The chamber fell silent.
Malveris' body collapsed to the ground, the red glow of his staff fading as it slipped from his grasp. The last trace of mist dissolved into nothing, leaving only broken stone and fading echoes behind.
Renn stood where he struck. Still breathing, but barely. The golden aura around him flickered.
Then it broke.
The light vanished from his body as if it had been torn away. The veins of Aether that once burned across his skin faded, his eyes losing their glow as the overwhelming force that carried him began to collapse inward.
Renn's grip loosened.
His dagger slipped from his hand and clattered against the stone.
He fell forward..... and hit the ground without resistance.
Then—
BOOM.
A large sound echoed the tomb. The sealed door shattered inward. Fragments of stone exploded into the chamber, revealing the darkness inside.
Kael stepped through first, scanning immediately.
"…Renn."
Taren rushed forward. "Renn!". He knelt beside him, checking his pulse. "He's alive… but barely."
Kael looked around sharply. "…What the hell happened in here…"Then his gaze shifted. "…And what the fuck is that thing?"
He pointed. Lumindelle hovered near Renn, arms crossed, visibly irritated.
"Excuse me?" she snapped. "That 'thing' has a name."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "…And it also talks."
"Of course I talk!" Lumindelle shot back.
"Unlike you, I have intelligence and manners!"
Kael scoffed. "Huh, so much talk for a floating cat."
"I AM NOT A CAT!"
"Looks like one."
"You look like someone who relies entirely on brute force and calls it strategy!"
"Say that again."
"Enough."
Lio Vance stepped forward calmly, already lifting Renn carefully. "Argue later. We leave now."
Seris Valenne remained silent, scanning the chamber once more.
Taren supported Renn's weight with Lio. "…Let's get him out."
They exited the ruin together.
Night had already fallen.
A fire was lit just beyond the ruins, its light flickering against the cold wind. The group settled into a temporary camp as silence returned slowly.
Renn was laid near the fire.
Unconscious.
Then—
A breath. Renn's eyes opened.
"…Renn." Taren leaned forward immediately. "You're awake!"
Lio exhaled in relief. Kael stood nearby, arms crossed, silent but watching. Seris stayed slightly apart, her gaze fixed on Renn longer than necessary before she looked away.
Lumindelle hovered above the fire. "Took you long enough."
Renn blinked. "…My head hurts."
Lumindelle smirked. "Obviously."
The fire crackled under the night wind, casting uneven light across the group. Renn sat near it, still weak, but conscious.
Kael stood a short distance away, arms crossed.
"…By the way Renn, what exactly happened inside? "
Silence followed for a moment.
Then Renn exhaled. "…Alright."
Outside the ruin, Renn began to explain everything. Then he spoke about the moment everything changed. The emergence of Malveris. A man who revealed himself not as a random intruder, but as someone who had been watching Renn. Renn explained that the Wraiths were controlled by Malveris like extensions of his will, how every time one was destroyed, another formed from the lingering darkness embedded in the ruin's foundation.
Then Lio spoke quietly. "…So that's why the Mist Wraiths appeared outside too."
Kael clicked his tongue. "…So it wasn't random."
Renn gave a small nod. "…He was summoning them. Whatever Malveris was doing… he was pulling them out. I cannot explain his powers, but as of now, do not worry. I end him."
Renn slowly stood, though his legs trembled slightly. He lowered his head.
"…Thank you."
The words were simple, but sincere. He looked at each of them. Lio, Taren, Seris and Kael.
"…All of you."
Then his gaze shifted upward, to Lumindelle.
"…Thanks Lumindelle."
Lumindelle crossed her arms.
"Hmph. Obviously."
But she didn't hide the faint pride in her tone.
Taren scratched the back of his head. "…Don't mention it. You were the one inside there dealing with that mess."
Then Kael shifted his gaze. "…Now, tell me Renn." His eyes narrowed. "…What is that thing?"
He pointed directly at Lumindelle.
Lumindelle immediately flared.
"EXCUSE ME?! HOW MANY TIMES I TRY TO TELL YOU, I AM NOT A 'THING'!"
Kael didn't even flinch. "…It talks too much."
"I talk the perfect amount!"
Renn raised a hand slightly.
"…Lumindelle is not a thing."
He looked at them.
"…She's a weapon manifestation. An Aether construct. Something like a living bond weapon."
Lumindelle nodded proudly.
"I found her inside the ruin. In a sealed chamber. She was bound to a book—like a dormant consciousness waiting for someone to awaken it."
He paused briefly.
"…When I touched it, she responded."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "…And she just decided to follow you?"
Renn hesitated slightly. "…Yeah, something like that."
Lio observed quietly. "A weapon that chooses its user…"
Taren leaned closer. "…That's rare, right?"
Kael gave a calm glance. "…No, there's no records of weapon having a consciousness. Maybe this is the first time humans encountered it, and he is the first who posesses that weapon."
Kael turned slightly away. "…Whatever. As long as it fights."
Renn finally leaned back slightly, exhaustion creeping in again. "…That's everything I know." He exhaled. "…At least for now."
The fire had settled into a low, steady burn, the kind that only survives when no one feeds it but no one lets it die either.
The night around them was quiet again.
Kael exhaled sharply and rolled his shoulders. He turned away from the fire.
"…I'm going to sleep."
A pause.
Then he added, without looking back, "…By dawn, we head back to the capital. We report everything."
Silence returned.
The fire crackled softly.
Renn watched them for a moment, then shifted slightly as if preparing to stand. Taren noticed immediately.
"Renn? You should rest too."
Renn shook his head lightly. "…I'll take the night shift."
Taren scratched the back of his head.
"…You really don't know how to rest, huh?"
A faint, worried smile crossed his face.
Lio sighed quietly. "…Then I'll take the second half of the shift."
Renn glanced at him. "…Not necessary." And Renn stayed seated at its edge.
Renn remained seated at the edge of the camp, eyes fixed on the surrounding forest. His posture was steady, but the fatigue in his body was obvious now—slower breathing, heavier stillness between movements.
The night wind shifted.
Then—
A soft step.
Seris Valenne opened her eyes.
She had been resting nearby, but not asleep in the usual sense. Her awareness never fully left the surroundings.
She stood quietly and walked toward Renn.
She stopped beside him.
"…Don't overdo it next time."
Her voice was calm, but firm. Renn glanced up slightly.
Seris continued.
"…Everyone is worried about you now. As a team leader, your responsibility is not bound to us alone. It is also to yourself. Staying alive means staying responsible for the team."
Renn stayed silent for a moment.
Then he nodded slowly.
"…I understand."
A faint exhale followed.
"…And… thank you. For worrying about me."
Seris did not respond. Her expression remained unreadable, as always. But her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer than necessary.
"…Don't misunderstand it." she said quietly. Then turned slightly away. "…It is only logical."
Renn responds. "No, I mean it."
She walked back toward her resting spot. No further words. She sat down again and closed her eyes, returning to stillness as if she had never moved at all.
The fire crackled softly between them.
Renn remained where he was. Watching the darkness. Guarding the night.
And for the first time since the ruin—
The silence felt less heavy..