As the adrenaline within me slowly ebbed away, I groaned in agonizing pain.
'Crap!'
I tried to rise to my feet despite the world of pain I was currently in, and it was then that I heard it,
"..."
The spell. It resounded in my mind:
[You have slain an awakened aemon, Demogorgon.]
[You have received an Arcane Relic: Forgotten Blade.]
[...Your darkness grows stronger.]
Right about then, a deep frown marred my features.
I wasn't quite sure before, but now, I was very much certain that this was an Arcane Ascension.
'But… doesn't that mean the cursed land was meant for my Arcane Trial?'
"That would also explain the rewind by death ability."
But, that was very much unlike what one would and should expect from an Arcane Trial. After all, the Arcane Trial I'd undergone was probably a thousand times more difficult than it was supposed to be.
And the reason for that, I wasn't sure of. But, I had a feeling I would find out, sooner or later.
I exhaled deeply. 'I just hope I do.'
'But, if this is an Arcane Ascension, doesn't that mean-'
"Hey, you okay kid?"
It was then that a voice interrupted my thoughts. Irritated, I raised my head, and upon seeing who it was, I shrugged.
"I can manage."
Aezel nodded before walking towards the blind girl, probably in an attempt to pacify her.
The blind girl shivered as though enclosed in a world of cold.
"Is it over?" she questioned with a pale face.
"Yes," Aezel nodded. "You don't have to be scared."
'Not anymore...'
Aezel smiled as he caressed her silk-like hair.
A beaming smile crept up the blind girl's face as she buried her face in his chest, her pupils now devoid of the intense fear and anguish they once held.
I shifted my gaze away, mostly because seeing them being so intimate in this wretched land of nightmares rubbed me in the wrong way.
'Or perhaps, it was because of something else entirely.'
Step! Step--!
Subtle sounds echoed into my ears. I turned in an instant only to catch a glimpse of,
"Good job earlier."
Mia.
The valiant young lady had dismissed her armor back into her soul space.
I grinned sheepishly and said:
"Just a few tricks. Nothing worth mentioning."
That was indeed the case. Compared to the role that she played, mine wasn't that significant. But nevertheless, it was still an important role.
…Though I also knew that without her there was no way we could have survived.
Mia nodded and fell silent once again.
She then sat on the floor and closed her eyes, as though in a meditative state. Right about then, before I knew what was going on, a bright incandescent flame erupted from her radiant figure, slowly covering her pores and every single part of her body.
In that moment, I froze, as if immobilized by invisible chains.
Staring at the crimson haired lady, I felt a weird sense of deja Vu.
'Weird.'
I tilted my head to the left, my eyes squinting in amusement.
Despite the weird situation, I was still able to maintain my calm. However, as if to make matters worse, the chaotic blue flame was violently crashing against the walls of my mind.
It was seething furiously, as though to jump out of my body. But considering the fact that I had no idea of what would happen if it did so, I forced it to calm down.
Although it seemed unwilling, it had no other choice but to listen to me.
'For now anyway,' I thought grimly.
Eldritch beings, after all, weren't famous for being loyal.
Seeing that the blue flame had calmed down, I let out a light exhalation.
"Huu."
I was still confused though. What did the crimson haired lady possess to have agitated the all-powerful flame to such an extent?
I pondered hard on it, yet no matter how hard I pondered, I wasn't able to find an answer to it. To make matters worse, it wasn't like I could go before her and ask her about such things.
"Not when we were still strangers."
I sighed deeply, and decided to shove the thoughts into the depths of my mind.
What other choice did I have?
I shifted my gaze towards Mia, and right before my very own eyes, I saw her various wounds begin to heal up, her pale expression regaining its previous bright, charming lustre.
"...!"
I stared at her, mouth agape, eyes filled with incredulity and disbelief.
'H-how?' My face paled.
I found it hard to believe that such an ability existed. More chilling however was the fact that she didn't seem to pay any flaw in return for such an ability.
A frown marred my features, accompanied by a faint sense of unease. 'Just what more is she capable of?'
Right about then, the scowl on my face deepened.
'Here I am, unable to handle a single nightmarish creature.'
I exhaled in exasperation and glanced at my feeble body.
"What kind of crappy body is this?"
With a light shrug, I decided not to think about it. The more I thought about it, the more the seed of inferiority and jealousy burned within me.
"Aah…"
I closed my eyes and allowed my body to fall to the cold, dark floor. Though realizing that I was a little bit too close to the window, and therefore the… dark mist, I shifted a little bit.
Creak--!
Thinking about the dark mist, I couldn't help but shudder instinctively, especially after recounting my encounters with the endless horrors lying beneath it.
I closed my eyes, thoughts drifting, and before long, darkness came in its full glory, or so I made them think.
However, not to my surprise, they did nothing. Before long, everyone fell asleep. Everyone except for the crimson haired lady.
The blind girl rested on Aezel's chest who leaned against the wall, fast asleep.
Mia on the other hand, sat in a corner, her face unreadable as she stared at the vast expanse of darkness.
Though it was dark, I could still see everything around me with abysmal clarity, as though I were one with the darkness.
I did nothing but stare at her for a long time, heart pounding in my chest, before I finally said:
"Can I ask you a question?"