It took a bit for me to get back up. Elaya had created a chair for me and I sat down in it, trying to regain my strength. At least I hadn’t broken down crying. There would be time for that later. At the moment, there were more important things. However, the girls had already noticed that things were wrong and were quizzing me frantically with tears in their eyes, so I had to explain everything first.

I gave the simplest version of the story that I could. I explained what happened once I reached the deep. I had explained a rough version of Twilight, freeing Terra and Garnet, and then igniting the core of a dungeon to try to destroy her avatar and delay her ascent. The girls asked questions when applicable. It was Elaya who had the most pointed and clear questions, and perhaps only her who truly understood the potential terror and threat that Twilight posed to the rest of us. When I finished explaining how Terra had sacrificed herself using Gaia, and that this had only happened a short few hours ago, the group had become quiet.

After a few moments, I grew impatient and asked, “Where are the others?”

“Xin is out on patrol,” Elaya reported dutifully. “As for Astria, she went to investigate a matter in the wilderness. This is something we should discuss…”

“Not right now,” I responded shortly, not meaning to cut her off, but also not willing to handle another issue right now. “No one else has returned.”

The girls all looked at each other and then shook their heads. Over a month had passed since I had been back. Assuredly, the girls would have heard that I was alive and returned by now. Miki had been kidnapped, and in a way so had Terra and Sapphire. Shao was in a situation where she couldn’t have received news one way or another. However, Raissa, Salicia, Lydia, and Carmine all should have been able to come back. At least I knew where Carmine was, but the rest were a mystery to me.

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“I’m still confused.” Celeste declared, causing Shao and Miki to groan.

I wasn’t in the mood to try to explain things more clearly to Celeste, but I didn’t want to cut her off either. “What is it?”

“Why are you saying Terra is dead?” She asked.

Miki shot her a look. “Celeste!”

I blinked. “Because I watched her die?”

“How can that be?” Celeste asked. “Isn’t Terra nearby?”

“Nearby?” I blinked. “What are you saying? I’ve already tried to resurrect her, but it failed. Her soul was burned away in the explosion. I saw it happen.”

“What about you slave bond?” Celeste asked.

“Celeste, it’s not the time…” Shao tried to intervene.

I looked at her incredulously. “My slave bond is… wait, what? It’s intact!”

I had been so distraught over her death, I hadn’t even been paying attention. I had lost consciousness just as Terra died, so I had assumed I missed the announcement of our slave bond being broken. However, in my distraught state, I hadn’t even noticed it was still attached! It was like when a person was holding their keys while asking everyone where their keys were. I suddenly felt foolish.

“How could you know?” Miki asked in disbelief.

“Eh? I smell her… but I can’t see her…” Celeste frowned, looking around. “I wonder where she is.”

She started sniffing around, even sniffing Miki as she passed, causing her to take a step back. I began to follow my slave bond too, and the both of us didn’t take more than a half dozen steps before we stopped at the same time in front of a certain person lying on a small cot conjured by Elaya. It was Sapphire.

“W-wake her up.” I barely managed to get out.