The Caverns

Sitting here in this cramped, damp space feels oddly nostalgic. My back rests against the uneven, cold stone wall, the jagged texture pressing through my worn-out cloak. Beside me, Aisha sits slumped, her head tilted slightly as her delicate frame rises and falls with each faint breath. Even in this oppressive darkness, the soft glow of her「Heal」 spell radiates a fragile warmth, flickering ever so slightly. The faint sputtering of the spell catches my attention. Could it be that maintaining it is draining her mana faster than she realizes? We're both exhausted, but if we want to reach the third floor of this labyrinth alive, we need every ounce of strength we can muster.

SIX YEARS AGO

The sun shone brilliantly over the sprawling courtyard of Estrand Academy, its golden rays bathing the pristine marble walkways and lush greenery in a warm, inviting glow. The scene couldn't have been more picturesque—an idyllic day filled with the chatter of students and the gentle rustle of the afternoon breeze. Yet, none of that registered in my mind.

I sat hunched on the soft grass near the edge of the courtyard, my body battered, bruised, and aching all over. My arm hung limply at my side, my knuckles bloodied, and every shallow breath sent sharp pangs through my chest. It wasn't just my body that hurt—it was my pride. I glared at the ground, feeling the familiar sting of frustration boiling in my veins. This was all the nobles' fault. Those arrogant bastards, always looking down on us.

They treated us commoners like dirt, as if we weren't even human. And for what? Being born into families without wealth or titles? I clenched my fists, the dull throb of pain shooting through my fingers only fueling my anger.

Then, I felt it—a gentle touch on my head. Startled, I looked up.

Aisha stood before me, her soft, concerned gaze meeting mine. Her black hair as dark as night, tied in its usual ponytail, swayed lightly in the breeze, and the sunlight illuminated her warm, yellow eyes. She knelt down gracefully, placing her staff to the side before brushing strands of hair away from her flushed cheeks. Her expression was a mixture of worry and exasperation, a small, soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You're completely beaten up, aren't you?" she said quietly, sitting down beside me on the grass. Her light blue robes—simple yet elegant—rippled slightly as she moved. She leaned closer to inspect my injuries, her proximity making me suddenly, acutely aware of how disheveled I must have looked.

Her fingers brushed against my cheek, sending a sharp sting of pain radiating through my face. "Ouch… ouch…" I winced, the words escaping me without thought.

Aisha pulled back with a frown. "Hold still, idiot. I'll heal you.." she said, her tone soft but commanding. Without waiting for my reply, she rested one hand on my shoulder while hovering her right palm above my face. A faint golden glow began to radiate from her hand as she chanted softly, the melodic rhythm of her 「Heal」 spell filling the air with a sense of calm.

Slowly, the pain fades away, replaced by a soothing warmth that spread through my body. Bruises faded, cuts closed, and the stiffness in my muscles melted away. Within moments, I felt energized already.

"Thanks… Aisha." I murmured, standing up carefully and brushing the dirt off my uniform. Aisha rose with me, her ponytail waying slightly as she adjusted her staff, now slung over her shoulder.

She crossed her arms, her expression shifting into one of mock annoyance. "Care to explain why you're sitting here, looking like a bum on a tavern? I leave you alone for five minutes to grab my books from the locker, and when I come back, you're a complete mess."

I hesitated, glancing away. My first instinct was to brush it off, but lying to Aisha was pointless. She always had a way of seeing right through me. I let out a sigh, the words tumbling out reluctantly. "It was Raphael and his lackeys…"

Her brow furrowed, and she leaned forward slightly. "Let me guess—you let them provoke you again?" she said with an exasperated sigh, shaking her head. "How many times do I have to tell you that fighting with them won't solve anything?"

"I know!" I said quickly, my voice tinged with frustration. "But this time… they weren't just mocking me. They started saying horrible things about you. They called you names, said nasty things, and I just—" My hands clenched into fists at the memory. "I couldn't take it. I hit Raphael in the head with my wooden sword, and… well, then his lackeys ganged up on me with their magic."

Aisha's expression softened, her mock-serious tone giving way to something more tender. She sighed, her lips curving into a faint, bittersweet smile. "You're hopeless.." she said softly, shaking her head. "Always jumping headfirst into trouble."

I opened my mouth to respond, but she interrupted, stepping closer and resting a hand lightly on my arm. "I get it!" she said, her voice quieter now. "But you can't just throw yourself into fights like that. Do you have any idea what could happen if you went too far? If Raphael's family wanted to, they could have you expelled—or worse.."

I lowered my gaze, her words hitting me like a bucket of cold water. She was right, of course. No matter how justified my anger felt, standing up to nobles like Raphael came with consequences I couldn't afford to face. But still… the thought of standing by and letting them insult Aisha made my stomach churn.

"I just… I couldn't stand it." I muttered. "You're the only person who's ever been kind to me here. I couldn't let them get away with saying things like that about you."

For a moment, there was silence between us. Then, Aisha let out a quiet sigh and smiled—a genuine, warm smile that made my chest tighten. "You're an idiot.." she said, shaking her head. "But thanks."

The soft rustling of leaves filled the air as a gentle breeze swept through the courtyard. Aisha's ponytail swayed as she turned to face me fully, her eyes filled with a rare mix of gratitude and vulnerability.

"Come on!" she said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards the dormitory. "Let's get you cleaned up properly. You're lucky I found you before you decided to sit out here sulking until sunset."

"I wasn't sulking!" I protested, though a small laugh escaped me.

She glanced over her shoulder with a teasing grin. "Sure you weren't!"

I suddenly felt a sharp flick to my forehead. Looking up, I saw Aisha standing over me with a frustrated expression. "C'mon, what are you zoning out about? We should move."

"Oh—sorry..." I muttered, slowly rising to my feet, careful not to bump my head against the low ceiling of the tunnel. I noticed that Aisha's face looked even more exhausted, her breathing labored and uneven. The light from her staff flickered weakly. "Hey, Aisha, are you really okay? You can take a break from your magic too. I'll just use the torchstick."

She glanced at me, her breath shallow as she tried to steady herself. "Alright..." she agreed, her voice tinged with hesitation. The Light spell from her staff vanished, plunging us into darkness. I fumbled for the small torchstick strapped to my waist.

This tiny magic item, only slightly longer than a stick of dynamite, fit comfortably at my belt Unlike a regular torch, it glowed brightly, though not as intensely as Aisha's Light spell. And if needed, it could be turned into an explosive with the right amount of Fire Magic.

I lit the torchstick, feeling a brief surge of warmth in my right hand, now fully healed. The fire crackled softly, its light casting long shadows around us. We crouched low as we made our way through the tunnel, with Aisha trailing behind me. When I popped my head out of the tunnel, I carefully waved the torchstick around, scanning the surroundings. There was nothing—just an endless stretch of pitch-black cavern, the air growing colder.

We pressed on, the terrain becoming more treacherous, filled with uneven ground and obstacles. Then, we stumbled upon the entrance to what appeared to be ruins. The stone bricks, covered in moss, matched those from the first floor of the dungeon. Suddenly, the stones above the entrance collapsed with a thunderous crash, blocking the way inside. The ground trembled beneath our feet.

"This is bad. Monsters might come because of that noise," I warned.

"Then we should keep going before they even have a chance to—" Aisha's words were cut off by a scream as something leapt onto her back. I couldn't help but yell in surprise at the sight of a goblin clinging to her, brandishing a knife.

The goblin snarled, its jagged teeth gleaming in the torchlight as it slashed at Aisha's shoulders. She struggled, panicked, gasping for air as it dug its claws into her. Without thinking, I sprang into action.

"Hang on, Aisha!" I shouted, dropping the torchstick and charging forward.

The goblin hissed as I grabbed its arm, twisting it violently before throwing it to the ground with all my strength. The knife clattered, and the creature screeched, kicking and twisting. I drew my dagger, lunging to drive it into the goblin's chest. The beast let out a final, guttural cry before going still.

I stood over it, panting, the metallic scent of blood thick in the air. "Aisha! Are you okay?" I called out, turning to her.

She was leaning against the cavern wall, clutching her shoulder where the goblin's claws had torn through her robes, but her chainmail had protected her. Aisha's face was pale, and she winced as she tried to sit up straighter. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she said, her voice shaky but resolute. "It just caught me off guard. My shoulder hurts, but the armor stopped it from doing too much damage."

I sighed in relief, the tension leaving my body. "Good... That was too close." I picked up the torchstick from the ground and lit it again, casting light on our surroundings. "We really need to keep moving... Other monsters might be heading our way."

We hurried into a passage to our left, unsure where it would take us, but driven by the urgency of the situation. The terrain grew more difficult, but we pressed on, our steps echoing in the vast, empty space. We journeyed for what felt like hours, the torchstick flickering lower with each passing minute. Aisha, her energy waning, suggested she use her spell again.

Before casting it, she pulled out a small vial from her pack, drinking the purple liquid inside with a practiced grace. She wiped her lips with her finger, and for a moment, I couldn't help but stare. She caught me looking and raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking at me like that for?"

I flushed, embarrassed, and quickly looked away. "Nothing..." I muttered, taking the lead again.

We continued our trek, the faint light and smoke from a distant source growing more visible. As we made our way closer, we finally arrived at the edge of a vast cavern. It stretched downward, the terrain scattered with sharp stalagmites, making it difficult to navigate. In the distance, smoke curled into the air from a small fire.

"Do you think that's from fellow adventurers?" I whispered, eyes fixed on the flickering glow.

"It might be. Let's go check it out.." Aisha replied, her voice wary, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling gnawing at me. "Though I have a bad feeling about this. Something isn't right..." she muttered, glancing up at the stalactites above.

I tightened my grip on my sword, my senses heightened. The faint light and smoke ahead could be a sign of safety—maybe a camp of other adventurers. But deep down, I shared Aisha's unease. The cavern was unnervingly silent, with no sounds of wildlife or distant roars—just the unsettling echo of our footsteps.

We moved slowly, hugging the sides of a large stalagmite as the terrain became even more treacherous. We climbed up steep slopes, then descended again, the sound of pebbles tumbling down echoing in the stillness. Between the clatter of rocks and our ragged breaths, the silence grew even more oppressive.

"Do you need water?" I asked, turning to Aisha. I offered her my flask, though it was already half-empty.

"Sure... thanks." she replied, taking it from me. We both leaned against the stalagmite to rest for a moment, our bodies drained from the journey.

Aisha took a long sip, wiping her lips with her thumb before sighing deeply. "How long have we been walking?" she asked, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

"I... I'm not sure." I said, pulling out my mechanical watch. The hands spun erratically, an odd behavior that always happened when we were deep inside a dungeon. "My watch doesn't function correctly here, but it feels like it's been less than an hour." I added, hoping my three years of adventuring experience could help me gauge the time.

Aisha exhaled softly, her gaze distant as she stared at the flask in her hands. "It's unsettling.." she muttered. "The longer we're in here, the more it feels like we're just going in circles."

Reluctantly, we decided to press on. Not long after, we were attacked by a swarm of large bats. Their claws were sharp, but with Aisha's Light magic, we quickly dealt with them. I stayed close to Aisha, making sure to shield her whenever they got too near. Despite our quick success, the toll of the journey was starting to show. Aisha was panting heavily after every spell, clearly exhausted from maintaining the magic.

I gently patted her shoulder, "Drink some potions, I'll light the way."

She nodded weakly, her eyes heavy with fatigue.

"I've got a couple of torchsticks left, so we'll be fine."

We continued on, heading toward the source of the smoke. Soon enough, we were ambushed by a group of goblins. I took care of most of them, but there were so many that I had to rely on Aisha's「Haste」 spell to keep us moving quickly. Even so, it was clear her exhaustion was catching up with her.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, we finally arrived at the source of the smoke. A small fire flickered weakly in a circle of rocks. Surrounding it were the remnants of what looked like an adventurer's camp—three tents, ragged bedrolls, empty packs, and scattered tools. There was no sign of life. Five barrels stood nearby, two of them empty, one of them was on the ground, smashed, and the rest sealed tightly.

I knelt down, noticing something strange just outside the light of my torchstick. Blood.. It was faint, but scattered across the camp floor.

I stood slowly, gripping my sword tightly as I surveyed the area, my gaze shifting from the blood to the rest of the camp. The air felt heavy, thick with a metallic scent that I could now smell clearly. Aisha stood behind me, her voice low, "Something's not right.."

I nodded, my throat tight. The silence pressed in on us, amplifying every small sound we made. My instincts screamed at me to stay alert. I turn my head in every direction and I see nothing yet every part of me felt like we were being watched, but by what—or who—I couldn't tell..