Leaves crunched beneath the steps of two skeletons and the small shoes of a girl. The forest around them was a vibrant, lush green, its air fresh and pure, free from the decay and dust of the dungeon they had just left. For Enya, it was a welcome change—a pleasant sensation, one she hadn’t ever felt before.

As they wandered, small squirrels scurried up trees, and birds fluttered away at the sight of the trio. Most of the creatures were startled simply by the presence of Mr. Bones, whose imposing form was enough to scare away anything with a brain. Even the small boars and predators lurking within the forest scattered at the sound of his heavy, armored steps.

“What’s that?” Enya asked, her voice brimming with childlike curiosity.

They had been walking for roughly ten minutes. Pell, despite it being four years since he last navigated the forest, still recalled enough to lead them toward the nearest road—or so he hoped. Worst case, they’d end up off track by a few degrees and have to adjust, but for now, they kept moving forward.

“That’s an apple,” Pell responded, his tone flat. It was the fifteenth question she had asked since they started. Enya had been pointing out anything she didn’t recognize, and Pell found himself explaining everything from boars to birds, and now, apples.

Enya's small shoes scuffed against the dirt as she sped up, moving ahead of Pell. She veered off to the side, plucking a small flower from the grass. “What’s this? It’s pretty,” she said, holding it up for him to see.

Pell spared the briefest of glances. “That’s a lily. Just a normal flower,” he deadpanned.

Enya stared at the delicate white bloom in her hand. She remembered reading stories where characters gave flowers to people they liked. It made sense now, seeing how beautiful it was in person. With a small smile, she held the lily in her hand and continued walking beside the others, a little more spring in her step.

The late afternoon sun was still shining when they emerged from the dungeon, casting long golden rays through the trees. It was just enough light for them to travel safely through the forest. Hours passed in near silence, save for Enya’s various inquiries—but they made good time, much to Pell’s surprise. He had expected at least a few monster attacks, but the forest remained quiet, likely due to Mr. Bones’ intimidating presence. Even he would stay clear of a skeletal knight who looked capable of leveling a tree with a single swing. Though, he wondered if there had been any monsters the first time he traveled here.

“Pelllllllll~,” Enya’s voice cut through the quiet. “I’m hungryyyyyy…” Her backpack had been crushed by a fallen rock back in the dungeon, and everything inside—food, potions, even the cans—had been ruined, either punctured or soaked in potion liquid. None of it was salvageable, and she hadn’t eaten for a while.

Pell halted, glancing toward Mr. Bones. “Toss me the dungeon core—no, wait, don’t actually toss—oh, never mind.” With a sigh, he walked over and lifted the core out of the skeleton’s hands. “Go hunt something for the brat, will ya?” Pell instructed.

Mr. Bones gave a solid nod and wordlessly lumbered ahead, disappearing into the thick brush beyond the trees. Pell looked up at the sky, now a deepening orange. Dusk was already falling, and the shadows of the forest stretched like dark tendrils wrapping around them. It wasn’t ideal to camp out without supplies, but they had little choice in the matter.

Pell turned back to Enya. “Alright, we’re stopping for the night. I don’t like it, but we’ll have to camp here until Mr. Bones comes back with some food—hopefully boar or rabbit,” he said. His tone was resigned, but he knew they had to make do with what they had. The night was coming, and the forest felt much more dangerous in the dark.

"Okayyyyy," Enya chimed with a playful grin, finally stopping her skipping. The last few hours had been filled with wonder for her, seeing so many things she had only ever read about in Pell's novels. Each new sight was like a little treasure: trees taller than she imagined, birds flitting between branches, even the crunch of leaves beneath seemed magical to her.

Squirrels, though—those she'd seen before. Her Visions Past skill had shown her what they looked like, in a strange, mesmerizing vision of the future, despite the name. It was odd, really. The skill seemed like it was supposed to show the past, but time and time again, it had predicted events that hadn't happened yet. And whatever it showed her always came true. Like the squirrels fighting over that walnut—she'd seen it over a month ago, and the moment she stepped out of the dungeon, there it was, happening exactly as she'd foreseen. The same way she had seen Pell's death from the demon rat. No matter what, the visions always came to pass. It was unsettling. Almost inevitable.

Enya absentmindedly twirled the lily she’d plucked earlier between her fingers. It was a beautiful white, though she could see now that it was wilting, its once vibrant petals curling inward. She briefly entertained the idea of summoning it back as a skeleton lily—something she'd suggested earlier, only for Pell to call it "the stupidest waste of mana ever, even if it worked." Still, she liked the thought of it, a little undead flower.

With a small sigh, Enya found a patch of soft ground by the edge of a clearing and sat down, resting her back against a tree. The fading daylight reminded her of the dungeon, of the constant darkness and the oppressive staleness of the air down there. But now, for the first time, she could feel the world Pell had always talked about. The life outside the dungeon—the colors, the smells, the air, fresh and full of life.

“So… what’s the plan, Pell?” she asked, her voice gaining a spark of excitement. "You said we’re heading to a road, then an outpost, right? What happens after that? Are we going to a city? Oh! Can it be a city with a castle?" Her words tumbled out in a mix of curiosity and enthusiasm, her imagination already running wild with possibilities.

Leaves and twigs snapped on the ground as Pell trudged forward, a look of conflict pulling at his skeletal features. What should have been a simple question from the little brat had turned into something surprisingly hard to answer.

He glanced at her—sitting on the ground, her smile wide and innocent, completely oblivious to the weight of what she’d just asked. She was only a kid, yet she'd managed to survive a dungeon alone for over a month. Everything Pell planned to do was still in his mind, but it was a path filled with boredom, and possible shady dealings—certainly not something a noble girl of her stature should be dragged into.

“If there is a castle… can I do a trial by combat? If I kill the king, can I become king? No… queen? Can a queen become a princess? A prince might be cool too…” Enya mused out loud, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Maybe not that innocent, Pell thought with a grimace. There was something undeniably off about her, and he had to admit some of that was his fault. The dungeon had done its share of warping her, but most of it? That was on him. Somehow, he had turned this once-naive girl into someone who was perfectly fine with killing—so long as the thing wasn’t "cute" or "pretty." And especially if it meant she could gain that weird soul energy of hers. Earlier, she'd casually suggested killing an ugly bird just because it reminded her of the demon rat. He could only groan, wondering if that was normal.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Alright, brat," Pell started, his voice firm, though softened by resignation. "It’s probably a good time to have a talk about all this while... Kidirge is out hunting for food." Mr. Bones might still be his nickname, but now that Pell knew his real name, he figured he should use it once in a while. Felt more respectful that way.

Enya snapped out of her daydreaming and looked up at Pell, who had settled down beside the same tree. “Talk about what? Becoming a king? Oh! You can be the treasurer! And I’ll be both the king and the queen,” she said, her voice bubbling with whimsy.

Pell stared at her for a moment, then buried his face in his hands. What had he gotten himself into?

“No, brat. I’m not talking about some make-believe royal succession,” Pell groaned, rubbing his skull in frustration. “I’m talking about you traveling with me.” He slid down the tree’s rough bark, coming to rest on the ground with his legs fully stretched out. This conversation had been hanging over him ever since he cooked up the plan to use Enya as his ticket out of the dungeon. But things had shifted—drastically. Now, they weren’t just allies of convenience anymore. They were… well, something else. At least, he hoped they were on good terms. He wasn’t exactly sure what she thought about it all.

“Traveling with you?” Enya blinked, clearly confused.

Pell sighed, steeling himself. “You… read my note, didn’t you?”

The air between them changed instantly, the lightheartedness vanishing like mist. Enya’s eyes flickered, and her small frame seemed to tense as reluctance crept over her.

“Y-yeah… I did,” she whispered. Her voice was soft, almost hesitant. That note—Pell’s confession—had caught her off guard. At the time, she had been too exhausted to process it fully. But Custodian had brought it up, and all the feelings she had tried to push down came rushing back, stirring emotions she wasn’t sure how to handle.

Pell tilted his head back, staring up at the dimming sky as the last traces of sunlight faded into twilight. The forest, once alive with sounds, had grown eerily still. No more birds singing, no rustling in the underbrush. Just the low hum of crickets and the occasional breeze that swirled around them, wrapping them in its cool, whispering embrace. At least, what he could only assume was cool—he could no longer feel coldness, or warmth.

“I—I’m sorry, br—Enya. I—” Pell’s voice cracked slightly, the words failing him.

“It’s okay, Pell,” Enya’s gentle voice came from beside the tree, quiet, but full of understanding.

Those three simple words stopped him in his tracks. Something deep inside him stirred—something he couldn’t quite put into words. It was almost as though she had reached into his very soul. Those three powerful words… they shook him more than he cared to admit.

“I don’t blame you for anything, Pell,” Enya said, her voice steady, calm. “I know… you only wanted to leave the dungeon. I didn’t want to be there either. And… you just wanted to play a small prank, right? You needed help to get out, and I was the way to do that. I don’t think that’s wrong.” Her words flowed effortlessly, as if she had planned them in advance, ready for this moment.

Inside Pell’s skull, the flames burned tighter, more focused.

“It all worked out in the end, didn’t it?” Enya continued, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Nothing bad happened to us. Even Mr. Bones made it out! We all won. We didn’t lose anything.”

A silence settled between them as the wind whispered through the leaves, carrying her words off into the fading light. Pell remained silent, staring up at the sky now washed in hues of orange and purple. The stillness pressed in, thick and uncomfortable.

Damn it, Pell, he thought to himself, his fingers curling into fists.

“No, Enya,” Pell finally spoke, his voice low. “I think… we did lose something.”

What are you doing? his mind screamed, but the words were already spilling out.

“I think I lost something,” he said again, the weight of his admission heavier this time. “I lost your trust, kid.”

The words hung in the air, the sound of crickets and night creatures slowly taking over as the forest darkened. Pell sat motionless, the silence between them feeling more oppressive than any noise. He couldn’t bring himself to even glance at her.

“You read the note, so you already know why I did what I did. Hell, maybe you even understand it. Maybe you’d have done the same if the roles were reversed. But listen… I ain’t no thug, and I ain’t no criminal. At least, not anymore. I might’ve been once. Life was hard, growing up without a family, knowing you were abandoned the second you could think, and kicked off into a place where you are alone.”

A dry, bitter chuckle left his skull, his voice tinged with both regret and self-loathing. “Funny, huh? In a way, we’re not all that different. But the thing is, brat, I ain’t a kid. Not anymore. Growing up taught me some hard truths. No one’s looking out for you. There’s always an enemy around the corner, a bandit hiding behind the carriage, and a damn noble with their fat nose in your business.” His words were harsh, but there was an honesty to them, a weight that only someone who had lived through it could carry. “Ah… not talking about you, by the way.”

Above them, the clouds had cleared, leaving the moon to flood the forest with its pale glow. Pell’s shadow blended into the darkness beneath the tree, merging with the tangled web of shadows cast by the leaves. He seemed to disappear into the night, a figure swallowed by the ever-growing dark.

“You, though,” Pell continued, voice softer now, “you’re different from me. You’re a noble. Probably from the enchanted realm or some fancy place like that. Places I’d never even dream of. My life’s about scraping by, collecting gold, paying off that slob back in the first layer, just to help Elara crawl outta debt. That’s it. Simple. It ain’t glorious, but I’d be fine with just that.” He glanced at the forest, its wild beauty shrouded in the night, as if he could fade away just as easily as the light.

“I don’t know how you ended up in that dungeon, and I sure as hell don’t know why. But if you’ve got a family out there, they’d probably want you back. If they loved you, they’d be looking for you. But…” Pell hesitated, feeling the weight of what he was about to say.

“But if, somehow, you’re like me… if there’s nothing for you to go back to, no one waiting for you, then…” His words faltered, the gravity of his offer hanging in the air between them. “Then, you can tag along with me, I guess. I ain’t no saint, and I sure ain’t cut out to be anyone’s caretaker. But the one thing I’m not—” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “I’m not someone who doesn’t pay his debts.”

Pell’s voice grew quieter, almost thoughtful. “You saved me, kid. Gave me a third shot at life. And… at helping Elara. I…” His words drifted again, as if the admission was almost too much to say aloud. For a long moment, the forest was filled with only the soft sounds of night, nothing else interrupted the silence.

Finally, Pell spoke, the weight of the truth settling into his voice. "I owe you, Enya. And I always pay my debts."

The flames within his skull flickered wildly. "I'm sorry, alright? You’ve done more for me than I could ever repay, not in a timely manner, that is. If you need someone to rely on, I’ll do everything I can to have your back. I’m not much—just a cranky, foul-mouthed, skeleton merchant. But the one thing I’m good at is understanding people. And kid, you didn’t deserve any of this,” Pell said, his voice softer than usual.

He paused, as if weighing his next words carefully. “I’m still going to try and save Elara. That won’t change. But if you want to come along and help me, you’re welcome to. If you’ve got nowhere else to go. And if you want to go back to your family, whether they loved you or abandoned you—then I’ll help with that too. We’ll part ways when we get there.” His words hung in the air, carrying a heavy finality. The forest had grown darker, the moon now high in the sky.

He sat in silence, waiting for her response, the weight of vulnerability pressing down on him. He had never opened up like this—not to Elara, and not even to Melly, his old caretaker and Elara’s mother. She was the reason he survived his childhood, but even then, he never allowed himself to be this exposed.

Minutes ticked by, the silence thickening until a soft rustle broke the stillness. Pell tensed for a moment, but he recognized the sound of familiar bony steps. Kidirge—Mr. Bones—emerged from the underbrush, a large boar slung over his back.

“You’re finally back, you bonehead,” Pell muttered, pushing himself to his feet, his joints creaking. He glanced at Enya, who had remained quiet the entire time. Maybe she didn’t have an answer for him yet. Or maybe she didn’t fully understand what he was saying.

As he stepped closer, Pell’s eyes narrowed. Enya was slumped against the tree, her eyes closed.

You’re fucking kidding me, Pell thought. All of that sappy shit and she had the audacity to—

A loud rumble erupted from Enya’s stomach, cutting through the silence and even drowning out Kidirge’s clattering bones. Pell watched as her eyelids twitched open just a crack, before shutting tightly again.

Pell groaned. The little gremlin was actually fake-sleeping.

“You know you snore when you sleep, right?”