"Lumine, what happened? Why do you look so spooked?"

Yelena asked the question while Lumine gripped her hand tightly, hurrying her forward. The two of them were moving through a narrow underground tunnel. Originally, Yelena had been with the others when they arrived at the entrance of some underground structure that led into a network of tunnels. The difference was obvious at once—the silver torches lining the walls, the tunnels themselves clearly man-made.

Then, at some point, Lumine had somehow caught up to them without anyone noticing and quietly led Yelena away from the group.

No one had seen him approach.

How had Sir Felix, of all people, not noticed?

Or had he noticed... and simply chosen to ignore it?

"It just isn’t safe."

It was the same answer he had given the last three times Yelena asked what was going on. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

This time, though, she stopped walking and pulled hard enough on his arm that Lumine was forced to stop as well.

Then, placing her hand gently over the one gripping her arm, Yelena spoke in a firm voice.

"Lumine, I am not a damsel in distress who needs saving."

His eyes dilated instantly.

Color rushed to his face, and he stumbled over his words, sounding almost as if he had been accused of some terrible sin.

"N-No, that’s definitely not what I was trying to do! I-I mean, it was, but... you have to understand... you all were never going to save Princess Jasmine and Princess Celestina... y-you were the bait."

It was, more or less, the truth.

But there was another truth as well.

A far uglier one.

Lumine did, in some buried, shameful part of himself, think of Yelena as someone who needed saving.

Maybe it was hypocritical. Maybe it was selfish. But he still had not been able to let go of the horror from the moment they first entered the scenario. Every time he looked at her, he remembered it. Remembered how her back had broken. Remembered how she had lain there because of him. Remembered the long months she had spent in a coma.

And then there were these newer emotions—intense, bewildering things he could barely name, much less understand—which had only made it harder to face her without feeling strangely unsteady.

But one thing, at least, had become painfully clear.

His desire to protect Yelena from harm had never been stronger.

Still, Yelena gently peeled his fingers away from her arm, and Lumine let her. He tried to ignore the sudden quickening of his heartbeat.

"Tell me the truth, Lumine," she said.

Her voice was both trusting and affectionate.

"What did Azriel tell you?"

Looking into her clear emerald eyes—eyes that held a frightening amount of trust in him—Lumine swallowed. Then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again, meeting her gaze with quiet earnestness.

"Honestly... it felt like he said both a lot and absolutely nothing." Lumine let out a soft breath. "But he admitted that he really does know everything. He was... honestly, way more open than I expected. I can’t tell you right now exactly what he said, but... yeah. I learned more about him."

A faint crease appeared between his brows.

"And somehow, I understand him even less now. If that makes any sense."

Yelena nodded calmly.

"I see..."

She lowered her gaze to her feet for a moment before looking back up at him, puzzled.

"Then why are we rushing away like this? Sir Felix said he sensed nine different mana signatures heading our way when we entered that structure, and at least two of them were masters. I want to help Azriel if I can... and help the others. Even if we really are being used as bait."

Hearing the conviction in her voice, Lumine closed his eyes.

She was determined.

Even if there was almost nothing she could do, almost nothing was still enough for her.

Lumine pursed his lips, made up his mind, and decided to tell her the truth.

"Azriel is planning to kill everyone who stands in his way from now on."

He did not dare open his eyes as he continued.

"He’s hurting, Yelena. I don’t know if he’s thinking clearly anymore. But right now... he’ll do whatever he believes he must, and anyone standing in his path will be swallowed by it." His voice tightened. "I couldn’t stop him. I can’t stop him. He truly believes his way is the only way."

There was a pause in his words.

"And... I’m not even sure he’s wrong."

For a moment, there was only silence between them.

Then he heard her speak, very quietly.

"Won’t you save him?"

Lumine’s eyes opened slowly.

Yelena was looking at him with an expression he couldn’t quite name. There was sadness in it. Gentleness. A kind of ache.

"I tried, but..."

"You said it yourself, didn’t you?" she murmured.

"He’s hurting."

"I can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved."

"That isn’t true."

Then, suddenly, Yelena smiled.

It was warm. Loving. So full of quiet conviction that it made something inside him still.

"If Azriel truly didn’t want to be saved by you," she said, "then he would never have been so open with you. He wouldn’t have told you everything. Deep down, he wants someone to help him. He’s lost... and even then, he still reached out to you to help him find a path."

As she spoke, her hands gently enclosed his.

Lumine stared at them.

Her touch was soft, but it anchored him more than any words could.

"And most importantly," Yelena said, her voice even softer now, "don’t you consider Azriel your friend?"

Lumine’s throat tightened.

"...He said he thought of both of us as his friends."

The moment those words left his mouth, an involuntary smile appeared on Lumine’s face.

Yelena’s fingers faltered for the briefest second before tightening around his hands again.

"Then isn’t it obvious what we have to do?"

This time, Lumine’s smile was genuine.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"Thanks, Yelena. I can see clearly now."

A soft giggle slipped from her lips, light and melodic.

To Lumine, it sounded lovelier than the voice of any singer—something he felt he could have listened to forever.

"Anytime, Lumine."

How foolish he had been.

When Azriel had handed him that lantern... he should have fought harder for him. He should never have let go so easily. After everything, Azriel was his friend, and he was Azriel’s. Azriel had helped him so many times... it was only right that he return the favor.

Having finally made up his mind, Lumine was just about to tell Yelena that he might have found a way to convince Azriel—

when the unexpected happened.

[A new quest has appeared!]

[QUEST TYPE] → Main Objective (Highest Priority!)

Note: All current quests will be frozen or removed until this quest has been cleared.

▸ Title: To Live for Another Day or Die Trying

▸ Description: An Ophanim has fallen from the firmament above.

▸ Objective(s):

– Do not attract its attention, and survive no matter what.

▸ Time Limit: ???

▸ Reward(s):

– Life

▸ Penalty for Failure:

– Death

[A new quest has appeared!]

[QUEST TYPE] → Main Objective (Highest Priority!)

Note: All current quests will be frozen or removed until this quest has been cleared.

▸ Title: To Live for Another Day or Die Trying

▸ Description: An Anathema has risen from the void below.

▸ Objective(s):

– Do not attract its attention, and survive no matter what.

▸ Time Limit: ???

▸ Reward(s):

– Life

▸ Penalty for Failure:

– Death

Lumine froze.

His eyes widened in terror as the system messages flooded his vision.

[Warning! Metrics calculated! Host is extremely underleveled for the current assigned quests!]

[Warning! It is impossible to decline the current assigned quests!]

[Warning! 15 more identical current quests are in the spam box!]

[Warning! Dozens of anomalies have been detected around "the judged realm"!]

[Warning! Current calculations give the host a survival chance of 0.000000000000000000001% for the current assigned quests!]

[Warning! The host can only survive these quests through forced extraction from "the judged realm"!]

[Warning! A Grade 5 void artifact has been granted free of charge to the host.]

[Note: Grip it tightly to destroy the ball and be extracted from the scenario, returning to your world. It only works on yourself.]

[Warning! A Seraphim has been detected in your vicinity! Proceed with caution!]

[Warning! Entity detected. Classification: Human...?]

[Warning! Human signature detected. Parameters do not align!]

[Warning! Designation "Human" no longer valid!]

[Warning! Something wearing a human form has entered your vicinity!]

[Warning! Observer error. The "human" is observing back!]

[ERROR!]

[ERROR!]

[ERROR!]

[ERROR!]

[ERROR!]

[ERROR!]

[ERROR!]

[A new quest has appeared!]

[QUEST TYPE] → Main Objective (Highest Priority!)

Note: All current quests will be frozen or removed until this quest has been cleared.

▸ Title: Human?

▸ Description: An anomaly disguised as a human has briefly revealed itself to be among you.

▸ Objective(s):

– Do not attract its attention, and survive no matter what.

▸ Time Limit: ???

▸ Reward(s):

– Life

▸ Penalty for Failure:

– ???

[Quest objective has already been failed. Recalculating quest.]

▸ Title: Human?

▸ Description: ???

▸ Objective(s):

– ????

▸ Time Limit: ???

▸ Reward(s):

– Life

▸ Penalty for Failure:

– ???

[Warning! All previous quests have been unfrozen and must be completed within the given time limit!]

[...,Good luck, Apostle of Life.]