Undying Love

Dust clouded the vicinity of Jarak's collision on the stone-hard ground.

Blaze cracked a grin of satisfaction as she landed on the edge of the crater created with all her strength, Jarak sprawled right in the center of it. It was a smile of delight, delighted finding that she had overcome another unimaginable obstacle with nothing but her capabilities. Jarak Lockster, who? Magical powers…what? She could overcome anything with her hard work!

However, her excitement didn't last. In literally just a blink of an eye, Jarak dust-clouded silhouette vanished so quickly, it was as if he did not take damage in the first place. With another blink, Jarak's bulky figure reappeared right in front of her eyes, returning her punch straight in the guts.

BOOM-!!

This time, Blaze had no time to parry the blow on time, pain spreading excruciatingly throughout her body. She was sent flying, her back slamming against a cold, rigid wall on the far side. She coughed up a mouthful of blood, red dripping steadily down her chin onto her clothes before she collapsed to the dungeon floor, powerless.

Jarak slowly stepped forward, his human body now fused with a darkened version of his flaming, purple aura, forming a spiked tail from the back of his waist and granting him an unbelievable amount of renewed power. His clothes and even his skin couldn't be seen under the layer of dark, ominous energy. If he had entered the dungeon in this form, no one would've been able to identify him, let alone tell if he was human or beast.

Blaze mustered all her strength to look up, staring back at the angry predator coming towards her. She felt light-headed, barely able to move a muscle as her entire body screamed in agony with just the slightest movement.

"You…what are you?" Blaze hissed through her clenched teeth as Jarak came to a stop in front of her. Her voice shook, trembling as the hymn of death began to play in her head.

It wasn't the first time she heard it. It wasn't the first time she risked her life on expeditions, and every time she felt she was about to die, the frightening, eerie tune would sound in her head as if played by her stalking demon, her worst nightmare.

But regardless of what it was, there was one thing she knew. She would only hear it if she couldn't escape her fated end on her own.

"I actually wanted to recruit you to our prestigious organization," Jarak started, staring nonchalantly down at her wrecked appearance. "But I changed my mind. Your attitude is just so f*cking annoying. Besides, you wouldn't fit, anyway. Two persons from the Ember Tribe is already too much."

Jarak scowled, his voice turning hateful as he recalled Winter's passiveness. He entered their organization like he was something else, acting cool and superior even in front of him, his senior. And what he hated the most was his intelligent mind, and he would command Jarak left and right despite being a newbie. He would never answer or bother to mind him when Jarak just wanted to talk, to satisfy his boredom, making him feel like a useless idiot. Just thinking about him made his blood boil.

He would definitely kill that arrogant bastard one day.

"So you didn't succeed to kill him… Where is he?" Blaze relentlessly demanded, putting salt to the wound and only infuriating Jarak even more. He clenched his fists, wanting to throw a tantrum like a child, all because he couldn't do what he wanted with Winter.

Blaze chuckled despite her aching insides telling her to stop.

"I knew he wouldn't die. That bastard always had a plan," Blaze mumbled in the face of despair. Although she was about to die, she felt glad knowing that Winter was alive. Deep inside, she was worried about him, but she could do nothing but trust him while he was still nowhere to be found.

"Worry about yourself, woman," Jarak grunted. "After I accomplished my goals, I will kill Winter Ashkin, that son of a b*tch."

* * * * *

'Please be okay, Blaze. Pull another crazy stunt and survive,' Colleen prayed desperately while she and Kaiser assisted Kingsley on their way out.

From a far distance, they could already see the specks of light that seeped in from the dungeon's entrance. But unfortunately, leaving the dungeon wasn't enough to guarantee their survival. They needed to get as far away as they can from the dungeon once they met up with the dragon-slayers waiting outside with their horses. If not, Jarak would find them, and by then, they'd be goners.

Whoosh!

A cold breeze brushed past their cheeks, and they came to a halt as a lone figure clad in the same strange attire as Jarak's suddenly slipped through the entrance, landing soundlessly on the dungeon floors with a sweep of his cloak.

The dragon-slayers in front were the first ones to recognize him, for he had the same cold demeanor, the same icy look when he turned his piercing gaze unto them. He had not changed at all, having the appearance of an esteemed gentleman but not the personality of one, the only difference being the two sharp, short horns on top of either side of his forehead. "W- Winter Ashkin?! The Betrayer?!"

Winter shifted his level gaze as if he didn't hear them label him a traitor, looking as if he could care less. His eyes fell on the commander. "Kingsley," he said coolly. "As I expected, you're here." He turned away before Kingsley could even respond, his emotionless expression seeming to react in the slightest the moment he caught sight of Colleen.

As an ex-official of Lunargard's Council, he knew well the expedition schedules and lists of participants. Colleen shouldn't be here. But if she was here, then…? His sharp eyes darted about them, checking them all one by one, searching for a specific person.

Where is Blaze…?

Colleen was the first to react. She pushed forward and seized Winter by the arm, urging for his help. She didn't give a f*ck about his horns, nor where the hell he had gone all this time; there was only one thing on her mind. "Winter, you didn't kill Blake, right? Blaze believed in you," she prodded earnestly. "Please, prove your loyalty to the faction and help Blaze! We left her behind fighting someone wearing…the same thing as you…"

Winter's eyes twitched, and the atmosphere around him turned a full one-eighty.

"I'll help Blaze," Winter said, as if that was supposed to be obvious. "Everyone must leave this place, do you understand? And Kingsley, there is something I need to tell you first-" He paused right when he found Kaiser right next to him, and he flashed a cold glare. "You! Don't even try flirting with Blaze!" he hissed.

Kaiser flinched. Why…he always found himself the sole target of the powerful? Winter's glare was nothing like Blaze's fiery one but held the same intensity. "N- no way! My undying love is for one person only, and that person is none other than Colleen Valanar," Kaiser shamelessly declared out loud like a f*cking teenaged loser. Smiling stupidly, scratching his head, he was definitely unaware of how cringe-worthy his statement was.

His cheeks were burning from shyness, but he did it anyway. He wasn't normally like that, but Colleen's reaction to his advances earlier gave him a newfound spark of confidence.

No one said a word as Winter and Kingsley turned to Colleen in unison, disgusted. They narrowed their eyes, waiting for an explanation.

Colleen spared no haste to punch Kaiser in the face hard. "The hell you just say?!"

"But-"

Colleen punched him again, not holding back. There was no way she was going to let him tell everyone what happened. What happened between them in the dungeon stays in the dungeon. She was beyond embarrassed, no need to explain why. Who the hell would confess their feelings like that in front of everyone? Did he lose his mind? And since when did Kaiser's heart become for hers only? He was a guy who would try his luck on anyone, hitting on all women at the same time. He was beyond comprehension!

Without another word, she pulled Kaiser by the hair, dragging him outside first. There was no way she was going to stay there under the eyes of the other dragon-slayers for a moment longer.