"Really? Even during your suspension?"
"Sometimes, I need a place that doesn't smell like moss and mould." Lucius opened his eyes to the same overcast sky and an oddly new addition of Jasper on the roof.
"Look, I'm here for something." Jasper climbed above the railings and onto the red tiles, standing beside Lucius. "And you're not going to like it."
Lucius sat up and turned back to look at Jasper with his cold red eyes. "Then my answer is no."
"…At least let me ask it first." He trailed off, looking to the bell tower in the distance.
Lucius followed his gaze, "Yeah, yeah, ask away."
Jasper deliberated, "The Celestes are planning another expedition."
Lucius scoffed, his head clattering with the tiles beneath as he leaned it back, "Yeah? I saw the news. But why are you guys going back in?"
"Well, as you would have expected, Celestes paid the media to shut up. But it seems their reconnaissance unit is stuck on the 4th floor." Jasper smacked his lips, "Can you believe it? The second strongest family in Eryndale can't dive past the 4th floor."
"You mean the 3rd floor?" Lucius said nonchalantly.
"Well, that's what I'm here for."
Lucius sat back up abruptly, "Huh…?"
He looked around, trying to sift through his memories, making sure he was right. "The 4th floor is gone. I annihilated it."
"Reports and maps show otherwise."
"That's…" Lucius trailed off, his face coming to a sort of horrifying realisation, but the words hung on the tip of his tongue.
"It's dangerous down there. We need someone who knows the depths and how the dungeons work. Someone who can fight the monsters there…"
Lucius furrowed his brows. "What did they see down there?"
"…Same 4th floor boss, apparently."
Lucius seemingly sighed a breath of relief, like he was worried that it could've been something worse. But now, he had a decision to make.
"I respect that you're asking me first. However, do I get a choice?" Lucius let out a dry chuckle.
"Uhhh… For now." Jasper shrugged his shoulders.
"Right. No thanks then."
Jasper leapt down from the platform, standing beside Lucius, who lay almost motionless. "I get it. You're done with this city's bullshit. With the dungeon's bullshit. But look, if the floors really are regenerating, then something's going on in the dungeons. Something that has to do with the thing you saw down there."
Jasper exhaled, taking a breath from his frustration. He looked at Lucius, hoping for any sort of reply, but nothing.
Silence.
"You're just going to ignore all this? Let the rest of the world stumble upon your horrifying revelation that you didn't want to tell us. Let them wander around in the dark without knowing what is happening until they eventually die?"
Silence once more.
"No, fuck that. Don't you want to know the nature of the dungeon? Of the very thing that killed your family?"
Lucius' red eyes instantly flicked up to Jasper. "Careful where you tread, Jasper."
But Jasper didn't flinch or hesitate. "Yeah, I knew you would say that. And I don't give a shit."
Lucius didn't move. He just watched him. His red eyes glinted under the overcast sky.
"You can keep sulking like this about losing your family, or you can help others stay with theirs."
Lucius finally tilted his head back. A long sigh followed by a long period of nothing.
Jasper sat back down.
Droplets of water started to rain down. Lights around the town switched on, forming a beautiful scenery in the darkened backdrop, a city of finely crafted architecture, greenery between the roads, and statues of honour towering amidst the lower-rise buildings.
A true sight to behold and perhaps to protect as well.
Lucius leaned back on his elbows, staring at the sky. The wind picked up again, cutting through the rooftop with a cold bite. He barely felt it.
"What were they even doing down there… Why are the Celestes involved in a Lark expedition?"
Jasper clicked his tongue, crossing his arms as he leaned against the ledge. "Chances are, the Larks wanted to show there were no hard feelings over the relics. Well, I think it's mostly a Robert Lark sentiment."
Lucius scoffed. "Can't say the same for the rest of the Larks; I agree."
"Exactly." Jasper shrugged. "The Celestes felt overthrown the moment the relics left their hands. You think they'll just sit still?"
Lucius didn't answer, but Jasper could tell what he was thinking.
"…And Seraphina? How is she treated?"
Jasper exhaled, tilting his head. "What do you think? Celestes have been first in the academy for years, even when the Thornes were at their prime. You think they take you lightly? Especially now, after you handed power over to another family? And even after all that, Seraphina still can't win against you."
He shook his head. "She's obviously depressed."
Lucius' jaw tensed, but he only asked, "Is she at least safe?"
Jasper blinked. Then, a smirk. "Wait. Since when did you care so much?"
Lucius let out a dry chuckle. "It gets lonely up here without someone to accompany me."
Jasper laughed once. "Yeah, well, she's assigned to the rear guard anyway." He kicked a loose tile, watching it tumble into the empty roads below. "In a way, I suppose it's best for her."
He turned back to Lucius. "So?"
Lucius was silent again. This time, longer.
Finally, he pushed himself up, brushing the rain from his hair.
"Yeah, fine. Count me in."
* * *
3 Days Later…
The Hollow Gate Square, Centre of Eryndale City
Lucius had been there before. But he still felt like a foreigner. He stood at the edge, leaning on the stone wall.
The city loomed behind him. The tall buildings of intricate design and beautiful architecture were lined up closely to each other. Cobblestone paths and wooden bridges covered the remaining landscape.
He had stood at this very spot months ago, watching the same mist swirl in the depths beneath. But time had blurred the memories into something more abstract… and wrong.
The chasm that gaped ahead of him stretched wide and deep, its sides lined with steep, winding paths. Greenery clung to the upper slopes but thinned out into nothing as it dipped into the chasm. He remembered walking those paths once, boots grinding against loose stone.
And there, at the edge, was the elevator.
It jutted over the abyss, a hulking platform of steel and cables, its frame bolted deep into a shaft that seemed to descend into an endless darkness. It could carry a hundred men at a time.
It had carried him once. He could even recall the exact lurch of movement, the sights of the city slipping away as it plunged into the abyss.
He looked back at the City Square. The remnants of hastily torn-down tents lay scattered across it.
"Mr Depressed Thornes. How is everything?" Seraphina muttered as the soldiers continued into the large building not too far away. The elevator platform filled up with perhaps a hundred men. Once it was packed, the platform jerked and slowly descended.
Lucius looked on, thinking of his next words.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Thinking about how I got into this situation."
Lucius turned to look at her. "You alright not being with your family now?"
"Please, my family doesn't trust me enough to be on the front lines." She scoffed, slotting herself beside Lucius. "Said I was the only one in the family that didn't dominate the school. So, well, I get what I rightfully deserve. Which is to play cards in the rear guard."
Lucius gently knocked his shoulder into hers. "Don't get too down. It could be a good thing, Princess Celeste. Frontlines are quite dangerous. Perhaps they just want to protect."
She clicked her tongue. "I know what they're like. They're better off spending their efforts protecting the soldiers who fight for them."
Lucius didn't respond. He didn't know how to.
"Oi! Lucius! Time to go!" Jasper shouted.
Lucius patted Seraphina's shoulder. "Stay safe out there. I won't have time to mingle around in the back ranks—not that you'll need my protection, but… the dungeons are a dangerous place."
"Yeah. Guide us well. I believe you will."
Lucius gave a subtle nod before jogging over to Jasper, who stood beside the large, towering gates. Behind the open doors was the platform he saw, finally coming back up as the soldiers piled on once more.
"This is yours. I won't be accompanying you down there. I need to handle the law enforcement up here. You might see some familiar faces down there. They invited quite a lot of peop— you have to go. Stay safe down there!" Jasper pushed Lucius through the gates.
"Thanks, man." Lucius waved as he jogged the remaining distance through the towering building. Statues stood tall on both sides—heroes with familiar faces carved in striking detail. Until finally, he reached the platform.
"That's the last! Descend!"
Lucius watched as the large metallic gears clunked into place, screeching as they rotated and the platform descended.
It was bright at first. Water and waste continued to form a waterfall from above on the opposite side of the chasm, as greenery and bushes littered the plateaus.
But the lights started dimming as dots of fire became more visible along the walls. In the sky, more flying monsters circled above, harmless to them.
The darkness grew stronger as the platform descended faster. The winds howled beside their ears as they brushed past them, sending up waves of the smell of moisture and moss.
The screams of commanders grew louder from beneath, but so did the glare of strong lights from the final station: "The Hollow Gate," the sign read in dim light.
"Thornes". A man walked up to Lucius. He had light armour with white underclothing and golden stripes that stretched to his wrists and ankles. "We are reaching soon. Prepare to depart immediately. We won't be making any stops until the 3rd floor."
Lucius couldn't make out his face with all the shadows, but his golden-blonde hair glimmered regardless.
"Are we not waiting for everyone to gather? What's the point of the pathfinder if I only guide the frontline?"
"Shut up. You think you're so good, but you're literally only here because you're the only one with experience on the lower floors. We will breeze through the first few floors without your help, anyway, so get off your high horse."
Lucius scoffed in the darkness. "Roger that. Yes, may I know your name, sir?"
"Valverde Celeste", Valverde said as he glanced back for a split second before walking to the front of the platform, which slowed down significantly to a stop.
The soldiers rushed out; the synchronised sounds of marching fizzled out into the large area above and beneath as Lucius watched on from the platform's railing. The snaking line of soldiers leading into the dungeons beneath.
"Huu… Alright, we go again."
And then he followed.
The first few floors were a blur of routine slaughter.
Lucius barely lifted a finger.
The frontline consisted mostly of Celeste's elite squad. They were strong, that was undeniable. Valverde led the pack well, slicing through their foes with ruthless efficiency. The vanguard was not too shabby, cleaning up the scattered and retreating monsters with ease.
All the while, Lucius took a backseat and walked behind the front line, taking everything back in again.
The dungeon felt exactly the same. The same architecture, the same paths, and the same monsters that spawned. He could even notice the scorch marks he had made a few months back.
Nothing's Changed.
But that was when they finally reached the 4th floor. The place that was not supposed to exist. For many others, they might not know the true reason for its disappearance, but alas, it was for nought, for the 4th floor was back regardless.
For the first time since he entered the dungeon, Lucius felt like it was foreign. Perhaps it was because of the disgusting memories he had in this place, or perhaps it was because of a deep mana presence deeper into the floor.
The large twisting cave seemed to open up into a bigger area ahead, which to Lucius felt foreign and unknown, as if the floor were entirely different…
The worst part was he knew it was possible, and he knew what did it.
"Valverde!"
The man didn't heed Lucius's calling as he marched on.
"Oi! Val-"
Emerging from the corner was a tall… no, towering creature. A humanoid creature, an amalgamation of different monsters' limbs, skin and body parts. The face was blank, with only a single opening that was stitched shut. Its arms were long, extending behind itself as it dragged them across the ground, and various iron shackles dug into its flesh, clinking against the rocks and walls.
It was thin, yet its stomach looked like a balloon, artificially inflated, glowing with an orange glow.
It was the same thing. The 4th-floor boss was back as well…
Bosses don't respawn…
"Soldiers! Kill it!"
The soldiers urged forward, but the creature's actions flashed before Lucius' eyes like blasts from the past, winding up as the glow in its abdomen swirled and glowed even stronger. Lucius' instincts screamed at him before his mind could take action.
"SHIT—DUCK!"
Lucius leapt in front of the first soldier.
A blinding column of fire shot out as the seemingly stitched-up mouth opened to the size of its very head, crashing along the walls, clashing with Lucius' own blast of fire.
[ VESPER SENSES THREAT TO LIFE. HOST ESCAPE RECOMMENDED ]
The droning voice slammed into his skull.
"Not now, Vesper!"
[ PAIN INHIBITORS ACTIVATED ]
[ HOSTILE TAKEOVER ENG— ]
"NOT. NOW."