Previously:

"Hmph." He smirked, leaning in closer. "For someone so intelligent, you're very naïve, aren't you?" the prince whispered in her ear, making her blush.

"W-W-What's that supposed to mean…!?" she asked, clamping a hand over her ear as she shot across to the other side of the room in an attempt to put a safer distance between them. She could feel her cheeks and ears burning. Kouen simply continued to smirk as he turned to leave.

"It means… you should be more careful…"

Once he was gone, Hope released a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding.

'Uwah… That guy's really bad for the heart…!' She thought as a bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side of her cheek, chagrined. 'Why does he have to get such a kick out of messing with me…?'

Chapter 8: Dungeon Diving

"W-Wait!" Hope called out, stopping him. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you… How much do you know about the Djinns and about King Solomon's world?"

"… You want to know more about the world of King Solomon?" said Kouen as he turned back around to face her, a bit surprised. Her sole focus so far when it came to gathering knowledge had been on the workings of this world's natural laws, geography, and the political climate... This was her first time asking about something that wasn't directly related to what she thought she needed to find her sister.

"Yes. The other day, it occurred to me that the Djinn in that dungeon, Ipos, had talked like he knew about it from firsthand experience, which means he must have been there at some point… So the question is, how did the Djinns come to be in this world? The sensation I felt passing through that portal at the dungeon's entrance felt just like whatever brought me and my sister here, so if I can figure out how the Djinns were able to get from one world to another, then maybe I can figure out how we can return to ours!" she explained excitedly. Kouen was intrigued. But he wasn't about to give such prized information away for nothing.

"And what will you give me in return?"

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"I want to know what the medicine you take in the morning is for." Kouen watched as her smile fell, and she immediately shut down, adopting an unreadable expression.

"I don't want to talk about that. It's too personal." She said stiffly, clenching her fists. "You don't need to worry. It's nothing contagious, so you and your men aren't in any danger."

"I thought you wanted to know about Solomon's world."

"I do. Please, tell me." She said anxiously. "I need to know."

"Not until you tell me what I want to know." Kouen stated firmly, refusing to budge.

"I can't—and I can't stay here!" she said louder, starting to get agitated.

"Why not?"

"Because I'll die!" Hope snapped. Kouen stared at her in astonishment as her eyes widened the moment she realized the words had left her mouth.

"… What do you mean by that?" he asked, furrowing his brow as he narrowed his eyes slightly. Hope averted her eyes for a moment and bit her lip, looking extremely troubled. Kouen waited patiently for her to answer.

"I… It has to do with the medicine I take in the morning…" she said after a long silence, deciding she might as well tell him now that she had let the cat out of the bag.

"Is it a terminal illness?" he asked with a frown.

"In a manner of speaking…" she replied, shifting nervously as she took a seat. "It's an illness that can never be completely cured. The best my doctors can do is help me treat the symptoms." Squeezed her hands tightly until her knuckles were white and raised her head to meet his eyes. "It's a mental illness, but I'm not crazy. What I have is condition called 'bipolar disorder'. Bipolar disorder, which is also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. The symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They're different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time. Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even… even suicide…" Hope's hands started trembling, and she had to take a deep breath to calm herself. "But like I said, bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives. And that's what I've been trying to do. The medicines I take help keep me stable, but without them…" she looked down again and blinked, trying to stop the tears that had begun to form in her eyes, but she couldn't. She couldn't stop the tears, and she couldn't stop talking. The levee had broken, and now she had been holding back everything came gushing out. "Without them… it eventually becomes so painful, both mentally and physically, that I can't stop… I can't stop having suicidal thoughts. And I'm terrified that I'll give in… Because our mother had it too, and she…" Kouen watched as hot tears of fear, frustration and pain streamed down her flushed cheeks. "I just don't want to end up like her…! I don't want Faith to have to go through that again—especially not alone!! Not when we have the same face! I—"

"That's enough." Kouen said in a quiet but firm voice. Hope sniffed and did her best to wipe away her tears as he approached her. Her face was hot and red. She felt embarrassed for breaking down in front of someone she barely knew like that.

"I'm sorry…" she apologized nervously, wondering what he must think of her now. But Kouen's opinion of her had not lessened.

"Don't apologize." He told her. "How long do you have?"

"I only have about three weeks' worth left in the bottle… but I think I can hold on for year longer if I have to…" she said, taking a few minutes to think it over. That was how long she had been able to withstand it before finally deciding to get help because she had become too much of a danger to herself, back when her symptoms first started to appear. "… I won't kill myself. I won't, because I made a promise to Faith... And to myself." she reminded herself firmly. "So... I'm sorry for panicking like that…"

"I told you not to apologize." Kouen reminded her. "But very well, a deal is a deal. I'll share what I know about the world of King Solomon with you."

Hope listened carefully while he told her of the information he had gleaned by studying artifacts found in the dungeons and remnants from the Torran nation. He explained his theories on his findings and the different ways that they could be interpreted, and sometimes she would chime in with theories of her own about parallel universes, alternate dimensions, and how she thought some of the things he described could be explained scientifically. They both became so involved in the discussion that before they knew it, an hour had passed, and Hope had fallen asleep. Upon realizing this, Kouen decided to pick her up and put her to bed. As he lay her down and brushed away stray lock of ginger hair, his hand lingered upon her soft face, and he found that he didn't want Hope to leave… He wanted to keep her.

"History states that the first reported sighting was fourteen years ago. Suddenly, they appeared from the depths of the ocean a huge and mysterious building. This would be the very first 'dungeon'! The strange edifice appeared heralding in an unknown culture and never before seen architecture. The mystery couldn't be destroyed… and there was only one entrance into it. From that entrance, a mysterious light beckoned the outdoors. Many people feared this tower, but within the masses there were some who took delight in the dungeon. And they were the scientists! Before long, there was a line of researchers who wanted to investigate the phenomenon, their numbers easily in the thousands. Eventually, emperors and soldiers alike couldn't restrain their curiosity, and threw their greatest talents into the excavation. The expectations of the people were rising!! However… two thousand researchers and a myriad of soldiers all met their end during their explorations… Not a single person returned alive to tell the tale of the dungeon!! Before long, people had started calling it the 'hole of death'… Just as people were giving up hope, and there didn't seem to be a person willing to stand up to this mystery… something happened. The door to the dungeon opened… and something appeared… radiant treasures being carried by a blue giant!! Leading the way was a young man!! And that's the story of how one guy managed to clear the first dungeon." Alibaba explained proudly while he, Faith, and Aladdin were getting ready the next morning. "And guess what, that boy went on to become king! Isn't that awesome? He's totally my hero!!"

"So, we're going to that first dungeon, then?" asked Aladdin as they stepped outside into the morning light to start their journey.

"Uh, wouldn't it be been cleaned out after fourteen years…?" said Faith dubiously.

"No, well, the three of us are going to a different dungeon." Replied Alibaba. "Different?"

"Yep. Apparently, when a dungeon has been completely cleared out by someone, it disappears." Alibaba explained. "So that first dungeon is completely gone… There's not even a sign of it ever having existed. But since then several other dungeons have popped up all around the world… so there's still plenty out there to see!"

"Ooh…" said Aladdin. "That's good! Since there are so many, there's gotta be one that hasn't been cleared!"

"Sounds like we'll have our pick of the litter." Faith agreed.

"That's good, but it's not at the same time." Said Alibaba seriously. "By the way, we're going to one of the dungeons that appeared ten years ago.. but do you really understand what that means?"

"Nope, but I'm sure you'll tell us anyway." She retorted.

"The fact that this dungeon is still around… put another way, means… It's a place that no one has been able to successfully clear. So in ten years, anyone who's gone into that place has either never returned or did so in a casket! It's no laughing matter!" Alibaba said urgently.

"Ha! I laugh in the face of danger! Bwahahaha!" Faith declared boldly, completely unfazed.

"We're talking life an death here…" Aladdin said nervously, suddenly looking very pale and anxious.

"You scared?" Alibaba asked him.

"N-No, I'm going!" said Aladdin.

"For real?" asked Faith.

"It's a dangerous journey!" said Alibaba.

"I don't care!" shouted Aladdin determinedly despite how nervous he looked.

"An adventure of hardship!" yelled Alibaba.

"That doesn't bother me! There's no mountain high enough and no river low enough to discourage me!!" yelled Aladdin.

"I feel a song coming on!" shouted Faith.

"Alrighty! Let's go!!" said Alibaba fiercely. He took one more step forward before stopping and spreading his arms out. "We're here!!" he announced abruptly.

"Whaa?" Aladdin shouted, flinching in shock.

"…" Faith stared up at it in surprise. She and Aladdin did a quick double take between their current location and their starting point. It was literally only ten steps away from Alibaba's house!

"It's so close…!!" Aladdin exclaimed.

"I never said it was far." Alibaba replied calmly.

"You troll…!!" Faith shouted accusingly as she pointed a finger at Alibaba. He got them all worked up for nothing! Not only was it super closer, but aside from the glowing entrance, it reminded her of a friggin' bank. She had been expecting something a lot taller, and a heck of a lot more impressive…

"So, this is the stairway to death, huh…" Alibaba said as he stared at the dungeon with them, trying to look cool.

"… To death?" Aladdin asked.

"Yeah, they say that in ten years nearly one hundred thousand people have climbed these stairs and ended up in the afterlife." Alibaba explained. "Heh, stairs that you walk up and basically never walk down from then, huh? Well, we'll be okay, though!" he said with a laugh. But then, when he stopped to think about it… a bead of nervous sweat slid down the side of his face. '… Right? I will be okay… right? Whoa… Am I sure that everything will be okay…?' Alibaba wondered, suddenly feeling very uneasy. He glanced back at Aladdin and Faith. 'Right, this guy has his mysterious friend with him… and that girl is freakishly strong… It's because I didn't have an ace in the hole that I always decided against going dungeon diving… but then I saw this kid do the impossible right before my eyes… And for a minute, I thought to myself that I could do this… But… am I really going to be okay…?' Aladdin and Faith noticed the way Alibaba was staring at them and how nervous he suddenly looked, and exchanged a glance. Then they both smiled and shot Alibaba a couple of big troll-faced grins.

"!" Alibaba flinched in surprise. "What was that for!?" he demanded as they ran past him, heading straight for the stairs of death.

"C'mon! You can't chicken out on us now!" Faith teased with a grin.

"W-Who are you calling chicken…!?"

"Don't be scared, Alibaba-kun!" said Aladdin. "Things will work out! This isn't the stairway to death… but the path to your dreams!" Alibaba stared up at the younger boy in amazement. And then, he smiled, and raced up the stairs to join them.

"Hell, yeah! Let's go!" he shouted excitedly, taking charge as he passed them up… And then promptly turned around and led them back down.

"Why'd you go back!?" Aladdin and Faith shouted incredulously.

"I didn't say we'd be going now!" retorted Alibaba.

"Well, why not?" asked Faith. "I mean, we're already here."

"Don't be stupid!" Alibaba told her, earning himself a short but very scary glare. "I-I mean, for dungeon diving, being prepared is everything! First let's go and buy some supplies!"

"Aww…" Aladdin said, a little disappointed they weren't going right away.