Nalira kept blocking attack after attack from the horde of dark creatures surrounding her. At first, she was still able to anticipate every attack coming her way, but as time went on, Nalira began to tire. Attacks kept coming from all directions, causing her to lose focus. Her concentration slipped for a split second. That single mistake proved enough.

’Slash!’

"Aaargh!"

Nalira staggered backward. Fresh blood slowly dripped, staining the ground. With all her strength, she swung her sword swiftly, slashing the creature to death. She killed it.

Unfortunately, the damage had already taken its toll.

Pain shot through her arm, and her movements grew slower with every passing second. The creatures noticed her weakness immediately and pressed their attack even harder.

’This is bad.’ Nalira retreated step by step while clutching her injured arm. ’I need to find a way out of here. Fast.’ Her breathing grew heavier. Dark silhouettes closed in from every side. ’But how?’

Just as despair began to creep into her mind, a sudden flash of light erupted behind the horde. It moved swiftly, brutally striking every creature blocking its path. Then the lightning stopped directly in front of her. Crackling arcs of electricity danced across the figure’s body. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Hey." Theo stepped out from the fading lightning and glanced at the blood running down her arm. "I’m getting you out of here." He tightened his grip on his weapon and looked at the dozens of creatures still surrounding them. "Tell me one thing." His eyes locked onto Nalira’s. "Can you still move?"

"I can still move."

"Good." Theo smiled and extended his hand. Arcs of electricity immediately crackled around his body. "Take my hand. I’ll get us out of this mess."

"...."

"Don’t look at me like that." Theo frowned when he noticed Nalira’s cold stare. "I’m not going to hurt you." He glanced at the dark creatures closing in around them. "We need to move now, or those bastards will turn us into their next meal."

Nalira remained silent for a few moments before letting out a slow breath. Truthfully, part of her still felt irritated by Theo’s harsh attitude.

However, she couldn’t afford to let her emotions control her decisions. She understood the situation perfectly. Blood still flowed from the wound on her arm. Her strength continued to fade with every passing second. If she stubbornly clung to her pride and convinced herself that she could fight this entire horde alone, she would only end up getting herself killed.

"Hey, hey, make up your mind already, Ice Princess." Theo’s eyes darted toward the creatures inching closer from every direction. "Oh, come on. Decide now, or enjoy spending the rest of your life trapped in here."

Nalira shot him an annoyed look. Then she grabbed his hand. In the blink of an eye, a flash of lightning surrounded them both, and without waiting a moment, Theo struck down every dark creature trying to block their path until they finally managed to escape.

"Phew... thank goodness we got out of there—"

"Oh my God, Lira!" The smile instantly vanished from Chelsie’s face. Color drained from her cheeks as she stared at Nalira’s arm. "W-what happened to your arm?"

"One of the dark creatures caught me off guard," Nalira replied calmly while examining the wound. "But don’t worry. It’s only a minor injury."

"No." Chelsie immediately shook her head. "Any wound can get worse if nobody treats it." She reached toward Nalira’s injured arm. "Let me heal it before it—"

"No, Elsie." Nalira gently pushed Chelsie’s hand away and shook her head. "This isn’t the right time." She glanced toward the fog behind them. "Those creatures still lurk somewhere nearby. We need to find a hiding place as soon as possible."

"Agreed." Theo nodded without hesitation. "Those bastards will definitely come after us."

"Uhm... okay."

Chelsie and Theo supported Nalira as the three of them continued searching for shelter. However, finding one wasn’t as easy as they’d imagined. Thick pink fog covered every corner of Twilight Sanctum and severely limited their vision. The mist swallowed streets, buildings, and landmarks alike, leaving them with little sense of direction.

"Argh, damn it!" Theo grumbled in frustration. "I can’t find a thing except for this sickening pink mist."

"...Neither have I," Nalira replied.

"Uhm... but I think I can see a gate over there." Chelsie pointed toward the side street. "I think we can hide there. The place looks safe, and I need to treat Nalira’s injury as soon as possible."

"Yeah, that actually makes sense." Theo nodded confidently. "It’s a lot better than standing around here like idiots. Let’s move."

The three of them immediately headed toward the gate. After several minutes of walking through the fog, they finally arrived in front of it. At first glance, the black gate looked ordinary enough.

However, when they moved closer, they noticed a delicate lily engraving carved into the center of its surface. The intricate design stood out against the dark metal, giving the gate an oddly elegant appearance.

"Come on." Theo pushed the gate open. "We need to get inside before those bastards find us."

"Uhm... okay." Chelsie glanced at Nalira. "Hang in there, Lira. We’re almost there."

A vast courtyard immediately greeted them as they stepped through the gate. With all their might, they walked across the vast yard until they finally spotted a house not far from where they were.

"It looks like we’re far enough away from those horrible creatures." Chelsie pointed toward the house. "Uhm... maybe we should go there first so I can treat Lira’s injury." She glanced at Nalira’s wounded arm. "The wound will only get worse if nobody heals it soon."

"I understand."

The group headed toward the house and stopped beneath a covered entrance. They carefully helped Nalira sit against one of the stone columns near the front door. While Chelsie focused on healing Nalira’s injury, Theo examined the entrance and tried to open the door. A soft golden glow flowed from Chelsie’s hands and wrapped around Nalira’s arm. Several moments later, the wound completely disappeared.

"Uhm... your injury has healed." Chelsie smiled faintly. "Try moving your arm now."

Nalira slowly rotated her shoulder and flexed her fingers.

"...Much better." She nodded. "Thank you, Elsie."

"Uhm... I-it’s nothing," Chelsie immediately lowered her head. "If that’s the case, I’ll just break it down."

"Ah, damn it. "The door won’t open at all." Theo turned the doorknob over and over. "If this keeps up, I’ll have to break it down."

"Wait a second, Theo," Nalira said, rushing over to Theo. "Maybe we should consider another meth—"

"BAM!"

"Okay, the door’s open."

"Theo!" Chelsie’s eyes widened in shock. "Have you completely lost your mind?" She pointed at the shattered lock. "We just broke into someone’s house! That’s against every rule imaginable, and it’s also—"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." Theo brushed off Chelsie’s complaint and walked straight into the house. "The important thing is that I don’t plan to die in this place. If you want to stand outside until something kills you, be my guest."

"Theo, hold on for—" Chelsie stopped herself and let out a long sigh. She turned toward Nalira. "Lira, what should we do?"

"...We have to follow him," said Nalira as she walked inside. Into the house. "Make sure he doesn’t do anything else stupid."

"Uhm... A-alright."

The two of them decided to walk into the house, hoping it could serve as a safe hideout. However, only a few moments later, a massive silhouette emerged from the pink fog outside. A bull-headed creature stepped into view. Its glowing red eyes swept across the empty courtyard.

Then it stopped. Right in front of the doorway. The monster lowered its head and sniffed the ground. A trail of blood droplets marked a path through the courtyard. Nalira’s blood. The creature followed the trail until it reached the front door. For several seconds, it stood completely still. Then a low growl rumbled from deep within its throat.

"Grrrrrrr..."