Armis launched himself upwards with a powerful punch, shaking the mountains of gold and the floor with his force.
Arian, undeterred and expressionless, continued to launch gusts of sharp air at Armis. But Armis, bursting through each strike, drew closer. Just as he was about to reach Arian, Arian hovered back and manipulated the air to hurl a shower of gold coins upwards, slamming Armis into the ceiling with a reverberating clash.
Meanwhile, Alan and Longiseus charged toward the serpent as it widened its leering eyes, lunging at them. Exchanging a nod, they quickened their pace to blinding speed. As the serpent neared them with its hypnotic eyes, they suddenly vanished from its sight.
Moments later, they reappeared above its hood, moving in perfect sync. Suspended in the air, they spun and used their swords like hammers, slamming them onto the serpent's impenetrable skin with wind-breaking force.
The serpent's body collided with the ground, exploding the earth beneath it and hurling treasure and gold coins into the air. As the golden shower rained down inside the chamber, Alan and Longiseus landed on its still-twitching hood. Wasting no time, they sprinted across its long body, stabbing at each inch in a desperate search for an opening in its skin.
In the grip of the serpent's possession, Arian's face remained devoid of emotion as he poised his hands upwards at the sheet of gold coins stuck on the ceiling, beneath which lay Armis.
Suddenly, the layer of gold shivered, prompting a panicked reaction from Arian. He shot a huge gust of wind upwards, colliding with the gold coins and causing an explosion that hurled away all the coins and destroyed the ceiling in the process. But to Arian's dismay, there was no trace of Armis.
As panic and desperation began to settle within him, Arian heard an eerie whoosh behind him. He turned, only for his movement to halt as Armis's silent, threatening whisper reached his ears: "Torch out, Pisshead."
Before Arian could even react to the mocking tone, Armis grabbed him by his locks and spun him like a rag before hurling him into a mountain of gold with force. The stack of gold exploded with a deafening clang and showered gold in the aftermath.
The room reverberated with echoes of metal clangs as Alan and Longiseus circled around the chamber, their swords slashing and stabbing at the serpent's body. Each strike elicited pained hisses and shrieks from the reptile.
As they neared its tail, the cunning instinct of the beast shone through, and it hurled its tail at them. But just before the collision could occur, a resounding thud drowned out the dissipating clangs.
Armis jumped before Alan and Longiseus, catching the reptile's tail in his arm and clutching it tightly. Longiseus and Alan watched in surprise and apprehension as Armis struggled to keep his footing while holding onto the writhing tail of the serpent.
"Open its mouth, FAST!!!" Armis's urgent command rang out as he strained with all his might, his teeth gritted in determination.
It took a moment for Alan and Longiseus to grasp Armis's cryptic remark, but sudden realization dawned upon them. Without hesitation, they exchanged nods and charged at the struggling hood of the snake with blinding speed. Fury and frustration contorted the reptile's features as it charged back at them, hissing and shrieking its rage.
In the critical moment of collision, Alan vanished into thin air, while Longiseus continued his charge at the beast. The serpent opened its fanged maw wide, ready to engulf Longiseus, when suddenly, Alan reappeared below the serpent's body. With a powerful spin, he stabbed his sword into its impenetrable skin, the strike emitting a deafening and piercing sound that only intensified as the serpent wretched in agony, leaving its maw gaping open while hissing.
Seizing the opportunity, Longiseus swiftly stomped on its lower fang and drove his sword into its upper fang, prying open the serpent's maw.
"AHHHHHHH!!!!!! ARMIS!!!!!!" Longiseus exerted all his strength, his voice echoing through the chamber as he fought against the jaw strength of the serpent, which writhed and strained to snap its fangs shut with Longiseus trapped inside.
With the serpent's writhing tail slipping from his grip, Armis let out a battle cry, summoning all his strength. He yanked on the tail, pulling himself along with it. In a swift motion, Armis dashed toward the serpent's open maw. With incredible speed, he kicked Longiseus away with force, then leaped through the serpent's snapping jaws, making it gnaw upon its own tail.
As Longiseus, Alan, and Armis landed before the serpent's writhing and agonizing body, they witnessed a shocking sight. Despite its impenetrable body, the serpent bled profusely from its fang, shrieking and thrashing around. With a deafening and piercing sound, one of its fangs broke, remaining stabbed inside its own tail.
Despite the drilling sound, their eyes remained fixed on the scene before them. The serpent gasped and hissed, its eyes filled with ferocity and fury as it leered upon them, its body sprayed with its own blood, relentless and defiant.
"YES! I knew it!" Armis exclaimed, jumping with smug joy. He continued with a prideful tone, "Its own jaws can kill it."
"No!" Alan retorted, correcting him. His eyes were set on the reeling serpent, its bloody maw opening and extending its giant fangs toward them. All three of them got back into their stances as Alan continued, "It's the mouth, the inside—they're vulnerable. That is its weak spot. Now we need to find a way to—"
"It's not easy as it sounds," Longiseus interrupted Alan's explanation, a pang of horror in his voice. "Earlier, to keep its fangs open for even a few moments, I had to use all my strength. I would have been crushed if Armis had been even a moment late." Longiseus gestured toward Armis.
Suddenly, as if reaching the boiling point of its fury, the serpent filled the chamber with its hiss and shriek. Filling their eyes with sudden shock and horror, it spewed streams of its deadly venom at them with ferocity.
Amid the shuffle of feet and the rustle of coins, all three jumped away from the attack, landing in different directions as the golden ground bore the devastation of the venom. It melted through the gold until nothing but charred remains and the ground below were visible, green smoke rising from the liquid.
Their faces filled with apprehension, horror tightening their gaze at the horrifying spectacle. Longiseus his face flushed with horror at the newfound terror, mumbled under his breath, "And then there's this."
"What is going on?" Arian's voice suddenly emerged from within the raging chaos, accompanied by the shifting of coins and treasure.
Their cautious attention turned to Arian, who was emerging from the stack of coins and treasures. His blonde locks on his bloody head were painted crimson. Staggering and limping with his broken feet and now a twisted elbow, courtesy of Armis, he walked towards Longiseus and Alan.
Opening his bloodshot eyes, he looked at their weapons raised towards him in puzzlement and, with a groaning voice, asked, "What? What is happening?"
Seeing blood instead of the eerie yellow glow in Arian's eyes filled everyone with a strange relief. But suddenly, a spew of venom approached the dizzy and disoriented Arian. In the last moment, Alan dashed towards Arian and pushed him just in time to save him from a burning demise.
"Ahhhhh!!! It hurts!!! It hurts!!! It hurts like hell!!" Arian exclaimed in agony, holding his twisted arm as he stumbled on the ground, the treasure and carpet of gold coins stabbing into his wounded body.
"Sorry, my bad," Alan apologized as he supported Arian, helping him stagger back up on his feet.
Dodging another strike of venom, Longiseus jumped near Arian, his voice filled with concern while dread flushed his face as he asked the battered Arian, "Are you alright, Arian?!"
"I… I… am not sure. I can't feel… half of my body," Arian replied in a groaning, pained voice. Holding onto his twisted arm, he was about to repeat his question when suddenly his turning gaze caught the scene of the serpent.
Reeling from exhaustion after constant attacks to annihilate them, blood mixed with venom still seeped relentlessly from its fang. Arian's bruised eyes widened with surprise and a pang of amazement as he exclaimed, "It… it's bleeding!!! H..how did you guys do that?!! Now we can k—"
"Nah, Pisshead!" Armis interrupted, coming from the side. Turning and setting his glare on the serpent ahead, he replied cryptically to the confused Arian, "That was just a lucky stroke. We are still screwed."
"Wh...what does the brute mean, commander?!" Arian asked, deepening his confusion at Armis's remark. Gritting his frustration and helplessness between his teeth, Longiseus replied, averting his gaze from the expectant Arian to the furious serpent as it began to restore its strength while maintaining its menacing leer at them, "I hate to admit it, but he is right. We are trapped in a bind with no way to exploit its weakness."
"Why?!!! What is the problem?" Arian asked, his gaze also turning into a glare as he locked onto the leering menace ahead, his voice tinged with frustration and desperation etched on his face.
"We need to have its mouth open long enough for me and the Commander to slice into its body. But its jaw strength is too much for us to handle," Alan replied to Arian's desperate question from the side, his own face exuding the sheer dread and helplessness they felt against the unyielding reptile.
Arian gritted his teeth, feeling the same sense of helplessness, and looked ahead, exclaiming in bursting frustration, "Why can't the brute do that?!!! He's strong enough to punch away the beast. It should be easy for him!"
"For the last time, don't include me in your plans unless they're smart ones," Armis retorted with sarcasm as he jumped toward the serpent, which had begun opening its maw again for another flurry of deadly venom.
The ground and treasure beneath their feet trembled from Armis's launch, soon drowned out by the devastating clash of Armis's punch on the serpent's snout, sending its hood hurling upward to the ceiling with a reverberating thud.
"His armor is too sturdy for us to cut through," Alan began, replying to Arian's rising confusion about Armis's remark. Filling themselves with dread once again, Alan continued explaining the struggle they faced, "We need something sturdy enough to keep its fangs open wide, yet weak enough for mine and the Commander's swords to cut through."
"B…but..but that is imp—"
"Impossible, yes," Longiseus cut through Arian's breaking words. He and Alan began moving ahead, preparing for their charge towards the serpent. The creature rose up, filling the chamber with its deafening and furious hiss and shriek, opening its maw wide and filling its remaining three fangs with poison for a massive strike. It seemed to mock their helplessness as Longiseus continued with resolve, "But we have to find a way…"
Longiseus and Alan stood with their swords extended, eyes glaring at the beast, prepared for the upcoming strike. Their rising fury began to replace the smoke around them when suddenly their attention diverted to the limping Arian, who exclaimed, "I'll do it!!!"
Arian limped ahead, his teeth clenched and fists tight, withstanding unbearable pain. But his eyes betrayed a resolve and determination as he spoke, "I will do it!! I ca—"
"Don't be stupid, Arian!!!" Longiseus retorted, his voice pained and angry. "You're already too weak to fight with us. There's no way you can perform what we require. It would be sui—"
"Please, Commander!!!" Arian retorted back, as the serpent began charging towards them, its venomous fangs aimed. Armis intercepted it with a brutal punch. As the reverberating sound of clashes and strikes filled the chamber, Arian continued, turning his sincere gaze towards Longiseus, whose face contorted in pain and frustration.
"I am the sole reason we got trapped in this mess. My stupidity, my desires, the blinding greed that took control over me, made me stoop so low that I dared to attack you!!!" Each word from Arian's bloody, tattered lips reminded
Longiseus of Leotrus's final moments—the same helplessness, the same despair and desperation clutching his heart. Arian continued, "When all you did was try to stop me from jumping into the fangs of death, but I didn't listen, and it caused another death of our friends, the friends we held dear, the people I was always sure I'd spend my whole life with. My own stupidity crushed that hope. I have disgraced you and the place I hold you in my heart. This is my punishment, the fruits of greed. And I will accept it, accept it like the proud member of Crimson Army that, I am!!"
"NO!!!!! That is enough!!! THAT IS ENOUGH FROM ALL OF YOU!!!" Longiseus's heart couldn't bear the same sense of helplessness, frustration, and hopelessness he felt when Leotrus drew his last breath in his arms.
His anger burst as he stormed towards the puzzled Arian, grabbing him by the collar. Tears filled Longiseus's eyes, shocking Arian, as Longiseus continued to voice his pain amidst the clashes and thuds filling the air in the background.
"Do you really think your sacrifice is going to solve everything?!!! Yes, it may kill that beast, but what about my pain, the agony I will endure after watching helplessly as all of you get murdered by this dread, this damn chaos surrounding us!!! All because of my foolishness, to bring all of us into this hell, my lack of strength, my weak body, not even strong enough to protect the ones I consider my own children?!!!"
His words pierced Arian's heart. Despite the growing resolve fueled by the pain and sadness in Longiseus's voice, Arian knew that only his sacrifice could stop the madness around them, giving his remaining friends and the father he always wished he had, a chance to make it out of this hellhole alive. He stood in determination as Longiseus continued voicing his pain.
"Please don't do that. I…won't. I won't be able to live with myself if I lost you as well. Please, Arian, don't talk like Leotrus, don't do what he did. I beg of y——phllaaaakckk—-"
Suddenly, Longiseus's weeping pleas halted. His misty eyes became bloody, and from his smoking mouth, a violent wretch of blood escaped as he collapsed to the ground. Arian, filled with grim concern, knelt down in haste, forgetting his own pain, and began to put his hand on Longiseus's coughing back, asking, "C…commander!! Are you o—"
"It's the leaves!!" Alan suddenly approached, collapsing on his knees beside Longiseus. Putting his hand on Longiseus's back before Arian, rubbing it gently, Alan continued with frustrated concern in his voice, "I told him!! They are beginning to take their toll on his body. You don't have much time, commander. We have to finish it as soon as we can."
Alan turned his enraged glare at the serpent, fighting with Armis. As Armis punched its snout, making it recoil in pain, he landed back on the ground, yelling out in urgency, "DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, DECIDE FASTER!!!"
Arian, holding the chaos within his desperate eyes, gritted his teeth in resolve as tears mixed with his blood dropped onto the charred ground. He stood up, blood dripping from his mouth, and moved his torn lips to speak after a deep sigh.
"I am sorry, Commander."
"N..No, Arian, n—"
"No, please, Commander. Believe me when I say this: your words make me want to live more, to spend my life with all of you. But look at me; my body is already starting to give up. Even if we survive, I am sure that I won't. I was the one who threw out all the potions, succumbed to my greed, and now it has brought me to the door of death." Arian held a betraying smile as he looked at Longiseus. He tried to stand up, staggering, his words making Longiseus feel even more pain than the attempted hope Arian tried to instill within him.
"But I want to redeem my sins, my mistakes, my greed that has brought us inside the venomous fangs of death. Please, Commander, let me do this. I want to use the last of my strength to make sure you get to live another day. I want you to have the chance. I want you to promise me that you will get to the 100th floor and bring back all of our friends so we can live the quiet and peaceful life we all used to yearn for. And…"
Arian's smile turned into a humble expression as he knelt down before the gasping Longiseus. He moved toward his ear, whispering something that widened Longiseus's eyes, soon followed by tears. Leaving Longiseus in tears, Arian stood up with a betraying smile. Looking at the puzzled Alan, he spoke in a humble and different tone from his usual egoistic demeanor.
"And Alan, I want you to tell my brother this."
Saying that, Arian whispered in Alan's ear, eliciting widening eyes from Alan in shock and dread. Leaving both of them in shock and dread, Arian stood and began limping ahead towards Armis and the serpent.
"ALAN, STOP HIM!" Longiseus cried out, urging Alan to prevent Arian from walking towards certain death. But Alan's body remained frozen, arrested by a resolve brimming glance from Arian that halted his movements before they could even begin. Longiseus staggered to his feet, attempting to limp toward Arian, but Arian called out to Armis.
"HEY, BRUTE!"
As Armis delivered another devastating punch at the shrieking serpent, he jumped down, turning his eyes to Arian, who continued with a playful smirk on his battered face.
"Do your friend a favor and open that worm's hole."
"Tch.."Armis halted the sudden surge of emotions when he realized Arian's intentions. Despite the difficulty, Armis knew it was the only way.
Averting his almost softened gaze, Armis spat out with betraying emotion, "We are not friends, stupid pisshead," before jumping with all his strength, shattering and trembling the ground below him. With a battle cry, he neared the recoiling beast, delivering a punch with wind-breaking force that could have torn a hole through its body if not for its impenetrable skin. The strike elicited an agonizing shriek from the beast, leaving its maw wide open.
Seeing the opportunity, Arian let out a bellowing battle cry from his damaged lungs. He summoned all the strength of his broken body, conjuring up a torrent of wind around him. Locking his glare on the gaping fangs of the beast ahead, Arian propelled towards it with blinding speed.
Everyone watched in despair and dread as Arian headed towards certain death, sacrificing himself to give them a chance to fight another day, a chance to continue this dreadful journey, and reach their goal one day.
In a swift motion, Arian entered inside its maw, and a dreadful snap echoed in the chamber as the reptile's bloody fangs closed suddenly. An air of silent horror and apprehension filled the space. They looked with hope, fighting through the rising and grim revelation of Arian's possible demise.
But it all halted, transforming into a rush of blood and urgency as slowly, the maw of the creature began shivering, inch by inch opening. It thrashed around, hissing and reeling with agony. But to no avail, its hiss began to be overshadowed by the rising scream of Arian. He used all the air he could conjure up to form a sharp and torrenting sphere of wind around him, extending it bit by bit to open the maw of the serpent wide.
Even its tongue, which slithered around to whip at Arian, felt the slice of the sharp winds of the sphere, leaving the serpent in more agony. Once its mouth opened agape, Arian used the last of his strength and bellowed out, "COMMANDER NOW!!!!!!!!"
His scream threw Alan and Longiseus out of their horrified trance, as Armis's urgent yell added more to the escalating situation. "C'mon, you two, what are you waiting for?!!"
"C'mon, Commander, this is our chance," Alan urged Longiseus, who had somewhat recovered from the recoil.
Gritting his teeth, Longiseus slammed his fist on the ground, sending cracks and tremors through it instantly. His eyes became bloodshot, his lip bleeding from the frustration biting from his gritted teeth. Pain and resolve drove his body as Longiseus stood up beside Alan. They gazed upon Arian, smiling through struggle and bleeding profusely from all over his body. He was trapped inside the sphere of torrents of wind, which held the fanged maw of the beast open wide, waiting for their strike.
Without saying a word, Longiseus began summoning all his strength, prompting Alan to follow suit. Thickening air around them from the sheer raw power their bodies exuded, Alan and Longiseus locked their glares and swords onto the serpent's gaping maw.
Their bodies trembled for a moment, then vanished from the golden air, and in an instant, they appeared just above Arian. Their swords swung down in unison as their eyes met the tearful, humble gaze of Arian. His whispered words echoed painfully in their ears, clutching their hearts with sorrow.
"Thank you for everything you did for us. I hope, in the next life, I get to born as your son, Commander," echoed painfully inside Longiseus's ears.
"Tell Lyco I love him, I love him from the bottom of my heart. I hope in the next life, I become his younger brother. Then I will show him how much trouble he caused me, that little brat," rang in Alan's ear.
Fighting through their pain, Alan and Longiseus spun with speed before their swords cut through Arian's wind and began slipping through his bleeding form.
Arian felt a sharp pain, the sensation of his friends' swords slicing through his flesh, the rush of blood, and then the sensation of it slipping from his body. But then suddenly, it all went numb, a soothing light covering Arian's vision.
He saw nothing but serene white for a moment, then a figure appeared at the threshold of his gaze. Slowly it became clearer, and Arian saw his father, once stern and expressionless, now smiling humbly at him. Then the scene shifted, and it was his mother, her eyes filled with tears, holding a pained longing gaze.
She smiled softly and murmured something that sounded like soothing silence to Arian's numb ears. His gaze moved forward, where he saw his brothers, waving and smiling. Their emotions and love were something Arian had always craved but had only found in his imagination.
The scene blurred, and suddenly, a beautiful woman appeared before Arian's eyes. Her flowing green hair seemed to dance around her, her crystal-like gaze fixed ahead before turning to Arian, gazing at him lovingly.
The whiteness of the background fading before the radiance of her beige complexion. Her ruby lips spread into a smile as she murmured. Arian felt piercing pain, as though his heart was being sliced open, his blood rushing outside his body. He closed his eyes, the agony overwhelming him.
Opening his eyes one last time, he saw Lyco, his form small, matching his childhood appearance. Lyco looked at Arian with sweet innocence, moving towards him and extending his hand to touch his face. Arian felt Lyco's warmth soothing his soul, his voice reaching Arian's ears as he called out to him. Arian closed his eyes once more, hearing Lyco's voice echo within him, "A..A..A'iaan!!!"
And suddenly he opened his eyes, Covered completely in his own blood, his body sliced in half, Arian let out a scream—not of pain, but of determination. It was his final effort to ensure the survival of his loved ones.
With a silent happiness veiling over his body, he released the torrents of air from the sphere. In his last breath, seeing nothing but the whiteness of his soul, Arian manipulated the winds one last time. He began to slice into the writhing serpent's body, creating an opening for Alan and Longiseus's swords.
The swords initially stuck at the ends of its maw, but as Arian's sliced body and the torrent of sharp air traveled down its body, the serpent's impenetrable skin gave way.
Alan and Longiseus screamed, driving their swords deeper and deeper, slicing open its long body from both sides.
Armis sprang into action, seizing the creature's demise as its blood began to shower down on the treasure. With swift determination, he grabbed its writhing tail, summoning all his strength. With a mighty yank, he forcefully straightened its body for Longiseus and Alan. As soon as they touched the ground, they dashed forward at blinding speed, their swords slicing deep through the reptile's body.
They ensured that no inch of the gigantic serpent remained attached to its lower side. With each strike, they carved through its flesh, relentless in their determination. As they neared its tail, held onto by Armis, who jumped away at last inch as they swung their swords one last time. Their battle cry drowned out the writhing screams and hissing shrieks of the beast as they sliced open its tail alongside its entire body.
With a final, shuddering wriggle, the serpent collapsed onto the carpet of treasure. Its upper body fell to one side, while the lower portion remained where it had slithered just moments before.
The shower of the serpent's blood covered their bodies and the golden treasure around them, transforming its shine into a deep crimson hue. Longiseus watched, gasping for air, his heart twisting painfully inside his chest. Suddenly, his body contorted, his muscles tensing as his lungs fought for breath. Longiseus collapsed onto the ground, the sound of his fall drowned out by the growing numbness in his ears.
Through tear-filled, bloodshot eyes, Longiseus caught a glimmer of Arian's pendant, still hanging around his neck. Arian's maimed and limbless body lay nearby, lifeless and still. Longiseus could feel the weight of despair settling over him, threatening to overwhelm his senses. He closed his eyes, the image of Arian's broken form burning into his memory.
As exhaustion washed over him, Longiseus felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. The last thing he saw was the serpent's body, sliced apart and beginning to glow. Before the light could reach his eyes, Longiseus surrendered to the darkness of despair and exhaustion, falling into unconsciousness.
"Relecta! Wait for us!" Poduria's voice reverberated down the corridor, laden with concern as she called out to Relecta, who raced ahead of her and Lyco.
Poduria's eyes swept over the scene of carnage: walls splattered with green blood, the floor littered with the remains of slaughtered creatures. Despite being ensnared in water, Lyco's greed showed no bounds as he gathered treasure in a makeshift bowl made of rocks, paying no mind to the blood staining the precious items.
Lyco's joyous smirk faded abruptly when the water shackles around him dissipated, causing him to tumble to the ground. Poduria's steps faltered along with Relecta ahead as they witnessed the scene unfold before them.
At the end of the bloody corridor, a gaping opening loomed, debris scattered at its entrance, bathed in a blinding glow of gold. Lady Roartad stood there, her form bruised and tattered, peering into the opening with a shiver running through her.
Suddenly, a bellowing cry echoed from within the light. Without hesitation, Lady Roartad darted inside, her voice filled with concern as she called out, "Longiseus!"
Caught in a moment of frozen apprehension, Relecta and Poduria swiftly sprang into action, instinctively dashing towards the opening alongside Lady Roartad. Lyco, bewildered, stood up and began to protest, but his words were cut short by the palpable sense of dread in the air.
As he turned to see Relecta and Poduria running towards the shimmering opening at the end of the hallway, concern flooded his heart, compelling him to follow his friends.
Relecta approached the opening, the brightness intensified, blinding her and igniting a burning sensation. Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind erupted from the opening, causing the hallway to tremble and shake violently. All three of them stumbled backward, overwhelmed by the force of the sudden spectacle.
When the blinding light dissipated, the view of bricks and stones revealed itself, extending into the opening and forming a chamber filled with gold coins and gems spilling out. Poduria and Relecta exchanged worried glances before turning their attention to the newly revealed chamber.
However, Lyco, sensing something dreadful within his soul, dashed toward the chamber without hesitation. With concern etched on their faces, Relecta and Poduria followed closely behind.
As they stepped into the chamber, initially gleaming with infinite riches, their hearts sank as dread and horror washed over them. The shine of the treasure dissolved into a scene of blood-soaked gold and treasure.
The air was heavy with the smell of charred earth and the sickening stench of freshly butchered meat emanating from the colossal, sliced body of a gold-skinned serpent. Blood seeped from its wounds, and as their eyes followed the trail, they spotted the faint silhouette of its head, almost vanishing into a crimson glow.
Turning their gaze to the side, they saw Alan and Armis standing nearby, with Longiseus lying unconscious on the ground. Lady Roartad, broken into tears, attempted to call out to him amidst the chaos.
Poduria's eyes widened in apprehension and shock as she saw Lyco kneeling in a pool of blood, his hand resting on something. She dashed forward with Relecta, her heart pounding with dread. Moving ahead of Relecta, Poduria found Lyco knelt down amidst the blood, his expression filled with horror. Her relief at seeing Lyco uninjured vanished when she realized the source of his distress.
There, before them, lay Arian's battered and bruised head, blood spilling from every feature of his face. His body, maimed and limbless, extended only to his neck and upper chest. Lyco, trembling, held a pendant in his hand, tied around Arian's bloody form. Slowly, Lyco turned his grief-stricken face toward Poduria, his eyes pleading for answers as he choked out his question to Alan.
"Alan… what happened?"
Covered in the blood of the reptile, which slowly began to dissipate, leaving Alan drenched in dread and despair, he struggled to move his stunned lips. Suddenly, exhaustion overtook him, causing his body to collapse before Relecta caught him and gently laid him down on her lap. His sword dissipated into smoke before him as Alan succumbed to unconsciousness, his breaths slowing to a crawl.
"Don't worry, they're both fine," Armis's voice broke through the tense silence, calming Relecta's rising panic at Alan's sudden collapse. As Lady Roartad wept silently, Armis reassured them, "They've just exhausted themselves killing that thing." He glanced as the almost completely butchered form of the reptile disintegrated into a crimson glow, its essence traveling towards Longiseus and being absorbed by his mark as he lay unconscious.
Armis moved toward the disintegrating creature, suppressing his own emotions as he addressed Lyco's question, "And… he was the one who made it possible."
Lyco's trembling body seemed to freeze in a moment of silent realization, his features contorted in a mix of shock and emptiness. His voice faltered, rendered mute by the weight of the revelation. Despair washed over him, his gaze falling upon the battered, fading form of his brother. As Arian's essence dissolved into specks of crimson light, drawn toward Longiseus's heart, a sense of profound loss engulfed Lyco.
Unable to contain her grief any longer, Poduria's sobs echoed through the chamber as tears streamed down her cheeks, mingling with those of her husband.
She knelt beside Lyco, wrapping him in a tight embrace, offering what solace she could in the face of their shared sorrow. The air grew heavy with mourning, each quiet moment punctuated by the sight of Arian fading away into nothingness, a painful reminder of the fragility of life.
For Lyco, witnessing his brother's gradual dissolution shattered something deep within him, leaving an irreparable void in his heart.
Lyco's throat went dry, his muscles tensing with the agony that pierced his heart as he watched the pendant in his hand vanish into the crimson glow. The torment twisted deeper into his breaking soul, a primal scream of anguish ripping from Lyco's throat, reverberating through the chamber. In the midst of his torment, Armis seized a Lord Orb and a ring that materialized from the dissipating form of the beast, when suddenly his feet shivered from the unexpected trembling of ground below.
As the chamber quaked and the mountain of treasures shifted, exploding into chaos, pillars of stone tore through the once glittering mound. Lyco's fury surged, a destructive force unleashed in tandem with his despair. His every movement echoed the sorrow that consumed him, a torrent of destruction trailing in his wake.
Debris rained down around them, prompting Armis to scan the chaos with growing panic. Amidst the trembling and collapse caused by Lyco's despair, the towering piles of treasure crumbled, revealing the colossal gate leading to the next floor. With urgency gripping him, Armis dashed forward, dodging the falling debris and rising pillars. His voice thundered out in a desperate call to action, urging everyone to follow:
"Quickly, everyone! This way!"
Panicked, Relecta and Lady Roartad, clinging tightly to their unconscious husbands, snapped to attention at Armis's urgent call. Reacting swiftly, Relecta grunted in exertion, conjuring shackles of water around the limp bodies of Longiseus and Alan. With a nod to Lady Roartad, she urged her to move ahead, then turned to Poduria, her voice urgent with concern.
"Sis! This whole place is collapsing, we have to move q—"
"LYCO!" Poduria's desperate cry pierced through Lyco's constant scream of fury, freezing him in his tracks and halting the destruction around them. Sensing the halted danger, Relecta wasted no time, swiftly pulling Longiseus and Alan's suspended bodies along with her.
Meanwhile, Armis raised the orb before the gate. With a series of cracks and a radiant glow emanating from the massive slab of stone, it began to crumble, revealing the path forward.
With that the debris and rocks near the opening, from which they used to enter into the chamber started to shift and rearrange themselves, each piece moving independently. They stacked on top of each other, gradually taking shape once more as the familiar, unyielding gate.
As the last debris of the new emerging opening fell on ground, Armis led the way through, followed by Lady Roartad and the unconscious forms of Alan and Longiseus. Relecta carefully placed Alan and Longiseus on the ground of the newly revealed passage ahead before hurrying back to retrieve Poduria and Lyco.
"Lyco, please… please calm down, my love," Poduria pleaded, her voice trembling with emotion. "I don't know what to say. I can't even imagine how you're feeling right now, but for our love, for your brother, you have to try to stop grieving… and…and."
Poduria's words trailed off as the blood below their knees began dissipating into crimson glow, leaving only the rugged floor where Arian's maimed body had lain moments before.
The emptiness of the space once occupied by Arian's form weighed heavily on Lyco's heart, accentuating the magnitude of their loss.
Lyco's despaired gaze was clouded with thick tears as his voice trembled with unbearable agony. The weight of his loss pressed heavily upon his heart, each word punctuated by the anguish of his shattered soul.
"Why?!" he cried out, his voice breaking. "Why did it have to happen? Why, Poduria? When will this nightmare end? How many more sacrifices does this place demand from us? How much more must we suffer? When will it end? It took our friends, it took my family, it took my brother..."
Lyco's grip tightened around Poduria, his grief pouring out in torrents of tears and anguished sobs. Memories of his brother tormented him, each recollection stabbing at his heart.
"We were supposed to get out of here together," he lamented. "He was supposed to fight for us, with our family. He was going to help me when I was going to take you to our family. Why did he leave me alone? He was supposed to protect me! He promised me...that bastard promised me!!!"
Tears streamed down Lyco's face as he searched for answers in the depths of his despair. "Why, Poduria? What did we do to deserve this?"
Lyco's voice trembled with anguish as he pulled away from Poduria's embrace, his eyes filled with despair as he gazed into her tear-filled eyes. His words, heavy with pain, hung in the air, seeking answers that seemed elusive.
"Is this… is this the result of our greed?!" Lyco's voice cracked with emotion, his fists clenched tightly in frustration. "The greed that led us into this nightmare, that plunged us into this endless cycle of suffering?!" His words echoed off the walls, reverberating through the chamber with a haunting intensity.
Poduria stood in silence, her heart heavy with the weight of her husband's agony. She struggled to find the right words, to offer solace in the face of such profound loss. But words failed her, leaving only the echoes of Lyco's torment ringing in her ears.
Lyco's voice grew hoarse as he continued, his eyes burning with anguish. "Was it my greed that caused such a brutal death of my brother??"
"No, my love, don't say that," Poduria interjected, her voice gentle yet firm, her hand reaching out to steady Lyco as he struggled against the weight of his despair. "Nothing is your fault. We couldn't have known... none of us could have foreseen the horrors that awaited us in this cursed place."
With a tender touch, Poduria guided Lyco to his feet, her eyes locked with his, determined to keep him from spiraling into darkness. Together, they began to move towards the gate leading to the next floor, where their friends awaited them. Relecta, halting in her steps, watched from a distance, her heart heavy with sorrow as she witnessed the pain etched upon Poduria and Lyco's faces.
"We will bring Arian back, my love. I promise you, we will rev—
"What if we die too before that?" Poduria reassured him, her voice tinged with determination. But Lyco's despair threatened to engulf him entirely, his words cutting through her
attempts to offer solace.
Lyco's voice trembled with hopelessness, his fear
palpable in the air around them. "What if we're next to be consumed, sacrificed, or killed by our own stupidity? What's the point of moving forward if we're just going to die next? Why don't ki—"
"Lyco!" Poduria's voice cut through the air like a sharp blade, infused with mounting frustration and dread. She refused to let Lyco succumb to helplessness, her love and hope driving her words forward. With a tightness in her voice and a fierce determination in her gaze, she pierced through Lyco's rising fear, her words penetrating his soul.
"No, we won't. And do you know why? Because we love each other," Poduria declared, her voice unwavering. "As long as we are together, I won't let anything happen to you. And I know, because I believe in our love, that you won't let anything happen to me either."
A faint smile graced Poduria's lips as she resumed her halted steps, guiding Lyco toward their waiting friends. In that moment, a thread of love woven by his wife's words saved Lyco from the brink of despair. His face, once etched with hopelessness, now bore an absence of expression, save for a glimmer of faint hope that flickered in his nearly lifeless eyes.
As Lyco and Poduria crossed through the gate, a sense of dread engulfed them, overshadowing any hope they might have clung to. They watched in silence as the crumbled debris of the gate began to glow ominously, the pieces shifting and rearranging themselves to reform the giant unyielding slab of stone. It was a sight they had grown accustomed to, a symbol of the cyclical suffering that awaited them at every turn.
Lyco's eyes, once filled with life, now held a vacant stare as he took a final glance at the now-destroyed chamber of treasure. The air, once filled with the allure of gold, was now heavy with the weight of despair. The once-grandeur of the treasure lay buried beneath debris and devastation, a stark reminder of the horrors they had faced.
His gaze fell upon the spot where his brother's maimed body had lain moments ago. He strained to make out the silhouette, but instead, his mind conjured up an apparition of Arian, smiling and waving mockingly at him. It was a cruel illusion, taunting Lyco with the memory of his lost brother.
Driven by desperation, Lyco's body moved instinctively, attempting to push through the reassembling gate. But his efforts were futile, and all he could do was watch helplessly as even the illusion of his brother dissipated into nothingness, swallowed by the closing gate.