Chapter 104 Burden or Partner?
After several exhausting attempts, Alex finally hauled himself over the edge of the ravine. His fingers trembled as they released the jagged rock, his palms scraped and slightly bleeding from gripping the cliffside so desperately. He rolled onto his back for a moment, chest rising and falling rapidly as he sucked in the cold air.
"Haah… haah…"
For a few seconds, he simply lay there, staring at the gray sky above. Then he pushed himself up with a grunt, brushing dirt and small pebbles off his clothes. He patted his shoulders, dusted off his sleeves, and straightened his shirt with irritated, sharp movements. A faint twitch lingered at the corner of his eye.
He turned around and stepped cautiously toward the edge, peering down into the abyss below. The ravine stretched endlessly into darkness, the fog curling along its depths like ghostly fingers.
"Phew…" He let out a long breath, running a hand through his messy hair. "What a crazy woman. I hope I never run into her again."
His voice carried a mix of relief and lingering irritation. He shook his head, clicking his tongue as if trying to shake off the memory of her grin.
Then—
A soft, familiar voice drifted through the thick fog, smooth and teasing.
"Crazy woman? Aww… my heart hurts."
Alex's body stiffened instantly.
"What kind of man calls a woman as beautiful as me crazy?"
The words seemed to come from everywhere at once, echoing faintly through the mist.
Alex froze mid-breath. His shoulders locked. The color drained slightly from his face.
"…No way."
His eyes widened as he snapped his head to the left—nothing but swirling gray fog. He whipped around to the right—still nothing. His boots scraped against the stone as he turned in a slow circle, heart beginning to pound harder in his chest.
"Where—?"
He strained his ears, trying to pinpoint the direction of her voice. The fog was thick—unnaturally thick—like a living wall that swallowed shapes and distorted sound. Even so, he should have been able to see her silhouette. A faint shadow. A hint of red hair.
But there was nothing.
His breathing grew uneven.
"…This isn't funny."
He took a cautious step backward, only to feel the loose gravel near the ravine's edge shift slightly beneath his heel. His stomach dropped. Instinctively, he jerked forward again, away from the edge, his arms half-raised as if preparing for an ambush.
His eyes darted around frantically, jaw tightening.
"Emma?"
The fog continued to swirl silently around him, thick and suffocating, hiding whatever—or whoever—was watching.
Annoyance slowly crept onto Alex's face. His brows drew together, and a vein near his temple twitched faintly. He dragged a hand down his face in exasperation, fingers pressing against his closed eyes before sliding down to his jaw.
"Shit…" he muttered under his breath, grinding his teeth. "I thought I finally got rid of that crazy woman."
He exhaled sharply through his nose, shoulders tense, still scanning the fog with suspicion.
Suddenly—
"Boo!!!"
The shout exploded right beside his ear.
"WHAT THE—?!"
Alex's entire body jolted violently. His heart nearly leapt out of his chest as he instinctively recoiled backward. His heel slipped on loose gravel, skidding toward the very edge of the ravine behind him.
For a split second, time seemed to slow.
The abyss yawned just inches away.
His arms flailed wildly, fingers grasping at empty air. His body tilted backward, balance completely broken. A surge of panic flooded his mind—
Not again!
But at the last possible moment, his survival instinct kicked in. He threw his weight forward, boots scraping harshly against the stone. His muscles strained as he twisted his torso and planted his foot firmly against the ground, forcing himself upright.
He stumbled once—twice—then finally stabilized.
His chest heaved as he stood there, frozen, eyes wide and breathing ragged.
"Damn it!!!" he snapped, voice cracking with leftover adrenaline. "I almost fell, you know?!"
Emma stood a step away from him, hands clasped behind her back as if she had done nothing wrong. She tilted her head slightly, her fiery red hair shifting with the movement, and laughed brightly.
"Hahaha! Well… a man of his word, I see."
Alex slowly turned his head toward her.
The disbelief in his eyes was palpable. His expression was a mixture of outrage, confusion, and genuine concern for her sanity. He stared at her as if trying to comprehend how someone like her could possibly exist in this world.
"…What?"
Emma shrugged casually, completely unfazed. "I see you're really still alive. Seems I underestimated you. Hmm."
She tapped her chin thoughtfully, pretending to evaluate him from head to toe.
"You—!" Alex raised his hand and pointed straight at her, his finger trembling slightly. His mouth opened, ready to unleash a storm of furious words.
But nothing came out.
His lips quivered with frustration. His brows furrowed so tightly it almost looked painful. After a few seconds of visibly fighting with himself, he forcefully shut his mouth.
"…Hmph."
He clicked his tongue sharply and lowered his hand.
"This is a waste of time. I'm leaving."
Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and began walking away with stiff, irritated steps. His shoulders were rigid, and each footstep struck the ground a little harder than necessary.
As he passed her, he muttered just loud enough for himself to hear—
"Crazy woman."
He didn't look back.
But Emma didn't stop.
Behind him, the soft but deliberate sound of boots stepping against stone echoed through the fog.
Alex's eye twitched.
He didn't need to turn around to know she was following him. The rhythm of her footsteps was unhurried—almost playful. As if she were enjoying this.
He clenched his jaw and kept walking, shoulders stiff.
"Oh, come on…" he muttered under his breath, dragging a hand down his face again. "You've got to be kidding me."
The footsteps didn't stop.
Instead, they quickened slightly until she was only a pace behind him.
"Hey, don't be mad," Emma said lightly, her tone bright and teasing as always.
Alex didn't respond. He kept walking forward, gaze fixed ahead, pretending she wasn't there.
Emma leaned forward slightly as she walked, trying to catch a glimpse of his expression from the side. "I was just testing your words."
Still nothing from him.
"And about earlier—" she continued, lifting one hand in a half-hearted gesture of surrender. "Sorry, okay?"
Alex's shoulders shifted slightly at that, but he didn't slow down.
"I was only checking whether you're really strong enough to stand beside the Dragonborn," she went on, her tone becoming a little more serious. "I thought maybe you were just a burden to her, so… yeah. I did that."
The word burden hung faintly in the air between them.
Alex's steps slowed.
Not enough to stop—but enough to show he had heard her clearly.
He stared straight ahead into the fog, eyes unreadable. His hands were clenched loosely at his sides, knuckles faintly tense.
For a few seconds, he said nothing.
The only sounds were their footsteps and the faint whisper of wind moving through the mist.
Finally, he spoke.
"Fine. Whatever."
His voice was calm—too calm. Controlled.
He didn't look at her.
"But if you act like that again…" he added, his tone lowering slightly, "I'm leaving."
This time he turned his head just enough to glance at her from the corner of his eye. It wasn't anger in his gaze anymore—it was warning.
Emma blinked once, then smiled sheepishly.
"Hehe… relax," she said, raising both hands in surrender as she walked. "I won't be rude anymore."
She tilted her head slightly, her red hair shifting over her shoulder.
Alex exhaled slowly through his nose, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. He faced forward again without replying.
The two of them continued walking side by side through the heavy fog.
The mist curled around their legs and drifted across the stone path beneath their feet. Visibility was poor—only a few steps ahead were clear—but at least the path itself was solid.
For a moment, there was an unusual silence between them.
Their footsteps echoed together in steady rhythm as they disappeared deeper into the gray haze.
The fog thickened as they walked, brushing against their shoulders like cold breath. Their footsteps echoed softly against the stone path, fading quickly into the gray haze.
After a few moments of silence, Emma glanced sideways at Alex.
Not just a quick look—she studied him.
Her golden eyes lingered on his face as if trying to measure something. Her brows drew together slightly, curiosity flickering across her expression.
"So…" she began, dragging the word out as she clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward a little while walking. "Am I really not famous outside this realm?"
Alex didn't answer immediately. He kept his eyes ahead, stepping over a cracked section of stone before letting out a long, tired sigh.
"Unfortunately, no," he replied flatly. "I've never heard of you."
Emma's lips pressed into a thin line. She frowned, clearly dissatisfied with that answer.
"Maybe you just haven't," she insisted quickly, lifting her chin. "I used to be considered a hero, you know."
Alex finally glanced at her, one eyebrow lifting slightly. His head tilted just a little, skepticism clear in his expression.
"If you're a hero," he said calmly, "why aren't you in the Hall of Valor?"
Emma scratched the back of her head, her fingers brushing through her fiery red hair. She looked momentarily awkward—almost embarrassed.
"Well…" she began, shifting her weight as she walked. "Not every hero wants to just sit around eating and drinking all day."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"We can leave and come back whenever we want. Did you think we were locked in there?" She shot him a sideways look. "Of course not. We're free to come and go."
Alex hummed softly, absorbing that information.
"Then why were you out here when Alduin arrived?" he asked, tone steady but curious.
Emma's expression changed slightly.
She exhaled through her nose and looked ahead into the fog, her playful demeanor fading just a touch.
"Coincidentally, I was outside the Hall of Valor when Alduin came," she said. "With all this thick fog, I hid first."
She gestured vaguely at the mist swirling around them.
"I needed to check whether it was dangerous. Poisonous. Cursed. Something like that."
Her eyes narrowed slightly at the memory.
"When I realized I wasn't dying," she continued with a small shrug, "I decided to head back to the Hall."
Alex looked at her more carefully now, mild surprise visible in his eyes.
"You're not afraid of Alduin?"
Emma stopped walking for half a step—then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Alduin?" she repeated, as if the idea itself amused her.
She waved a hand dismissively.
"No. I've crossed paths with him before. We fought."
Her grin sharpened slightly, pride flickering across her face.
"That dragon is tough. Hard to kill."
Alex's lips curved into a small smirk.
"So…" he said lightly, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "You ran away?"
Before he could react—
Thud.
Emma punched his shoulder.
Not hard enough to injure—but hard enough to sting.
"Ow—!" Alex winced, immediately rubbing his shoulder. "What was that for?!"
Emma glared at him, though there was still a spark of amusement in her eyes.
"Alduin is destined to be defeated by the Dragonborn," she said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "According to the prophecy."
She leaned slightly closer to him as she spoke.
"No one else can truly kill him. That's why I couldn't defeat him here."
Alex studied her face for a moment.
Then he simply smiled faintly.
He didn't argue.
Didn't tease her again.
He just adjusted his shoulder and continued walking forward, the fog swallowing their silhouettes as they moved deeper into Sovngarde.
Emma slowed her steps slightly and turned her head toward him, her eyes narrowing with open curiosity.
"So," she began, drawing the word out as she studied his face, "how did you and the Dragonborn meet?"
She leaned forward a little while walking, trying to catch his expression from the side.
"I'm curious how a man like 'you' ended up with her."
She emphasized you just enough to make it sting.
Alex's eyebrow twitched.
He didn't look at her immediately. Instead, he let out a slow breath through his nose, gaze fixed ahead. There was a faint irritation in the way his jaw tightened—but it faded almost as quickly as it came. He was starting to get used to her sharp tongue.
"I met her during her execution," he said calmly.
Emma blinked.
"Execution?" she repeated, surprised.
Alex nodded once, his expression growing more serious.
"Then Alduin suddenly attacked and destroyed the city."
His eyes darkened slightly as the memory resurfaced.
"Everything happened so fast. Fire. Screams. Chaos everywhere."
His hand unconsciously curled into a fist at his side.
"I saw her there," he continued, voice lowering. "She looked like she had already given up on life."
For a brief moment, his usual sarcasm disappeared.
"She was kneeling there… waiting to die."
He swallowed faintly before continuing.
"I saw a beautiful and helpless woman." He finally glanced at Emma. "What kind of man would leave someone like that behind?"
Emma stared at him for half a second.
Then she rolled her eyes dramatically, turning her face away as if she had just heard the most cliché line in existence.
"Oh please," she muttered.
Alex ignored the reaction and kept walking.
"At first, we didn't plan to travel together," he went on. "But fate kept pushing us into each other's path."
He gave a small, almost reluctant smile.
"So I decided to accompany her."
(And to make sure Astrid doesn't die in the story either,) he added silently in his mind, his gaze softening for just a fraction of a second.
"So yeah," he finished with a shrug. "That's how it happened."
Emma hummed thoughtfully, tapping a finger lightly against her arm.
"Heh… interesting," she said, a small grin forming on her lips. "I want to meet this Dragonborn you call beautiful."
There was something curious in her tone now—not mocking, but genuinely intrigued.
They continued walking side by side through the heavy fog. Visibility remained poor, the mist swirling thickly around their legs.
Emma moved slightly ahead of him.
"Stay close," she said, gesturing toward the ground. "Follow the stone path. Don't step off it."
Alex looked down and noticed the faint outline of carved stones beneath the fog. Without her guidance, he might have wandered off the edge without realizing it.
For a long while, they walked in near silence. The world around them felt empty—no wind, no birds, no distant echoes. Just endless gray.
Then—
A shape began to emerge from the mist ahead.
At first, it was nothing more than a shadow.
Then pillars.
Then towering walls.
Finally, the grand structure revealed itself in full—
The Hall of Valor.
Massive and imposing, its architecture radiated ancient Nordic strength. Strangely, the fog seemed to recoil from it. The thick mist that swallowed everything else stopped just short of the entrance bridge, as if afraid to touch it.
The long stone bridge leading to the hall stood clear and solid.
And at the entrance—
A towering Nord male warrior stood guard.
Broad-shouldered. Armored. Motionless.
His presence alone felt like a test.
Alex and Emma exchanged a brief glance.
Without hesitation, they stepped forward together and approached the guardian.