Pressure

The leaves rustle with an eerie urgency as a heavy gust of wind tears through the mountain. Ripples of mana distort the air, their invisible vibrations causing even the most resilient wildlife to flee, scrambling down the slopes in frantic haste. The small, delicate plant life sways violently, many of the frail stems ripped apart by the relentless gusts. The mountain trembles subtly, as though it shares the animals' dread. Amid the chaos, Kael and Leena sit opposite each other, their eyes locked in a silent yet charged exchange.

Kael remains seated, his expression unreadable, his hazel eyes steady despite the rising tension in the air. Leena, on the other hand, moves deliberately, standing with an almost ethereal grace. She extends her arm, her pale fingers slicing through the air as though commanding the world itself to yield. The space in front of her begins to shift, the air folding and rippling like liquid. A rift materializes, jagged and raw, the edges shimmering with unstable mana.

On one side of the rift lies an endless expanse of green grass, lush and vibrant, stretching far beyond the horizon. The other side is a stark contrast—a dark, oppressive forest of blackened, misty trees. Cruelly twisted vines coil and slither like living serpents, choking every ounce of life out of the Dúranthil Forest.

"This," Leena says quietly, her voice calm but heavy with meaning, "is as far as I can reach." She steps forward slightly, her gaze never leaving the rift. "If I try going past the forest, my body—" She pauses, her hand trembling slightly as she brushes a strand of crimson hair from her face. "My body is wracked with excruciating pain, and then I am warped back here, trapped in this never-ending loop." The words fall from her lips like an unshakable truth, heavy and unyielding. The rift snaps shut with a deafening crack, folding in on itself and vanishing into the ether.

Kael stands abruptly, 'the mana is way too chaotic.' His eyes scan the area with a sharp intensity as the mana around them churns wildly. A dark red mist begins to seep into the air, swirling like a malevolent spirit. It envelopes the mountain, staining the sky a sinister shade. "Endless loop... I'm guessing your mother is responsible for that," he says, his tone even but laced with curiosity. His gaze locks onto hers. "So, what's the plan? She kills everyone and wakes up from some seal?"

Leena's laugh is short, almost bitter. "No," she whispers, her voice dropping. "If it were that simple, I wouldn't exist." Her words hang in the air like a curse. With a sigh, she waves her hand, and a holographic projection flares to life, illuminating the dark mist around them. The image is of the massive black tree, its gnarled bark emanating an aura of unfathomable malice.

The bright red veins coursing through its leaves pulse rhythmically, the glow shifting between a vibrant crimson and a deep, almost suffocating maroon. Beneath the tree, the ground ripples unnaturally as water begins to evaporate, twisting into a single point until a large sphere of liquid hovers in front of the tree's base. The once-clear water turns pitch black, its surface bubbling and writhing as if alive. Whispers—faint, sinister—snake through the air, the ancient stones scattered around the tree glowing faintly through the mist.

"I was created," Leena begins softly, her voice barely above a whisper, "for the mere purpose of reviving her." Her hand brushes her arm, trembling slightly as she clenches her fists. "It's time." She inhales sharply, her gaze flicking to the projection as the black water thickens, and the tree pulses like a living heart. Her crimson eye flickers, catching the faint red glow of the screen as she exhales shakily.

"The old fairy warned me," she murmurs, her tone distant, recalling a memory she wishes to ignore. The projection fades as she steps closer to Kael, closing the space between them. Her crimson eye and her flower-like one meet his unflinching hazel gaze. "He warned me of a disciple of a strong adversary he once fought long ago." Her words trail off, her voice growing quieter but no less impactful.

"I've monitored everyone here," Leena continues, her words deliberate and weighted, "and you… you are the strangest one." Her head tilts slightly, studying Kael as if he were a puzzle she couldn't solve. Despite the chaos around them, her voice remains calm, almost curious. 

Tapping her cheek with a sigh, Leena shrugs in defeat, her crimson hair cascading over her shoulder. "I can't figure it out," she murmurs, her eyes narrowing as they scan Kael. "I can see multiple weak points, yet… something's strange about you." Her fingers rub her chin thoughtfully while the mana around the dungeon grows more oppressive, swirling in volatile currents. 'He's the only person here,' she muses, 'well, apart from that fairy and that elf, with a steady heartbeat. This shouldn't be the case... but something is wrong.'

Her gaze sharpens as her flower-like eye pulses faintly, analyzing the flows of energy that weave through the space. 'With my vision, I can see the energy surrounding people clearly. Mother is in the final stage of her rebirth, and everyone's energy, apart from that fairy, is unstable because of her mana. At least… that's how it should be.' So why is his energy stable?' Her lips purse as frustration bubbles beneath her calm exterior. 'The energy he has isn't strong enough to compete with Mother's. He should be on the ground... And why does he look so different? Was he hiding his identity?'

She rubs her eyes, her patience wearing thin, before shrugging again. "It doesn't matter," she mutters softly, her tone distant. "Mother will wake, and everything will end."

"Is that what you want?" Kael's voice cuts through her thoughts. He raises an eyebrow, his tone calm yet probing as he sits down beside her, his hazel eyes fixed on the holographic screen. "There's no need to be so guarded."

Leena flinches slightly at the casualness of his approach but quickly schools her expression. "Why would I—" Her words falter when Kael lightly pokes her shoulder. Goosebumps ripple across her skin, but she suppresses any visible reaction, her pride forcing her to keep her composure. "I'm not wary," she insists stubbornly, though her voice carries a hint of defensiveness.

"There's no need for me to attack you," Kael says with a small yawn, his tone almost lazy. "Your mother won't get revenge. She'll be stopped." He stretches, then glances at her arm, the black lines coiling across her pale skin like living shadows. "Say," he adds with mild curiosity, "these black lines on you—what are they?" He reaches out, poking her skin experimentally. His finger glides over the surface, finding no textural difference.

Leena's crimson eye twitches as she scoots a few inches away from him, her expression carefully guarded. "Is that really important right now?" she murmurs, her voice faintly exasperated.

Kael stands, stretches his arms overhead, then plops back down next to her—this time closer, a deliberate move. "Would you rather tell me why you're doing this?" he asks, his voice calm but persistent. "You don't strike me as a killer."

Leena looks up at the thick, swirling clouds above, her flower-like eye reflecting faint flashes of red and green light. Her lids flutter shut as images burn into her mind—dark red pulses, shimmering bubbles of green water, and then her own arm, ripped apart in excruciating detail. The skin tears away, followed by muscle and bone, until her nerves are destroyed last. She blinks, and in the instant her body is annihilated, it reconstructs itself. The pain, sharp and unrelenting, lingers in her memory as her arm is made whole again.

"I was created by Mother," she says softly, her voice almost mechanical, "to run this dungeon and ultimately bring her back." She clenches her fist, the black lines writhing slightly, as though reflecting her inner turmoil. "Out of the seven hundred years I've been here, I've only truly lived for one hundred and twenty. That's the total time the dungeon has been open. Twenty years every century. The other five hundred and eighty?" Her voice wavers for the first time, a bitter edge creeping into it. "I've been… dead and alive. Dying, yet aware. Conscious, yet unable to escape. Over and over and over again, waiting for the dungeon to reopen."

She looks down at her trembling hands, forcing them still. "My body is completely destroyed each time, only to be reconstructed. No matter how many times it happens, I always feel the maximum amount of pain. As long as this dungeon exists, I can't die."

Kael leans back slightly, his gaze steady as he studies her. "And let me guess," he says, his tone soft yet cutting, "she promised to destroy the dungeon once she's reborn."

Leena's eyes meet his, her crimson eye flickering faintly as the flower-like eye darkens. She nods once, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Soon, she will be reborn," she murmurs, her voice laced with an odd mix of hope and despair. "She'll destroy this place for good, and I'll go out with it. My soul is tied to the core. As soon as she breaks it, I'll finally be free."