A pleasant stillness filled a corner of the room, a cozy reprieve away from the pile of corpses that Ian had left behind, and his own charred body that now rested beside it. Ascalon and the rest had regrouped around Levi, who seemed to have recovered a bit more thanks to Lyra’s efforts and Escarlata’s potion.

The maid observed the scene from a distance, occasionally stealing glances toward Ascalon, and fidgeting in place. For a moment, she reminisced about what had happened mere moments ago, when she took Selorien with her and vanished into the shadows.

She had relocated with the elf to another room, away from the fight—a place where she could keep him safe. After forcing him to drink one of her most valuable potions, he kept rambling incoherently about ‘having to get back to the fight’, and that he ‘was missing out on experience’. She had never seen him behave like that before, and assumed it had to be related to Greed in some way.

Still, her priority had been keeping the young master out of harm’s way, so she kept him in a firm, merciless headlock until he finally calmed down—likely because of Greed’s defeat. After releasing him from her grip, and with some awkward exchanges, the elf had suggested she share some of the potions with the group.

At first she had no intention of doing so—the concoctions weren’t only expensive, but of the highest quality. She certainly didn’t want to waste such valuable resources on the Felinaes or the ‘demon’ girl. But just a few words from Selorien were more than enough to change her mind.

“Ascalon would appreciate it.”

Now, standing in the present, that phrase echoed in her mind, obfuscating the memory of the mischievous smile that her young master had shown at that moment. She was unaware that the whole thing was orchestrated for the elf’s own amusement, and it would remain that way!

Escarlata wondered whether Ascalon had actually appreciated her gesture, and at the same time, questioned her own decisions. She thought that her master, Theoldorien, wouldn’t be pleased to learn she had shared her potions with them. But at least, the young master was in one piece, though a bit tired, and that gave her some leverage—perhaps her punishment wouldn’t be as bad. She sighed as quietly as she could, her thoughts swirling with confliction.

Meanwhile, Ascalon, completely oblivious to Escarlata’s inner struggle, was simply watching over the siblings with a warm gaze. Lyra, after drinking one of the potions, was channeling her renewed strength into healing her brother, her determination causing Ascalon to be filled with admiration. Still, he couldn’t help but be worried for the cat girl, as she had been pushing herself way too hard. Just then, Lilithra skipped over to him, holding the last potion flask in her hand.

“Uhm, here! You must be tired.” The horned girl exclaimed with a gentle, yet radiant smile as she presented the crimson drink to him. Both Ascalon and Escarlata were taken aback by her actions, although in different ways.

The maid narrowed her eyes, considering if Lilithra was just trying to flatter Ascalon with her gesture. After all, she was a demon—to be deceptive and manipulative were supposed to be part of her very essence. Perhaps this was her way of gaining the knight’s trust or affection. Yet these thoughts were halted in place, faltering as Escarlata bit her lips.

Deep down, Escarlata knew the truth—a realization she wasn’t ready to accept, as it contradicted many of her orders and beliefs, and most of all, went against her master’s wishes. She had been watching Lilithra from afar, even if briefly and by mere chance; from her training with Ascalon to their time here in Starugnia, and even through the entire dungeon.

The ‘demon’ was nothing like she was led to believe. Lilithra was plainly a genuinely nice, gentle girl. Her actions were the exact opposite depiction of her heritage—it was as if she were rebelling against her true nature, and Escarlata couldn’t help but notice and kind of admire it. Unable to ignore the truth any longer, she sighed with a mix of frustration and resignation.

Ascalon, on the other hand, was purely bewildered. Time and time again, Lilithra reminded him of her praiseworthy selflessness and caring personality. Even while putting on a brave front—her legs shaky under her weight, her breath uneven, and her body bruised—Lilithra continued to place others before herself, without the slightest bit of hesitation.

She really was a special one, and her very presence filled his heart with warmth. Lilithra tilted her head with curiosity, likely wondering why Ascalon was just standing there, dumbfounded. He sighed, a gentle smile forming on his lips, as he carefully pushed her hands back toward her.

“No, you should drink it. I am completely fine!” Ascalon declared, flexing his arm as if to show his energy. Though a bit fatigued after being drained by Greed’s skill continuously, he was recovering gradually thanks to his own blessings. That brought a question to his mind, but it was pushed back momentarily by Lilithra’s voice.

“Are you sure…?” She asked in a sheepish voice, still concerned. Ascalon nodded and placed a reassuring hand on her head, gently ruffling her hair.

“I assure you. More importantly.” He began, as Lilithra blushed under his affection. “Have you regained your skill?” Ascalon questioned with preoccupation in his tone.

Lilithra jumped slightly as realization dawned on her. “Oh, right!” She exclaimed, her fingers dancing through the air as she fiddled with her network interface. Her gaze darted from place to place, until she finally sighed with relief. “Everything is back… thank goodness.” The girl muttered, her voice trembling with emotion, her eyes tearing up slightly.

Her beloved skill had been returned, and she felt ever so grateful. Amidst her worry for Lyra and Levi, she had completely forgotten about the stats and skills that had been stolen from her. It seemed that Greed’s demise had triggered their return, thankfully—as morbid as that sounded.

Lilithra shivered at her own dark thoughts, while Ascalon patted her head more firmly, sensing her discomfort. “Thank goodness indeed.” He replied, and she beamed at him with both glee and bashfulness. Then, Ascalon nodded at her, his sole eye focused on the potion. Urged by his stare, she uncorked the bottle and brought it to her lips, drinking the crimson liquid and immediately feeling the effects.

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While she finished up her concoction, Selorien approached with slow, tired steps. “So… what now?” He asked, clearly unsure of how to proceed. Ascalon brought a hand to his chin in a pondering gesture, while Lilithra furrowed her brows. They hadn’t thought about their next move, yet.

Although they had overcome Greed’s menace, they were still in the depths of a dungeon, and Ascalon could feel many creatures roaming the corridors. It was safe to assume that the beasts had been repelled by the intensity of their fight, but now that everything had calmed down, they lacked that ‘protection’.

Still, the knight couldn’t feel any monster as strong as the chimera, so he wasn’t that concerned in that regard. What worried him was Levi, who, after receiving so much help, was still showing no signs of getting up. A sorrowful thought crossed Ascalon’s mind, and his mouth moved before he could even realize it.

“Sir Levi, are your legs…?” He stopped himself, watching the Felinae clench his small fists. Lyra looked up at Ascalon, and then back at her brother, worry and intrigue etched in her expression.

“Yeah… I can’t move them.” Levi admitted in a sad voice, but showed a half-smile as if to appear unfazed.

Lilithra gasped, her heart sinking at Levi’s words, while Lyra began to tear up. “Big brother…” She whispered before starting to sob, while Levi gently stroked her head.

“Don’t worry, Lyra. I don’t mean to sound harsh but…” He began, as Lyra slowly stopped crying. “This isn’t exactly a hospital, you know…?” Levi remarked in a joking tone, and Lyra smiled shyly in response.

Levi had likely received too much damage, and a simple potion and a restorative spell wouldn’t be enough to fully heal him. He needed professional care and uninterrupted rest, much like the many warriors Ascalon had seen gravely injured in battle. His memories of old comrades making a resounding recovery from seemingly hopeless wounds filled him with hope, and a relieved smile formed on his lips.

“That is true. We must take Sir Levi to a safer place.” Ascalon declared with resolution, his words spreading a positive energy through the group. Lyra clumsily wiped her eyes with her hand, a spark of determination in her eyes.

“Right!” She exclaimed, pumping her fists in the air.

Lilithra sighed with relief, while Selorien patted her shoulder, clearly sharing the sentiment. Escarlata remained emotionless, though she was clearly vigilant. Just then, Selorien groaned. “It’s gonna be a pain to get out of this place, though…” He complained, kicking a loose pebble across the ground.

A sour mood dawned on them due to the elf’s words. The journey down had been long and tedious, so having to go back the same way—with an injured man and exhausted bodies—would prove to be far more difficult for the rest of them. “Hmmm.” Ascalon muttered, lost in thought.

“Perhaps I could go ahead and clear the path?” He suggested, while the rest considered her proposal.

“What about looking for another exit?” Lilithra chimed in, bringing up another idea, her curious eyes glancing toward the many doors in the room. It was an interesting proposition, but Escarlata wasn’t entirely on board with her plan.

“We cannot be sure of that. We could be wasting precious time looking for something that isn't there.” The maid responded, her tone firm yet logical. Lilithra couldn’t help but agree that Escarlata had a fair point, and slumped her shoulders in defeat. Ascalon looked at her with a warm gaze, at the same time that his emblem stirred in his pocket.

“Oh.” He exclaimed in realization, remembering the trinket had been quite lively in the earlier fight, yet he had maintained it confined to his pocket. Amidst curious stares, he brought it out and let it rest on his palm.

Everyone watched as the amulet jumped slightly, increasingly more energetic. “What is it?” Selorien asked as he approached, extending his hand and poking the emblem with his finger. The accessory twitched, as if startled, and then trembled furiously.

Selorien pulled back his hand in surprise. “Guess it didn’t like that…” He said as he narrowed his eyes, while Ascalon simply chuckled. The emblem seemed to be developing its own personality as time passed, the knight thought.

As he wondered about that, the amulet began to jump once again, slowly moving in his palm. Ascalon then realized that it was clearly following a pattern—consistently inching toward the same direction. Perhaps it was trying to tell him something?

“Hmmm… I believe it wants me to go that way.” Ascalon explained, as the rest perked up with renewed curiosity. “Could you watch over the others, please?” The knight suddenly asked, his gaze locked onto the maid. Escarlata’s impassiveness was broken as she blushed and nodded meekly, while Selorien grinned teasingly, a smug expression forming on his face.

At the sight, Lilithra stepped forward with resolve, gathering her courage to speak. “Uhm, can I go with you?!” She asked, clearly intrigued by the emblem’s mysterious behavior. Ascalon considered it for a moment, and then nodded.

“Very well, but you must not engage in combat—you need to conserve your strength.” Ascalon said as he crossed his arms, posing a condition for her to accompany him. Lilithra clenched her fists in a pumped-up fashion, her effusiveness contagious.

“Yes, I’ll behave!” She replied, ecstatic at the prospect of adventure.

“Good. We shall return soon—hopefully.” Ascalon declared with a reassuring smile, as Lyra waved at them energetically, and Levi simply nodded. Escarlata seemed a bit skittish, and Selorien looked too tired to even consider joining them.

With that, Ascalon turned and set out with Lilithra eagerly following close behind, her enthusiastic steps creating a pleasant rhythm. As he walked, Ascalon peered at his emblem, comparing it to a very lively compass and following its intention without hesitation.

“I wonder what we’ll find!” Lilithra chirped at his side, her body swaying happily as she walked. Ascalon’s expression softened, smiling gently at her lighthearted behavior as they crossed one of the doors and continued through a corridor.

“I wonder that as well.” He replied, earning a cheerful smile from Lilithra.

Minutes passed as they traveled, their steps taking them further and deeper into the dungeon. They came across some creatures on the way, which watched them warily and dared not engage. Perhaps they sensed the knight’s formidable strength, or maybe it was Lilithra’s amulet spreading the ‘fear’ effect once more. Either way, Ascalon was grateful for avoiding unnecessary combat.

As they turned down another hallway, the amulet stirred strongly, livelier than ever. “We must be close.” Ascalon stated, and Lilithra nodded in agreement. They advanced, unwavering, and at last emerged into a bigger chamber. It was similar to the ones where they had fought the chimera and Ian. But this time, instead of an open space or a pile of corpses, there was a colossal statue in the middle.

Lilithra gasped in awe, her head raising to appreciate the object as a whole, while Ascalon examined the figure with curiosity. Slowly, a realization dawned on him—a notion that shook him to the very core. “Arkssol’el…?” He muttered, his tone brimming with disbelief, his emblem reacting strongly at the name. At his side, Lilithra peeked at him with a raised eyebrow, intrigued by his reaction.

Ascalon’s expression was pale, his tension palpable, so she gently tapped his shoulder and asked. “Are you okay…?” Her voice was full with concern, and Ascalon snapped back from his bewilderment.

“How…?” The knight muttered, causing Lilithra to be further confused.

There, in front of them, stood a statue depicting a tall, robed figure carved from yellow sandstone; many cracks and holes ruined its surface, and gave it an ancient look. One of its arms was outstretched, its index finger pointing toward North, a fact Ascalon knew very well—it was a gesture of guiding, of pointing the way.

Its face, though partly eroded by the passage of time, depicted a smile of solemn compassion, as if watching fondly over someone with a gentle, watchful gaze. Intricate carvings of dancing winds and sand mounds adorned the base of the sculpture, while small runes from a bygone era had been inscribed onto a rectangular plaque at its feet—though the writing, even if partially faded, was all too familiar to the knight.

It was a monument to one of the Gods from his world—Arkssol’el, the God of Wayward Souls, the eternal guardian of travelers.