Avice stood there, her face flushed, and her breath ragged. She shifted around, sneaking glances at him and rubbing her right arm. Dall gulped. “This is my condition,” she had said. He had never expected to hear her tell him that she trusted him.

Not after what she had said to him earlier in the tower - her tale of the years of mistrust and solitude she faced, her desire for someone to accept her, and the pain in her voice spoke clear to him. It sounded nearly impossible for someone like her - someone so jaded by reality to say what she did. Yet here she stood, proclaiming that she wanted to believe in him. 

Dall’s chest tightened. He reached up and clutched at his shirt. 

I trust you.

The words rang in his ears.

He put a hand over his heart, feeling its quick pace beneath his palm, and a small smile appeared on his face. Dall couldn’t help it. He knew more than anyone how difficult it was to earn such a simple thing. It was something he struggled with other people constantly.

But as soon as those thoughts began to settle, he stiffened and repressed his emotions.

Stop that, he thought. He grimaced and clenched his fists. You’ve heard these things before. My soldiers who told me they’d fight by my side left me. Nobles told me they’d have my back but never did. He clenched his fists. Even Father… he shook his head pushing his father away. She can be just like them - empty promises, meaningless words. She might be lying.

Dall’s eyes narrowed and he cursed himself. 

No, that’s not even it. There’s no point. She-

She’ll betray you. 

Shut up-

“Dall,” she called. Tearing him away from his thoughts, Avice lifted her hand and raised her pinky. 

“Avice,” he whispered. Dall held his breath, then exhaled slowly. I’m an idiot. He smiled wryly. I won’t even think about it. I can’t. I’ll do what I have to.

He nodded and wrapped his pinky around hers. 

Once they touched, electricity shot up his spine. 

He fell over, crashing down on one knee. The blood in his veins boiled. He arched backward, yelling at the top of his lungs. This-This feeling! He glanced at Avice and noticed her mouthing his name, but he couldn’t hear her.

“I-It’s,” he groaned.

The pain coursing through his body overrode his senses.

Everything went numb.

His vision weakened.

No sound other than his creaking body and screams touched his ears.

The acrid stench of smoke and ash invaded his nose. His head pounded incessantly.

The world spun in circles.

Sweat dripped down his cheeks and back as he gasped for air. 

Then, everything cleared up.

No, more than clear up.

Everything felt sharper. His ears rang as if a Banshee had screeched at him. His sight grew much clearer, and everything around him had suddenly lit up and white lines sprouted from his feet, running along with everything around him. The way his body moved felt much smoother, and it felt like he could even touch the air. And a strange sensation of power stirred in his stomach.

Just as quickly as the pain came, it vanished.

Dall blinked a couple of times, his sweat dripping to the ground. “W-Wow,” he muttered. He lifted his hands and stared at his glistening palm in amazement.

“D-Dall!” Avice yelled. “Answer me, are you okay?”

“I’m, I’m fine,” he said. He glanced up, and his eyes widened. “No way,” he whispered.

My Skills. All of them are activated… at the same time? He steadied his breathing and loosened his body. Bloodlust, Sharp Ear, High Reflex, Strength… The lines of Deep Sight had reached further down the hall, and Dall’s eyes widened. Four balls running along the walls approached them at a blindingly fast speed. That’s either Achaea’s spies or a trap she’s creating. He reached for his sword. He moved so smoothly that he paused for a moment. Any semblance of fatigue seemed to have disappeared. Amazing.

“Dall-”

“Avice,” he grabbed her shoulder, giving her a fright. “Activate Crisia.” 

Whatever those things are, I need to defend her, he thought. She’s powerless without a weapon. Hopefully, I can keep them back. He stood firm, ready for anything that could come at him. However, before he could do anything about it, Avice softly chanted, 

“Exanten.”

Their bodies and outlines disappeared. Dall glanced down, marveling at the ancient magic capable of hiding from even his skill. But that sense of wonder was immediately crushed when an overwhelming weight pushed on him. It’s draining my strength, he noted. He thought he’d be able to breeze through this issue if he activated his Skill Strength, but he noticed that the rush from earlier had faded away, and now he could only use one Skill. So he steeled himself, calmed his breathing, and whispered, “Deep Sight.”

The outlines became clearer, and the four balls had gotten much closer. However, something else caught his attention. Avice had brought her hand down from his shoulder to his own. Her sweaty hand trembled, wrapping around his in a tight grip. “Dall, what’s, urgh, what’s happening?” she whispered.

“Quiet,” he responded, narrowing his eyes at the incoming spheres.

What are these things, he questioned. Spirits? No, it can’t be. I wouldn’t be able to see them. Not like before. He rested his heart and focused on his senses. The more he concentrated, the more bewildered he became. Nothing. No smells, no noise. What is this? 

The spheres moved erratically along the walls, ceiling, and floor. Dall glued his eyes on to as many of them as he could, studying and piecing together what sort of creature this could be. Then, before he could figure anything out, Avice pulled him closer to her, and he could feel her clothes. He looked around questioningly. Then, he noticed her heavy breathing. 

Something’s wrong with her, but she has to bear it, he thought. 

He turned his attention back to the Spheres, curious to know what was about to happen. However, the spheres detached themselves from their surfaces, floated in midair, and silently floated away.

Keeping watch on them, he squeezed Avice’s hand, telling her not to stop Crisia. The second they disappeared, Avice groaned, “Exanti,” and deactivated the invisibility. She coughed and collapsed to the ground. “Ow, ow, that freaking hurt.” She glanced at Dall. “How did you know they were here?”

Dall stared at his palms. He furrowed his brow. I shouldn’t have been anywhere near an Expansion. I had one a year ago, so there’s no way. But… it definitely felt like one. He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. He dove deep into his heart, searching for anything new that might have changed. But much to his surprise, he came up short-handed. He couldn’t find anything awe-inspiring inside of himself, telling him that he hadn’t gained a new Skill. He didn’t feel stronger, nor did he feel lighter. It was as if that Expansion-like feeling was used purely to re-awaken his skills. So what was that then…? 

Coming back to focus, he saw Avice’s worried face and sighed. “I have my skills back,” he said. Her face lit up and smiled. “Something must’ve happened, but it feels as if my Soul’s back to normal.” He grinned. 

Let’s keep this energy up, he thought. She’s the only one I can rely on right now. 

“Let’s do this, Avice,” he said, pumping himself up. “Let’s get out of this Tower.”

Avice’s eyes widened at his declaration. She paused for a few moments before finally lifting her gaze and returned his feelings. With a smile, she said, “You got it.”

---

Dall raised a warning hand up, and Avice, who trudged along behind him, came to a full stop. Keeping a keen eye on his surroundings, he had noticed a section of the floor ahead of him that seemed more auspicious than its surroundings. He wanted to take a couple of more steps to make sure of what he was seeing, but the second he moved, the ground beneath him shifted. Then, as if a warning to not continue further, a bubble of black mass rose from the floor in front of him and popped. 

“Be careful here,” he said, grimacing. “This part’s still unstable.” 

“U-Unstable?” Avice panted.

“Achaea’s poison.” 

He took Avice’s hand and carefully plotted a way forward. Tapping at the floor constantly paved their way. As they made their way across the gooey, ill-tiled floor, Dall glanced back at Avice, who appeared ghastly and pale. Assuming it to be her getting the nerves from being in this place, he decided to try to take her mind off things. 

“It’s been a very long time since I’ve fought against a Webspinner like her,” he said. “Must’ve been back during the war. The Gaeans had asked them to fight as allies. They were definitely terrifying.”

“Terrifying, yeah,” Avice said tiredly. 

“Since my friend Veral was one of the few people who weren’t scared to death of them, he managed to come out on top,” Dall said with a hearty chuckle.

“Yeah…” 

“And I guess once I had gotten over how terrifying they looked, I fought with a couple of them with him, too. We managed to laugh it off after that.”

“Sir Dall, you suck at this,” Crisia interjected, noting her wearer’s attitude.

He frowned and stopped. He turned around and ran his gaze over Avice. His face slowly twisted into a frown as he realized the sorry state she appeared to be in. Her disheveled hair nearly shrouded her entire face, and her legs trembled. She looked like she was trying to hide her exhaustion, but her stifled, heavy breathing was too noticeable. Having enough of her stubbornness, Dall said, “Listen, be honest with me. Are you okay?”

Avice, caught off guard by his sudden actions, coughed. “S-Sorry! I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said wearily. 

“I don’t believe-”

“We need to keep moving, right?” Avice interrupted. Dall, closing his mouth, repressed talking back to her. “We still don’t know what’s waiting for us down this hallway.”

“Lady Avice is correct,” Crisia said. “You two must stay on your toes. This corridor is still covered in Mistress Achaea’s Soul Energy. Anything can happen within these walls; Lingering traps, potential monster spawns, detection, or potentially Spirits. Let us make haste.”

“I guess,” Dall murmured. There was obviously something wrong, but he shook his head. Crisia was right. If he needed to talk to her, he decided it would be best to do so in a safer location. Standing in the middle of a poisonous ‘lake’ didn’t seem the best place to do it. “Alright, just keep following my every step, okay?”

“G-Got it,” she mumbled.

They cautiously made their way across the unstable, distorted hallway, and finally made it to solid and stable ground. Breathing a sigh of relief, Dall nearly asked if this would be a good place to take a break, but seeing the fire in Avice’s eyes made him reconsider. Still, he thought. The spirit is there, but her body definitely isn’t. Dall walked steadfast with his arms crossed, his finger to his chin. 

“D-Dall,” Avice said. She nuzzled up to a wall and gasped. He started towards her when she said, “Slow down a bit. Please.”

His heart squeezed as he found her contradictory statements somewhat annoying, but he did as she asked and eased his pace. However, he knew they’d make little to no progress if they continued at this rate. If they ever encountered opposition on their way down, Avice would be, bluntly, a major handicap. He noticed that she did have some sort of competence when it came to combat, but he couldn’t bet his life on her abilities. And so, to make it out of this Tower with as little casualties as possible, he made his decision. 

“Avice, I’m serious. If we need to stop, we’ll stop. There’s no rush.”

“Yes, there is,” she responded, her snappiness catching him off guard. “You need to rush. You need to tell people about what happened, right?” 

His expression darkened. “Yes, I do.” 

Dall wanted nothing more than to get out of this tower, that much is true. He needed to expose the truth of what happened. He needed to tell his father and the Emperor of the Eldred’s betrayal - of their treachery. He needed to return home to get Cyrilia out of there as soon as possible. His needs piled on top of each other, each weighing on his heart more and more. However…

“Then-”

“But I won’t sacrifice someone else to achieve my goal,” he stated. His voice seemed to frighten her, as she stiffened up. He felt a little bad about it, but he decided to make use of this moment. Moving closer to her, he stared at her directly in her eyes. “I won’t stand by watching you continue on when you’re so obviously tired. And I won’t abandon you when the time seems right. I refuse to be responsible for your death,” Dall said firmly. He clenched his fists. The memory of a squadron of soldiers led by one of his greatest enemies came up in his head.  I won’t be like those cowards.

Avice stared at him in awe, then finally collapsed to the floor, her sweat pooling beneath her head. She stretched her arms out wide and heaved a heavy sigh. “You’re so selfish,” she muttered.

“If that’s what it’ll take to keep people alive, then so be it,” he said.

She cracked a small smile. Groaning loudly, she said, “I have never felt this tired in my life.”

He sat right next to her and crossed his legs. Her thin, other-worldly clothes stuck close to her body because of her sweat. Making sure to avoid his gaze, he looked at her face. Her rounded, reddened cheeks, her unkempt brown hair with a single white streak running through it, her chestnut eyes…

By the time he realized it, he had been staring at her for nearly a minute. He finally tore his gaze away from her, feeling his cheeks heat up. He pressed his hand against his neck and felt how drenched it was.

Turning his gaze back, he noticed how tired she actually was. He cocked his head to the side. Seeing as there was time to talk, he decided to ask, “What fatigued you so much in the first place?”

“It’s Crisia,” Avice said, tugging on her cloak. “When the two of us were hiding from the Spirits, Crisia felt much, much heavier than before.” She took a deep breath. “Is this what Atlas feels like holding up the Earth?”

“Heavier?” Dall repeated.

“Indeed, heavier,” Crisia answered. “That’s the compensation for using my superior ability, after all.”

“What do you mean?” Avice asked.

“Simply put, the more you want to conceal, the more energy is required to do so,” Crisia said. “The energy taken can be in terms of your physical strength or the strength of your soul. While both can be taken at the same time, it’s important to be at your absolute best before actually activating me. When it’s just you, Lady Avice, your Soul strength is enough to completely conceal you. However, when Sir Dall came into the mix…”

“It increased,” he responded.

“Not only did it increase. It more than doubled the energy necessary.” Avice and Dall went wide-eyed at her comment. “My Concealment ability tried to take all of its energy from Lady Avice, but it seemed like Sir Dall added quite a bit to the pool himself. If it weren’t for him, I’m sure you would have passed out from exhaustion, Lady Avice.”

“W-Wow,” Avice gasped. “Thanks, Dall,” she said.

“No problem. I guess it’s my fault then for not giving more energy?”

“Not really. In fact, halfway through the concealment, Sir Dall started to contribute much more energy than Lady Avice. I assume it’s due to the fact that she completely ran out of stamina by that point,” Crisia added.

Avice flinched. “S-So you’re saying that Dall took that stupidly heavy weight all by himself?” 

“Indeed.”

She lifted herself up and stared blankly at him. “And you’re not tired? Not a single bit?”

He glanced down and patted himself down. “Nope. Arms and legs feel just fine.” 

“How tough are you?” she groaned. “Are you the norm in this world?”

Dall shrugged. “If everyone underwent the same training that I did, then maybe. But no. My life, since childhood, has been nothing more than training my body so that it becomes its own weapon.”

He recalled the gruesome training regiment he underwent due to his father. Nearly every day since adolescence was filled with brutal, yet, as the people called it, ‘necessary’ beatings. It was thanks to that that he had managed to live a successful life as a soldier after all. He assuredly despised his father at a younger age, but he gradually came to knew why he went through what he did as time went on. It was another reason entirely why he felt uncomfortable being branded “Lupin’s Son”, but he shook that off. There wasn’t time to think about that.

Avice’s sigh tore him away from his thoughts.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,”  she muttered. “It’s just… I’ve been ‘training’ my entire life, too. So why aren’t I tough like you?”

“Different worlds, different circumstances,” Dall said with a wry smile. “I’ve heard similar thoughts from our previous hero. Your world was peaceful, after all. The hero said that even he was athletically superior to his peers, but he had to go through some training to become someone powerful.”

“Even still…”

“Avice,” Dall spoke seriously. He didn’t want to ask this question, but he knew she wasn’t going to give up on this. He completely understood her circumstances, but things are different between this world and hers. In order to ease her insecurity, he forced himself to say, “Avice, have you ever fought in a war?”

She froze up. “I…”

Dall kept his soft gaze on her. He knew this question was unfair. He knew everything he needed to after speaking with the previous hero. People who have been bred and built for battle are drastically different from those who were born just to live their normal lives. Lives that often went without seeing bloodshed. Without witnessing hundreds of your closest friends and allies die. And the hero had told Dall that his world was nothing like that. A smaller percentage made up those who saw actual combat than from Dall’s own world. 

He didn’t want to spur her thoughts. Anything he said now might have felt unwarranted and rude, so he kept silent. Minutes passed before Avice turned towards him.

Bowing her head, she said, “I’m sorry Dall.”

“No, I’m sorry,” he responded with a wry grin. “That was uncalled for.”

“It wasn’t.” She sighed as she rested her head against the curved wall. A shadow loomed over her face as she said, “What you said reminds me of what I went through.” Glancing down at her hands, she poked at her callouses. “I’m supposed to be tough. Actually, I was the toughest person in school. That was how I had managed through the… bullying.”

“Avice,” Dall started to interrupt her, but she held a hand up.

“It’s fine,” she said. “I’m just a little jealous of you having so much more stamina than me.” Realizing what she’d just said, she flailed her arms. “No, I mean, I get it! Really! I’ve been on an actual battlefield before, but I haven’t fought in a true war. There’s no way someone who faced normal people can compete with someone who fought in legitimate fights to the death.”

Dall pursed his lips. He had found it strange from the moment he heard it. Comparing it with his own life story, he leaned forward and asked, “Avice. I’m sorry for broaching this topic, but do you think your parents were getting you ready for situations like this?”

At the mention of her family, Avice’s gaze froze. “Them? Doing something like that for me? No,” she responded bluntly. “I had thought that before in the forest, but there’s no way. My good-for-nothing parents did whatever they wanted to me. I’m not going to defend them,” she growled. “Don’t even try to do that either, Dall.”

Feeling the brunt of her contempt head-on, Dall pulled back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

Before he could finish his sentence, a dreary chill crawled down his back. His eyes widened as he pressed his hand to the ground. Footsteps, he thought. Dozens of them. He shot up from the ground and spun to face the black hallway resting before him. “Deepsight”. As the white lines from his Skill soared from his feet, Dall kept his ears perked up. One, two, three, four, five, five seconds of Deep sight. They’re about fifty feet away. 

He unsheathed his sword and glanced at Avice. She panicked and got up as well. The ground beneath him trembled. His heart raced. 

What is it? Is it… oh, no. 

The white lines finally jumped from the walls and outlined what was barreling towards them at an inhuman speed. The lines traced around the figures of small, disfigured figures, bulbous giants, and soaring birds the size of eagles. 

“Avice, prepare yourself,” he warned. “Monsters. A horde of monsters is coming this way.”

“H-Huh?” She ran up next to him. “What do we do?”

He gritted his teeth. The thing he wanted the least was coming at him in full force. Taking a surveying check on the floor, he noted that there wasn’t anything that Avice could use as a weapon. A couple of options ran through his head, but he dismissed every single one because each one resulted in him abandoning her. The only choice he thought he had was this - let Avice cloak herself and sneak her way past them as he himself deals with the horde alone.

Before he could say anything, though, Avice spoke up and said, “I’m fighting too.”

Dall turned to her, confused. “What?”

“Like I said. I’m fighting. You may think it’s the right thing to do to make sure I get out safely, but what the hell do you think I’ll feel like if I get away myself knowing I left you behind alone?” Avice spoke defiantly. “You may be selfish, but I’m even more selfish. Let’s come up with a plan that’ll get both of our asses out of here.”

He stammered. He hadn’t expected those words to come out of her mouth. Very few people have had the gall to tell him something like that straight to his face. 

Seeing his confusion, Avice stood in front of him. “You aren’t the only one who can do the protecting around here. I did that for you, after all.” She put on a broad grin.

Dall’s chest fluttered at the sight. “You’re right,” he responded. “Then… why don’t we make use of Crisia?”

Avice nodded. Her eyebrows rose as she said, “Hey, Crisia. Is there any way I can, y’know, tweak your settings?”

“F-Forgive me?” Crisia stumbled, clearly confused by the question.

“I know Dall’s tougher than me. That’s a fact. Is there any way I can make sure the weight on both of us is equal so that we’re both the same amount of tired?”

“O-Oh! You mean dynamic sharing. Of course, Lady Avice,” Crisia said.

Sensing the increasing drum of the monsters’ feet in the ground, Dall hurried them saying, “There’s no time to test it. If it comes to it, I’ll just pick you up and run, Avice.”

She nodded. “Please do.”

As Dall gripped his sword’s hilt, he felt a curious force of power seeping through his body. “I see. Avice, you did something with my sword last time, didn’t you?”

Her eyes widened. “O-Oh you’re right!” She held her arms out. Sensing she wanted to try something out, he relented and gave it to her. At this point, the monsters were about to break through the darkness, but Dall figured it’d be best to let the one who can use Spirits to get to work. He had a plan up his sleeves after all. However, something caught Dall’s attention. Avice, who stood with the sword in both hands pointed towards the ceiling, had completely shut herself in her own world. Finding it curious, Dall moved a little closer to her. He could barely hear her breathe. “Ifrit,” she muttered. As soon as those words left her mouth, the sword sparked into a billow of flames. “W-Whoa!” she yelled.

“Amazing,” he squeezed out. He had seen it before, but now it was right in front of him. This blade - some grand, magic item prototype acquired from the Icalian States - had erupted into a brilliant blade of gushing orange fire.

“Spirits!” Avice collected herself as she called out. Despite not being able to see anything, Dall could feel the atmosphere around her burning up. “Please, burn as many of them as you can.” Her eyes danced about at random points in the air, but Dall knew better than to doubt her. “Let’s get moving.”

“Hold on, let me help you.”

At this point, the monsters he anticipated had finally appeared.

Tiny little green goblins scampered forward, their leathered loincloths brushing against the ground wherever they moved. They laughed maniacally as they marched forward to completely devour their new prey. Stomping behind them came the towering creatures known to many as Orcs. With similar appearances to Goblins, they stood tall enough that their heads nearly touched the ceiling. Jutting from their drooling mouths were white fangs that looked as sharp as a dagger. And flying above them flew the Skulrids - massive bird-like creatures with their skulls completely exposed. 

Avice quivered at the sight. Dall had fully expected her to, after all. These grotesque creatures haunted the lives of those who lived peacefully. Wanting nothing more to eat prey, the monsters around the world were known as the bane of all of the living. 

Dall stepped a few paces forward, confronting this army of monsters head-on. Avice reached out a hand to him, but he reassured her that everything will be alright. “Cover your ears,” he added.

Once the creatures had gotten a whiff of them, they sprinted. 

The goblins, the fastest of the bunch, had nearly reached him. But it was too late.

With a piercing screech, Dall activated Bloodlust. As soon as he did, the monsters leading the way, the massive orcs included, completely collapsed to the ground. Sweat dripped down Dall’s cheek as he panted. Compared to the measly speck of Bloodlust he had released over the bandits that attacked Fora, this was assuredly Dall’s limit. However, it soon proved to not be enough, as many more monsters climbed over their allies and forged forward.

“Th-That should do it!” he said.

Avice stared at him in shock. “Holy crap,” she muttered. Shaking her head, she said, “No time! Quick, get under Crisia!”

Dall ran towards her and grabbed onto her hand. 

“Exanten!”

Their bodies immediately disappeared. They stood still for a moment, as both of them forced themselves to get accustomed to the powerful weight crashing down on them. Dall grimaced as he realized how much weight he bore, but he steeled himself. Avice was feeling the same thing. Both of them were in it together. 

They took a step forward, groaning under the pain. “This is going to be hard,” he muttered. 

“D-Dall. Let’s take this slow, yeah?”

“Of course,” he responded. “If we ran, there’s a chance we can let go of each other.” He took another step. “Wait, before we go.” The two of them inched forward and finally reached the unconscious mound of monsters blocking the others from continuing on. “We need a weapon we can trade. I’m better with the sword, but you’re better at using it at its full potential.” He scanned the ground and picked up a now invisible weapon. “You think you can use this?”

“What did you pick up?”

“A wooden club.”

“Sure,” Avice responded. 

“So, shall we continue?” Dall asked.

“Yeah,” she said. She softly breathed in, then out. “I’m ready.”

“Understood.”

And so, the two of them climbed over the monster blockade, beginning their descent down the Dark Tower.