Rel clutched her leg. Blood drained from her crooked, destroyed knee.

The pain radiating from it was excruciating, but she barely felt it.

A haze had fallen over everything. It was like a dream. Or a nightmare.

You shouldn’t have helped him.

Shut up…

In front of her, the massive thing reached for her, ready to snap her in half. Or eat her.

Eaten… Just as you deserve.

You made me do those things.

I did, didn’t I? And for what? All that effort! All that suffering! And for what? For you to throw it all away for somebody else?

At least, I’m still me.

The Yearning roared in her mind.

Fool! Idiot! You fucking useless…

How could you do that?

For another…

Die! You deserve to die!

You could have run!

This is your fault!

I tried to save you!

Why didn’t you…

This…

You!

The Yearning spoke as though through many mouths, each shouting above the other, trying to be heard.

But it was a caged prisoner. Trapped inside her.

You can’t do anything to me anymore, Rel told it.

I tried to help you. But now, it’s all over.

And just like that, a pressure vanished. Gone.

She gasped, and a tear escaped her eye.

She was free.

Pity it was only at the end.

It was so quiet however, in her mind. She almost welcomed that end.

I’m free.

The enormous machine struggled to get to her. It was stuck in the ruble, unable to move. It opened and closed its pincer like mandibles at her, but it couldn’t even fully turn its head to get to her.

It looked pitiful.

Maybe she should get up and run.

But she was so tired. Breaking free had taken everything out of her.

Joining the other workers in the Waiting Dark. That couldn’t be so bad, right?

But would she even make it there? After everything she had done, she deserved to be banished into the Eternal Dark, from which nothing ever returned. But maybe, the Crystal would be merciful. It would see that she had been herself at the end, and that she had won.

She had been right by the doors. She could have made it. She could’ve found another party, claim that she had been lost, make up an enemy to explain her state and outbursts. Climbers were more often than not kind and decent people. Naive. Easy to fool. They would’ve believed her. They would have taken her in. Take her through that last stretch.

In fact, that was exactly what the Yearning had ordered her to do.

It was why she had called to Nar, after Kur had refused to leave Tuk behind. She had thought that maybe Nar could be guilted into it. Tempted into it. The Yearning had told her the words, but she had balked from them. Reviled and disgusted by what it wanted her to say and offer and entice. Even threaten. For a moment, her arrow had even been aimed not at something, but at someone.

That, more than anything, had given her the strength to break free.

And proud of herself, she had gone back down to help Jul. To save Tuk.

The giant leg had come out nowhere. It crashed into her and threw her towards Jul and Tuk by pure chance.

Tuk had been found wrapped in wires, discarded in one corner as the fight raged on.

Jul had held her then. She had caressed her face with such tenderness, shouting her name, bringing her back awake.

“Run!” she had shouted. “You have to get out of here!”

“N-Not without Tuk…” Rel had said.

She had refused to leave. She was fine. She wasn’t going to leave Tuk behind. She wasn’t going to leave any of them behind. She was not her Yearning, and she was the one calling the shots now.

Together, they had freed Tuk and carried him out. Jul had done most of the carrying, and they had made it.

Nar and Gad came in last. So strong. So brave. Standing together, shoulder to shoulder, keeping them all safe while they fled.

She didn’t deserve them.

She didn’t deserve to get out.

As she fell, unable to walk and drained, she kept her mouth shut. She watched them go, get further and further from her.

If she had called to them, they would have returned. They would have come back, putting their lives at risk again, for her.

And she wasn’t worthy of that. So, she had kept quiet.

Then the giant thing came bursting through the wall, and now, here it was, trying to break free and get to her.

Hurry up. Hurry up, you stupid thing. I’m tired.

She held her bow close to her chest. She hoped it was the last thing she would ever feel. She had never wanted to Climb, but she had come to love her bow. Her arrows.

Rel had heard Nar and Tuk talking about the Labyrinth. She hadn’t thought much of it then. But now, as she lay, waiting for death, she wished she could have seen it. Gone with them.

Crystal knew what wonders she would have seen.

With a mighty crack, the thing broke free, pressing its dimensions into the corridor.

The mandibles flowed and clicked, and Rel wondered if it was excited at the prospect of food. The thing looked mechanical, so she didn’t know why it would want to eat her, but such was the way of the B-Nex. Nothing really ever made any sense.

It rose above her, its grotesque features accentuated in the yellow light.

Yellow? Oh…

Arrows glowed just a couple feet from her. Yellow and sure. The way out.

A sob escaped her. She had been so close.

The thing lunged at her, and Rel closed her eyes.

A sound rang through the corridor and down, down deep into her soul.

She opened her eyes again, and her vision went blurry.

“What are you doing here?” she screamed, crying.

Nar didn’t reply.

His sword, glowing with furious aura, slashed and threatened the enemy, and it screeched and balked away, its mandibles a frenzy of fear, all of its red eyes focused on the blade before it.

“Run! I’m done for!” Rel shouted. “I’m not worth it!”

“I won’t let you die!” Nar shouted. “Not until you’ve done a thousand, thousand, thousand times more good than all the suffering you’ve caused!”

She couldn’t. She couldn’t even save herself.

But Nar, stubborn, stubborn, Nar, kept on fighting.

Suddenly, wires shot out of the thing’s mouth and wrapped around him.

“No!” she shouted.

Bright blue roared out of the open mouth, rushing to destroy Nar. It met his aura instead.

She watched, stunned, as the two forces fought each other.

More wires snapped around him, and he pulled more aura out.

Aura and aether fought for the prize that was his life.

Gray and blue raged, wild streaks cutting though the corridor around them with abandon.

“Nar!” she cried.

From within that maelstrom of power, she could hear Nar roaring. Throwing everything he had at that aether…

And then, the blue lightening fizzled out.

The machine collapsed back with a wounded gurgle, smoke rising from its body, its wires spread limply across the destroyed floor.

Aura had won.

Nar had won.

Against aether…

My Crystal… This is…

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

The thing tried to stand back up on its shaking legs. Instead, even more smoke and a coiling stench filled the corridor, coming out of its hanging mouth and several gaps across its metallic body.

Nar stumbled forward, and fell to one knee.

He looked spent.

“Nar! Nar!”

With a cavernous roar, the machine surged to its feet and powered forward, its jaws unhinged, ready to use the last of its energy to crush down upon Nar, and her probably right after.

And yet, he still didn’t move… Instead, he swayed in place, struggling to keep himself from dropping face first onto the incoming machine.

He was going to die. For her.

For her!

She didn’t deserve it…

Rel tried to raise her bow, an arrow ready in her other hand. But she was too weak. She couldn’t move anymore. The Yearning had at last taken everything from her. And there was nothing left but her own mind.

Please! Please! Crystal! Someone! Something! Anything! Please have mercy!

She begged and cried, not knowing who would hear her. Not knowing if anyone would.

System! Crystal Above All! Please, it’s not fair! Save him! Save him! I’ll do anything! I’ll give you anything!

Everything stopped.

And there was a presence.

“REL293492874601344XAW.”

The voice slammed into her mind with the strength of the B-Nex itself collapsing upon her.

“SINNER.”

“Yes. Yes, I am,” she said, weeping.

“YOU HAVE COMMITED THE GRAVEST OF SINS. YOU HAVE RECEIVED TRUE SUCCOR AND AID, AND YOU HAVE REPAID IT WITH TREACHERY AND PAIN UNTOLD. YOUR HANDS ARE STAINED WITH THE MULTICOLORED BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT!”

She heard the screams then. The sounds. The begging.

She saw the tears in their eyes, and their faces floated past her memory, and oh! Crystal! There were so many of them!

“YOU ARE A SINNER!”

“Yes! Yes! But I'm not asking to be saved! I’m asking You to save him! Save Nar!”

The presence crushed her further, grinding her pathetic self almost to the point of erasing her.

“YOU WANT TO SAVE HIM? AFTER ALL YOU’VE DONE, YOU SEEK A BOON FOR ANOTHER?”

“Please! Please… He’s done nothing wrong!”

“NO… HE HAS NOT. AND THAT IS PARTLY WHY SALVATION COMES TO YOU TODAY.”

The presence eased off her mind.

“What do You…”

A window appeared before her eyes.

It was red. Blood red. The color of her own blood.

Executing subroutine 3S87I0021N.

All conditions met!

Class change available!

The Way of the Penitent Sinner (Apprentice Archer) unlocked!

Your path is stained with blood.

You are a sinner.

You seek forgiveness?

You seek absolution?

In the greatest of twists of fate, you seek the power to save rather than condemn?

You can have it…

But you will find it through blood and tears.

You will suffer.

You will be punished.

You will wash your sins in your own blood and pain.

You will find neither pity nor mercy.

No relief and no respite.

Only through sacrifice will you find power.

Only through penance will you wash your guilt.

Do you still want power?

Yes / No

Warning: This choice is IRREVOCABLE. Class change will be PERMANENT.

Warning: This is not a reward.

She looked past the dark red letters, to where Nar was, kneeling in front of his demise. A demise that had been meant for her. Earned by her. Not by him.

He just wanted to save his dad. To see color and light. He had done everything for all of them, and for her. And there he was, throwing everything away again. Just for her.

He deserved better. And she would repay him. With her whole life if she had to.

She would come back down with him to rescue his dad. She would do anything for the two of them.

She didn't know if she would ever find absolution. She didn’t know if the Crystal would ever forgive her. But right now, she just wanted to save Nar. It didn’t matter if it was a permanent class change. It didn’t matter if it was pain, and suffering and sacrifice. It was power. And right now, she needed it. And he needed her.

Yes. Please, give me the power to save him! I’ll do anything! I don’t care what it…

Everything went red.

Her blood began to boil within her.

She gasped and tried to scream as what felt like an infinite number of shards cut her up from the inside.

She couldn’t scream though. She was not allowed to.

She was cut and cut and cut.

Slowly, painfully, purposefully.

She had been promised pain, and here it was. More than she had ever endured, even at the hands of the boss of the cannibals. Even at the hands of her own Yearning.

Pain was all there was.

Pain was all that awaited her.

And she did not balk from it.

She embraced it. She took it in. She would do whatever was necessary. Endure whatever she had to endure. Nar would not die here!

She opened her eyes. She was up, and a weak raspiness escaped her mouth.

“Nar…” she breathed.

The thing was recovering, readying to strike again.

Nar stared up at it, defiantly, leaning against his sword. Aura still coated it. It was much weaker than it had been before, but it was still there. Ready to fight back. For her.

It wouldn’t be necessary.

Something warm dripped down her chin. Her eyes. Her ears.

She raised the arrow in her hand to her bow, staining the two of them red.

The skill came to her.

Arrow of Redemption - This skill is not always available. Only in the greatest desire for a good deed may it be used. It deals n * m * o aura damage, where n is the number equivalent to a third of your HP (rounded down) and m is your [Aura] and o is how much you wish to carry out the good deed in question. It always costs one third of your HP. Warning: Using this skill without enough HP will draw from your own vitality instead. Risk of death is almost certain in such a case.

She didn’t know if she had enough HP. It didn’t matter anyway. The Yearning would probably kill her soon.

All she wanted was to do one good deed before that. One right, against a pile of wrongs.

[Arrow of Redemption], she whispered in her now cleared, quiet mind.

The arrow glowed a dark, deep, smoky crimson, and she let it fly.

The red projectile flew above Nar’s head, and slammed right into the middle of the thing’s head.

The arrow kept going, splitting the thing in half, until it exploded, deep within it.

Pieces. Wires.

Machine parts flew everywhere, and the strength of the crimson explosion knocked her back, and into the nothingness she fell.

*********

Nar rolled over with a groan.

What happened?

His thoughts were slow to come back, and a ringing deafened the Nexus.

He pushed himself slowly upright, and found destruction around him.

His impending death lay broken in a thousand molten, glowing pieces, tubes, wires and other parts he could not identify.

What… How?

An image of a red projectile, flying above his head and piercing into the enemy, flashed past his eyes.

An… Arrow? Rel!

His sword lay next to his leg and he grabbed it, and used it to push himself up.

The floor moved under him and his sight blinked in and out as he searched the debris for her.

The very walls had been cracked and damaged by the explosion, and tiny columns of dust fell from the ceiling above him.

“R-Rel,” he managed, only hearing a muffled echo of his own voice. “Rel... Where are you?”

A shadow fell upon him and he looked up to find Kur's concerned expression.

“Kur..."

He coughed, and a familiar taste coated his tongue.

"Find... Rel!” he muttered, forcing the words out. “You need to...”

Kur dropped beside him, and the party leader shouted something Nar couldn't understand. Before Nar could say anything, Kur began lifting bits and debris. Jul appeared right next to him, shouting and pointing at the spot he dug through.

Nar reached forward to help Kur but arms wrapped around him, pulling him back.

“Hang in there!” someone shouted.

He looked up in a daze.

Gad was leaning against the wall. She was sweating profusely and panting with obvious effort. Her eyes were closed and she gripped her shoulder while clenching her teeth.

Mul and Cen stood by Tuk, watching over the still completely passed out ring tosser.

Kur flipped over a large piece of the thing's shell, and Nar looked back around.

The crunching sensation around his heart eased.

“Rel!” Nar shouted, wanting to go to her.

“Wait!” Viy said, for she was the one holding onto to him. “Let Kur do it!”

He stared at her, and for a moment did not recognize the present and strong, but pained, pair of eyes that stared back at him.

“Don’t worry! She’ll be fine!” Viy told him.

Nar pushed back Viy's sudden and baffling presence and pulled up his UI to check the party view. His heart clenched once more.

Rel’s HP was draining. Under her status, a drop shaped symbol indicated that she was hemorrhaging. [Bleeding] out.

Kur moved his hands across her body, checking on her, and suddenly, Nar felt a rush of power, followed by a subsequent rush of warmth and comfort as the party leader triggered his [Healing Boon].

Nar almost closed his eyes and fell asleep right there and then, embraced by that comforting warmth.

His own HP was standing at a healthy half full, just like his stamina. But his aura was nearly depleted. Barely 27 points of it were left in him.

He became aware of an exhaustion deep within him. More than in his muscles. Deeper than his bones. Down, down, deep down… He was so tired. Completely and utterly drained.

“Hey! Stay with me, Nar!” Viy said, shaking him.

Kur stood up with Rel in his arms.

“We’re getting out of here!” he shouted. “Those things might find a way through!”

Nar lifted his heavy head to look at him. His HP was doing its job of restoring him back to full health, but he was still slipping away into the darkness.

“Come on, Nar! I’ll help you!” Viy told him.

Nar nodded weakly as she lifted him up.

“Come on, step forward!”

His legs shook, and he had to grit his teeth to make them move.

He didn’t understand what was happening. He still had half of his stamina!

“That’s it, keep going!” Viy urged him, encouraging him.

Nar stepped forward again.

“That’s it…” her voice echoed.

Nar froze.

“Nar? Come on, you can do it!”

“Come on…” said the echo.

Nar turned around slowly.

Whose voice was that?

He looked over the dusty, destroyed corridor. There was nothing and no one there except broken walls and their destroyed enemy.

“Nar, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong…”

His breath froze in his throat.

It was the machine...

The broken thing was speaking in Viy’s own voice!

“Come on, Nar. We have to go!”

“Go… Go…”

Viy didn’t seem like she had noticed anything out of the ordinary.

The ringing in Nar's ears grew stronger again, muffling her voice, and the corridor grow darker around them.

“Go…”

Another pair of hands wrapped around him. He didn’t even know who it was. Fear without reason or rationality took over him.

He stammered, trying to speak, or scream, but he was dragged away from the broken thing.

“Go… Nar…” the voice spoke one last time. "Go..."

*********

The others got nothing out of him, when, a long time later, they dropped him against a wall.

His teeth clattered. His limbs spasmed. They asked questions but he didn’t reply.

He was barely hanging on at the edge of conciousness.

It made no sense. His HP was at a healthy 75%, thanks to Kur’s boon. And he still had plenty of stamina left.

He should be healthy and hale and jumping around and helping.

But he wasn’t.

He couldn't muster any strength. He could scarcely put together a coherent string of thoughts.

Go…

And there was that voice.

Neither Gad, who had come back for him despite her injury, nor Viy, had given any sign of having heard it as well. And in that broken state, he didn’t know if he had imagined it.

A cold voice. A dark voice.

He shivered and swallowed.

No!

He was out!

He was out!

The corridor was yellow again. They were on the path. They were going to make it.

There was no voice. The thing was dead! Dead!

He would never see it again. Nor hear it again.

A pair of small hands grabbed one of his, and he flinched.

“Nar.”

It was Cen.

“Cen…” he managed to speak at last.

“You need to use your [Meditation],” she said. “Your aura bar is almost empty. I think it's affecting you!”

“Aura… No, aether!”

Cen shook her head and smiled at him. “No aether. Aura. For you and for me.”

“You… Okay?”

Cen sighed and shrugged. “I’m not. But I think I will be. And so will you. Come on. Use the skill. You’ll feel better after.”

“Stay?”

“Yes. I’m right here.”

Like a patient mother, Cen coaxed and guided him into his [Meditation].

Without him noticing, everything around him vanished into a growing, gray light. It was warm. It was safe. It embraced him and promised him nothing but the best for him. It would never abandon him. It would never let the voice have him.

Grayness flowed into him, from deep within. It filled the empty husk that he currently was, replenishing what had been spent.

Pain he hadn't even noticed eased away. Bones were soothed. Muscles relaxed. And the walls of sanity closed around him once again.

An eternity later, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.