Nox swung, shattering another skull and helmet. To his left, frost covered the ground as Galos’s spells obliterated more skeleton soldiers, transforming them into undead ice statues.

A bony hand reached out toward Nox’s torso. He sliced it off then severed the skull from the neck. It was the only way to kill undead, but for every one he slew, a dozen more would take its place.

How many were here? Hundreds? A thousand? They seemed endless.

Torma’s lantern was swinging wildly as his blazing scimitar weave through the air in dizzying patterns. Behind him stood Ireela, face ashen, clutching her Animarta to her chest. Her eyes met Nox’s, and despite the terror in them, resolve blossomed.

A blast of wind sent dozens of skeletons flying against the wall. Nox turned his attention to the rest of the horde. Most of them wielded nothing but bare hands and clacking teeth, but a few held swords and axes with familiarity, as if their death didn’t eliminate their experience.

They would have to be dealt with as fast as possible.

“Back. Fall back!” he shouted, parrying a blow targeting his neck.

They retreated the way they came from, the skeleton army shambling after them. How they could still walk despite the burden of their armors, Nox didn’t know. Perhaps some magic spell was woven into the metal, empowering its wearers even after death. Or the magic was within the bones of the skeletons themselves.

Whatever it was that allowed the skeleton army to keep fighting, he knew it wouldn’t be long before they overwhelmed them. He would rather fight the griffons; at least there weren’t hundreds of them.

Fending off the grasping hands and the occasional swords and axes wasn’t easy, but soon they were at the foot of the stairs. “Galos, you take the lead.” Galos’s lance wouldn’t work well in a narrow space.

Galos nodded. Torma dashed after him. Nox noticed Ireela trembling nearby. She didn’t move from her spot. “Go. I’ll follow you!” he said.

“B-But—“

“Go!”

Reluctantly, Ireela scampered up the stairs. Nox watched for a brief moment before facing the skeletons.They closed in rapidly, clacking their teeth in frustration at their escaping preys. But Nox was already retreating with his back. The walls on either side of him protected his flanks. He could fight without worrying about sneak attacks.

Nox waited until Ireela’s footsteps faded. He deflected a thrust, then stepped back. A swipe came at him, but he blocked it easily, countered with a swift that beheaded the skeleton. Another lunged. He caught the rusty sword mid-swing with Erebos.

“Burst!”

A blast of ice coated the skeleton. Nox shattered it with a swift blow, then retreated another step. The narrow stairs stemmed the flow of the skeleton soldiers to a trickle, but there still hundreds of them. He had to destroy them all.

Pushing another one back, Nox drew inside himself the power that awaited his call. He thrust his free hand, aiming it at the center of the horde.

“Engulf!”

With a roar, a blizzard surged through the doorway and into the hall, freezing the skeletons before him and beyond. He maintained the spell until ice encrusted the walls and a column of frozen skeletons barred the way, their empty eye sockets staring blankly at him.

When the clacking of teeth finally stopped, Nox ended the magic’s flow and leaned on the cold wall, his chest heaving. The duels were more exhausting, but at least they didn’t involve fighting an undead army. It was as if he had run a couple of miles with Estella on his shoulders.

You’ve done well considering the situation.

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He grunted and sent his thoughts hurling toward his lover. The Resonance was silent as before, but he felt a trace of panic and fear from the other end.

Don’t worry. I’m fine. Returning soon.

After several deep breaths, Nox pushed himself off the wall and started his ascent.

It didn’t take long for him to reach the top, where he immediately heard the shouts and piercing cries. He knew it would happen, but he had been hoping that the griffons had abandoned their hunt. Cursing under his breath, Nox took two steps at a time, readying himself.

The corridor was dark when he emerged, but the sound of battle had already moved far away to his right. He followed the commotion, Erebos gripped tightly in his hands.

His footsteps echoed in the dark.

Nox navigated by hearing alone. The shadows enveloped him, thick as blanket. He didn’t have a lantern, and using one would attract more attention than necessary.

The sound grew louder. Nox’s pace quickened until he was almost flying, nearly slipping on a puddle. He didn’t see what it was, but the metallic scent in the air told him enough.

As he burst through a hall, his grip on Erebos tightened. A flock of griffons had back Torma, Galos, and Ireela into a corner. The lantern swung wildly as Torma waved his fiery scimitar like a torch, hoping to scare off the monsters. But it was barely affecting them. One darted forward, beak snapping, until he swung and shore off he entire neck in one swift stroke, leaving the stench of burning flesh and feathers.

Blood spurted from the headless monster as it toppled sideways. But it was the act that propelled Nox toward his beleaguered friends. Frost coated Erebos’s edges until a jagged blue and white blade erupted from the ice, extending its range.

There were probably half a dozen griffons, including the one Torma slew. The largest one, unmistakably the lord of the pact from its vibrant red crest, prowled behind his children’s ravenous cries, occasionally taking a swipe of his claws at Galos.

The griffons hadn’t notice Nox coming, but just as he was about to stab through the lord’s flanks, the griffon whirled around and shrieked, claws flashing.

Nox rolled away, coming up to a crouch next to a juvenile. Erebos swung, and the juvenile’s chest split open, spilling its guts to the floor.

Seeing two of his children lying broken, the griffon lord uttered a wailing cry. But it backed away, as did its remaining children.

Nox stood in front of Ireela, shielding her. Torma looked at him. “The skeletons?”

“Frozen statues,” Nox replied. “But I don’t know how many survived. We need to get out of here before they broke through.” If only it were that easy, though. The griffons still hung back, but they were surrounding them, blocking the exits. He no longer had the strength to use Cocytus or any if his wide-range spells.

“Ireela, how far can you throw them off?” he asked without turning his head. The juvenile at the center inched forward, but Galos jabbed at its eyes. It retreated with a shriek.

“I-I’m not sure, Master,” his Squire said in a small voice. “I don’t think I—“

“Don’t think, just do. Unless you want them to tear you from limb to limb.” It was a harsh statement, but it was also the truth. Torma’s flames were wavering, and water dripped from Galos’s lance. They no longer had the advantage against this fight.

You could kill them swiftly.

The thought presented itself without flaw. Nox shook his head. No, not unless there was no other way. He didn’t want to resort to that.

Ireela was silent. Nox waited patiently. If anything else failed, he could use the shadows to sneak behind the griffon lord and kill it, forcing its hatchlings to retreat. But maybe he didn’t have to.

“Stay back,” he told Torma and Galos as a gust of wind blew around them. Nox retreated behind Ireela and sent her a reassuring nod. She smiled faintly drew a deep breath and extended her hand forward.

The wind picked up speed until a maelstrom spun with her in the center. Nox shielded his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. Dusts blew past him, and a howl filled the air. The griffons squawked and shrieked in distress.

Then Ireela released it all.

Nox felt the ground shook. He spread his stance, but it must have been a powerful blast, for the whole chamber rumbled. Galos and Torma yelled in alarm, their voices merging with the griffons’ cries.

Opening his eyes at once, Nox was greeted with Ireela’s panic-stricken expression. The griffons lay in a jumbled mess dozens of yards ahead. The griffon lord’s neck was bent at an awkward angle, unmoving, while one of the hatchlings uttered a fearful cry beneath its motionless sibling. The last rose on wobbly legs, tottering toward its sire.

A crack sounded, and Nx knew it wasn’t a bone. He looked at the floor, ancient and battle-damaged from a long-forgotten war, a gap forming between it.

His heart sank as the floor shook. “Run!” He grabbed his Squire’s cold hand.

They scrambled away to the nearest passageway. The chamber rumbled, and a portion of the ceiling fell in front of them, blocking the way.. Dusts and loose masonry showered around them.

And the cracking sound grew louder.

Nox glanced back over his shoulder. The gap on the floor had widened, was spreading like snakes reaching for them. And their pace was barely outrunning it. Even the walls were starting to crumble.

He saw Torma and Galos’s resigned expressions, and Nox knew there was no way out oof this.

Ireela’s eyes were wide with terror. As the floor finally fell, he wrapped her in his arms and hurled a single thought toward Estella.

I’m sorry.