Chapter 154 Unequaled Shadows

[The Tranquil Space | Emilio & Melisande]

It seemed to stretch on for quite some ways, curving around the enigmatic wall of quartz; the cloud-neighboring corridor.

Emilio led the way, keeping his sword held in front of him. Despite what the faceless entity had told him about the safety of the tranquil space, he wasn’t going to fully invest his trust in those words.

“How are you feeling now?” Melisande asked from behind.

He glanced back, “…Ah, well, pretty sure. But otherwise, I’m fine.”

There were still bruises left on his body and though he’d recovered a good amount of mana, he was beginning to understand that tending to every wound was the wrong move.

I guess I’m finally learning the limits of my own mana, he thought, I’d heal even a scratch in a heartbeat before, but now…I’ve got to be more frugal.

“This hall sure goes on and on, doesn’t it?” Melisande remarked, looking around as she rubbed her own arms.

“I was thinking the same thing–”

Just as he replied, it seemed the end of the corridor was finally reached, though it didn’t lead to a closed doorway, but to an entrance into a peculiar chamber.

“Stay close,” he said quietly, holding his sword up.

Melisande only quietly nodded before following behind Emilio as they both entered the room, finding a single pathway of quartz continuing on, though with overgrowth and roses sticking through the cracks of the floor now.

Neighboring the walkway was crystal-clear water, flowing from pipes embedded in the walls as the sound of aqua flowing out met his ears kindly.

Doesn’t seem like anything bad is here, he thought.

Finally relaxing his tensed shoulders, he slid his sword into its sheath, letting out a sigh as he watched the water flow for a moment.

“What’s wrong?” Melisande asked, peering up at him.

“Nothing. Let’s keep going,” he said with a small smile.

In such a tense, otherworldly situation, there wasn’t much room for conversation, nor much of a desire for it beforehand, but the tranquil space seemed to naturally promote it as they walked along the quartz pathway.

“You said you weren’t an adventurer, right? You’re still pretty strong for somebody my age,” Melisande said with a curious look, “…Are you planning on becoming an adventurer?”

“I am,” he nodded.

“Even after something like this?…” She asked quietly.

It was clear what she meant, and he didn’t blame her at all for that observation. Simply, the Unending Nightmare was a wakeup call for the uninitiated.

“At first, all of this did make me question if I still wanted to pursue the life of an adventurer, but…it doesn’t change anything. I still want to see the world and all it has to offer, and have all of my questions answered,” he told her.

“–” Melisande looked at him, “I see. Well, I hope you can do it. I know it’s tough to become a certified adventurer.”

“Yeah, but I’m ready for it,” he assured her with a smile, “What about you?”

“Me?” Melisande tilted her head as her pristine, silver hair cascaded down her shoulders.

Leaving through the otherside of the chamber, the pathway returned to a bridge that was neighbored by the clouds with only simple railings preventing a potential fall through the fluffy formations in the sky.

“I mean what do you want to do?” He asked.

Melisande scrunched her nose as if not expecting the question, “–Maybe I’ll become an adventurer, too.”

“Huh? I dunno about that one,” he said, raising an eyebrow as he folded his arms over his chest.

“Why not?!” Melisande seemed offended.

“First off…I doubt you know the first thing about magic or swordsmanship, which is kind of mandatory,” he said.

“So?! I’m still tough–my brother always said I have a mean punch!” Melisande affirmed.

“Err, right…”

、 “I’m not kidding around,” Melisande looked up at him pouting before looking down, “Besides…what’s left here in Larundog? Brother is gone, the city is destroyed, everybody is…”

As the girl lamented the tragedy of the city, he felt bad for what he said, but what he spoke was only the truth: it was a dangerous path of life for those unprepared and untrained.

“…If we get out of here, maybe I’ll teach you a thing or two about magic, alright?” He promised her.

“Really!?” Melisande lit up with excitement.

What did I just promise her? He thought in regret.

Still, he double-downed, “If you’re not half-bad, then I’m sure you can become an adventurer, too.”

“Heh. I’ll blow you away,” Melisande had a smug expression, following alongside him.

If there was any benefit to his promise, he felt satisfied with the fact that the gloomy atmosphere seemed to have been diminished, at least for the time being, and the grief felt by the girl was at least not present in her mind.

Walking down the quiet pathway, it became slightly more narrow and the rails disappeared, leaving only the quartz bridge, suspended by nothing amidst the clouds.

“Be careful,” he warned.

“…Yeah,” Melisande replied.

There was a gentle breeze that came in; it was subtle, but enough to make one question their balance when placing one foot in front of the other on the high-placed bridge.

Though they were slow and fluffy, there was something unnerving with being kept so close to the ever-drifting clouds. Perhaps what was more concerning was the fact that the clouds were not from the world he was familiar with, and that the sky they belonged to was unknown and perhaps unending in nature.

“Up ahead–do you see that?” Melisande pointed out.

“Huh?” He looked forward, squinting, “–Oh.”

Sitting at the end of the slightly-curving pathway was a pitch-black door, etched into the sky itself. It was usually a relief to find a doorway amidst the incomplete worlds, but it was different this time.

Maybe it was the calm nature of the current space, or perhaps the eeriness that fell on the distant, but inevitable door, but he found himself having to mentally prepare himself.

Before, at least I expected horrors on the other side of the door, he thought, but knowing it could either be something peaceful like this, or a nightmare…I’m anxious.

The closer the thin bridge got to the ominous door, the more verdant blades of grass and bleached roses seemed to occupy the gaps between the tiles.

Just a few meters away from the door, he stopped as Melisande halted as well. Looking up, he found a large cloud drifting over the bridge, casting an all-encompassing shadow over the rose-infested tiles.

“I doubt we’re going to find Larundog on the other side of this door,” he said while staring at the pitch-black entrance.

Melisande looked up at him, “How’re you so sure of that? You haven’t opened it yet–”

“–It’s just a hunch,” he told her, not knowing how to speak of what he truly knew.

From what the faceless entity had spoken to him of, it seemed there wouldn’t be any chance to return to Larundog, at least not before confronting the Unending Nightmare’s core. There wouldn’t be any point in going back to the city before then, anyway. Though a part of him believed it’d be safer to have Melisande wait in Larundog, that thought process was swiftly dissipated by recent memories.

Nowhere is safe right now–not until the Unending Nightmare is dealt with, he resolved.

Approaching the black door, he had to squint to find the handle that blended in with the rest of the vantablack material, taking hold of it as he gulped.

“Ready?” He asked.

“Mhm,” Melisande answered, sticking closely.

With that answer, he turned the handle, finding stale air breathing out from between the widening gaps of the door before total darkness awaited past the opened doorway. It was a haunting, silent abyss that sat past the entrance.

Slowly, he entered the threshold, stepping past it as he stood in total darkness, surrounded by nothing but quiet shadows.

Is this the next world?…It’s just darkness, he thought.

For a moment, he stared at nothingness as a droplet of sweat fell from his chin. A glance back from where he came only found further darkness; the doorway was already gone. Though expected, it was frightening nonetheless.

“I’m here,” Melisande assured him, holding onto his hand.

It was a thoughtfulness he didn’t expect, but he welcomed it as even a few moments of loneliness in the sensory absent abyss was far too long.

“…So this is another world? All I see is darkness here,” Melisande remarked.

“Yeah…It’s going to be a pain to find a door in this place,” he replied.

Only through their hands being held were they able to recognize each other’s presence; even just a foot away from one another at most, they couldn’t be seen through the veil of absolute darkness.

Beneath his boots, the ground felt slightly moist and fuzzy as if it was lined with carpet, though he had no way of confirming it.

“Hold on, let me try something,” he said.

“Huh? What is it?”

Holding his free hand up, he focused a small flame to the tip of his finger, “Just a little fire.”

“I don’t see anything though…I feel some heat, that’s it,” Melisande remarked.

It was true; though there was a flame born above his finger, there was nothing to be seen besides the thick veil of shadows that existed all around.

“Yeah. It was worth a try, I guess,” he sighed, excusing the flame before beginning to walk again.

“Not even fire can light this place up?…Creepy,” Melisande shivered.

“You can say that again,” he mumbled.