The next day, Alicia woke up with Orb already attached to her breast; perhaps she had unconsciously snatched the Arcane orb from Tome's arms. But she heard no whimpering throughout her dreams, and she did not hear it when she opened her eyes either. The figures of the two children had disappeared, leaving only a crumpled blanket behind.

The frigid bite on her skin had lessened. Her head, once ablaze with feverish delirium, now enjoyed the serenity of clarity. Alicia relaxed her neck and stretched, then sent her gratitude to Orb or Silent Divine for the restoration of her body—though the lass did not do so with rites and feats of worship as Izel did.

After luxuriating in the crisp morning air, the redwood trees, and her body's wellbeing, Alicia’s gaze descended back upon the vacated shroud. Her euphoria was dampened again. She quickly arose and headed towards the erstwhile fireplace, only to ascertain that none but Orb shared her company. A nearby white line distracted her attention; a circular path encircling the resting area that was beginning to fade from the dew.

"Wisesa's salt barrier?" Alicia muttered to herself. Her guess proved as she put a speck of the white powdery sediment on her tongue before spitting it back out. It was one of Wisesa's Shamanic Knowledges used when they took refuge in his hut from Leyaks' pursuit—Ki Semar was kind enough to spill this information to her. However, the path had been damaged and no one was around.

“Kaito? Tome? Where are you?” Alicia exclaimed.

She wandered deeper into the trees until her skin felt an unfamiliar warmth that did not belong to the sun, and her nose smelled the charred remnants.

A loud cry suddenly came from the bushes, "Alicia, get down!"

Startled by the shout, Alicia followed her instinct to duck—or rather, trip—and a fiery projectile suddenly surged past her, blowing away a log hanging from two branches on the opposite side. From her eyes, Izel, the pyromancer, leapt up in whirling form, and three more embers destroyed other wooden hangers.

"Only fifty milliseconds early!" From her tone, Izel seemed unimpressed with the new record. "Had you not materialised so abruptly, Alicia, I might've shaved ten seconds off my time. But hey, at least I've trained myself not to shoot civilians on purpose."

"By Silent Divine, what on earth are ye doing?" Alicia censured, rousing herself.

"What else if not training?" Izel rejoined with a nonchalant air.

"Can't wait until the nearest magic shooting range, can ye?"

"Alicia, if you're so fond of travelling, you should know better than to rely on specialised facilities to practice magic. We practice with what we have."

"You could have burned down the entire forest!"

"But I didn't, did I? My fire magic won't burn carelessly without my command."

Recollection of the mystic arts practised by the Orange Witch made the words disappear from Alicia's mouth, leaving her gaping. "Okay, fair enough, but it's still dangerous! You could have shot me!"

"Bruise you, but not burn you. I just told you my flames won't carelessly burn anything." Izel held out her hand. "Does Wisesa always hear you nagging like this?"

Still wearing an irked look, Alicia accepted Izel's hand and stood up. "I dinnae ken which one of us nags more."

"Both like to nag. You lot must be kindred spirits."

"Away with that thought!"

Alicia glanced at her surroundings. Several targeted wooden beams now smouldering on the forest floor, and the ropes that entangled them were sagging from the branches above.

"Has your fever abated, Alicia?" asked Izel, her palm once again about to touch Alicia's forehead, though the spectacled lass took a measured step back.

"I'm fine, thank you. Speaking of Wisesa, have you seen him? And also Tome and Kaito?"

"Three hours past, Wisesa said that he wanted to hunt flying squirrels so that there would be a variety of textures for dinner. Kaito and Tome seemed to be following him, so I guess they want to learn to hunt too?"

Alicia's countenance stiffened. "They? Following Wisesa? And you didnae stop them?"

"For what reason? Is it not beneficial for children to learn hunting? It sharpens their instincts and forges their mettle, a vital crucible for human strength and intelligence!"

The main concern lay not in the nature of the activity the children engaged in, but rather in the company they kept. Wisesa might not be the same person who had deliberately let a young lass like Alicia be killed in the forest, but that did not change the fact that Wisesa was not fond of children, let alone apt at taking care of them.

Just as they conversed, Izel was drawn to something behind Alicia, "Ah, he has returned!" she said.

Alicia, turning around, beheld Wisesa coming with three dead squirrels slung over his shoulders. Yet, she failed to spot Kaito and Tome.

"Where are the others?" asked Alicia after hastening to the lad’s side.

"Who do you mean? Tome and Kaito?" Wisesa shrugged. "They're not hunting with me."

"W... what? "

"Kaito did dog me and took Tome," Wisesa added, "but I didn’t let them because I only wanted to hunt myself, so I told them to turn back and play fire with Izel..., or sleep with you again."

"But they didn't come back, by Silent Divine!"

"Gods, Alicia! Are you having your period or something? Just be patient. It's just a matter of waiting, they'll come back."

"Ye idiot, have ye forgotten where we are?" Alicia growled even louder. "Ye forgot the monsters we faced yesterday? Were ye too lazy to ensure the kids stayed around the campsite first?"

"I'm not their nanny—"

Izel's hand gently alighted on the bespectacled girl's taut shoulder. "Come now," entreated the pyromancer, "they're little kids but they cannot have strayed far!"

"Three bloody hours Izel, and they havenae returned! And stop appeasing me!" Alicia's shoulders instantly dismissed the call for calm. "You and your dangerous training! Is there only training, training, and training in your noggin? You're also too busy playing with fire that you forget about them!"

"Whoa, Woman! Playing accusations is not commendable! You yourself are too complacent to be a sleeping princess, you know?"

"Because I was sick!" Alicia shouted so loudly that the local birds scattered in fear. She then paced back and forth, her hands already delivering a slap or two until Orb’s resolute beep administered a jolt. Once again her screams of pain reverberated as they were mixed with anger.

However, her emotions subsided shortly after a series of deep breaths, and her hands were already hugging Orb. "Sorry, Orb, sorry... My temper got the best of me once again. Alright..., alright..." Alicia faced Wisesa and Izel, both of their faces flustered—Izel etched with worry, Wisesa tinged with resentment. "Sorry. I went too far," the lass conceded. "Tell you what. I'll track them down with Orb, but I need the help of you three as well."

"No need!" Izel responded. "Let me just use my magic to track them down. I think I earned a share of this negligence as well."

However, Alicia's eyebrows dipped. The curve of her lips implied condemnation of the proposal. "Izel, not again—"

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"Peace, Alicia! My tracking spell boasts a wide and swift range! We'll find them before anything happens to them!"

"Izel, please!" Alicia snarled once more. "Stop wasting time trying to prove yourself! I know yer good at fire magic, but I'm not in the mood to watch a magic show!"

"Hey, I’m not doing that to impress you."

"Then what are you doing it for? Searching for children is faster in threes!"

"No! My tracking magic is faster than the three of us combined! Just use my way—"

Alicia had advanced a step to zoom her seething face. "That doesnae even make sense at all—"

But Wisesa immediately pulled the irate lass back. "Okay, that's it! Just give in, Alicia!"

"Stop pulling me!"

"I will if you stop throwing a tantrum!"

"Instead of you holding me back, why dinnae ye try telling her that we can save a lot of time if we track them together?"

"We've already wasted a lot of time with this useless arguing! Hey!" a vigorous shake of Alicia's shoulders prompted a gasp from her. "If she fails, we immediately track them together. They've been out of earshot for three hours, it makes no difference now."

"Of course, it makes a difference—"

"Alicia, I'll do it now." Izel's staff already admitted a radiant glow. "I promise I'll find them in one go!" she then aimed her staff at the sky embellished with morning’s resplendent rays. "Xu-te-kōpā! Xu-te-kwahca! Xu-te-mimichia!"

Suddenly, an amber streak emerged from the staff’s apex and unfolded into a circle of fire that voraciously devoured any leaves in its path. The intense heat nudged Alicia and Wisesa's forms together, with the lass choosing to submit, falling to the ground.

"Burn down the whole forest? Seriously, Izel?" Alicia admonished the pyromancer with a glare.

Nevertheless, Izel sported an optimistic grin. "I told you, Alicia, my fire won't burn anything without my command."

Alicia directed her eyes at the circle of fire again; it had already begun to widen its shape and spread wider and wider throughout the forest. One thing amazed her: The flames left the leaves unscathed; when they crept onto other branches, the red leaves they had just passed through retained their crimson hue.

The ring of fire continued to expand until it transcended the scope of discernment, but the crackling of its embers echoed unmistakably. Soon, the ring of fire shrank as swiftly as lightning, returning to the central point where it transmuted back into a blazing amber line before descending into the staff. Izel's eyes widened in the moment of epiphany. "I have found them!" Her left hand pointed towards the western reaches of the forest. "There lies a cavern. Kaito and Tome reside within, still breathing."

"Then let's go!" Alicia seized Wisesa's sleeve, causing him to stumble.

"Don't pull me!" snarled Wisesa.

"Finally, a semblance of empathy!" Alicia shot back. "Move yer limbs, ye sluggard goon!"

Alicia no longer relied on mere foot speed; she was instantaneously ensconced in Arcane and soared through the air, followed by Wisesa and overtaken by Izel's flame chariot. Three minutes passed, and Alicia's eyes had already wearied of the repetitious crimson-hued trees whizzing by over and over again. Where is that bloody cave in question, anyway? she thought irritably.

Just as Alicia was about to hail Izel, the scenery underwent a sudden transformation. The forest canopy of red yugurekuro trees no longer obstructed the sunlight. Before them was a stretch of shallow river, and on the opposite bank was a sea of maple and pine trees. Amidst this sylvan expanse, a white boulder loomed, and the black hole in its wall was impossible to overlook.

The foremost Izel glanced back. "That's the cave!"

They descended in front of the cave mouth, with Alica already pulling Arcane into her hands, about to charge inside without ceremony. However, Izel's arm tugged at her collar.

"Don't be in a hurry," the Orange Witch cautioned. "The ring of fire revealed that the cave concealed more than just two children."

Alicia's tense frame gradually relaxed, but her countenance retained a shade of defiance. "You better not bar my path should any threats arise later. Promise me!"

"I shall refrain," Izel consented. "But we'll go in slowly. Don't provoke any commotion. I will lead the way."

And so, Izel, Alicia, and Wisesa crossed from the realm of light into the dominion of darkness. Izel delved into her bag and retrieved her ware, a Tamoanchanese candle. She ignited it—yet another form of rebellion from the pyromancer to rely solely on her powers. Thoughts flashed through Alicia's mind, for the aromatic odour that came with it only caused harm to them and the children. Arcane could dazzle the entire cave without attracting any attention with a pungent scent! Had Izel chosen to employ it so as to maintain the "calming" aura in the face of thousands of entities with forms beyond reason, or even in the event of the children—one of them least—meeting an untimely end? Nevertheless, Izel did not forbid Alicia from using Arcane this time, so she summoned Orb to light the way as well. Meanwhile, Wisesa casually sauntered at the rear, but his hand was already grasping the kris’ hilt.

So far, the two ladies had no cause to vie over whose magic was the brightest. A small progress.

After traversing dim passageways and narrow gaps, they arrived at a large cavernous area with a shallow pool. Myriads of claymore-like stalactites dangled, threatening to fall on their heads. But the fear was offset by the colourful luminescence of the insects adorning the ceiling and the passageways beyond.

Bioluminescence may not be magic, but when Alicia still took the time to pause and look all in between searching for the missing children, it was a testament to its successful allure. The cave was akin to a glittering party with no guests other than the trio. Even as they walked, Alicia and Izel kept their gazes trained on the ceiling, while Wisesa’s attention was drawn downward, watching his feet wade through the water until the hard, rocky ground again met his gaze, and his face was no longer without expression.

"Girls!" Wisesa’s voice broke the silence. When Izel and Alicia caught up with him, their eyes widened.

They encountered the three crew members, clad in their intact attires. The cap-clad crew captain stood embracing one of his crew members, his other hand tired from the weight of his rifle, while the other member prostrated himself and held out a pleading hand.

All those living poses, and again, their forms were nothing but bones coated in a viscous red liquid.

"No wonder they haven’t done their hunt since last night," Wisesa mused, "their roles are backwards."

Izel shot the lad a gall glance. "You. Still making jokes about the dead!" She knelt and chanted in an ethereal tone before launching a fireball at the skeletal remains until they were consumed. "Whatever your faith is, may Citlalicoatl usher you to your own final rest."

Alicia looked down in sombre reflection, turning around. However, dread returned to her face. She saw a fresh trail of blood snaking into the cave’s depths. Adding to her distress, she spied a pair of small shoes. Alicia clearly remembered that the crew's feet were not that small, and again, even in the spectral state, they wore boots.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Alicia exclaimed in panic. "Wisesa! Izel! We must hurry! Kaito and Tome might not survive for much longer!"

Suddenly, the cavern quaked, crumbs fell, and the insects' glow waned in the ceiling. Just when they thought things were taking a turn for the worse, a child's piercing scream rang out from the passageway.

"Tome!" Alicia cried out, sprinting headlong into the depths. Panic crept into the bones of the other teens as they, too, pedalled at a breakneck pace.

Alicia's screams appeared to have reached Tome, as she shouted back, "Alicia-neesan! Tasukete! H-help!"

"Tome! Kaito! We're coming! Please hold on!"

As Alicia ran through the shallow water, a mass of slime suddenly materialised before her, coalescing from a distance into a grotesque entity whose surface was akin to a congealed vomit. Its feet and hands oozed with thick, cloying green liquid, and the orifice considered for a mouth displayed a series of irregular, swirling teeth. It spewed acidic slime over the cave’s sides as a show-off, deliberately to send fear. But Alicia was not afraid. She was frustrated, and frustration boded ill for the fragile blob. The slime barred her path and unleashed a sickly yellow cascade towards Alicia's face!

Izel's voice boomed, "Alicia, watch out for that vomit!"

Fortunately, Alicia was quick to react. She erected an Arcane shield and the vomit instantly vanished upon contact with the blue surface. Incensed, Alicia reshaped the shield into a wisp of energy that split the water, hurling it at the animate slime without a second thought, "Away from me!" she thundered.

The animate slime dissipated into ephemeral vapour. Ill had befallen it.

But the welcome had yet to conclude. Clusters of slime were already rolling behind Wisesa and Izel, blocking the path of retreat. The two youths saw them, and they walked backwards.

"We disturbed the peace of the host?" Wisesa muttered.

"Host? Since when did mujinos claim ownership of this cave?" Izel retorted.

"Ah, damn it, another weird monster. No wonder. The slimy creature."

"This one is called Zalos. Be careful. Their vomit is acidic. Alicia, we have to advance!"

"Of course, we have to advance! Where else do we go?" Alicia was already darting off again.

Izel followed suit, but Wisesa headed towards the cave wall instead. "I'll take care of it. Barong!"

"Let's slay them all!" Barong's yellowish energy roared as it burst from Wisesa's body. He stuck two hands on the rocky wall, then slid it aside like a sliding door! The path of retreat had become a dead end. The approaching slime creatures were squashed. Two managed to penetrate the stone wall, but Izel's fire extinguished their existence right then and there.

A fresh horde of malevolent Zalos slimes slipped out of the rock crevices, flocking towards Alicia, yet the lass remained undaunted. Their transparent forms quivered and expanded whenever they encountered the Arcane wielder girl. Alicia seemed to have expected that they would evolve. It was a wise decision for her to incinerate them all with Arcane fire before the transformation could take root.

Alicia saw a new chamber at the end of the corridor, and Tome's screams could be heard again, as well as their blurry figures scuttling through the space. Alicia could hear her heart hammering and her eyes flickered with glare soon after. Numbness coursed through her veins, slowly sweeping away panic and fear; but so her body's control.

"Orb, it's happening again!" Alicia fretted. But she refrained from asking further questions, especially when her gaze fell on the same slime creature crossing the chamber at a gigantic size, much larger than the others. Alicia could no longer run. Her body levitated, hurtling her towards the giant Zalos, crashing into it until it exploded and Alicia's back hit the stone wall!

"Alicia-neesan!" Tome screamed.

Alicia slowly got up and saw Tome, who immediately ran to her and hugged her, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Neesan! Help onichan! Please! I don't want to lose onichan!"

Alicia fell silent for a thousand words. Her widened eyes fell upon Kaito's figure behind the little girl. He was just leaning weakly against the cave wall. His skin was pale white. His left hand cradled his right upper arm, which was splattered with crimson. A stump. []