Chapter 101 - Separate Ways

Zephier took Akai’s arm around his shoulder and raised him off the ground. Everything shook with a violent rumble and it felt as though it were only a matter of time before the entire Floor came crashing down on us.

The sky above us cracked open and wreckage of glittering stars rained down over us. Left and right large chunks of crystals hit the already-destroyed floor.

Veldor’s face turned pale as he looked up. “It’s the Hollows sky, it’s made of crystals that mimic a night sky! It’s all coming down!”

I grabbed Alice’s hand and shot Arga a quick nod. Her face turned annoyed as she paced over to Veldor.

“Sigh…let’s go.”

Veldor wrapped his arm over her shoulder and his face brightened red with frustration but didn’t say a word about it. He knew the situation and couldn’t fight it.

We ran as fast as we could and rushed to the exit where the rest of Heaven's Gate escaped through. We were close and the exit was in sight.

My head turned back over my shoulder to the crater left at the centre of the Hollow, amongst the wreckage and floor that had been blown to bits. I bit my tongue, unable to bring myself to say anything.

The stinging in both corners of my eyes and the catch that welled up in my throat–I fought them both back and turned my head forward.

Keep your head forward–always keep it forward! He never turned back, so I can’t either…I can’t!

My ears rang with the sound of crashing stones around us. It was crashing stones and heavy explosions from every direction.

We ran and weaved past it all and avoided getting hit with narrow turns. Activating any skills was out of the question–it was up to my legs to save me, nothing else.

The last stretch–we raced through the exit and made it back into the regular dark caves of the Floor. As soon as we made it past the hole in the wall, we collapsed against the cold surface of the cave where smooth purple stone greeted us.

We dropped to the ground–all of us. A song of huffing and heavy pants circled the room and didn't leave out a single member.

Arga stood up and looked back at the exit we came through. Her eyes widened with fear as she pointed back to it. “Look…the exit.”

Massive boulders–half the size of a house–fell in front of it and covered up the exit behind us. The sparkling wreckage scattered across the Hollow faded out of sight as the boulders piled up in front of us.

Veldor clenched his teeth, his eyes forced away from the entrance.Even if I pretended to know what he was feeling, I’m sure it wouldn’t have come close. With all that stuff blocking the way, we won’t be able to retrieve Mister Ed’s body…not even give him a proper burial.

Clack–Clack–Clack

Something approached from deeper into the tunnel. My senses were pretty foggy and I couldn't make out what it was. I reached for my Chakrams but I could barely move my arm.

I was still severely burnt from that attack Asher hit me with, lifting my arm was definitely not on the list of things I was able to do.

“What now?!” Veldor stood up in panic.

“Rest assured, it isn't an enemy.” Akai chimed in.

We were a little less tense but none of us backed down. Arga and Veldor remained in a battle pose and kept their heads low. The subtle twitch in my eye grew rapidly, the closer those steps drew to us.

A thin figure rushed out from around the corner–it was a human. He was dressed in chainmail and covered in bandages around his arms and head. His eyes raced across the room anxiously and settled over us, where he flinched in surprise.

“Ah–I didn't think it was possible! Veldor, you all made it back!” The man exclaimed.

The tense squeeze in my body lowered and I collapsed back, against the wall. Any longer and I felt as though I would have passed out.

Veldor stepped forward. “Michi, where’s the others?” he asked plainly.

His voice carried no excitement behind them, even the life in his eyes looked vacant.

“We set up a small recovery post further into the Floor where there are less monsters. We were waiting for the captain and you to return before moving out.”

“Recovery post…for what? None of you were in that labyrinth, were you?” Veldor pressed angrily.

“None of us but you guys, unfortunately. We got separated when the floor went all soft and…that’s when the monsters flooded in.”

“Monsters, in the hollow?! That can’t be!”

Veldor’s eyes stretched with a frustrated flare.

“The moment you all vanished, monsters began popping up out of the walls. It looked like something was opening pathways for them–we got outnumbered pretty quickly. We only managed to survive by the skin of our knees when that massive dragon appeared.”

Veldor’s eyes dropped back to the floor as the anger subsided and his fists relaxed again. “I see...”

“The device that Ilinore used must have brought those monsters to you all.” I added.

The young guild member searched through us with his eyes. “I see you’re all back too, I don’t see the captain though. All the rumbling stopped so that beast must have come down already. Is he disposing of residual monsters?”

His excited face was met with silence.

“Veldor…where’s master?” The young man grew worried.

Veldor’s eyes rose and met his. As soon as he saw them, the man winced and a look of dread took away the chipper grin he rushed in with.

“...I see. Well uh–I should take you all back to the recovery zone. Our scouts will see what they can do while we fix everyone up. We’re heading back to Istoria…”

We followed him back to the rest of the group. It was worse than I had thought, they were in as rough of shape as us. Broken gear, damaged armour and severe injuries.

Fighting monsters on that floor wasn’t any problem for a raiding group that large but when the monsters piled up into groups larger than theirs–that’s when it was considered suicide. They were seriously lucky to walk out of it alive…those who did.

None of them could look at us without their brows dropping or contempt growing. We were constant reminders of everyone that didn’t come back to them.

The eyes surrounding us fell over Alice and her brothers worst of all. No one denied them treatment but after and even during their healing, not a single person cared to look them in the eyes. It didn’t take long before the whispers rose up and spread throughout the group.

This is bad, if we don’t stop them now they might start blaming Alice. If we take them back with us it’s only a matter of time before…

“Rei.” Akai’s stoic tone snapped me out of my spiral.

Zephier and Alice stood beside him with nervous expressions, clearly troubled by something. Alice in particular couldn’t shake the wriggling frown that accompanied her twitching nose.

“Akai, sorry about that. I was lost in thought about something.”

“I know, I felt the same.” He looked worried about something. Alice especially, she couldn’t raise her eyes from the ground as Akai spoke.

Akai’s eyes met mine. “We cannot go with you, we have to go back to our land.”