Chapter 12: Welcome to the Abyss

Without a word, Azar smashed the dorm window with his fist.

Glass shattered, the shards catching the moonlight as they fell into the endless abyss below. The wind howled through the now-broken window, the chill creeping into the dorm. Dante, who had just stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his shoulders, froze mid-step.

Azar turned, grinning ear to ear.

"I’ll see ya at the bottom!"

He stuck his tongue out playfully, then flipped backward out of the window, vanishing into the abyss.

Dante didn’t move for a second. He slowly turned to Iris, who was sitting on the couch, completely unfazed, eating a bag of spicy chips. She crunched down, looking at the shattered window, then back at Dante.

"...He just jumped," Dante said blankly.

Iris nodded, licking the spice off her fingers. "Yup."

Dante sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah… I’m not doing that."

He turned around, intending to walk away.

Then, tens of long, black arms slithered out of the window, coiling around his body.

Dante barely had time to process before he was yanked backward.

"WAIT, WAIT, WA—"

WHOOSH.

Dante plummeted.

The wind roared in his ears. The world blurred past in a black and gold streak. Below him was nothing but an infinite void. Above him, the academy’s lights shimmered like distant stars.

And beside him?

Azar.

Sitting cross-legged. Perfectly relaxed. Holding up a floating communication artifact and taking a selfie.

Dante’s expression twisted into pure, unfiltered rage. "YOU PSYCHO!"

Azar ignored him, checking the selfie. "Ooooh, this is gonna get soooo many likes."

Dante flailed, spinning wildly through the air. He reached out and swung at Azar, but missed, causing himself to flip uncontrollably.

Azar tilted his head, watching Dante tumble through the abyss.

"Damn, you can really flip."

Dante snarled, stabilizing himself with mana bursts from his feet. "When we land, I am going to—"

CRASH.

They hit the ground. Hard.

Dust and debris exploded outward. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the stone.

Azar immediately sat up, dusting himself off. He gave an approving nod to their surroundings—an eerie, abandoned underground ruin covered in glowing blue symbols.

"Huh. Someone should really clean up here."

Beside him, Dante lay crumpled in a mangled heap.

Azar looked down at him, poking his broken arm. "Come on, it’s not that bad. Walk it off, buddy."

Dante groaned in pain, reaching into his pocket with his one functioning hand. He pulled out a small vial of golden liquid and, with tremendous effort, downed it in one gulp.

CRACK.

His bones realigned. His wounds stitched together. His entire body snapped back into place with a series of sickening pops.

Dante staggered to his feet, his face still twisted in irritation.

Azar immediately clapped.

"Yay! See? I knew you could do it!"