Bell sat in his room. Well, it was more like a jail cell, but he was being treated well. Revis kept her promise, and no torture had come to him.

At least there was no physical torture. He was still messed up from what he did to Cruz. Causing him to get even less sleep than he did before.

He was tired. So very tired, yet when he closed his eyes, all he saw was Cruz lying dead in the snow by his hands. Images of the Night King taunting him as the sound of hammers hitting nails filled his ears.

He couldn't sleep no matter what. He was normally alone, his only visitor being Revis, who was like the sun while he was down here.

She wasn't overly bright or cheery, but it was her presence that could help Bell. He was in a bleak situation with the isolation and lack of sleep, which became all the more terrible when they started torturing people next to his room.

The screams. The begging. The sounds of bones breaking and sadistic laughing were all he could hear. He knew what they were trying to do. They wanted him more mentally broken so that when they would try to recruit him, he would be more susceptible to their propaganda.

But he would endure. Bell would not let what Cruz did be in vain. He would endure whatever they would throw at him and nestle himself into Evilus.

But he still had one problem. He needed to believe what they were saying to trick the gods. He had to believe that he himself would join them and turn his back on his friends so the gods would not sense the lie.

But he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. But for now, he would have to endure.

"No, please, no!" A voice shouted.

Laughing followed and then screams as another poor soul was being tortured right next to his room. Bell huddled in on himself and covered his ears.

"Just endure it. Just endure it." Bell muttered.

The screams got louder, and Bell kept his ears covered. He tried to think of his friends. His family. His pets.

An image of Alfia came to his mind. She had no idea what had happened. By Bell's estimations, she should already be in Hearthome. He'd been down here a while.

How worried would she be when she found out? How heartbroken would she be when she knew of what Bell had to do to maintain a cover? He didn't know, but he wouldn't mind her presence right now.

Her soft touch and comforting voice. The scent of soft roses that hung to her skin. But how come she smelled like roses? They had lived in the snow all his life. No flowers grew there because of the sheer cold.

Was it her shampoo that made her smell like that? Wait, why was he thinking of things like this? He had a mission to do. He didn't need to be thinking about her.

"No! No! Please!"

The sound of a mace cracking someone's head open filled Bell's ears. He held his hands against them tighter, hoping to drown out the sounds.

It didn't work.

"Endure. Just endure. Dig down deep and endure." Bell thought to himself.

So he dug deeper.

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Past

Back on the 18th floor, the expedition waited for Bell's rescue team to return. All of Bell's friends waited with bated breath for them to return.

Met and Silver had been in a depression ever since they heard news of him going missing. Welf was there to comfort the two, and they hadn't left his side since.

Mikoto and Haruhime were keeping themselves busy with chores to take their mind off him being gone. Alicia stayed with Aki as Raul still hadn't woken up.

Although he hadn't gotten any worse so, there was hope for his survival. The poison in Ais's system was causing agony for her body. She coughed up blood on the regular.

Tione and Tiona were off by themselves. Tione was still sad over Finn's death, but she had stopped crying. She just wanted to break something. But with Finn dead, she started looking back on their relationship.

She tried to remember the good times, but none came to mind. All she remembered were nearly dying because Finn led them into danger they weren't ready for. Or him ringing a bell and getting her to do menial tasks.

Why did she fall for someone like that? Why did she still pursue him after he said no? Was it all just a waste of time?

Narvi waited in her tent for Cruz to return. It had been a couple of days, and she wondered if Cruz was alright. No, she knew he was alright. He promised her he would be.

So, the group waited. They waited anxiously for news of Bell's rescue and safe return. They waited for news that Bell was okay, and they could all go home.

They waited for good news that never came.

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Leon sat in his tent, going over the casualty report. He let out a depressed sigh at losing so many. One hundred dead and 85 injured. So much death and misery, and for what? The expedition accomplished nothing but failure.

The flap to Leon's tent opened, and Ottar walked in. Not seeing Bell with him caused Leon's heart to sink, but he held out hope. Just that tiny sliver of hope that Bell was resting in the medical tent.

"Please tell me there's good news." Leon pleaded.

Ottar remained stoic and shook his head. "Evilus got to him before we did. But thanks to Cruz's crafty thinking, he and Lefiya are safe. They only got Bell."

Leon leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What are we gonna tell Alfia? She loves that boy more than anything."

"We tell her the truth and pray for the best. But just know Cruz was also able to plant Bell as a potential spy in Evilus."

Leon quickly sat up and looked at Ottar with wide eyes. "Tell me everything."

Ottar shook his head and looked outside the tent. "I shouldn't say anymore. Not when the walls are paper-thin. We must call a meeting with our gods and discuss what happened."

Leon sunk back into his chair. "Alright, let's have everyone rest for an hour before heading back to the surface. After that, we should call the meeting and then mourn our losses."

Ottar nodded and then exited the tent. Once he was gone, Leon had to hold back his tears.

"I'm sorry, Bell, I'm so sorry."

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Beatrix sat by Delta's side as the wolf girl slept. Her mind kept wandering back to Bell being trapped, alone, and cold, and here she was doing nothing to help.

But she knew he would want her to focus on Delta and everyone else before himself. That was just the kind of person Bell was. It was something she hated about him.

Always acting so selfless, he forgot to care for himself. Why couldn't he just be selfish for once and take care of himself?

Beatrix was snapped out of her thoughts as Delta stirred.

"Mmm, Delta's head hurt,"

"Delta! Thank the gods you're alright!" Beatrix yelled, hugging her vice-captain.

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow!"

"Oh, sorry." Beatrix pulled back while Delta winced.

Delta further opened her eyes and then remembered what happened.

"Where's Bell?!" Delta yelled, sitting up quickly before laying back down as pain shot through her.

Beatrix rested a hand on Delta's shoulder to help comfort her. "Bell got left behind. Evilus got to him before we could."

"You left Bell behind?! Why didn't you go after him?!!" Delta yelled.

"Because we had to get you and everyone else to safety. Some people stayed behind to look for him, but they were too late." Beatrix somberly said, tears brimming her eyes.

Delta's ears dropped while tears spiked forth from Beatrix's eyes. Bell was like the little brother she never had. She had watched that boy grow from a tiny little boy who could barely hold a sword. To a young man whose swordsmanship was better than anyone she had ever seen before.

Now, he was trapped in an Evilus base, all alone, possibly being tortured while she was stuck here, not knowing what to do. It broke her heart imaging what Bell was going through.

"Is Bell gonna be ok?" Delta sadly asked.

"I don't know Delta, I don't know."

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Zeus sat in his cabin by the fireplace, letting it warm him. Morning training was done, and he was expecting Alfia to arrive later today with the stone needed to further fortify this place.

Tap tap

Zeus turned his head to the window and saw two carrier pigeons carrying letters. He got up and walked to the window, opening it and taking the letters off their legs. However, one of them looked more tired than the other. Zeus paid it no mind, however.

"Thank you."

The pigeons flew away as Zeus shut the window and returned to the fireplace. He saw one from Bell and opened that first. He read it and smiled, reading his Grandson's exploits and that he almost got laid twice.

He was proud of Bell for not taking advantage of Bache and Mikoto when he had the chance to. A true man wouldn't use a woman's gratitude as a means to have sex. He taught Bell better than that.

Setting Bell's letter down, Zeus looked at the other one, and it was addressed to him as well. Oddly enough, it was from Loki, and it seemed to be written in haste.

Opening the letter and reading it, Zeus's heart dropped. He fumbled around until he found a chair and sat down. His legs couldn't hold him up anymore from the shock.

Dear Zeus

No time to explain Bell has been captured by Evilus. We tried our best to get him back, but we failed. We don't know where Evilus's base is and, in turn, can't mount a rescue operation for Bell.

We also had multiple casualties during the expedition, the most notable of which was Finn. Along with 99 others plus 85 wounded. I regret to inform you we have to lick our wounds for the time being and hold because the Empire might try something.

I was hoping you, Zald, and Hers could calm down Alfia enough before she gets back. We could really use her help, and we don't want her to destroy the city.

With regret of my failure, I promise I will do everything in my power to get Bell back once I can get back to some semblance of operational capacity.

Your friend

Loki

Zeus set the letter down and pinched the bridge of his nose. His Grandson was trapped. The boy he had raised like one of his own was stuck in another hell he couldn't escape.

Why was it always Bell? Hadn't the boy suffered enough? From the loss of his parents to the constant nightmares to now being a prisoner. Where did it end with him?

Zeus was snapped out of his thoughts when the door opened.

"Hey, old man! Look who's back!" Zald chuckled.

"Zald, you don't need to be so happy. I'll be gone soon." Alfia calmly said.

"Who cares? You're back for a day at least! Tell us how Bell has been!"

Alfia went to answer before she saw Zeus crying. This raised alarm bells in her head as the last time he cried was when Silver and Meteria died.

"Hey, what's wrong, old man?" Zald asked.

Zeus opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he gestured to Loki's letter, which Alfia hurriedly picked up.

Her eyes quickly scanned the letter, and once she did, she threw it on the table and marched to the door.

"Zald, I want a fresh horse, fresh horse ready now! I'm leaving immediately!"

Zald didn't read the letter but shut the door after Alfia opened it. "Alfia, hang on, what's going on?"

"Evilus has Bell, now get off the door so I can go save him," Alfia growled.

Zald took his hand off the door, and not a second later, Alfia and Zald were already by the stables. Because of how quickly they moved, snow had been kicked up all around the village.

Zald was already affixing a saddle as Alfia was pacing back and forth. She was imagining the worst-case scenario of Bell being beaten and possibly raped.

It filled her with rage just thinking about it. Once Zald situated the saddle, he whistled Alifa over, and she immediately hopped on the horse. She hadn't even stopped by to see Hera or even rest from the long journey before she started riding to the gate.

"Get him back, Alfia," Zald said.

"I plan on it."

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Present

Bell sat huddled in his cell. He could hear the sounds of torture coming from the next room over. He didn't know how long he had been down here as the days seemed to blend together.

He thought he could handle something like this. He had been experiencing nightmares since he was a kid. But nothing could've prepared him for something like this.

He covered his ears to not hear the screams, but that didn't seem to work. He always seemed to hear them. He'd also barely slept as well. He was scared to sleep.

"Dig deep, gotta dig deep," Bell muttered to himself.

The screams got louder, and Bell clinched his eyes shut. But it didn't help. He could hear a knife cutting through skin and the screams of a woman in absolute agony.

She was being skinned alive, and all Bell could do was listen as she begged her captors to stop. They never did, all they did was laugh and continue having their sick pleasure.

Bell didn't know how many hours passed. Or even if an hour passed. He just knew that, eventually, the screaming stopped, and Bell was left in silence.

How long had he been down here? A week? Two weeks? A month? He didn't know. Maybe it had only been a couple of days. Or maybe it had been months.

With no way to tell the time, Bell grew confused. He was confused and alone, which would best sum up his situation.

His attention was drawn to the door as he heard it open, and a man walked in. He had black hair with two cadet gray locks and gray eyes. With a white shirt along with a jacket and pants, both black. In addition, he wore a purple untied tie around his neck and a black glove on his left hand.

"Oh my, you look tired. Should I send Revis in to lull you to sleep?" The man asked.

Bell knew this man was a god based on the divinity coming from him.

"I'm fine." Bell yawned.

"Good, good. Now, quick question, do you know how long you've been down here?"

Bell shook his head. "A week?"

The god made an x with his arms. "Wrong, you've been down here for almost three weeks."

Bell kept most of his face hidden with his arms. That way, the good couldn't see the smile on his face. Alfia should be back soon. He just needed to wait a little longer.

"So I think you've had enough time in the slammer, and now it's time for the million valis question."

"Oh, and what would that be?"

The god clapped his hands together. "Well, it's quite simple really. I want you to join us! So what do you say?"

Bell stared tiredly into the god's eyes. Had three weeks really passed? How much had he slept in those three weeks? But now was his opportunity.

"I accept," Bell answered.

The god was quiet for a minute as he narrowed his eyes at Bell. Bell stared back, his eyes barely open. The god was quiet for a second more before clapping his hands together.

"Splendid, now with you at our side, your aunt wouldn't dare try anything against us. Come now on your feet. Time for you to visit, my dear Revis. I bet you've missed her." The god mocked.

Bell remained silent as he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled forward. The god looked down and thought Bell looked pitiful. But he knew that's what Bell wanted him to think.

"Now, you probably don't know my name, so I'll tell you. I am the great Erebus, god of evil, and Revis is my dear familia member. Do with that information what you will."

Bell didn't have time to react to what Erebus said before shoving Bell into a room. Bell stumbled and nearly fell by keeping himself upright. When Bell looked up, he saw he was in a much nicer room with Revis standing by a bed.

"I'm guessing he 'passed' your test," Revis dryly asked.

"Yup, that he did. Now, since he's new, he'll need a handler. Lucky for him, you two seem to get along so well that it's gonna be you. Now that means Revis is your boss, so listen to what she says. Oh, and be sure to get nice and close to each other. The day of reckoning is soon approaching. Well, ta ta."

Erebus then left, leaving an exhausted Bell and a worried Revis. Once the door shut, she rushed forward and grabbed Bell.

"You look terrible." She whispered.

Bell lightly chuckled. "I'm glad to see you too. Have you always smelled like cherries?"

"What happened to you?" Revis worriedly asked as she moved to her bed. Bell didn't put up any resistance.

"Nightmares, more than usual. I keep seeing Cruz die, the Night King mocking me, plus hearing all that torture. It was terrible."

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more to help." Revis cooed, running her hand through his hair.

"That's ok, I don't blame you. All for the sake of peace, right?"

Bell's body sagged more as he sank further into Revis's embrace. She allows this to happen, putting his head on her lap.

"You can sleep now. I promise to be here when you wake up." She whispered.

Bell was too tired to respond. He felt safe with Revis and finally fell asleep.

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Past

Back on the surface, Airmid's hospital was in disarray. Bete had told them to prepare for a lot of injured, and not two hours later, the hospital flooded with patients.

Raul and the other critically injured were rushed into surgery, while others like Welf and Narvi had to wait to be checked out.

After many hours, Airmid was able to save every one of the critically injured. It spoke to her skill as a doctor and healer to be able to accomplish such a feat.

After the critical patients were taken care of, she moved to those like Welf and Narvi, who were already treated but still needed medical attention.

After they were done, Airmid and her staff were finally able to take a break. She had worked for nearly 12 hours without a single break. Such is the reason she earned the moniker of Dea Saint.

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Welf sat in his hospital room with a bandage wrapped around his right eye. Airmid had told him the damage sustained was permanent, and there was nothing she could do. However, she wanted to keep him overnight in case he took brain damage, and she didn't catch it.

Welf looked at himself in the mirror and chuckled. "Well shit, looks like I'm a pirate now."

His joke was short-lived as the door to his room swung open, and Hephaestus and Tsubaki marched in. Welf turned his attention to the two of them and pointed to his eye.

"Hey, look, we match."

Hephaestus didn't say a word and immediately wrapped Welf into a tight embrace. Welf nervously chuckled before feeling Hephaestus trembling.

He hesitantly patted her on the back. "I'm fine, goddess, hey Cyclops, tell her I'm-

Welf stopped speaking when he saw a teary-eyed Tsubaki as well. He sighed and waved her over, and not a second later, Welf was holding the two women who cared deeply for him.

He didn't say anything else and just let them hold him. That way, they knew he was alive and well. That he was safe and home.

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In another room, Narvi and Cruz were sitting on a bed together. Airmid wanted to keep Narvi overnight as well to make sure her wound didn't get infected. Both were nervous, but Narvi worked up the courage to speak first.

"I'm glad you came back."

Cruz decided to keep his mouth shut on the stunt he pulled. "I told you I would."

Narvi smiled. "Yeah, you did, I'm glad you did."

Silence filled the air once more as a heavy tension filled the room. Cruz didn't know what Narvi was going to say, and Narvi was working up the courage to say it.

"Hey Cruz, how long have we known each other?" Narvi asked.

"A little over six years, why?"

"So you'd say we're pretty close then?"

"Yeah, you and I were rookies together, I'd say we're pretty close."

"D-do you think, we could be closer?"

Cruz quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Narvi nervously swallowed. "Like closer than friends."

Cruz was silent for a moment before it dawned on him. "Do you mean, as lovers?"

Narvi didn't answer, instead, she nodded.

"Oh wow, I mean, are you sure you want to do something like that with me?"

Narvi nodded again. Cruz nervously swallowed, feeling his heart beating faster.

"Um, yeah, we can try something like that. Only if you're sure, of course." Cruz mumbled.

"I'm sure," Narvi answered.

"Alright then, why don't we have a date this weekend? At the Hostess."

"That sounds lovely, Cruz."

Narvi then leaned forward and kissed Cruz on the cheek. "I look forward to it."

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Present

Alfia rode her horse down the main road. She was only a week away from Orario. A week away from finding where Evilus was and rescuing her nephew.

"Hold on, Bell, I'll save you, and you'll never leave my sight again."

She continued riding her horse but was stopped by a roadblock. Alfia narrowed her eyes at the imperial soldiers blocking her path. They were dressed in silver plate armor with the insignia of a red falcon.

"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing. Why don't you come on down and let us deem if you're worthy enough to pass through or not." A soldier said.

"Move, or I won't be responsible for my actions," Alfia warned.

The soldiers chuckled. "Ooh, lookie, here we got a fiery one. Now come on, get off the horse."

Alfia did as they asked and rubbed the horse mane. A signal for it to stay. The soldiers approached Alfia and circled at her, looking at her with lustful eyes.

"Now, where's a pretty little thing like you heading all by yourself?"

"None of your business," Alicia growled

"Oh, come on, don't be like that. Only asking a question."

The soldier reached to grab Alfia. But she didn't allow that, grabbing the man's hand and breaking it. The other soldiers drew their weapons while their comrade screamed.

"You're not even worth my sword. Gospel."

Before the soldiers could react, a giant sound wave crashed into them and turned their insides to paste. They were dead before they even hit the ground. Alfia then turned her attention to the last remaining soldier, who looked at her in fear.

"Gospel."

The last soldier died the same way as his buddies. Alfia knew she had to hurry as the Empire was planning their attack on Orario soon.

So she got back on her horse, which has faithfully stayed where it was ordered to, and she rode off. Still intent on rescuing Bell and bringing him back to her.

Their reunion wouldn't be a joyous one, however. Not in the beginning, at least.