37. The Scroll

Chapter 37. The Scroll

A warmth stirred me from my slumber, though I barely remembered falling asleep in the first place. My body felt sluggish, heavy from exhaustion, yet my senses were sharp enough to notice the change in our surroundings. The pit, once a void of darkness, was now bathed in a dim but persistent glow.

I cracked open my eyes, blinking away the haze of sleep. The chamber had transformed under the morning light filtering through unseen cracks in the earth. What was once an abyss of shadow had taken on shape and form, revealing walls embedded with faintly glowing crystals.

They weren't overly bright—just enough to illuminate the chamber in a soft, ethereal glow. The crystals pulsed faintly, casting streaks of bluish-white light across the uneven stone surfaces. The walls themselves were rough and jagged, marked with deep grooves and scars from ages of erosion, but the presence of those crystals made it feel almost… alive. Like veins carrying some form of energy through the pit.

Looking up, I could barely make out the place we had fallen from. It was just an infinite black abyss stretching beyond my vision. If there was an exit up there, it was well beyond our reach. The only other way out was a narrow passage leading into the unknown depths ahead.

A soft rustling sound made me turn.

Neralia was already awake, fully clothed, and sitting cross-legged on the ground. She had a scroll unfurled in her lap, her brows furrowed in concentration as her fingers traced the symbols on the parchment. The faint light of the crystals reflected in her eyes, making her look almost mystical.

"Morning," I muttered, my voice still rough from sleep.

She barely looked up. "You're finally awake."

I stretched, my joints popping in protest, then ran a hand through my hair. "What are you reading?"

"A set of instructions for conjuring a magic circle," she said, still focused on the scroll. "I've been trying to learn it for the past month."

I stepped closer, peering over her shoulder. The parchment was filled with intricate shapes and unfamiliar runes. Just as I tried to make sense of them, she quickly snatched the scroll away, pressing it to her chest.

I raised a brow. "What was that about?"

Her face was already turning red, and she averted her gaze. "It's… a secret scroll. I found it on a guild quest when I first started."

I smirked. "That was suspiciously fast. You sure you're not hiding some ancient forbidden spell that will doom us all?"

She huffed, still avoiding eye contact. "It's just a personal project, okay? You don't have to stick your nose into everything."

That only made me more curious, but before I could press further, she changed the subject.

"This is a magic circle spell," she said, regaining some of her composure. "It's only for Elemental Magic."

Her tone was… condescending. Like she was explaining something to a particularly slow child.

I chuckled at her attitude and took a step back, glancing up at the endless black ceiling. "From what I understand, martial arts magic might not use magic circles, but there is a third type."

She frowned, thinking.

I waited a moment, watching her expression, then added, "Null Magic."

Her eyes widened slightly.

"If you found the scroll on a guild quest, it's possible, isn't it?" I said, watching her reaction closely.

But she looked unconvinced. "I've found at least a dozen scrolls before," she argued. "And they all looked pretty much the same. Most of them don't work for me because they require an affinity I don't have, but this one has runes similar to my other water spells. It *has* to be a water spell."

I shrugged. "Maybe. I'm just guessing." Then I smirked. "Or maybe you're just not smart enough to understand it."

She froze. Then slowly turned to glare at me.

"…Excuse me?"

I shrugged again. "I mean, it's a possibility."

"Oh, I *understand* the scroll just fine," she shot back, crossing her arms. "It's not my fault magic circles require actual skill and not just punching things like a brainless brute."

"Brainless brute?" I laughed. "That's rich, coming from someone who couldn't even get through last night without begging for—"

Her eyes went *wide* with horror.

"You—! D-Don't bring *that* up!" she sputtered, her face turning scarlet.

I grinned. "Why not? It's a perfectly valid example. You *insisted* you were in control, yet—"

She lunged forward and clamped a hand over my mouth.

"*Shut up!*"

Her hand was warm, but I could feel it trembling slightly. I pried her fingers away with ease.

"You really don't like being reminded of the way you were moaning my name, huh?"

She punched me in the arm—hard. "I *will* kill you."

"Ow." I rubbed the spot, though I was more amused than anything. "Not very mage-like, are you? What happened to 'actual skill' and all that?"

She gritted her teeth. "You are *insufferable.*"

I smirked. "And yet, here we are, stuck together. Imagine that."

She exhaled sharply, trying to calm herself. "I swear, if you don't change the subject, I'll—"

"You'll what?" I cut in. "Get flustered again?"

She made a frustrated noise. "This is *exactly* why you'll never understand magic circles. You don't have the *discipline* for it."

"Oh, right," I said mockingly. "Because memorizing fancy little symbols is so much harder than fighting for your life."

She smirked now. "Exactly."

I gave her a deadpan stare. "You *cried* last night."

Her entire body went stiff. Then she picked up a small rock and *threw* it at me.

I caught it easily and laughed. "What? It's not *my* fault you—"

"*Shut up, shut up, shut up!*"

I was grinning now, thoroughly enjoying this. "Oh, come on. No need to be embarrassed. Everyone has their limits. Yours just happened to be—"

She lunged again, but I dodged effortlessly. "Kaizen Vale, I swear to the gods—!"

"Swearing now? You must really be flustered."

She clenched her fists. "I *hate* you."

I chuckled. "No, you don't."

She exhaled through gritted teeth. "You're lucky we're trapped in this pit together."

I smirked. "Oh, I *know* I'm lucky."

She groaned in frustration and turned her back to me, muttering under her breath.

Still grinning, I stretched my arms. "Alright, alright. I'll stop—for now. But just so you know, I *am* going to bring this up again later."

Her shoulders tensed. "I *really* hate you."

I chuckled, then turned my gaze back to the passageway ahead. "Come on," I said, my tone shifting slightly. "We should start figuring out how to get out of here."

She let out one last exasperated sigh before finally relenting. "Fine. But if you make *one more* comment—"

"I *promise* I'll only think them," I teased.

She glared at me, but there was a tiny twitch at the corner of her lips.

Satisfied, I started toward the passage, leaving behind the lingering warmth of our playful argument and the still-glowing crystals of the chamber.

Whatever lay ahead, at least it wouldn't be boring.