Amos slowly opened his eyes, revealing an infinite white void, silent and vast, his own thoughts echoing across the endless expanse.
"What is this…"
Amos looked around, but there was nothing. He couldn't even feel his own body.
"Am I dead?"
As he tried to make sense of what was happening, a sound began to grow louder. It was a strange, blurry hum, and as it intensified, it brought with it a gentle sensation of warmth brushing against his skin.
Then his eyes opened for real this time — it had only been a dream.
He was in a cave. Lucas, covered in scratches, was sitting nearby, staring into a campfire that crackled and sparked as embers rose into the air, the heat warming Amos's exposed skin.
He slowly pushed himself upright. His back still hurt, making his movements sluggish.
Lucas, who hadn't noticed he was awake at first, turned to him when he saw him sit up. His voice was less arrogant than usual.
"Well, looks like Sleeping Beauty finally woke up."
Lucas actually sounded friendly for once, his tone free of any ill intent.
Amos chuckled quietly at the comment, then replied in a slightly hoarse, tired voice — but even as he spoke, one thought was already nagging him since he woke.
"Where's Criskin?"
"She's right there."
Lucas pointed to a corner of the cave. When Amos turned around, he spotted Criskin curled up, sleeping. Her body too was quite battered, but nothing truly alarming.
Relieved, Amos let out a sigh, then turned back to Lucas.
"How long was I unconscious?"
Lucas took a moment to think before answering. He looked around as he recalled what had happened.
"I woke up with Criskin keeping watch in this cave, and I don't know how long I was out myself. We went back to the Nest Master's chamber together, and everything was half-melted. There was barely anything left, except for you lying on the ground, badly beaten. We carried you back, and you've been out for a good two hours."
Amos looked down at himself, noticing a few deep wounds along his arms, but the dried blood had already sealed them. His academy uniform was torn and dirty. He glanced at his hands and recalled what had happened during the battle against the Nest Master.
"What happened to the Nest Master?"
"There were only a few pieces of his body left when we got there. Oh, by the way, I've got something for you."
Lucas reached into his pocket, searching for something. Amos, intrigued, watched his hand closely, curious to see what he would pull out.
Lucas brought out a fluorescent pink orb, contrasting sharply with the cave's crystals. It seemed heavy, and Amos could feel the immense amount of psychic energy radiating from it, reminding him of the Nest Master.
"Is that…"
Lucas nodded, then tossed the orb to Amos, his expression irritated, with a slight hint of jealousy.
"Yeah, it's probably the Nest Master's core, and since you're the one who seems to have killed him, it's only natural you keep it."
Amos examined the core, feeling the immense power it contained. He quickly tucked it into his pocket, then turned back to Lucas as he spoke again.
"Say… how did you manage to convert Criskin?"
Amos, a little surprised by the question, began to rewind the moment he had first encountered her.
"When I was fighting his pack, he was the only one who survived. I spared him, and he appreciated it. So, I decided to create that collar around his neck with the Void to distinguish him from the others, and it looks like it made him immune to the Nest Master's influence."
Lucas furrowed his brow, but not for any serious reason.
"Him?"
"He's a male, right?" Amos said, a bit confusedr
Lucas rubbed his chin, thinking about Amos's statement.
"I get more of a female vibe from Criskin. Besides, it's not really a masculine name."
Amos sighed, lowering his gaze, recalling that when he gave her the name, he thought it worked for both genders.
"I thought it worked either way…"
Lucas let out a small laugh at Amos's words, and seeing him, Amos also chuckled at his own remark.
The tension in the air eased as their laughter echoed. Criskin lifted her head, awakened by their voices. She yawned, cutting them off.
"Looks like she — or he — is awake. Honestly, this is annoying," Amos muttered, a slightly frustrated expression on his face.
Lucas stood up as he saw her, then turned to Amos.
"We should get going now. The academy's probably already sent patrols to look for us."
Amos nodded, then tried to get up, but groaned in pain and failed, collapsing back down, his back hurting too much to move properly.
Lucas grabbed him by the arm and helped him balance by letting him rest on his shoulder.
"You're not fully healed yet. I'll help you."
Amos let him, a little frustrated he couldn't manage on his own, but knowing there was no other choice. He turned to Criskin, who was watching them from afar.
"Come on, we're leaving."
Criskin barked in agreement, getting up and heading towards them.
Amos and Lucas walked along the crystalized corridors of the cave, Criskin by their side. They spent a long time following the same repetitive pattern, but something deep inside them kept them going — a sense that this was the way out.
Along the way, Amos finally brought up the subject he'd been avoiding, his expression dim as he walked.
"Hey… are any of the hunters still alive?"
Lucas also lowered his head, clearly not wanting to talk about it either. His face twisted in disgust.
"They didn't survive… the attack hit all of them in the head."
Amos said nothing. He knew well that no one could have survived the Nest Master's blow and the searing heat of the Void flames he had unleashed to kill him.
They walked a long while more, retracing the same repetitive pattern of the cave's corridors, until both finally reached a source of light. Optimistic and without other options, they stepped through — and fortunately, they emerged together with Criskin at the entrance of the Nest, where it all began.
The two boys continued their journey towards the academy, Amos still leaning on Lucas. The trip back took longer than the way there, slowed heavily by Amos's injuries.
At last, they both arrived at the academy's gate. Two guards stood watch, wearing modern white armor, swords on their backs — they were surely Royal Guards. Seeing them, Amos quickly understood that the royal family had already taken the necessary precautions to search for them.
Amos and Lucas, with Criskin, approached, but the guards blocked the entrance.
"Are you the two lost heirs?"
Lucas answered calmly, trying not to stir more trouble than they likely already had.
"Yes, we got lost."
The guards saw the sincerity in Lucas's words and didn't protest, allowing them to pass.
As they were about to enter, they noticed Criskin following behind them, prompting the guards to immediately raise their weapons at her.
Criskin stopped and growled, also taking a defensive stance.
"A beast of psychic energy — what's it doing here?!" one guard exclaimed.
Amos used spatial Void to teleport her inside next to him.
"Don't worry. She's not dangerous."
The two guards, skeptical, still let them pass, seeing Amos's rare ability and not wanting to challenge him.
Amos and Lucas walked together into the academy courtyard, students' eyes locked on them, whispering.
"Look, those are the heirs who went missing."
"That's what happens when you entrust powers like that to inferior humans."
"They're all beat up… and dragging that mutt along too."
A flash of frustration crossed their faces as they heard some of the students' comments, but they chose to ignore them, heading toward the school's entrance. But before they could reach it, the door opened, and an oppressive pressure spilled out — it was Nike, a worried and angry expression on her face as she walked toward Amos and Lucas.
Amos and Lucas stopped, dreading the punishment awaiting them.
"We'll be more comfortable in my office."
Nike's voice was cold, and with those words, she snapped her fingers, enveloping them in a violet mass and teleporting them into her office.
End of Chapter 21