We were instructed to gather at the West Gate. By the time Vivi and I arrived, the rest of the class was already assembled, waiting for the instructor. Grimoires were clutched tightly to chests, staffs held like lifelines.
I glanced at Vivi. I had told her to stop relying on a staff and grimoire."
They put a mage at risk in real combat, Incantations slow one down. If you can't cast without incantations, you're already dead on the battlefield.
"See?" I said lazily, hands in my pockets. "Told you we didn't need to hurry."
A few heads turned.
More than a few, actually.
My classmates stared at me as if I'd grown a second head. Cecilia Florence going on an expedition. Vivi went on these expeditions religiously. I, on the other hand, was infamous for skipping them altogether.
I could practically hear the whispers.
To my annoyance, that vermin was here too standing off to the side, cloak fluttering dramatically, looking like the lead in some tragic hero's tale.
I rolled my eyes and looked away.
"All right," the instructor called, clapping his hands for attention. "As you all know, this will be a three-day expedition. I trust everyone has prepared accordingly."
He swept his gaze across us before continuing, "Stay in formation. Follow instructions. And most importantly don't act alone."
If only he knew.
"Now," he said, stepping back, "let us depart."
A teleportation circle flared beneath our feet, light swallowing the ground as space twisted.
When we emerged, the dungeon greeted us with an eerie stillness.
Too peaceful.
I scanned the area casually.
Yeah. I'd cleaned this place out before more accurately two days ago.
During my inspection, I'd wiped out several golems and bloody hounds. Left the weaker ones alone. They only took down the bosses, who were dangerous, after all.
I frowned slightly.
I really hope they've respawned by now.
Otherwise, this expedition was going to arouse suspicion.
The first day was spent exploring only the upper floors, with strict orders not to engage in combat. Most of the class scattered through the corridors, gathering materials and ingredients for themselves. Watching them was almost comical, like parents had unleashed their children inside a toy shop and told them to go wild.
As this was a three-day expedition, many students took the opportunity to showcase their talents. Laughter echoed through the halls, small spells flashing as they tested techniques, compared finds, and genuinely enjoyed themselves.
As for me, I sat off in a quiet corner.
"Shouldn't you join them?" Nox's voice murmured.
He was confined to the pendant I wore, his presence attracted far stronger threats than these kids could handle.
"I'd only ruin the mood," I replied quietly. "Besides, I don't know how to enjoy myself among peers."
"Well," he said lightly, "you're not exactly alone."
Even without seeing him, I knew he was smirking. "Look at the other corner."
I did.
The vermin was there, leaning against the wall. He wasn't interacting with anyone either. It almost looked like he was asleep… or pretending to be. I couldn't quite tell.
"Seriously, Nox," I muttered, "that's not funny."
"It is to me," he said, clearly entertained. "And you should try interacting with your classmates. Who knows? You might form connections you'll need later."
I knew exactly what he was implying.
"…I'll try," I said at last, though the words felt heavier than they should have.
On the second day, Vivian and I cut down more than our fair share of bloody hounds and goblins. Fighting in the dungeon's cramped corridors proved exactly why moving in smaller units and holding back myself was the right call.
Steel flashed. Mana cracked against stone. Blood painted the walls in ugly streaks.
"Last wave," Vivi called, breath steady despite the carnage. "After this, we take a break."
I had always known Vivian was talented, but watching her now, issuing calm commands in the middle of chaos, I realised something else: she had the instincts of a leader. Under her direction, we pushed forward cleanly. Not a single person was injured.
When the final goblin collapsed with its throat torn open, Vivi finally exhaled and dropped to the floor.
"I'm beat," she muttered.
I handed her a water flask. "Still glad I made you stop relying on a staff and grimoire?"
She took it eagerly, gulping down water. "Very glad," she said between breaths. "But—" she glanced at my hands, "why are you fighting with daggers?"
"I don't like relying too much on magic," I replied. "Come on."
I offered her my hand and pulled her to her feet.
Since today we were allowed to explore the dungeon freely, it was the perfect opportunity to slip away later and make it look like an accident. Before that, I followed Nox's advice and interacted with my group.
Our party consisted of four: me, Vivian, Louise, a water mage, and Eko, a wind mage. Louise and Eko were both from prominent families, connections that would benefit me later.
I helped them whenever they nearly stirred up trouble, stepping in smoothly, guiding them with a polite smile. A smile so practiced it felt almost real. It didn't take long before they let their guard down.
"Don't kill the slimes," I said sharply from behind, stopping them just in time.
Louise turned, frowning. "Why?"
I swallowed the urge to call her an idiot. Patience, Cecilia. Patience.
"Killing slimes inside a dungeon triggers rapid regeneration," I explained calmly. "They multiply at a horrifying speed."
What I didn't say was how satisfying it would be to gouge her eyes out for not knowing something so basic. The thought brought me a disturbing amount of joy.
We moved on.
Or rather they did.
Not long after, Vivian, Louise, and Eko finished off a pack of lesser monsters ahead and regrouped—
Only to stop dead.
The corridor beyond them was… wrong.
Bodies were everywhere.
Bloody hounds lay torn apart, their ribs cracked open as if something had ripped through them from the inside. Goblins were embedded into the stone walls at impossible angles, necks twisted backwards, limbs severed with surgical precision. The floor was slick with blood, steaming faintly in the dungeon air.
Some corpses were frozen solid mid-scream. Others looked like they had been crushed by invisible hands.
Silence fell among them.
Louise swallowed hard. "W-What… happened here?"
Eko's face was pale.
Vivian slowly turned toward me.
And I I hid my smile and kept my mouth shut.
I wore restraint the way one wears skin. I couldn't very well tell them the ruin, the carnage at their feet was my creation. They saw chaos. I saw completion. Admitting it was mine would have spoiled the quiet satisfaction of watching them stand inside my work.
They didn't need to know the destruction before them was intentional or that I felt nothing while creating it.
What lay at their feet wasn't evidence of rage, it was proof of who I was when I stopped pretending.
That was my true self.
I put the mask back on easily enough. I always do.
But now I know what waits beneath it.
And it is very patient.
"Why don't we regroup with the instructor," I suggested pleasantly, "and decide what to do next?"
That was Nox's cue.
I knew what I was doing would put Vivian in a difficult position. I knew it wouldn't fair.
But there were things I can't abandon.
They followed my suggestion without objection. What else could those three do in a situation like this?
We headed back toward the instructor's base camp or at least, that was what they believed. I led them along a path I had carefully** chosen, one that curved deeper into the dungeon's veins. Every step brought me closer to Nox's core.
For a brief moment, Nox materialized beside me just a flicker of form, a whisper of existence.
That was enough.
The dungeon responded instantly.
The ground shuddered, stone grinding against stone as something powerful stirred. The air thickened with heat and the stench of sulfur. Barely minutes passed before they came.
Golems rose first—massive, jagged hulks tearing themselves free from the dungeon floor. Then came the bloody hounds, their snarls echoing down the corridor like the cries of starving beasts.
And behind them—
The bloody hound boss.
It was nothing like the others.
Its body was forged of fire and molten rock, skin cracking and reforming with every step. Lava dripped from its fangs as it moved, each breath scorching the air. Its raw strength rivaled that of the golems themselves, and most attacks slid off its burning hide without leaving so much as a mark.
Its weakness was its neck.
Unlike a golem, whose core lay buried deep in its chest.
"Run!" Vivian shouted, instantly grasping the severity of the situation. "We can't handle a horde of golems and bloody hounds with their leaders present!"
We ran.
The dungeon roared behind us.
Then the bloody hounds lunged.
I turned.
Steel flashed.
I cut one clean in half, blade slicing through burning flesh and bone. Scalding blood exploded across my face, thick and sticky, reeking of iron and smoke. The beast collapsed in two twitching halves, still snapping even as it died.
The others stopped.
They turned back toward me.
"RUN," I snarled, my voice cutting through the chaos. "Don't look back."
I hurled my daggers. One struck, piercing a golem's chest. The core shattered, and the construct collapsed in a thunderous heap.
"You'll only hold me back."
That did it.
They ran again.
I thinned the horde mercilessly. Golems fell, cores crushed. Bloody hounds were butchered mid-leap, their molten bodies spilling across the stone like living magma. By the time I finished, the corridor behind me was nothing but ruin, blood, shattered stone, and steaming corpses littering the ground.
Crimson stained my hands.
My face.
My clothes.
Then—
Vivian came back.
Damn it.
I shifted targets, moving toward the largest remaining golem, intending to finish it quickly. But before I could strike, the bloody hound boss surged forward, slamming into the ground with enough force to split the corridor.
The stone cracked.
The group was separated exactly as I had planned.
Good.
Even better Vivian saw it happen.
The beast lunged again. This time, I didn't dodge. I could have. Easily.
But that would complicate things.
So instead, just before the blow landed, I caught Vivian's gaze and subtly signalled toward my neck.
Then the world tilted, and I let myself fall.
"LIA!" Vivian's scream echoed as the cracked ground sealed itself shut before she could reach me.
Then—
Squelch.
I landed flat on my back, right on top of a thick, gelatinous mass of slime mucus.
"…Yuck!!! DAMN IT."
I groaned, pushing myself up only to make it worse. The stuff stretched, clung, and snapped back like living glue.
"I fell right on top of this shit," I whined, scowling at my slime-coated hands. "Do you have any idea how hard this is to clean off?"
I punched it in irritation.
The slime answered by splashing straight into my face.
"Come on…I'm going to stink for hours."
Laughter echoed softly through the cavern. "Hahaha—"
"Nox," I snapped, wiping at my cheek, "don't laugh. This isn't funny. You know exactly how difficult it is to get this out."
"I can't help myself," he replied from inside the pendant, clearly enjoying every second. "Why don't you wash off in that lake you found?"
I paused.
He wasn't wrong.
Walking while covered in sticky slime that clung in all the wrong places was torture. I usually avoided these creatures for that exact reason. Still, the lake wasn't far, about twenty minutes of irritation and muttering under my breath.
It had been a while since I'd walked alone like this. Before the academy, this solitude had been my normal. Now, I was almost always beside Vivian talking, training, or laughing.
This felt strangely nostalgic. Yet Something strange inside me ached.
When I finally reached it, the water shimmered faintly in the dim dungeon light.
"Finally," I sighed. "I can get this shit off me."
I peeled off my ruined clothes slowly, each piece making an awful sound as it separated from my skin. Even my underwear wasn't spared. I undid my braid, letting my hair fall loose reaching my back.
Cool air brushed my skin.
I took a step toward the water—
CRACK.
The ground above me shattered.
Before I could react, something slammed into me.
"Ow—!"
I opened my eyes and immediately froze. Two hands were pressed against my breasts. And Golden eyes stared straight into mine.
There was exactly half a second of stunned silence.
I looked down.
Then back up.
And screamed.
I slapped him hard then scrambled backwards, covering myself with my hands and hair as my heart pounded violently in my chest.
"You bastard!" I shouted, breath uneven. "How dare you put your hands on me!"
The nightmarish memories clawed at the back of my mind, sharp and ugly, but I forced them down.
Not here.
Not in front of him.
Never in front of him.
"It—it was an accident," he said quickly, already turning his gaze away, jaw tight. "I didn't mean to—"
I glared at him, fury burning hot enough to rival the dungeon itself.
"Leave," I growled, voice low and lethal. "Before I rip your heart out."
"As if I'd let you," he shot back, arrogance dripping from every word. "I thought you were ignoring my existence."
"Did you miss me?" I sneered.
"You wish. As if I'd ever miss a demon like you."
"The hell did you just call me?"
"A de-mon."
I exhaled slowly. This was pointless. I couldn't let myself get dragged down to his pace, into this stupid back-and-forth that did nothing but churn anger.
"Leave," I said again, colder this time.
"I was already leaving," he replied. "I have no interest in being with you."
And then he did.
Only after his presence vanished did my shoulders finally loosen. I stepped into the lake, scrubbing away the last traces of slime, grime, and blood. The water was cool, almost comforting. I let myself float, eyes closing despite myself.
That was a mistake.
—
"Did you drug her?
Yes, my lord. And here are the keys to her collar and chains.
Excellent. Don't let anyone near her. Kill them if you must.
Understood."
—
The memory slammed into me like a blade.
I jolted awake, gasping, lungs burning as if I'd been underwater far too long.
"How long was I out?" I rasped, chest rising and falling unevenly.
"An hour," Nox replied calmly. "Get out before you catch a cold. You don't have wind magic to dry yourself."
A shiver ran down my spine as I climbed out of the lake. I sneezed, teeth chattering slightly.
Then—
Rustling behind me.
My body tensed instantly. A monster?
No.
Worse.
I turned.
He was standing there.
Frozen. Staring.
And reality crashed down on me all at once.
I was naked.
My hair covered my back, but my thighs—
The scars—
I sucked in a sharp breath.
"You… you saw…" My voice broke, splintering into something I barely recognized. "You saw it."
Emotions surged violently fear, rage, humiliation, something far older and uglier twisting in my chest. My legs gave out and I collapsed to my knees, clutching at my chest, breath coming in ragged gasps.
He took a hesitant step forward.
Before he could get any closer, Nox appeared, solid and absolute, placing himself between us between me and his gaze.
"As Lia said before," Nox spoke, voice cold and merciless, "there is a line you do not cross."
His eyes glinted crimson.
"Especially you," he continued, "since you are affiliated with the temple."
The air itself seemed to recoil.
And for the first time since he arrived.
The vermin didn't look arrogant.
He looked shaken.
For a long moment, no one moved.
His fists clenched at his sides. His jaw tightened. He didn't look away immediately, and that, more than anything, made my stomach twist.
Then he turned.
Slowly. Rigidly.
"I didn't come here on purpose," he said, voice hoarse, stripped of its earlier arrogance. "Believe it or not."
He hesitated just a fraction of a second too long and exhaled sharply, like someone swallowing words he didn't know how to say, and stepped back.
Nox tried to calm me.
Again and again.
But no matter how steady his voice was, no matter how carefully he reached for me, I kept slipping further breath stuttering, chest tightening, the world narrowing until it felt like I was drowning while still standing on solid ground.
This was the first time.
The first time he couldn't pull me back immediately.
"Cess," he called softly, far too gently for the storm tearing through me. "Please—try. If you don't, you'll lose control. And I don't want you to become that version again."
There was no command in his voice.
Only fear.
Only pleading.
"I know," I whispered hoarsely. "I know, but… I can't."
I never thought it would get this bad. Never thought I'd feel myself slipping so easily again.
My vision blurred. I lifted my head slowly, tears clinging to my lashes, and nodded once forcing myself to anchor to that single motion.
A few steps behind us, Asier stood in silence.
Watching.
He didn't interrupt at first. Didn't sneer. Didn't provoke.
Until he did.
"…I know a spell," he said hesitantly, as if testing the weight of his own words. "If you want… I can cast it on her."
The air went still.
Nox hesitated. Just for a few seconds. I saw it and before he could speak, I did.
"No," I snapped, rage burning through the weakness in my chest. "I'd rather die than accept help from someone affiliated with the temple."
"But, Cess—" Nox started.
"No," I repeated, sharper. "You don't know what he'd do to me. Give me a moment. I'll calm down."
It took everything I had.
But I did.
I moved behind a cluster of rocks, my hands trembling as I dressed, letting my hair fall loose down my back instead of braiding it again. When I stepped out, my breathing was steadier barely, but enough.
"Now," I said flatly, punctuating it with an ill-timed sneeze, "shall we finish what we came here to do?"
I started walking.
And, infuriatingly—
So did he.
Every time I turned around, he looked away like he'd been caught doing something forbidden. This happened more than once.
Finally, my patience snapped.
"Why the hell are you following me?" I demanded.
"I have no interest in following you," he shot back.
"Then go ahead," I said, motioning forward.
"I don't know where the exit is," he replied curtly. "I've circled this place three times. I can't get out."
Damn it.
I froze. Right. The illusion field.
I had cast it the last time I was here layered, recursive, designed to trap anything that wasn't keyed to my mana. He literally couldn't leave without me.
"…What have I done," I muttered under my breath.
I exhaled sharply and turned back to him.
"Fine. You can follow me," I said. "On one condition."
He narrowed his eyes. "Which is?"
"You swear an oath to me. A mana oath."
"Why should I?"
"Because otherwise you stay trapped here."
He clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed, then muttered, "Fine. I'll do it."
He straightened.
"I, Asier," he said evenly, "swear to Cecilia Florence that whatever happens here whatever I see, will remain a secret between us."
The air responded instantly.
Purple mana rose from me. Golden mana from him.
Ancient text unfurled between us, glowing and weighty, spiralling as it bound our words into something irreversible. The power pressed against my skin, intimate and cold.
His golden eyes glowed softly, almost warm, like the light of early dawn. They looked serene like a candle flame that never flickers.
And yet…
Still Cold, empty.
Still hiding something vast and aching beneath the surface.
What am I even thinking?
Have I finally lost my mind?
The mana locked into place with a crystalline shimmer, forming a complete circle.
The oath was sealed.
"It's done," I said quietly. "You can follow us now."
And just like that—
He stepped into my domain and my life.
To be continued...