The path that they were just one would begin crumbling under them. Yasuline wasn't able to pay attention to the terrifying sounds of the dire rats screening and fighting with one other as they all climbed on each other to survive. They all fell together and just a few of the managed to land on other bridges under them. The rest would continue to fall down until the sound of them was also swallowed by the abyss.

Ann and Yasuline fell with them, but thankfully a large chunk of the bridge was acting as a wall separating the two groups. Just then, Something flashed in the corner of Yasuline's eye. A split second later, she felt someone grab her arm and Ann's and pulled them to the side, catching their fall to the abyss with a bridge that was further along under the one they fell. Chunks of the bridge they were on would also cause gaps on the new bridge, but it remained in tack.

Yasuline would gasp as they sudden shift in momentum caused the air to escape from her lungs. Ann suffered the same and was on her hands and knees, partly hysteric as she was still screaming.

When Yasuline felt ready, she began to look around where they were. The blue flash from earlier was still among them. Standing at the center of the bridge and comforting them with a strong light source that helped illuminate the bridge and further down for them.

[The White Reaper has Rejoined the Party.]

"You're back!" Yasuline would cry out, shamelessly running up to him and hugging him tightly. She didn't even mind if he didn't hug her back.

"Woah, you survived that swarm? And not only that, but you saved us?" Ann would say, completely perplexed by what she was seeing.

He would nod.

"But how?"

As an answer. The blue flames around him would suddenly burst brightly, forcing her to shield her eyes from such brightness. "Alright, I get it!" She shouts. His flames would dim down to a comfortable level for them.

"You had me worried you know! What was I going to do if you were suddenly gone!" Yasuline would begin to complain at the White Reaper, feeling all the emotions building up inside her.

That was when he noticed. For a brief moment, his flames weren't the only things giving off light.

With the trio reunited, they would return to continuing trekking going forward on the bridge. Still weakened from the collapse, Yasuline shared some of the potions she, mainly the White Reaper, purchase earlier that day and each of them felt their wounds and bruises heal up.

"Hm..." Ann would omit a sound as she was deep in thought.

"What's wrong, Ann?"

"Oh, it's your friend. the blue flames. I feel like I heard about them before. But I can't remember where."

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"Oh, is it from some cool adventurer story!?" Yasuline would throw out there. Eager to hear a tale that she never heard about.

"No no, something else. I wish I knew. It's bothering me. Like it is really important." As Ann would stare intensely into the flames, the White Reaper would try to tuck his cloak to hide most of the coat he wore. Ignoring how much it made his suspicions, things didn't perk up until an hour or so passed. They finally made it into a new area of the labyrinth. Instead of long bridges that went in various directions, it was now more of them but mixed with corridors that had convenient holes that resembled like house windows for them to almost look through from such distances.

"Oh! I think I see something. Looks like a big statue or something." Yasuline would call out as she points off in a distance where a scattered bridge leads to an opening with two statues of people holding swords straight forward. The statues looked to be modeled after someone young, with a crown on their other hand in a casual position.

"Well, that's nice. Hopefully, it is one of those exits that lead up to the surface. But how are we going to go all the way over there? Looks like the bridge to it is broken off from the others."

The White Reaper would cough, drawing both of the girls' attention immediately at him. He then would begin hopping up and down. Backing up to one side of the bridge and dashes to the other. With such grace and flow, he easily made it to one of the fractured parts of the bridge.

Yasuline would applaud at his accomplishment, while Ann stood there once again in disbelief.

"That's like a 20 feet long jump!" Ann would say. The White Reaper would shrug. Keeping his cloak on tightly with one hand grip, he jumps back just as easily, then holds his hand out, in a gesture for one of them to take it.

"Oh, he wants to take us with him. So we can all reach it." Yasuline would explain and the White Reaper would nod in approval.

the bags were the first to go as a test demanded by Ann to see if he was really capable of taking one of them across. Once they were safely sitting on the bridge, Yasuline was the first to volunteer to go.

"Woohoo!" She would shout as she felt the airbrush against her face as she sat on his back.

"That was awesome. Alright, Ann, it's your turn!"

Ann would press her arms over her chest as she nervously crept to the edge to look down. Immediately regretting as now she felt the possibility of failing and falling down skyrocketed.

"Are we sure there's no other way we can- Ah!"

She would be cut off when the White Reaper jumped back for her.

"Come on, you don't want to be stuck there when another group of dire rats comes up to you, do ya?" Yasuline would say with a smirk, enjoying how frightful Ann was becoming.

"No, but I sure don't want to see the ones that are down there either!" She retorts. pinching the White Reaper's shoulders as she got behind him. Letting out a small yelp when she felt his hand on her rear. Her body tensed and she could feel her stomach twisting inside her as he prepares and dashes forward. She would let out another high-pitch screen as they were in the air.

The thud of the landing was unexpected for Ann as she jerked a bit on his back and felt her balance shifted. She clutches on his shoulders tightly, while he tried to lean forward to keep her on him. But it was too late, and Ann falls onto the ground.

"Ow. That wasn't as smooth of a landing as Yasuline's. I bet that was on purpose." She would complain while feeling the sting on the back of her head as it hit the stone flooring.

Her eyes would widen. Yasuline would cover her mouth in shock as it drew on her what just happened. As Ann fell, her grip on his shoulder slipped. But she was still holding onto his cloak. She fell back, pulling his cloak clean off him. He stood there between the two. The blue flames on his coat would give perfect lighting so that Ann couldn't confuse him for anyone or anything else. he was...

"The White Reaper."