Chapter 22: A Call For Help

Chapter 22: A Call For Help

Leon turned away.

Mira shifted beside him. Arthur exhaled. Elara let her hands drop to her sides.

The four of them stood side by side. They weren't speaking anymore. They didn't need to.

The Orcs moved. The ground trembled.

Leon inhaled.

Raised his sword.

Then...

An orc appeared right in front of Leon.

Fast. Too fast.

Leon's exhausted body couldn't keep up. His muscles screamed in protest, his reflexes dulled by fatigue. He saw the attack coming—his instincts roared at him to move—but his limbs felt like lead.

His arms lifted, too slow.

Then—

A brutal, crushing fist slammed into his ribs.

Crack.

Leon's eyes went wide.

Agh—!

A searing pain ripped through his chest as the impact lifted him clean off the ground. His breath was stolen from him before he could even cry out. The world blurred, his vision tunneling as his body hurtled backward.

Boom!

His back slammed against the cold dungeon floor. The sheer force of the impact sent tremors through the ground, deep cracks spiderwebbing beneath him. A sharp, agonizing pain exploded through his side.

For a moment, he just lay there. His ears rang. His chest heaved, desperate for air. His fingers twitched, searching for his sword, but he couldn't move. His body refused.

Move… move, damn it…

Then—

Blood.

It bubbled up his throat, spilling from his lips in hot, crimson droplets. He coughed, and more splattered onto the cracked stone beneath him.

His ribs—were they broken?

No. Not just broken. Shattered.

Damn it… this pain… His lungs burned with every shallow breath. Every nerve in his body screamed in protest as he tried—tried—to move. But he couldn't.

Get up…!

And then he heard it.

Footsteps.

Heavy. Unrelenting.

No… no, no, no…

Leon barely forced his eyes open, his vision swimming in and out of focus.

Through the haze of pain, he saw them.

Three more orcs. Emerging from the shadows, moving with impossible speed for their size.

Too fast.

Too quiet.

I should've seen them. I should've—

Before anyone could react—

A jagged blade pressed against Elara's throat.

Arthur's hands froze as another sword hovered just below his chin.

Mira stiffened, a heavy blade resting against the side of her neck.

It happened so fast—so seamlessly—that none of them even felt them coming.

No…!

Elara's breath hitched. Her hands trembled at her sides.

She wasn't a fighter. She couldn't do anything.

Arthur clenched his jaw. His breath came unevenly, his fingers twitching as if itching for his weapon—but he couldn't move. He wouldn't move. Not with a blade so close.

Mira's lips parted slightly, but she didn't speak. Her fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. But she, too, remained still.

The orcs were silent. Their weapons didn't cut, not yet—just pressed into flesh just enough to remind them.

One wrong move and they would die.

This can't be happening…

Leon gritted his teeth. His fingers clawed at the stone floor, his arms shaking violently as he tried to push himself up.

Move. Move, you worthless body!

His ribs—every breath sent a fresh wave of white-hot pain searing through his chest.

I have to get up. I have to save them. They're scared. Elara—Arthur—Mira—

But he had to move.

He had to—

A shadow loomed over him.

Before he could react, a heavy hand gripped the back of his collar.

Leon's breath hitched.

No—!

And then—he was lifted.

A sickening jolt of pain shot through his side as he was hauled upright like a ragdoll. He bit back a scream, his jaw tightening until his teeth threatened to crack. Blood dripped from his lips, trailing down his chin.

The orc holding him didn't even look at him. It simply dragged him forward, forcing him to stumble, his legs barely able to support his weight.

This isn't right. This isn't how it's supposed to go. I'm supposed to protect them. I'm supposed to be the one standing between them and danger. Not this.

"Elara—" His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

Elara's lips trembled. Her wide eyes locked onto him, her body completely still.

Arthur's fists clenched at his sides, his shoulders tense.

Mira's breath was shaky, her gaze darting between them.

They were afraid.

And he had failed them.

His fingers curled into fists. A bitter, metallic taste filled his mouth.

No… no, I won't accept this. I won't let them be taken. Not like this. I promised. I swore I would keep them safe. If I can't do that… if I can't even stand… then what the hell am I?

A failure.

The thought burned into his mind, cruel and unrelenting.

But—no.

No.

I can't give in. I can't let this be the end.

His body was weak. His vision was blurry. But his heart—his will—still burned.

Even if his ribs were shattered. Even if his body screamed in agony. Even if he couldn't stand. He had to fight. He had to move. Because if he didn't—

They would die.

And yet—

The orcs began to move, dragging them toward the darkness.

---

Few Minutes Later...

—Dungeon Entrance—

Seraphina stood before the entrance of the dungeon, her arms crossed as she observed the entrance. The knight guarding the entrance straightened upon seeing her and gave a crisp salute.

"Captain! Is there a reason for your visit?"

She let out a small sigh, brushing back a loose strand of her hair before answering in a composed, authoritative tone.

"Nothing in particular," she said, feigning indifference. "The guild mentioned some unusual activity in this dungeon. I figured I should take a look myself." Her blue eyes flickered toward the knight. "Has anyone entered recently?"

"Yes, Captain," the knight reported. "A party of five entered not long ago."

"Hmm, I see..." Seraphina murmured, tapping her fingers against her arm as she processed the information. Something didn't sit right with her, but she kept her expression neutral.

Then, suddenly—

A figure came sprinting out of the dungeon, panting heavily. His patched leather armor were covered in dirt, his breathing erratic, and his eyes—filled with urgency.

Kael.

Seraphina's eyes widened slightly before she immediately masked her reaction.

Kael stopped in his tracks the moment he saw her, his face shifting from desperation to pure shock. He shouldn't be seeing her here. She shouldn't be here.

Why was she here?

Seraphina quickly schooled her expression, though her heart was unexpectedly lighter upon seeing him in one piece.

"Ka—" She almost called out his name instinctively but caught herself just in time. Right. The knight was watching. She couldn't act like she knew him personally.

She cleared her throat and crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly with a composed, almost indifferent expression.

"Ahem—Are you alright?" she asked, her voice calm and slightly detached.

Kael, understanding the situation, also chose not to act familiar with her. He straightened himself despite his exhaustion and nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine," he said, his tone carefully respectful. "But my party... they're still inside, fighting. They need help, Ma'am. Please—help them."

Seraphina studied him for a moment, as if assessing his sincerity—though she already knew the answer.

"Tch." She clicked her tongue, looking away. "Hahh... How useless can you be, running away while your party is still fighting?" She sighed, shaking her head. "I suppose I have no choice..."

Kael flinched at her words but said nothing. He knew better than to argue with her.

"But first, explain. What exactly happened?" Her voice was sharp, commanding.

Kael took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "We... we fought an A-rank monster and managed to take it down. We were on our way out when we got ambushed—orc raiders, a whole group of them. The others..." He clenched his fists. "They didn't have enough strength left to fight. But they still chose to stay behind. They told me to run and get help." His voice wavered slightly. "Please, ma'am. I beg you—save them. I don't want them to die."

Seraphina's expression remained unreadable, but something in her gaze darkened.

"Which floor are they on?" she finally asked.

"The eleventh floor," Kael answered immediately.

The knight beside her stiffened. "Captain, should I call for reinforcements? If there's a threat deeper inside—"

Seraphina turned to him, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Reinforcements?" she echoed, her tone almost mocking. "Who do you think I am?"

The knight hesitated. "But, Captain—"

"That was not a suggestion." Her gaze turned cold, cutting off any further objections.

The knight swallowed hard and nodded stiffly. "Understood, Captain."

Seraphina exhaled through her nose, already set on her decision.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it," she said to Kael, turning toward the dungeon entrance. Then, without looking back, she added, "You—go to the guild and report this immediately."

Kael hesitated. "B-But I can—"

She shot him a sharp glare.

"Did I stutter?" she said coldly. "This isn't up for discussion. I told you to go to the guild, so go."

Kael clenched his jaw but ultimately nodded.

"...Yes, Ma'am."

Satisfied, Seraphina faced forward, stepping into the darkness of the dungeon without hesitation.

The knight watched her disappear, exchanging a brief glance with Kael, who still stood there.

Kael took one last look at the entrance before turning sharply on his heel, heading toward the guild.

---

(Chapter Ended)