanced, but unmistakably the same affliction.

Our eyes met, and I knew she had caught my stare. Looking at her face – the way her fingers unconsciously traced those yellow veins, the glance she shot at Eli, I connected the dots. She must have checked for new veins every day, the way the old man's had spread before... And Eli... the way she was training him with the herbs, teaching him their recipes... I didn’t want to think of what she was preparing him for.

"Don't worry," she said, tugging her sleeve back into place. The casual gesture felt rehearsed like she'd done it countless times before. "I still have time."

I nodded, and with one last look at Ada and Eli, I took my leave.