The heavy, oppressive atmosphere of the underground city greeted us as soon as we stepped out of the hotel. It was a place that never truly saw the sun, where the only thing separating us from total darkness were the magical lamps and glowing signs that hung from the jagged stone buildings. It truly felt like being inside a single lamp in a blacked-out room, where the light only reached so far before being swallowed by the deep shadows of the dungeon floor. I walked down the street with a strange sense of weight on my shoulders, but it wasn't just the ceiling of the dungeon above us. On my right side, Salphy was holding my hand tightly. Her small, grey-skinned hand was surprisingly warm, and her silver eyes were wide as she looked at the flickering lights of the city. On my other side, Elphyete walked with her usual grace, her silver hair shimmering even in the dim light. Her long ears were twitching, scanning the air for any sound of trouble, and the tips were a faint, happy pink.
We were supposed to be looking for the King. Hanashighi had told us that we needed to find the Building of Entertainment, the place where the fighting tournaments and the illegal trade happened, but the city was a massive maze. The streets were all made of the same dark, packed dirt and cracked stone, and every turn seemed to lead us into another alleyway that looked exactly like the last one. We had been walking for a while, and they haven't even found the building yet. The scale of this single dungeon floor was almost impossible to understand; it felt like we could walk for days and still be in the same district.
"Are you tired, Salphy?" Elphyete asked, her voice soft and motherly. She looked down at the little girl, her ears giving a playful flick.
"No, Mommy! I want to see more lights!" Salphy replied, her voice full of a newfound energy. She looked up at Elphyete with those big silver eyes, and I could see Elphyete's expression melt into a smile.
"I think we're all getting a bit hungry, though," I said, looking around. The search for the King was important, but we had been walking for hours without seeing anything that looked like a giant arena or a government building. All we saw were dark shops and suspicious people.
Just as I said that, a very strange and wonderful smell hit my nose. It was sweet, savory, and had a hint of something spicy that I couldn't quite name. It didn't smell like the cheap bread or salty meat we had been eating since we arrived. We followed the scent down a narrow side street, and that's when we found a restaurant selling rare food. The sign above the door was made of a polished, glowing blue crystal that pulsed with a soft light. It didn't have a name in any language I could read, but the window showed plates of food that looked like nothing I had ever seen before. There were fruits that glowed with an inner light, meats that seemed to be glazed in a shimmering gold sauce, and vegetables that were shaped like stars.
"Rare dungeon delicacies," Elphyete whispered, her ears twitching with excitement. "I've heard about places like this. They use ingredients found only in the deepest parts of the dungeon floors, things that are very hard to harvest."
Without even needing to discuss it, we walked through the door. The inside of the restaurant was beautiful. It was much brighter than the street outside, with lanterns made of floating fireflies and tables carved from white marble. It felt like we had stepped into a different world entirely. A waiter, a tall man with very long fingers and a polite smile, led us to a table in the corner. Salphy immediately scrambled into the chair between us, her eyes fixed on the glowing menu.
"We would like your most recommended dishes," Elphyete told the waiter. She didn't even look at the prices. As a princess, I knew she probably didn't care, but I was just glad we were finally sitting down.
The food started arriving after only a few minutes, and it was incredible. There was a large plate of what looked like dragon-scale ribs, the meat falling off the bone and covered in a sweet, spicy glaze that made my mouth water. There were bowls of "Star-Light Soup" that actually sparkled when you stirred it with a spoon. Salphy was staring at the soup with wide eyes, her silver eyes reflecting the tiny glimmers in the liquid.
"Mommy, look! It's like eating the sky!" Salphy giggled, picking up her spoon.
Elphyete chuckled and helped her take a sip. "It's very rare, Salphy. Make sure you enjoy every bit of it."
I took a bite of the meat, and the flavor was unlike anything I had ever tasted. It was rich and tender, and it felt like a burst of energy was spreading through my body with every chew. We focused on the restaurant and the food, letting the stress of the city fade away. We ate for a long time, trying different plates that the waiter brought out. There were blue-tinted mushrooms that tasted like steak and a dessert made of frozen nectar that melted on the tongue like sweet snow.
As the hours passed, the restaurant stayed busy, but our corner felt like a private sanctuary. Salphy was talking more now, telling us about the things she saw in the city and how much she liked the "pretty lights." She kept calling us Mommy and Daddy, and every time she did, the embarrassment I felt earlier started to fade, replaced by a strange sense of comfort. Elphyete was enjoying herself too. She wasn't wearing those heavy thoughts about the King or the portal anymore; she was just a mother enjoying a meal with her family. Her ears stayed a deep, vibrant pink the entire time, especially when Salphy would lean over to give her a messy, food-covered hug.
"Daddy, you have some sauce on your face," Salphy said, pointing at my cheek and giggling.
I laughed and wiped it off with a napkin. "Thanks, Salphy. I guess I'm a messy eater too."
Elphyete smirked at me, that same playful look in her eyes that she had back at the hotel. I just looked away, focusing on the star-shaped vegetables on my plate, but I couldn't help but smile. It was a rare moment of peace in a very dark place. We spent hours there, talking and laughing, and just being together. The waiter didn't even try to rush us; he just kept the drinks filled and brought out small snacks of dried, sweetened moss that tasted like honey.
By the time we finally finished, the "morning" had long since passed into what felt like late evening, though it was impossible to tell for sure. My stomach was full, and my mind was finally calm. The rare food had done more than just fill us up; it had made the dark city feel a little less frightening. When the bill came, Elphyete paid it with the same casualness as before, handing over a few heavy gold coins that the waiter accepted with a deep bow.
We stood up and stretched, feeling the fatigue of the day finally catching up to us. Salphy was yawning, her small head leaning against Elphyete's side. We walked out of the restaurant and back into the dark street. The air felt even colder now, and the shadows seemed longer. We looked around, but the Building of Entertainment was nowhere to be seen. We had spent the entire afternoon and evening in that restaurant, and we were no closer to finding the King than when we started.
"I think it's time to go home," Elphyete said, her voice sounding a bit tired but very happy. She picked Salphy up and settled the girl on her hip. Salphy didn't even resist; she just wrapped her arms around Elphyete's neck and closed her eyes.
"Yeah, I think you're right," I agreed. "We can continue the search tomorrow. We haven't even found the building yet, so there's no point in wandering around in the dark while we're this tired."
We started the long walk back to the hotel. The city was quieter now, with fewer people on the streets. The flickering lamps cast long, dancing shadows on the stone walls, and the sound of our footsteps echoed in the stillness. It took us a long time to find our way back, as we had to navigate the confusing turns of the dungeon floor one more time. Every now and then, we would pass a street that looked familiar, only to realize it was a different one entirely. But eventually, we saw the yellow sign of "The Deep Rest" glowing in the distance.
Walking into the hotel lobby felt like coming home. The man behind the desk gave us a small nod as we passed, and we headed straight for our huge room. Once we were inside and the door was locked, the warmth of the lamps greeted us. We were all exhausted after the hours spent out in the city. Elphyete carried Salphy to the bed and tucked her in the middle, just like we had done the night before. The girl was already half-asleep, her silver eyes barely open as she looked at us one last time.
"Goodnight, Mommy. Goodnight, Daddy," she whispered before her eyes slid shut.
Elphyete and I looked at each other over the bed. Her ears gave a small, tired twitch, and they were still a soft shade of pink. We didn't say much; there was no need to. We had failed to find the King today, but we had found something else. We had found a moment of happiness in a place that was designed for darkness. I lay down on my side of the bed, and Elphyete lay down on hers. As I closed my eyes, the last thing I felt was the warmth of the room and the steady breathing of the family I didn't know I would have. The search for the Building of Entertainment would have to wait for another day. For now, we were just three people sleeping in a giant room at the heart of a dungeon city, safe and full from a meal we would never forget.