Ren didn't open the scroll immediately. He and Lira didn't speak until they were far from the shop, back in the narrow alleys where shadows swallowed sound.
"Say something," Lira said finally, her voice tight. "Tell me you're not actually doing this."
Ren kept walking. "We don't have a choice."
"There's always a choice."
"Not this time."
She grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. "You heard her. Even the Alchemist Union avoids that place. That's not a job—that's a death sentence."
Ren met her eyes, calm but firm. "So is doing nothing."
Silence.
Lira's grip tightened, then slowly loosened. "…You're really going through with it."
"Yes."
"…You're an idiot."
"…Yeah."
She exhaled sharply and looked away. "…Then I'm coming with you."
"No."
Her head snapped back. "What?"
"You're staying with Mira."
"I'm not leaving you to die alone."
"And I'm not taking you somewhere I might not come back from."
"Ren—"
"She needs someone," he cut in quietly. "If something happens to me… she still has you."
That hit harder than anything else.
Lira's expression faltered.
"…Don't say that."
"I'm serious."
"No," she shook her head. "You're not dying. Not on some stupid job for a shady merchant."
Ren gave a faint, tired smile. "Then I guess I'll have to come back."
She stared at him for a long moment, searching his face. Then sighed.
"…Fine."
He blinked. "Fine?"
"But if you're not back, I'm coming after you."
"…Fair."
A brief silence passed before Ren finally looked down at the scroll in his hand.
"…Let's see what I just signed up for."
He broke the seal.
The parchment inside was old, worn at the edges. A rough map was drawn across it—jagged lines marking terrain, a path leading away from Oros City. Toward the outskirts. Far beyond the safe zones. At the bottom, a single name was written.
Black Hollow.
Lira leaned in. "…That doesn't sound good."
"It isn't," Ren muttered.
There were markings around it—warnings, symbols scratched in darker ink. Not official. Not clean. Personal. Like someone had tried to erase the place and failed.
"…There's more," Ren said.
Small writing beneath the map: "Depth unknown. Structures unstable. Do not descend alone."
Lira let out a dry laugh. "Well, that's reassuring."
Ren folded the scroll slowly.
"…So it's underground."
"Of course it is," she said. "Why wouldn't it be another death hole?"
He glanced at her. "You staying or coming?"
"…I hate you."
"I'll take that as a yes."
She rolled her eyes, but didn't argue again.
"…We still need to see Mira first."
Ren nodded.
"…Yeah."
His expression softened slightly.
"Before anything else."
The lower district didn't change. Still narrow. Still suffocating. Still watching. But this time, Ren wasn't focused on the shadows. He was focused on a single door. At the end of a quiet alley. Worn. Familiar.
He stopped in front of it. For a second—he didn't move.
Lira stepped beside him. "…You good?"
Ren exhaled slowly. "…Yeah."
Then he pushed the door open.
The room inside was small. Simple. A single bed near the wall. A table. A chair. And on the bed—a girl.
Mira.
Her breathing was shallow, uneven. Her skin pale, almost translucent under the dim light. Faint, dark lines spread across her neck and arms—like cracks beneath the surface. Mana rot.
Ren's chest tightened instantly.
"…Mira."
Her eyes fluttered open slowly. Weak. Tired. But when she saw him—she smiled.
"…You're back," she whispered.
Ren stepped forward quickly, kneeling beside her. "…Yeah. I'm back."
"You're late…" she murmured.
"Yeah," he said softly. "Sorry."
Her gaze shifted slightly to Lira. "…Hi."
Lira forced a smile. "Hey, troublemaker."
Mira let out a faint laugh. Then coughed.
Ren's hand tightened slightly. "…Easy."
"I knew you'd come back," she said quietly.
Ren froze for half a second. "…Of course I did."
Her eyes drifted to his injuries. "…You're hurt."
"It's nothing."
"That's a lie."
"…A small lie."
She smiled faintly again. Then her eyes softened. "…You always lie when you're worried."
Ren didn't answer. Because she wasn't wrong.
"…I brought something," he said, shifting the topic slightly.
Her eyes lit up just a little. "…Food?"
He chuckled under his breath. "…Not yet."
But his hand tightened around the scroll hidden behind him. "…Soon," he added quietly.
Mira nodded, as if that was enough. "…Okay."
Silence settled again. Gentle this time. But inside—Ren's thoughts were anything but calm.
Black Hollow. The job. The cost.
He looked at Mira again. At how fragile she looked. Then his expression hardened.
"…Rest," he said softly.
Because no matter what waited out there—no matter how dangerous—he had already made his choice.
And this time—he wouldn't just survive.
He would come back stronger.