Tunnel Depths – Somewhere Below Redhill
They didn't move for a long time.
Reth and Asthia crouched near the fork in the tunnel. The path ahead sloped down, swallowed by darkness. The candle in Asthia's hand pulsed softly.
Minutes passed. Maybe more. Reth couldn't tell.
Then—
A jagged noise sliced through the silence.
He blinked.
A red window flared before his eyes, glowing faintly like a slow heartbeat.
[System Alert – Class Evolution Required]
Your EXP is full.
Class: [Bodyguard – Lv. 4 → ?]
Evolution is close. System shows signs of instability.
Choose one:
- Evolve Class Now – Instantly gain new powers.
- Delay Evolution – Store EXP as Suppressed Potential.
*(Warning: May create abilities outside the standard Obedience system. Outcome unknown.)*
Reth stared at the screen.
He swallowed.
Evolve now.. or wait?
This didn't feel like a normal level-up. It was as if the System itself had noticed where they were—or what was coming.
His eyes hovered on the second option.
Suppressed Potential. What did that even mean?
Asthia shifted beside him, stone scraping under her boots.
Crack.
A sharp noise from below.
He looked down.
Fractures spread beneath their feet like spiderwebs.
"Move—" Asthia began.
Too late.
The floor broke apart.
Stone crumbled. Dust exploded around them.
They dropped.
Air tore past. Asthia gave a short cry—then silence.
Reth was falling. Limbs flailing. No time to think.
He reached out.
His hand caught her cloak as she fell past. The momentum spun them sideways, but he pulled her close.
"I've got you," he said under his breath.
He wrapped himself around her, angling to shield her from the landing.
Then—
She moved.
Fast.
Something sparked around her fingers. The air thickened, warped—like invisible hands slowed the fall.
A pale blue light pulsed in her palm, then vanished.
They still hit hard—but not bone-breaking.
Reth slammed back-first into stone. The impact knocked the air from his lungs. Pain flared through his ribs and shoulder. Warmth trickled from his temple.
He blinked. The world tipped sideways.
Then—
"You're not dead, right?"
The voice came from somewhere near his chest.
He looked down.
Asthia lay half-sprawled across him, one arm hooked around his side, her face pressed to his coat.
"Oh… no," he muttered, realizing too late his arms were still around her.
He let go quickly, hands jerking back like they'd touched fire.
She pushed herself up without comment, brushed off her sleeves, and crouched beside him.
"You're bleeding," she said.
Reth blinked again and tried to sit. "Where?"
She reached out. Fingers combed gently through his hair and came back red.
"Head," she said flatly. "You cracked it."
He touched the side of his skull—wet, sticky. The pain flared sharper now.
"Damn…"
Asthia didn't reply. She glanced down, then tugged at her cloak—stopped—sighed, and reached under her tunic. With a practiced motion, she tore a strip from the inner lining of her undershirt. Rough linen. Clean.
No explanation.
She leaned in and began wrapping it around his head, tying it off with quick, efficient fingers.
Reth winced. "You don't have to—"
"Stop talking."
He shut up.
Her hands were steady. Not gentle. Not rough. Just... sure.
When she finished, she sat back on her heels and studied his face like she was checking for deeper damage.
He muttered, "Thanks."
She didn't answer at first. Her fingers were still streaked red.
Then, dry as ever: "Try not to die before we figure out where the hell we are. That'd be annoying."
Reth gave a short laugh—then winced. "I'll do my best."
She stood, picked up the candle, and held it toward the passage ahead.
"I don't see a way back up," she said. "So we go forward."
"No rest?" he asked, still on the ground.
"You can rest when you're not bleeding on me."
He sat up with a grunt. "Noted."
She didn't look back as she walked on—but her pace slowed, just enough for him to keep up.
One step later, the walls vanished.
Reth stopped short as the narrow path opened into a cavern so vast it felt wrong.
A cave. A massive one.
No walls. No ceiling. No end.
Just black.
The candle in Asthia's hand cast a fragile ring of light. Beyond that—nothing. No stone. No echo. Just their breath.
"…What the hell is this place?" Reth whispered.
Asthia stepped beside him, lifting the candle higher, turning in a slow circle.
Nothing.
No reflection. No texture. Just endless dark pressing in.
"I don't like this," she said. "It's too quiet."
She stared ahead, then held out her free hand.
"Take it."
Reth blinked. "What?"
"My hand," she said sharply. "If you get separated in here, I'm not wasting time looking for your dumb ass."
He gave a weak grin and took it. "Aw. I'm touched."
"Shut up," she muttered, but didn't let go.
Her grip was firm, a little cold. With her other hand, she held the candle forward and began walking. Slow, deliberate steps over stone they couldn't fully see.
They walked in silence, their steps muted.
Then, quietly:
"Your hand's soft," Asthia said.
Reth glanced at her. "What?"
"Soft," she repeated. "Weirdly soft. For someone who acts like he's been through hell."
He smirked. "Yours is soft too."
She stopped. Turned.
Stared.
"…What?"
He shrugged. "Not as calloused as I expected. It's kind of nice."
She blinked once.
Then turned and walked again like nothing had happened.
"…You're an idiot," she said.
"Takes one to know one."
She didn't answer. But her grip? Still tight.
Maybe even tighter.
They kept walking.
Step by step, the silence stretched.
Then—light.
At first, just a faint shimmer along the wall.
Then another.
And another.
Tiny glimmers began to bloom from the stone around them. Crystals. Dozens—maybe hundreds—growing like frost from cracks in the rock.
Some were clear, others faintly tinted—soft green, dusky violet, pale blue. Their glow wasn't bright, but it was steady. Gentle. Cold. Beautiful.
Reth slowed, staring.
Before this, it had been nothing but pitch-black stone and flickering candlelight. Now—
Now the cave looked alive.
Lit from within.
"Whoa…" he breathed.
The deeper they went, the brighter the crystals became. They sprouted along the walls, overhead, even underfoot—casting shifting shadows and painting the tunnel in faint, ethereal hues.
He reached toward one, fingertips hovering—
"Don't," Asthia said.
He froze.
"They're mana crystals," she said, not turning. "Raw. Unstable. You touch them, they might react."
"React how?" he asked.
"Badly."
Reth pulled his hand back. "Right. Good to know."
The candle in Asthia's hand was almost gone now. The flame danced lower and lower, licking at the last inch of wax.
He eyed it nervously. "How long will—?"
The flame vanished.
Just like that.
Gone.
They stood still for a moment, surrounded by the glow of the crystals.
It was enough to see. But the warmth of the candlelight was gone. And the silence felt heavier now.
"I'll lead," she said quietly, drawing her blade with a faint hiss of steel.
They moved forward.
Slow, careful steps.
The air was still thick. The glow around them flickered faintly as they passed, like the crystals were breathing.
"It's… kind of amazing," Reth muttered.
Asthia didn't answer. But her shoulders were tense.
He glanced around again. "All this time we were stumbling in the dark. And this—this was just ahead."
He almost laughed, but didn't.
The silence was too deep for laughter.
Then—
Tap.
They both stopped.
Another footstep. Not theirs.
Tap… tap…