A heavy silence loomed over the three warriors as they sat, scattered around the dimly lit cavern, each keeping their distance. The air was thick with dust, the scent of earth and broken stone filling their lungs. Faint echoes of distant water dripped somewhere within the ruins, the only sound accompanying the awkward quiet between them.
Caelum leaned against a jagged rock formation, arms resting over his knees, exhaustion weighing him down. His wounds had closed, but the lingering ache reminded him of how close he had come to death—not that death would ever claim him. His blond hair was matted with dirt and sweat, his tattered clothes still smeared with blood, some his own, some not. He flexed his fingers absentmindedly, feeling the dull sting of half-healed burns on his left hand from Varithra’s Entropic Flames. His right hand, where Lucielle had slashed him, throbbed faintly.
Lucielle, sitting cross-legged a few paces away, had her arms folded, golden eyes fixated on Caelum with an intensity that he couldn’t ignore. Her once-pristine armor was cracked and scorched, her long golden hair tangled and streaked with blood. Though her wounds had mostly healed, traces of bruises remained, hints of the brutal fight they had endured. She wasn’t speaking, just glaring, lips pressed into a thin line.
Finally, Caelum sighed. “What?”
Lucielle narrowed her eyes. “Did you do something to me?”
Caelum blinked, caught off guard. “Do what?”
“When I was unconscious.”
Caelum gave her a flat look. “What exactly do you think I did?”
Lucielle scowled, looking unconvinced. “I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.”
Caelum pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling sharply. “I didn’t do anything. You collapsed, fell on me, and that was it.”
Her glare remained suspicious, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she huffed and turned her gaze away.
Varithra, who had been silent until now, was seated near a crumbling wall, legs stretched out in front of her. Her dark cloak was torn, her black hair in disarray, with dried blood crusted along the side of her face. Her violet eyes flickered between the two of them before she muttered, “I don’t think he did anything," she said, her voice laced with quiet certainty.
Lucielle scoffed but said nothing more.
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Caelum, done with the pointless accusations, reached behind him and retrieved a small satchel that had thankfully fallen with him. He rummaged through it and pulled out several pieces of dried meat. His fingers brushed against the rough texture, and he silently thanked himself for hunting before their last battle. While their immortal bodies could survive without food, the pain of hunger was an entirely different matter. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with that kind of suffering on top of everything else.
He held out a piece. “Want some? I’ve got enough to spare.”
Lucielle looked away, stubborn as ever.
Varithra hesitated, her pride clashing with her body’s needs. A faint pink tinged her cheeks as her stomach betrayed her with a low growl. “Tch.” Without another word, she snatched a piece from his hand and began eating.
Caelum smirked but said nothing, taking a bite of his own portion. Lucielle, still holding out, sat stiffly until—
A loud grumble came from her stomach.
Both Caelum and Varithra turned to look at her. Lucielle’s face burned red. “...Shut up.”
Caelum chuckled and held out a piece of meat. “Just eat already.”
With great reluctance, Lucielle grabbed the meat and stared at it as if it had personally insulted her. “What even is this?” she muttered, shaking it slightly.
“Dreadfang Stalker,” Caelum answered casually. “At least, that’s what my father called it.”
Lucielle frowned. “I’ve never seen such a beast in battle.”
“They’re sensitive to sound and vibrations,” Caelum explained between bites. “The warzone’s too loud for them, so they usually avoid it. But outside the battlefield, especially at night, they roam freely.”
Lucielle absently nodded, hesitating for a moment longer before finally taking a bite. She chewed slowly, then grimaced. “It’s bland.”
Varithra snorted. “Did you expect him to cook with spices in the middle of a warzone?”
Caelum smirked. “Exactly.”
Lucielle said nothing, begrudgingly continuing to eat.
Once they finished their meal, the silence returned. This time, it was less tense, but still thick with unspoken thoughts.
Caelum finally broke it. “So what now? Are we just going to sit here and wait for help?”
Lucielle scoffed. “You expect them to come looking for us? We’re probably already marked as dead.”
Varithra nodded in agreement. “Death is common in war. No one’s going to waste time searching for us”
Caelum considered asking if their parents would search for them—but stopped himself. Who knew if they even had parents still alive? He wasn’t about to stir up painful memories.
Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet. His body still ached, but he ignored it.
Varithra’s gaze snapped to him. “What are you doing?”
Caelum stretched his arms. “Looking for an exit.”
Lucielle and Varithra exchanged glances before, almost in sync, they both stood and followed him.
Caelum noticed and stopped, raising an eyebrow. “You’re both coming?”
Lucielle crossed her arms. “Obviously. We need to get out of here, not just you.”
Caelum sighed, shaking his head. “Fine. But one condition—if we don’t find an exit by sunrise and the first horn sounds, we keep searching. No fighting.”
Varithra agreed immediately. “Makes sense.”
Lucielle hesitated. Caelum could see the conflict in her eyes, the instinct to battle ingrained deep within her.Caelum narrowed his eyes. “Look, I can fight you for eternity and still not die. You decide what’s more important right now.”
Finally, after a long pause, she exhaled and nodded.
“Good,” Caelum said, satisfied. Without another word, he turned and ventured deeper into the ruins, the unknown stretching before them.
And for the first time, they walked side by side—not as enemies, but as survivors seeking a way out of the abyss.
