The sun had barely risen when I felt a pair of tiny feet stepping on my face, startling me awake. "Rise and shine, Little Heroine!" Frisa's voice chimed, her impish face mere inches from mine. "We've got important matters to attend to today."

I groaned and rubbed my eyes, struggling to shake off the drowsiness from two restless nights. "You couldn't have just tapped me on the shoulder like a normal person?" I muttered, irritation in my voice.

Frisa grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "You're no fun, my little heroine! Though I must say, you're quite fortunate that I didn't opt to douse you with a bucket of water instead."

I couldn't help but chuckle at her audacity. "Fine, jeez—point taken. I'm up. Now, could we get some food before we leave? I am starving."

Frisa's grin widened, and with a snap of her fingers, a dusty old can appeared in front of me. I caught the can before it could fall to the bed, cutting a finger on a rusty burr. It looked to be a can of baked beans.

"Voilà! A gourmet meal fit for a queen, or perhaps a little heroine!

I raised an eyebrow, unable to suppress a smile. "Really? Beans? That's the best you could do?"

"Well, it's either this or an empty belly, I suppose," she countered, producing a simple can opener. "I'd take the beans if I were you."

I sighed in feigned resignation and accepted the tool, secretly amused by her antics. "Alright, fine. Beans it is."

***

We ventured out into the city, and the morning air had a surprisingly pleasant scent to it. Beyond the normal crisp coolness a morning on Earth tended to have, there was a distinct smell of rust and mold. As we zigzagged between streets to avoid large wreckage and rubble, Frisa playfully darted around me, her laughter like tinkling bells. "You're too slow! I thought you were swifter than that, but I suppose it was only the desperate scampering of a frightened little creature."

I knew a challenge when I saw one.

"Oh, so we're in a hurry. My apologies, but if that's the case, maybe you could just tell me where we're going, so I can run ahead and lead the way," I said with a grin forming in the corner of my mouth. She gave me a smug look and gestured for me to follow before zipping off.

"Hey! You need to at least warn me first!"

Her completely unfair and false start had left me with little more than the sound of her incessant giggling to follow, yet I sprinted in that direction. I chased her voice, leaping and skidding through rubble until we reached a neighborhood of low-rise apartments. I was gaining on her.

"Hmm, I suppose you may be at least as fast as the gorilla girl," Frisa said as she floated above me in an alleyway between two apartments. "But you'll still be gobbled up if we encounter any of the four-legged beasts that prowl by the subway," she pouted. "We should find some vantage point to scout the area first."

"You could just admit that I caught you," I said, giving her a knowing grin. Despite not having had a decent meal or sleep in days, my body had never felt stronger.

Frisa floated down to meet my eyes, placing a hand on her chin and gazing at me intently. "You really think you can catch me? Kekeke!" She patted me on the forehead. "My, my… Simple little heroine." Her expression shifted from smug to mischievous, catching me off guard. "I'll meet you at the top!" And she flicked me on the forehead before disappearing in a flash of light and reappearing fifty stories above me on the roof of an apartment.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that," I muttered to myself. "Just you wait! I'll catch you!"

With determination in my eyes, I began to climb. I found footholds on the cracked walls and pulled myself up with surprising ease, but after ascending a few floors, I found that it would be quicker to scale a nearby smaller building first.

The thrill of jumping from rooftop to rooftop and scaling walls was like nothing I had ever experienced. It was as if the city was daring me to rise to its challenge, and I couldn't resist the call. Every step I took I grew more and more daring in my approach, and with that I felt lighter on my feet.

When I finally reached the top, I was out of breath and covered in dust, but I couldn't help but smile at my accomplishment. Frisa was waiting for me, a playful smirk on her face. "Not bad for a human, Little Heroine," she conceded. "So, this is what human elegance looks like, huh?" Frisa teased, hovering beside me with a playful smirk. "You're quite the acrobat now, aren't you?"

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help grinning. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm graceful yet, but I'm getting there," I replied, trying to sound modest.

Catching my breath on the rooftop, I found myself captivated by the view that unfolded before me. The remnants of the city lay in ruins, a hauntingly beautiful testament to what once was. A few taller buildings pierced the horizon like solitary blades of grass on a desolate field of red and silver. Yet amidst the wreckage, hints of green emerged as nature reclaimed the overgrown streets and vines crept over abandoned vehicles and street signs. The scene was both mesmerizing and terrifying, a poignant reminder of the apocalypse.

The laughter that once filled these streets seemed to echo faintly, now replaced by an eerie silence in this lost world. 'How did we come to this?' I pondered, my heart pounding from exertion, but equally moved by the breathtaking vista. As I took in the decay and desolation, I couldn't deny the surreal beauty that pervaded it all. The way nature slowly mended the scars left by our own destructive tendencies held a certain majesty. In that moment, I experienced the sublime.

I turned to Frisa, still taking in the view, and couldn't help but ask, "Hey, Frisa. You aren't originally from this dungeon world, right? So, why did you join the Faraday Kids?" The question had been gnawing at me for a while. Frisa didn't quite fit in with the others. It wasn't just her non-human nature; she was aware of this world's true nature, yet she never bothered to explain it to anyone. "Must you ask such silly questions? Those humans are likely the sole survivors of this entire civilization. They looked so pitiful and lonely that I felt compelled to offer them my companionship. Although I will admit that Geddes is more confidence-inspiring than most humans I've met, and the gorilla girl is fun to play with." She looked at me and chuckled, but it lacked her usual mischievousness. "If I could, I would have left this wretched world years ago." She pointed toward a large, squat building. "That's the station; the subway lies beneath it. Let's go." And she began floating off.

"Why haven't you left? Wait, you could come with my mom and me to Hel!" I shouted after her. "I've never been there, but it sounds amazing, and even if it isn't, it has to be better than this dusty old dungeon!" She stopped just beyond the edge of the building and turned back to me, her expression furious. "You half-witted, miserable child! Of course, I would have left this lonely wasteland if I had the chance. I never should have gotten trapped here in the first place. But the Grimm guard all of the portals out of here, you dunce! They need every soul in this realm to die before the dungeon can fully consume it." "But then why did you?" I couldn't finish my sentence. "My little brother is why. He's even less clever than you when it comes to the ways of the world. The fool thought it would be fun to go to a new portal, and when his big sister tried to stop him, she was ensnared as well. Does that satisfy your curiosity, little girl? Can we finish what we came for and go back to that miserable little settlement? Hmmm?"

I stood there, stunned by Frisa's outburst, feeling a sudden heaviness in the air. Her story, the pain she carried with her, seemed to weigh on my chest. I'd always known there was something different about her, but hearing her recount her past and the reason she was trapped here made her plight all the more real. I swallowed hard, searching for the right words to say, trying to find some way to mend the rift that had opened between us.

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"Um, Frisa," I stammered, my voice cracking slightly. "I didn't mean to—I’m sorry I upset you. I can tend to be a little… thoughtless sometimes. It's just that… I like you, you know? You saved my life yesterday, and if I can help you, I really want to make sure you’re safe too.” My cheeks lit up in embarrassment and I furrowed my brows in shame from how awkward I was in times like this.

Frisa's expression softened ever so slightly as she regarded me with a mixture of surprise and gratitude. "You're a unique girl, Lyn," she murmured, her voice carrying a hint of warmth. "But I do appreciate your gesture." With that, I decided to drop the conversation. After all, I could just invite her again after we located Mama.

With a tentative smile, we continued our journey toward the subway station, the remnants of the argument lingering in the form of an awkward silence between us as we moved forward. The quiet was uncomfortable because, although Frisa could be a bit prickly at times, her playfulness reminded me of Tai-Tai, and in this environment, it was good to have something to lighten the mood. We proceeded carefully, pausing before we turned every corner; it was clear that Frisa's caution was more on my behalf since she could just teleport away from any danger, and that kept me on my toes.

By the time we entered the train station, the sun had reached its halfway point in the sky, and the two of us were exhausted. "We're nearly at a secure spot to rest. Don't dawdle, but it seems this little outing will be free of any danger," Frisa said with a faint sigh, her typically acerbic tone replaced with one of exhaustion.

The train station was a haunting sight. Shadows loomed and danced in the dim light filtering through shattered windows and broken skylights. The once-bustling transportation hub had become a silent, eerie mausoleum. Cluttered with supplies, including food and water, skeletons lay scattered about, their clothing hardly decomposed, as if trapped in time. The air was thick with dust, and a familiar, pungent scent tickled my nostrils, though I couldn't quite place it.

As we ventured further into the station, I couldn't help but imagine the stories of those who had perished here. The palpable sense of desperation and fear hanging in the air was chilling, and I shuddered involuntarily. My eyes kept returning to the untouched supplies. Were these people our fellow scavengers? The pungent scent, now unmistakably gasoline, grew stronger, and a hint of dread settled in the pit of my stomach.

"This place is like a graveyard. What happened?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. Frisa nodded solemnly, her usual playfulness replaced with a coldness that made my blood boil. "These survivors antagonized the Grimm a few years ago. The foolish humans should have known the unwritten rules the Grimm follow." "You mean, like how your group can't be too big and can't have any kids, right?" She turned to me; her face plastered in a smug grin. "Kekeke! You actually believed that?" She floated over and tapped me on the head, as if petting a dog, her condescending tone grating on my nerves. "Hey! How am I supposed to know if he was telling the truth? I've only been here for two days!" She backed off, placing a hand on her chin, as if in contemplation. "Is that why you lied about your dungeon bead?" She said, bursting out in cruel laughter. I took a step back, my hand on my pocket, feeling for the bead. "You knew? And—wait, you were listening?" She huffed and looked down at me. "Don't be so melodramatic, little heroine. That bead is as useless to me as it is to those humans. Even I know of dozens of portals in this city, but every single one of them is being hounded by those foul Grimm."

"But--when Mama and I got here, there wasn't a Grimm waiting for us."

She scoffed dismissively. "You naïve girl, they allow you to enter, but they won't suffer you to leave. As long as you remain well-behaved and await your demise quietly like the Faraday Kids, they'll ignore you. The humans here made the mistake of becoming too successful, too secure, or so it seems." Her voice was tinged with cynicism and mockery. "Maybe we should help ourselves to some of their provisions? After all, that was our reason for coming here, wasn't it?"

“Fine then! You--” I growled, biting my tongue before it unleashed a flurry of insults. “I’ll look over there.” I said, glaring at her and pointing at the other side of the station. Just when we were starting to act like friends, she went and just… I stomped off to where the scent of gasoline was strongest.

The smell came from an area with dozens of rusty old machines, each with their own chute, and each roughly the size of a washing machine. The machines were a lost cause. I couldn’t even tell what they did, but the lite sized bottles of fuel, would definitely come in handy. I then nabbed a canvas satchel, liberated from a nearby workbench, and placed three bottles fuel as well as a doubtlessly useful knife-hammer-wrench combo inside. “Now for that break I was promised…” I walked toward the center of the building, where I had practically seen piles of supplies, just waiting to be nabbed, and subsequently nabbed myself a can of what appeared to be some sort of fruit.

Despite my rumbling stomach, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. I set down my can of pineapple-grape flavored whatevers and listened intently. It was quiet, like normal, but it was the wrong kind of quiet. My instincts were screaming that something was wrong, so I glanced over at Frisa, who was tossing around some cans in another pile of goods seemingly unbothered. "Hey, Frisa," I whispered, glancing around nervously. "Doesn't something feel… wrong? It’s like the air in here dropped five degrees colder." As pissed as I was at her, it was reassuring for her to be around.

Frisa rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "You're such a worrywart. Nothing's going to happen; we've scouted the area thoroughly." As she spoke those words, a sudden gust of wind ruffled the dust beneath our feet, sending a chill down my spine.

Before I could warn her, a shadow loomed behind Frisa. From the darkness emerged a monstrous creature, unlike anything I had ever seen. An enormous set of antlers crowned its head, and its emaciated body was covered in taut, grey skin that stretched tightly over its protruding bones. Its spindly arms and legs seemed unnaturally long, and it moved with uncanny bursts of speed.

Frisa was caught off guard, her eyes widening in horror. She tried to teleport away, but the creature's bony hand shot out, grasping her around her torso. I watched in terror as it squeezed down on her while she desperately thrashed in an attempt to escape.

"No!" I screamed, lunging forward with my newfound agility. As I approached it, I felt colder and colder. The thing was emanating a chilling aura. I stabbed at it with my knife, embedding the blade to the hilt into the beast's shoulder, but it flung me away like a ragdoll. I landed hard on the cold, unforgiving ground. My vision was fading, and the pain was immense, but I looked to Frisa and for a moment, we made eye contact. In her eyes, I could see a voiceless cry: "Help me, Lyn!"

What could I do? I knew only one spell, but not only could I barely pull it off, it would also hit Frisa! So magic was out of the question—or was it? Mama had said that as an adept, I could enhance my physical abilities beyond human limits. My athleticism was already pushing the bounds of what I knew humans could do, so maybe I was already enhancing my abilities subconsciously. I didn't have time for this. I closed my eyes and searched for the candle burning in my core. This time, I wasn't going to gently coax it towards my eyes or hand. No, I took that candle in my mind and transformed it into an inferno.

The surge of power was instantaneous. I felt my muscles tense and coil, ready to unleash their full potential. With a roar, I charged, brandishing the hammer at the creature, my body a blur of motion, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. The creature, caught off guard by my sudden burst of speed, barely had time to react.

I struck with precision, aiming for the joints in its spindly arm, using the force of my enhanced strength to weaken its grip on Frisa. With each hit, the creature howled in pain, its chilling aura weakening, and I could see fear flicker in its eyes.

Frisa, sensing the tide turning, mustered her strength and wriggled free from the weakened creature's grasp. She rolled to safety, gasping for air as she regained her footing.

But the beast wasn't finished. It screeched in a high-pitched roar like a bird of prey and unleashed a wave of frigid aura around it. The mana was so strong that it was visible to the unaided eye. I could see the air surrounding its skin freeze and sizzle as it hit the warm ground.

"Frisa, take this!" I tossed her my satchel and burst towards the monster, attempting another hit with my hammer. Even with my enhanced body, the hammer hardly made a dent. It was like striking a solid block of ice, and with every approach, I was damaged in turn, my skin beginning to freeze and burn in pain.

Frisa caught the satchel and, seeing my struggle, began rummaging through it for a solution. Her eyes widened as she found a container of gasoline. "Lyn! I have an idea! Use that spell you were going to unleash on me!" she shouted, her voice barely audible over the cacophony of the battle.

She focused her magic and teleported the gasoline directly onto the creature, dousing it in the flammable liquid. I knew what she was planning, and despite the pain, I calmed my mind and focused on the one spell I had learned.

As the gasoline-covered monster lunged at me, I unleashed the spell, a bolt of lightning arcing from my fingertips and striking the beast. The gasoline ignited, and the creature was engulfed in a raging inferno. It screeched in agony, its frigid aura being fully overcome by the flames consuming it.

I watched for the perfect moment, and when it appeared, I leaped forward, hammer in hand, and slammed it directly into the forehead of the flame-engulfed monster. It crumbled to the ground and evaporated into nothing.

Panting, Frisa and I looked at each other, relief and joy flooding our faces. "Are you okay, Frisa?" I dashed over to her and examined her body. She seemed fine visually, but under my mana sight, I could tell that she had cracks running throughout her body. "I won't be able to fly for a while," she said, still panting. "But what about you, my little heroine? You're covered in wounds."

"Huh. Don't worry about that, I'm fine," I said just before an array of glowing marks appeared on my body, returning my body to normal. "Mama had everything figured out already." I blushed, reaching a hand to Frisa. "Let me carry you back. I think we're done scavenging for the day."