It was really against Kyoko's better judgment that she was here right now, but Itsumi had managed to offer a good argument in favor of her coming. Afterall, minstrels were widely considered reliable sources of information and gossip. They were the in between. The bridge between nobles and common folk. An ill-intentioned minstrel could do all sorts of harm to a governing body should they chose to

Then there was the connection between them. One that had been exposed during the trial in a very public way. People would naturally flock to him for inside information assuming that, because he seemed to know the Accursed's wife, he knew the details of the political turmoil occurring in Mosall. Thus, speaking to him about the city's gossip was vital to turning public opinion. Because this man was an idiot and who knew what sorts of idiotic things were coming out of his mouth. But this could have a positive effect, and the goddess knew she wanted to do something of significance.

Sho Fuwa looked like he was doing well for himself. The bastard. He was probably reveling in the attention he'd no doubt been getting. Who didn't love the arrogant hero risking life and reputation to stand up against the evil captured and cripple enemy chained to the stage? Women just swooned for that heroic nonsense.

He'd been rewarded for his bad behavior with what looked like a top-quality harp and lute set, likely trimmed with real gold rather than the fake paint he used to use. His honey blond hair was shorter and spiked to the side, allowing for more of his unfortunately handsome face to poison the scenery around them. His attire bore the trademark loud colors and jewelry of a minstrel, though his were somehow darker, edgier. The fool always cared too much about acting cool.

"I thought I'd cut off this pustule back at the trial," muttered Kyoko. "Now I'm here of my own free will, subjecting myself to the same air he's breathing." Which, ew. She placed a hand over her nose to block the smell.

Sho sneered in response, legs crossed and resting on the table between them. "I don't have to be subjected to this. You invited me here, Kyoko. You came to beg me for help. Not the other way around."

As if she'd ever beg him for anything ever again. "You're lucky we haven't arrested your ass for the shit you've been spreading around the city."

"Is that what you call the truth now?"

"Like you ever cared about truth!"

Sho's feet fell with a dull thud as he rose. "Look here you sleazy witch-!"

Kanae moved from her spot in the corner, stepped forward so suddenly Sho froze. He regarded her and the other guard. He was in enemy territory here. Though he had refused to come to Itsumi's private study, he'd agreed to come to one of the City Hall's conference rooms. While not as deep within the building, it was still government property and thus subject to Itsumi's control.

"Is that what this is?" he said, gesturing to the honor guard. "Going to throw me in jail? Get rid of your opposition like you did with your father, Duchess?"

Itsumi, who had been sitting silently during this whole exchange, froze. Eyes focused on the table, she spoke.

"That's what you've been telling the city, isn't it? That I overthrew my father using Kyoko and her husband. That I've sold my soul to a devil and the city will be cursed for following suit? Is this information correct?"

Sho grunted, which was his attempt at answering while trying to sound gruff and cool.

"I thought as much," said Itsumi. "And as a minstrel, people listen more closely to your words than they do most others. Maybe more than anyone else. Which means, Kyoko," Itsumi turned her eyes to Kyoko. "We shouldn't be trying to antagonize him."

Kyoko knew this. She'd been reminded of this no less than five times on just the walk over here. Yet it still hadn't been enough to calm her trained response of irrational anger when faced with this moron's condescending sneer. There were just some things in life one didn't get over, even after publicly denouncing their connection.

"I get it," grumbled Kyoko. She'd be better. She already felt nauseous just from that short episode of anger. Better not to rile herself up too more lest she have a spell of weakness in front of this man.

Sho's expression lit up. "Oh! Now this is a surprise. The devil's whore is listening to the Duchess. You're more of a dog than I realized."

Kyoko slammed her hands on the table, calm flown out the window as she shoved her face into his.

"Everything that comes out of your mouth is just a flow of garbage! How does your breath not stink of shit?"

"Seeing as you've voluntarily come closer, it looks like you enjoy the smell of it."

She heard a long loud sigh, only to hear it echoed by Sho's manager, the busty female Kyoko had met like, a week or two prior when she'd learned that Sho was working as a musical therapist to help rot victim. Sozen had tried to kill her right after that.

"Is this what they're always like?" said Itsumi. "I wouldn't have brought her if I had thought it was this bad. I just thought the trial was a special circumstance."

"Can't say I've ever seen them interact before," said Kanae. "Though, judging just by how Kyoko talks about him you should have considered this sort of response."

"You talk about me, do you?" said Sho, tilting his jaw upward to look down on her. "Still hung up on me. Why am I not surprised?"

He was goading her. It was what they did. Poked at each other with hot sticks until one of them threw theirs away and tackled the other. Even if she knew this, resisting the urge to rise to his taunts was impossible. She just couldn't stand the idea of him besting her in any way, verbally or otherwise.

Her hang-up on Sho would never go away. She'd leave his presence, live with people who loved her, but she couldn't completely erase his influence from her heart. When she loved, she loved with all her heart. Which meant the opposite was also true.

"Did you not hear a word of what I said back at the trial?" said Kyoko. "My life has nothing to do with you."

"Sure it doesn't," said Sho. "Which is why I'm still so important to you."

"You're not." It hit her then, what she needed to do to get over this hatred. She didn't like what it would include, but it was for her own sake not for his. She needed to get over this.

"Whatever I am now, has nothing to do with you," she said. "You were my life Sho, you shaped a vital part of me, and yet I've grown far beyond that."

Her sudden sincerity threw him off. He hadn't expected it, and neither had she.

"What are you even talking about?" said Sho, sounding defensive. "I was the best part of your life."

She threw him a look. Did he really believe that? "You stole my discovery with the sand grass!"

"Yeah. Because you are a woman. No one would have taken you seriously and you were so fixed on the idea of presenting it together. I had to stop you."

"You can lie to me," said Kyoko. "But don't lie to yourself, it's unbecoming. You were embarrassed at being only an assistant to the woman who had invented a new medicine. Especially since you did nothing but look down on me your whole life. Your ego couldn't take it."

Anger returned to Sho's expression. "You want to talk about ego?" he said. "What about your jealousy? Ha? Your obnoxious simpering and assumption that I'd ever want to marry someone as plain and unappealing as you."

"Jealousy?" Said Kyoko confused. "Sho I never once said anything while you flirted and finagled every woman that looked at you."

He waved her reasonable request aside. "Yeah, I made it so obvious, and you still deluded yourself that I liked you. You were just too dumb to see it."

"Yes, maybe I was too dumb," said Kyoko. "Dumb for never seeing that you never held even a smidgen of affection for me. I was never even a sister to you. You never cared."

Sho looked offended. "What's wrong with your head? What, you wanted me to call you out on all the obnoxious shit you did out of your supposed love for me?"

"Oh yes, because that was so kind of you to allow me to continue pining after you." She shook her head. "You never thought of what was good for me Sho. You never thought of me at all. You just thought of what conclusion would be convenient for you and your ego and assumed it to be true." She let out a mirthless laugh. "I should have figured it out when you couldn't even comfort me after dad died."

She remembered the first few days. Crying her eyes and voice out until both were too swollen to use. Then she'd fall into a fitful sleep only to wake and start the process all over again. For about five minutes each day, Sho would stand in the room with a blank look on his face, as if he couldn't comprehend why she was crying. It didn't help that the one time she'd seen her mother, the woman had slapped Kyoko for "thinking she had the right to cry over the man."

That sentence now had a very different meaning now that she knew her real relation to her father.

Sho spluttered, for the first time looking flustered. "T-that was- what was I supposed to do? You can't just expect me to magically read your mind and figure out what to do?"

She eyed him with resentment and pity. "Really? What about a hug? Or a handkerchief? Or telling me, 'Everything is going to be okay, I'm here?' I've seen you give those very same empty platitudes to other women and yet you couldn't even spare the effort for those on me."

"I didn't-" Sho clamped his mouth shut, some sort of war occurring within as his eyes flickered between her own.

Out of all the things she'd shot at him, she didn't expect him to calm up over this. But for probably the first time ever, her feelings were registering in his swollen head.

"Does it matter?" said Sho eventually, folding his arms over his chest as he blew out a puff of air. "You stopped crying like, a few days after that."

Kyoko grimaced. "Wrong again, Sho. I didn't."

His eyes widened.

"But-"

"I just went somewhere you wouldn't see me cry," said Kyoko. "Because I knew my crying made you uncomfortable. I was being considerate of your feelings."

And that's how she had first met Ren at the hot springs, supposing him a fairy and listening to the story of the Crystal Aster. Even knowing that story was a fictitious lie made up by Ren on the spot, it still brought her comfort. A comfort she wore around her neck every day.

She subtly touched the necklace, smiling to herself. It was crazy how connected their lives had been. How many things had fallen together to bring her where she was today.

She drew a deep breath, wincing when the marks stretched across her chest. Dang, everything was starting to ache. She did her best not to wobble as she sat back down.

"Sorry Itsumi," said Kyoko, feeling drained. "I'll try to be a little more civil, though I can't promise much with this dung beetle."

"Oh no, you don't get to play the high ground now, Kyoko," said Sho. "What do you mean you went somewhere else to cry?"

She frowned at him. "Exactly that."

"Then what was up with that ugly smile?"

"None of your business. Those are my precious memories, not yours. I have no obligation to share them with you."

"Bullcrap. You can't just decide to throw—"

"Fuwa Sho." Itsumi's voice cut through their discussion, her tone bringing it to an immediate halt. "Kyoko Mogami. If you two wish to discuss your past relationship further, there will be a time for that. However, as of this moment, we are here to discuss the business of Sho's spread of false intelligence through the people."

Sho scoffed, settling down in his seat and kicking his feet back onto the table. One of Itsumi's guards twitched at the show of blatant disrespect.

"I only theorize like the rest of the city," said Sho. "You can't arrest me for that."

"We're not here to arrest you," said Itsumi with an air of one talking to a child. "We're here to clarify the disparity between what you say and what is actually happening. Plus, this way you can say you've met personally with the new duchess and gain some credibility. I'm assuming this is ultimately the reason you agreed to meet."

At this, Sho's lady friend came forward. "I was the one that encouraged him to come."

That made a lot of sense. Whether it was for their own political and social gain, or to prevent insulting the new duchess, only the extremely foolish would pass up the opportunity to speak so informally with Itusmi. Yet judging by Sho's attitude, he had wanted to do just that.

"And what propaganda do you want me to spread?" said Sho in a dry tone. "That we should all worship the ground that Accursed walks on? That he's not a demonic creature, but our city's savior from destruction?"

Itsumi's eyes narrowed. Maybe she was finally coming to see Sho the same way Kyoko did. As a stubborn selfish child, impossible to reason with.

"Are you aware of the deeds Cain has done since he came to this city?" said Itsumi.

"Sure." Sho held up a hand, counting on his fingers. "He's taken over the city through force. Killed a half dozen men on the way to take out the outpost, constantly threatens the soldiers and people around him, turned a few other members of the city council into Accursed, murdered Sozen Landerson, the city's true means of aid through this whole rot deal. Oh, and he's manipulated an idiot woman into thinking she is his wife."

Kyoko forced herself to keep quiet even as Sho paused for her to retort. When she didn't, he kept going.

"I've heard he's murdered quite a few other people as well," said Sho. "And that he was the one who started that whole supposed coup that gave you the opportunity to seize control from your father. It was all an act."

Itsumi was slowly shaking her head as Sho spoke, something that did not go unnoticed. He hadn't gotten a reaction from Kyoko, but he had gotten what he wanted from Itsumi.

"What, you deny that he's a volatile maniac?" said Sho. "He demolished part of the city to kill Sozen."

"Sozen was an Accursed," said Itsumi firmly. "One that was working with the Dark Djinn. He wasn't here to help. He was keeping our researchers from finding a solution to the rot. It has only been since Cain killed him that we've finally made headway into curing it. Headway that can be partially attributed to Kyoko finding out the rot isn't a disease, but poison."

That piece of information seemed to catch Sho's attention. He hid it well though, only allowing a twitch of one eyebrow as her eyes flickered over to Kyoko.

"Poison, eh?" he said. "Now that's one I haven't heard before." He ran a hand deliberately through his hair, mussing it in just the right way to make him appear more handsome and thoughtful. His obvious posturing made Kyoko roll her eyes.

"What else ya got?" said Sho. "I'm curious how you've chosen to weave this story."

Wisely, Itsumi didn't rise to his bait. She instead pulled out the declaration she published, going over parts of it after first confirmation that Sho had read it in its entirety. To Kyoko's surprise, he had. He also had no problem poking holes in it. She would have been impressed with his ability to twist facts to suit his own dialog if it wasn't so damaging to their own cause.

Thirty minutes into this and Kyoko had nail marks on her arm from gripping it so hard. The urge to throttle the man with her bare hands was hard to resist. But resist she did, since Itsumi had managed to carry a somewhat civil conversation with Sho.

The problem was, this was Sho.

"And you just want us to believe," said Sho. "That this supposed rebel group not only caused the disaster but confessed of their own free will? And that Cain coming forward to help the survivors wasn't just some political scheme cooked up to sway public opinion?"

At this point, Itsumi was frustrated. Her originally calm facade had an edge of hysteria to it. "Is that your answer to everything that happens?" she said. "That it's all part of some big overarching plot to take over the city and blind the populace?"

Sho raised a shoulder as if to say it was obvious.

Itusmi closed her eyes, taking a long breath.

"He's not going to believe anything you say," said Kyoko, finally unable to watch this for any longer. "He's just a liar who is going to use this meeting a further proof of Cain's tyranny."

"I'm starting to see that." Itsumi's eye flashed coldly at the minstrel. "You really have no intention of listening to us, do you?"

"I'm no liar," said Sho. He ignored Kyoko's muttering at that. "But in my experience, governments are full of them."

"I see. You consider yourself a populist then, assuming all forms of government are corrupt and spreading that belief to any who chose to listen to you."

Itsumi stood up suddenly, prompting Kyoko to scramble to her feet as well.

"I don't think we'll find any common ground today," said Itsumi. "I doubt I'd be able to sway your deep-set beliefs with one conversation. Thank you for your time. You've given me a lot to think about."

Without even waiting for Sho to rise, she was already out the door, her guards trailing behind her.

It took a second longer for Kyoko to follow suit, Kanae walking behind her.

"Oi! Wait a second."

Kyoko forced herself to stop, waiting to see what the idiot wanted. He'd dropped the poser exterior, gazing at her with open worry.

"You're sick, right?" he said. "There've been rumors."

"I don't know," said Kyoko, laying her sarcasm on as thickly as she could. "Maybe it's all just a ploy to gain sympathy from the people. Afterall, who doesn't love a good sob story of a brooding man fighting against all odds to save the one he loves?"

Sho stomped his foot. Like a child! Throwing an adult tantrum.

"I'm being serious, Kyoko!" he said.

"And I'm seriously done with this conversation," said Kyoko. "Don't start pretending you care now, Sho. I'm too smart to believe that of you."

She walked out, ignoring his hollering retort. She almost expected him to follow, but his common sense - AKA his manager - likely managed to hold him back.

Kyoko tried to catch up with Itsumi, but the woman was moving too quickly. Kyoko's strength fizzled away, and she stumbled back into Kanae.

"Sorry," muttered Kyoko.

Kanae didn't answer. Instead, she placed a should under Kyoko's armpit, another one winding around her mark-less side to prop her up.

"Duchess," said Kanae sharply.

It caught Itsumi's attention, and the duchess stopped in the hall, waiting patiently for them to catch up.

"Sorry," said Itsumi. "I was just getting so frustrated. All the times I saw him in perform I never thought he'd be so- so-"

"Bullheaded?" offered Kyoko. "Egotistical? Idiotic?"

"Unreasonable!" Itsumi shook her head. "I thought you were exaggerating, though I'm guessing part of it had to do with your presence."

There was no doubt about that. It was as if the closer their proximity to one another, the younger they behaved. She just couldn't help it. He brought out the worst in her.

"At least we know he's part of the problem," said Kyoko. "We can deal with it accordingly."

They shuffled back toward Kyoko's room, reviewing what Sho had said and comparing it to some of the rumors they themselves had either heard or spread. It painted an awful picture of Cain and the Duchess, usurpers trying to slowly take over Ashuron starting with Mosall.

While Kyoko wanted to keep talking about this - especially about what an ass Sho was – her focus and energy started slipping. With each step she was leaning more on Kanae, focusing on her friend's breathing to stay awake.

It was Kanae's sudden comment that snapped Kyoko from her haze of exhaustion.

"—Can't exactly blame him for being cautious of Cain."

"What?" said Kyoko. "How can you say that?"

"Because he doesn't know what we know," said Kanae. "All that he and the rest of the city see is a defected Accursed."

"As well as dozens of witness accounts of the good he's done since coming to this city," said Kyoko.

"The same could have been said about Sozen. It wasn't until he died that the city realized how much damage he had done."

Kyoko stared at her friend. How could she say things like that?

"I get what you're saying," said Itsumi. "They don't know he's the prince. There are more reasons to be suspicious than to trust him."

"But—you're not saying that you don't trust him," said Kyoko.

Itsumi rushed to explain. "Of course not. I'm just saying that from the outsider's point of view, it's not that easy."

"Not to mention his aura." Kanae kept her face down, a tight frown pulling at her features. "I'm still not convinced he's completely safe."

The comment slammed into Kyoko like a physical force. If Kanae wasn't still supporting her, she'd have stopped in her tracks.

"You don't mean that," said Kyoko.

Kanae wouldn't meet her eyes. "You know he doesn't have a perfect hold on his anger. I heard what happened when he first changed and I've seen those flickers of his rage. He's holding it back now, but what happens if he snaps? Or if something happens to you? Can you confidently say he won't hurt anyone if that happens?"

Silence fell among their group. They continued to shuffle along the corridor, the other guards far enough away that they couldn't eavesdrop. Despite the drifting sounds of others within the building, Kyoko felt the silence pressing into her eardrums.

After a moment, Kanae spoke up again. "You have thought about it then."

"Every day," said Kyoko. "I promised him back at the palace that I'd be his light, but I'm terrified it won't be enough. Or that something will happen and…"

She swallowed back her trepidation. This was not a subject she enjoyed thinking about.

"So… what did happen at the palace?" said Itsumi. "I've heard a lot of rumors."

Kyoko was unsure how to answer that. Thankfully, Kanae was there to help.

"Let's keep it at that," said Kanae. "The situation was fairly complicated. You know what you need to."

Itsumi pursed her lips. "On the contrary. As the Duchess, I feel like I'm entitled to the details of what occurred."

"Tough," said Kanae. "If you have a problem with that, take it up with the king. He's the one that decides who gets to know certain secrets."

Hurt flashed in Itsumi's face. She attempted to keep it from her voice, but it was a touch too high. "So even now, you still don't trust me with all the facts."

"That's not it," said Kyoko gently. "It's just… It's hard to explain. It's dangerous to say anything and the king thought it was best that fewer people knew." At least when it came to the phoenix in her essence. "Plus, some things are just hard to talk about."

Her hand drifted to her shoulder, gently pressing on the marks hidden beneath her shawl.

"Okay then," said Itsumi slowly. "I think I get it. Fine. It's just… now you've worried me. Should we be worried about Cain then?"

"Only if something happens to Kyoko," said Kanae. "Then we should be very worried."

Itsumi swallowed a few times before speaking. "Alright then. Well, thank you for being honest with that at least. I guess… I just assumed Cain was immune to the dark magic or something since he was the prince but, I guess that was naive of me."

"Yes, it was," said Kanae.

They didn't say another word until they reached Kyoko's room. While Kanae helped Kyoko into her bed, Dorr, who had been on watch over Kyoko's room, spoke quietly to Itsumi. He handed her a letter, one she read quickly.

"What is it?" said Kanae.

In answer, Itsumi handed the letter to Kyoko, who took it with interest. She scanned it quickly, her heart lightening with each sentence.

"There were others as well," said Dorr. "But we promised to pass along their messages. A few decided to wait outside your office, Duchess."

"You did check that letter for curses, yes?" said Kanae.

"Of course!"

"What is it about anyway?"

"It's from one of the people Cain and I traveled with on the way to Mosall," said Kyoko. It was written by that woman she'd tried to help with her pack. "In fact, there are several signatures from other members of that party as well. They're thanking Cain and me for staying with them after all the other mercenaries abandoned us as well as retrieving their money. Then they apologized for judging us and—" Kyoko gave a squeak of delight. "They say they believe us. They're supporting us and doing their best to spread our support."

Kyoko hugged the letter to her chest, eyes swimming with relieved tears. "It worked Itsumi. Your letters gave them the push they needed. They've sent a representative to your office to see what they can to do help."

Itsumi clapped her hands in delight. "You mean it worked?"

"Yeah. It seems like it did."

Forgetting about her status, Itsumi hopped around the room in delight, pumping her fist and laughing. Kyoko herself felt lightheaded with relief. It hadn't been for nothing. Even with Sho spreading horrible rumors and being an idiot, the message had managed to reach some of the people.

The three other guards were smiling openly as well, several of them watching in amusement Itsumi's display of happiness. Dorr handed Kyoko three more letters.

"A few more addressed directly to you or Cain," he said. "The rest are for The Duchess."

"Wait, you said there are people waiting for me?" said Itsumi. "What am I still doing here? Let's go."

She flew out of the room like a whirlwind, taking her guards with her. The door closed, leaving Kyoko and Kanae alone with the letters. This was so incredible. With each one Kyoko read, she felt like a ton of weights were being taken off her chest.

"I can't believe we managed to change opinion this quickly," said Kyoko. "This one says he was always wary of the rumors about Cain. Said they were exaggerated and didn't match the stories his son brought home. He's a soldier and worked directly under Cain for a day. Then this one is mad at those that resisted, saying he can't support them after they accidentally killed those kids so he's trusting us. Still at arm's length, but that's still progress. Oh, and this one says he saw Cain bring me into the clinic. Apparently, he thinks it's sweet how much he cares for me, even if Cain is a little scary."

"That's great," said Kanae, though she didn't sound happy.

"It is great," emphasized Kyoko. "What? You don't think it is?"

"No, I do. It's just—" she grimaced, settling into the seat next to Kyoko's bed. At this point, it could be called Kanae's chair, though Hikaru took up the post almost as often as she did. Kanae's long hair was braided in a thick long strand today, swinging behind the chair rest. The wrap around her shoulders hung on one side, almost hiding the daggers strapped to her side. She always managed to straddle that line between beautiful and dangerous both with her figure and her gaze. Those gray eyes now focused on Kyoko, powerful even as they hesitated.

"Never mind," said Kanae. "Maybe I'm just worrying too much."

Kyoko managed a smile. "Yeah, well, we have a lot to worry about. Which is why it's so important to celebrate the good news when we get it."

"I guess. But I'm now ordering you to sleep. Don't think I can't see you struggling to stay awake."

"Just after this last letter, then I promise to rest."

Not even the deep feeling of weariness could take this energy from Kyoko. Her good mood supported her for several more minutes until she relented to her exhaustion.

Time was a strange thing. Without the sun to dictate the natural passage of it, everything bled into one long monotonous moment. It hadn't even been eight hours since they'd entered the caves, and yet Hiroaki was already more than ready to leave. The problem was that they hadn't found what they had set out to discover.

Hiroaki scrambled over the latest rubble caused by a small cave-in, using the hand of a guard to assist over the more difficult parts.

"How much further do we have to go?" said Murasame. The guard was at the head of the small group of five, leading with a soft blue light floating above his head.

"N-no idea," panted Hiroaki. "My sensors haven't picked up anything substantial since the last time I checked."

They had passed the first chamber hours ago. They'd walked through a few more since then, the roots steadily getting bigger, and thus more rotten. At least it told them they were going in the right direction.

Murasame growled in annoyance, continuing his trudge through the caves. His frustration was understandable. While the group had shrunk and stockpiled on all the tincture's they could get, their supply was limited. They'd soon reach a point where they'd have to go back just for safety's sake. And if it came to that, they'd be coming back empty-handed.

It's for Ashuron, Hiroaki said to himself. For Rosa. For Kyoko. I have to find the center of the tree and learn how it keeps the rot at bay.

It would have been simple had the chambers not changed so completely. Due to an abundance of resources found so close to the cave's entrance, the city hadn't seen the need to send cartographers in the caves since the maps were first made. As a result, nature and time had damaged parts of the tunnels, forcing Hiroaki's team to reroute several times until they found themselves in literally uncharted territory. They might have resorted to just blasting through and creating their own path, except they were afraid to accidentally break through healthy roots in the process. That, or cause the caves to come down on top of them.

He saw Murasame stop up ahead. Coming to his side, Hiroaki couldn't help giving a loud squeak.

They'd come to a tall drop-off. Loose rubble and sharp looking rocks cascaded down a sharp incline, promising disaster to anyone that attempted to scale it. While this wasn't the first drop they'd come across, it was the largest. He couldn't see the bottom. The drop extended into inky impenetrable darkness.

"See that?" said their guide. He pointed above them. "A large portion of the ceiling must have fallen within the last hundred years and created this drop. You can see where it was stuck in the ceiling at some point."

Hiroaki did see, even if he didn't want to. He also didn't want to watch as their guide leaned over the edge, throwing down a handful of light spells to see the bottom. They caused shadows to dance and flare out across the walls, the sinister shapes playing games with Hiroaki's imagination. Eventually, the sparks reached the bottom, a distance far too great for Hiroaki's liking.

"I see another tunnel," said Murasame, squinting at the bottom. "It's not blocked, thank the light."

The guide consulted his map, giving several firm nods. "I think that—yes! That should reconnect us back to our original course."

"About freaking time." Murasame glanced as his pocket watch. "Hey, Mage. Do we have time to get down there safely and get back before these tinctures run out?"

"Oh um." Hiroaki fumbled with his bag, trying hard to ignore the enormous drop before them. "Er, sort of. Maybe not. We've got about another hour before we need to turn back."

And that was already cutting it close. It would require them to retrace their steps through the caves at the same pace they'd entered. No stops. No mistakes. No accidental spills they'd been lucky enough to avoid so far. Time dulled the senses, and Hiroaki knew his own were becoming putty after so many hours of monotonous walking and cave exploring. They'd be slower on the way back.

"We can make it," said the guide. "If that entrance is what I think it is, we should be about twenty minutes from the center. We're almost there."

That didn't give Hiroaki much time to analyze the core or get samples. Despite this, a flare of hope made him straighten. They were almost there.

The group quickly went to work setting up a few safeguards, using an assortment of ropes, harnesses, and spells to scale the treacherous path. It was mostly for Hiroaki's sake. The men could make it down themselves with a few spells used to stabilize their footholds. Murasame especially jumped easily around the rubble like a desert hare. He made it to the bottom, helping from there to escort Hiroaki down.

"Just like that. Yes. Next foothold is just to your right."

Despite the safety of the harness and spells wrapped around him, sweat plastered Hiroaki's vest to his back as he carefully made his way down. He'd never been the adventurous type. This experience was dancing on the threshold of his sanity. Despite getting closer with every step, he felt as if the bottom was miles away.

A soft ding caught his attention. Clear and sweet as if someone had struck a bell.

Hiroaki pulled to a stop. That was a very strange sound to hear in the middle of a cave. Had he imagined it? He waited a few moments, straining his ears for the sound.

"Hey, don't stop now," called up one of the guards. "Do you need a hand?"

"No, I'm fine."

He must have imagined it.

Hiroaki continued his trek, making it a few more footholds.

A loud trill pulled him up short. It was different from the sweet bell he'd heard before. This one was loud and shrill, echoing against the cave walls and within his head. It continued again and again, like wind chimes being violently knocked about in a dust storm.

One of the guards swore. "The hell is that?"

Hiroaki never got to reply. The next second, the spell he was using to balance on the rocks slipped. Or to be more accurate, the rocks under which it had been attached to, shifted.

Panic flared through him. Hiroaki cried out, scrambling to find his balance among the loose rubble and steep drop. But every time he placed his foot down, the rock beneath him slipped away.

He heard the other men shouting. Murasame was swearing so loudly that it could be heard over the sound of the bells. Hiroaki felt a spell grab him around the middle. It lifted him up, stopping him from falling the rest of the fifteen-foot drop of death.

For a moment he was suspended. He was saved.

Then the spell disappeared.

Warm moist air rushed up to meet him as he opened his mouth and screamed. He saw streaks of red, heard a loud snarl, saw the rubble shift and break beneath him as he fell through the cracks. His shoulder struck a rock and he flipped, his head cracking on something hard.

Then everything went dark.

Thanks for reading!

Kyaa! All the things are about to happen. Here we go guys. I hate Sho. I am so excited to get to some of the scenes coming up. ALSO! Oh my gosh! I got some lovely fan art by Fadhila_ines. You can check it out on their Instagram. One is from TPC and another is from my first Fanfic. I'm so blown away by them aldfkajs dlfkkghalksdfhlkh! Can't properly keyboard my love for them.

Chapter updates are now sporadic. Yay for baby!

Update on life: Long story short, I had some very intense back pain last month. Whoooo! But I think we finally got it under control. It's better than it's been in a long time. I've taken lots of measures to make it that way.

Thank you all for your love and support! Like, seriously, you guys are the freaking best readers ever (As one of you pointed out, y'all are very experienced in patience. Stupid long skip beat updates.) I send all my hugs your way!

-Blushweaver.

You guys really are awesome for being so understanding and excited for Blushweaver. Don't worry, she won't abandon you, but as she said, updates may be sporadic as BB (Baby Blushweaver) gets closer to coming. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

-Imouto