Chapter Fifty-Eight:

“A Friend’s Return”

Raya sat curled against the cold stone wall, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. The chamber was silent, save for the distant dripping of water and the occasional skitter of something unseen in the dark.

She had stopped crying, there was no point. The weight of exhaustion had settled deep into her bones, and hope felt too distant to grasp.

Then, a sound. A slow, grinding shift of stone.

She lifted her head, her eyes fighting to see through the dark toward the far side of the dungeon. The hidden passageway, the one they had come from before, was slightly ajar. Then, barely a whisper of movement in the dim space beyond. A presence lingered there, just out of reach, just beyond the threshold of light.

A pair of fingers twitched against the stone before vanishing. Then they returned, gripping the edge of the entrance. Hesitation. Fear.

Raya tensed.

Then, slowly, Giggles emerged from the dark.

He was small, hunched slightly, his fingers fidgeting with nothing, his body half-turned as if he was ready to run at the first wrong breath. His wide, uneven eyes darted toward her, then away, then back again, his mouth opening, then closing as if he had forgotten how words worked.

Raya’s pulse quickened, but she did not move.

Giggles’ fingers scraped lightly against the stone, restless and unsure. He swallowed, his voice coming out in an uneven whisper. "T-T'ain't s'posed t'be sad."

She blinked. "What?"

His feet shuffled, and for a long moment, he said nothing. Then, with an awkward, almost jerking motion, he pulled something from the folds of his oversized clothing.

A collar.

Ani’s collar.

Raya sucked in a sharp breath. Her arms slowly unwrapped from around herself as she reached forward, hesitant, disbelieving.

Giggles’ hands trembled as he held it out. His eyes darted between her face and the collar as if unsure if he was making a mistake. "F-Fer y-you. F-Fer t'ain't bein' sad."

Her fingers brushed the worn leather, and the moment they did, Giggles flinched, as if expecting her to strike him. But she didn’t. Her hands closed around the collar, and for the first time in what felt like forever, warmth, not from the room, not from a fire, but from something more. Hope had settled once again inside her.

Her voice came out hoarse. "You… you took this?"

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Giggles’ mouth opened, closed. His fingers twitched. Then, without answering, he took a step back.

"Giggles"

But he was already retreating, disappearing into the dark. His small form scuttled back into the hidden passageway, feet barely making a sound.

The stone door sealed shut behind him, leaving her alone once more.

Only this time, Ani’s collar was in her hands.

Raya’s fingers tightened around Ani’s collar, the worn leather warm in her grasp. It was real. It was here. The weight of everything, the fear, the exhaustion, the hopelessness, loosened inside her, unraveling in the face of something she hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever.

Relief.

Her hands trembled as she brought the collar up to her neck, fastening it with slow, deliberate movements. The moment the buckle clicked into place, something deep within her stirred. A familiar presence, one that had never truly left, just waiting, just needing this connection to bring it back.

A pulse of warmth spread through her chest, threading through her limbs, wrapping around her like a long-lost embrace. Her breath trembled, and before she could stop them, tears welled in her eyes, slipping down her cheeks, not from grief, not from despair, but from something far greater.

Joy.

She let out a soft, shaky laugh, pressing a hand over her heart as the warmth grew stronger. The shadows of the dungeon no longer felt intimidating. The cold stone beneath her wasn’t a prison, it was just a place she would soon leave behind.

A band of golden light stretched in the air before her, coalescing, forming into a shape she knew better than anything.

Ani.

Her friend, once again stood before her, eyes bright, tail wagging furiously as he bounded forward, pressing his face against her and letting out an excited whine, his entire body vibrating with happiness.

Raya choked on a sob, pressing her fingers through his fur as she smiled. "Ani…"

Ani let out a soft sound, tilting his head slightly. He was whole. He was real. He had been waiting for her all along.

She wiped at her tears, swallowing past the lump in her throat. Then, with renewed strength, she pushed herself to her feet, brushing dust from her clothes, squaring her shoulders. She looked down at Ani, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, she grinned.

"What do you say we blow this joint, Ani?"

Ani gave a sharp nod, then, without hesitation, lunged forward, slamming into the iron bars with the full weight of his body. The impact sent a resounding crack through the chamber as the bars wrenched free from the stone, clattering to the floor in a twisted heap.

Raya blinked, momentarily stunned before a grin broke across her face. "Good boy," she murmured, stepping forward and brushing a hand over his head. "Remind me to get you all the treats when we get out of here."

She turned, her smile faltering as she took in the dimly lit chamber beyond. The air was still, heavy with the scent of damp stone and something else, something colder.

Raya hesitated, glancing at Ani. "Which way, boy?"

Ani’s ears perked as he began sniffing the ground, moving in slow, deliberate steps. Raya followed behind him, her gut twisting as her eyes moved toward the darker passageway ahead. It stretched into blackness, unlit, untouched. Something about it made her skin crawl.

Then, the chill came.

A creeping, unnatural cold seeped from the stones nearby, raising the hairs on her arms. She inhaled sharply, stepping closer to the source. The stones weren’t just cold they were freezing. A thin layer of ice had formed along the edges, its surface smooth and slick under the dim light.

Her fingers brushed over the surface, pulling back instantly at the sting. "Ice…? Here?" she whispered, unease settling deep in her bones.

Ani, unconcerned, continued his search, his nose leading him toward a stack of baskets shoved haphazardly against the wall. With a swift movement, he knocked them aside, sending them tumbling.

Behind them, nestled low against the stone, sat a small, nearly hidden lever.

Raya crouched beside it, exhaling slowly. "What do you think, Ani? One more secret passage?" She let her fingers rest on the handle, her voice softening. "I promise not to send you away this time. No matter what."

Ani met her gaze and gave a single, steady nod.