-Roxy-

  Our exploration of the dungeon was off to a shaky start. After the duel with Eris, Sylphie was in a bad mood. One so bad, I hardly remember the last time she was so out of sorts. Perhaps back before we left Buena Village? I assumed she must have wanted Eris to join us after seeing her strength. No matter how I tried to reassure her that we would be fine with just the two of us, she merely nodded in acknowledgment. When I asked if we should delay the dive, she adamantly refused, before going silent again.

  So, we entered the first layer. “Do you remember our plans?”

  “Yeah.” Sylphie's responses had shared a similar disinterest all day.

  “Would you care to explain them?” I tried forcing her to talk at length, hoping it would help her break out of her melancholy.

  After another few moments of silence, she spoke. “We'll be exploring and mapping as much of the first floor as we can today. If we can find a safe area, we'll camp in the labyrinth tonight. If not, we'll return to town. Once we've fully explored this layer, we'll plot out the safest path to the next level. We'll repeat the process until we can safely reach the depths in a single day. Then, we'll determine if we can defeat the core's guardian on our own.”

  “Very good.” I turned back to her, only to be greeted with the same distracted stare she had held all day. It seemed she would just need to stew in her thoughts for now. However, I still needed to guarantee her safety. I grabbed her hand, making sure she wouldn't wander. “Stay close to me.”

  “Yes, teacher.” She didn't react beyond gripping my hand. Given her usual rejection of any coddling, she must have sunken into a deep depression.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  It was going to be a difficult day.

  After a few hours, we had explored a good bit of the first layer. The luminous ceilings of the labyrinth only revealed so much, as we relied on torch light to see. Oddly enough, no monsters were present, despite this being their nest. We'd run across dens littered with discarded bones, but no beasts resided within. As we began wondering if they had all fled, a tremor shook the ground. In its wake, we could hear the cries of monsters approaching.

  “Sylpihe, be ready.” I tossed the torch to the ground and readied myself, preparing to cast magic at a moment's notice.

  “Right.” Despite her mood, she was prepared when things got serious. Standing before me, she drew her blade.

  Waiting in the limited light of our torch, we squinted into the distance. Before we could see them, we heard their paws. At least a dozen monsters burst out of the darkness. They resembled wolves, with glowing blue eyes and a height that nearly surpassed our own. They were charging directly at us. Sylphie was first to act, cutting down those who lead the pack. A few began to slip past, which I ran through with blades of ice. As we killed those that came close, others avoided us entirely, running towards the entrance. They'd be above ground before long.

  “What strange behavior.” Sylphie wondered, staring at the retreating beasts. Had she been more alert, less out of sorts, she doubtless would have noticed the tale end of the pack still approaching.

  “Sylphie, get back!” I ran past her, intoning a spell as the monsters bore down on us.

  As I chanted, the ground began to quake. I let loose another blast of ice, right as the ground before us erupted. All I could see was dirt and pale scales rushing past. As soon as the blur of white disappeared, I felt the ground give way beneath my feet.

  “Teacher!” Turning on what little earth remained beneath my feet, I saw Sylphie reaching out for me. She was already meters away, as I began to fall.

  I was too far for her to reach. If she followed, we would both be lost. Wanting to make sure she didn't make that mistake, I yelled up at her. “I'll be fine! Go get help!”

  “Teacher! Teacher!” She disappeared from my view at a distressing speed. I would doubtless end up many layers bellow, a very dangerous position to be put in. “Roxy!”

  As her last cry rang out, I smiled. It had been so long since she'd called my by name. I hoped I'd be able to hear it again.