It's been a few days since I had that interview with Lotus Fang. Surprisingly, nothing much happened. After the interview, I stayed at the defender's hall until the sun was at its lowest since I didn't want to experience that burning pain again. I couldn't muster the courage to do that again, so I stayed locked in my room since.
Today, however, I needed to leave the comfort of my apartment, as today is the Lotus Fang Tower raid. The evening air, though cooler than the brutal midday sun, still felt like a hot cloth wrapping around my skin like a snake. It was bearable, but it's still far from comfortable. Each minute I stay in the sun feels like almost half an hour. I really need an umbrella, a bike, or something… Since I didn't make much from low-ranked towers, it was kinda hard to buy any of that before. If it wasn't for Claude turning me into this, I would be fine walking…
Walking closer to the tower, I began to scan the group gathered around the Tower's entrance. I saw about fifteen people, mostly combat Sparks and a few middle-line support types, a much smaller number than I'd anticipated, considering the earlier crowd at the hall. This makes sense, as the Lotus Fang are a detail-oriented group who would only choose those with potential. Excluding me, of course, considering if I applied for a combat position like my last party, I would've probably been rejected.
I spotted Karlton, looking even more armored than before, as he strode towards me. "Tristan! Good to see you. We're about to head in." He paused, his gaze sweeping over my damp coat and slightly flushed face. "You alright? You're sweating a fair bit."
"Yeah, I'm good," I managed to respond, forcing a smile.
"Oh, hehe!" Claude's amused giggle echoed in my mind. I held the urge to roll my eyes or strangle myself.
"Alright then," Karlton continued, "You'll be sticking to the back, grabbing monster loot and tower gems. Correct?"
"Tower gems?" I asked, a faint frown creasing my brow in confusion. "I've never heard of those."
Karlton stroked his beard, a faint rumble escaping his chest. "Ah, I suppose you're new to the Towers, then. Tower gems and other treasures can be found in the walls or chests in Towers D or above. We'll be raiding a D-rank Tower today to gauge everyone's strength. If it's too weak, we can always move on to a C-rank Tower."
I gulped. My heart did a strange, hollow thump against my ribs. I'd never been in anything above an E-rank Tower. Actually- except the last one… I suppose it can't be worse than that. Can it?
"Karlton! We need you up front, we're about to head in!" Juliet's sharp voice cut through the air. She was fully armored, her pink hair a stark contrast to the dark metal. Just then, I felt underarmoured with everyone in some dazzling gear, and I didn't even have leather armor.
Karlton nodded to her, then turned back to me, handing me a large bag, like a hiker's backpack. "Here. Take this. It has some extra supplies for when we might need them. There's mostly rations and potions, so there should be room for you to put all the loot in as well." I grabbed the bag and, with another curt nod, Karlton joined Juliet at the front of the gathering.
"Oh, this is simply splendid!" Claude chirped, his excitement practically bouncing in my head.
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, slinging the backpack over my shoulder. "For you, maybe. I'm F-rank, I'm probably not going to be doing anything."
"Nonsense, darling!" Claude purred, a morbid glee in his tone. Think about this: with this many people, one or two casualties won't have anyone batting an eye. We can use them to get stronger!"
I rolled my eyes. Of course, that's all he cared about. I didn't even bother with a response, though I did get a sudden lump in my chest thinking about it…. We queued up at the Tower entrance. I glanced at the vines, clinging to its base in a gross teal color, signifying the tower is indeed a D-rank. It looked like any other, tall and made of cracked stone bricks, but the teal still made my stomach clench. A D-rank. I swallowed. This isn't going to be easy… At least, for an F rank like me.
Juliet, her pink hair flowing in the breeze, addressed the group. "Alright, team! We're going in! Remember, this is to test both your own strength and your improv teamwork skills! Being lower ranks, there is no telling what party you will end up with, so you need to know how to work with anyone. If you are a Tank, you should be in front. Agility types or Rogues, in the middle. Support in the middle or back. Everyone ready? Let's go!"
I just nodded, tightening the straps of Karlton's backpack. I pulled out my ID card, the F-rank glaring back at me… If I do get some souls, I will be able to change this… I took a deep breath and handed the ID to the Observer, a woman I didn't recognize, with dark braids and sharp, observant light blue eyes. She scanned it, nodded, and waved me through. The interaction gave me a slight chill down my spine, but I brushed it off and headed into the tower.
The first floor was a stark, almost sterile-looking stone chamber, the air cool and dry. No stench of undead-type monsters, and no signs of life. With the eerie silence, footsteps reverberated as the team made their way to the middle of the hall. Suddenly, the silence was shattered by a low growl from the shadows. Something large, with heavy, dragging footsteps, emerged from a cavernous opening in the wall. It was a Clay Golem, its body made of jagged, dull grey clay, eyes glowing a faint orange. I've never seen one of these before. I've only heard of them through the "Defender's Guide to Monsters" book.
Without a word, the group moved towards the golem. They seemed ready for it. I could barely see, but a man in front signaled to the front line to attack. Blades scraped and slashed against the hard clay with a grating screech. I watched from the very back. Just waiting.
They all seem to be surprisingly really experienced for newcomers. Though those who aren't experienced are getting good directions from the front line. The Lotus Fang are barely even directing them!
"Heh, why don't you use your Spark?" Claude purred in my head. "Grab someone off guard with a little shock and pull them to the back to eat- grab their soul."
"Oh, shut up, you creepy asshole," I whispered to where only Claude could hear- I hope… "Be patient…" There was no way I could do that right now! It seems like they are handling the monster pretty well, and the Lotus Fang are keeping a very close watch of everybody. It would be rather suspicious if I acted now, and I don't even want to think about the consequences of me getting caught!
The Golem roared, its massive fist smashing into the floor, sending tremors through the stone. Dust billowed. Karlton and a couple of other fighters engaged it head-on, their weapons chipping away at its clay hide. Each strike dug deep and stuck hard against the towering golem. With a synchronized surge of power, a collective roar ripped through the air as a few of the party members hammered at its massive arm. Clay groaned, and with a sickening wet crunch, the limb tore free, plummeting to the ground in a cloud of dust and shattered clay. The mages from behind continued to keep up a steady barrage of spells, aiming for the glowing core in its chest. From that same core, tendrils of clay flared out of it, trying to repair the arm without effect due to the amount of blows.
One of the mages, a lanky guy with unruly brown hair, stumbled back, nearly tripping over a loose piece of rubble. The remnant of an arm that fell off the clay golem started to twist in shape and crawl across the ground like a slug. At that mage's feet, it began to materialize into a smaller version of the clay Golem, lunging at him. Not expecting it, the mage froze for a second, only able to cast a quick spell to shove it away; however, the spell pushed the mage backward, making him lose his footing. Without thinking, I ran, catching the mage with my limited strength. The mage regained his footing, looking back at me only for a brief second before blasting the mini golem with a bolt of ice, shattering it.
He looked at me, surprised but grateful. "Thanks, man!"
I just nodded, forcing a smile. As the mage stood up, I could only wonder why I just did that. I didn't even notice; my legs just moved on their own. He would've been fine; after all, he just two-shot the thing! Why?... However, as my mind wandered, the fight didn't even last a few seconds longer. The Golem shattered as a sword dug into its chest, its glowing core dimming into a dull ember. Bits of clay, along with stone, were scattered across the tower floor. I looked up to everyone regrouping.
"Alright, nice job everyone!" Karlton yelled to the group, not even a bit of dirt or sweat on him. "Onto the next floor! Don't worry about the core! We got a support to grab the loot!" He glanced back at me before carefully watching as the rest of the party walked forward to the stone stairs at the end of the hall.
I started to move, eyeing that dimmed core of the Golem. It shimmered with a faint golden glow. If I remember correctly, usually only higher-ranked monsters have cores. However, it could be possible if it is a boss monster, I suppose? I have never seen it happen, but it could be. However, that also brings up the question of why a boss monster is on the first floor…Well, no matter how this monster has a core, if you are not in a union, you have to give the cores to the defender guild. It is too bad since, as they are so rare, they are pretty valuable. They can also be made into weapons or armor. I've never even gotten my hands on one before…
However, before I could even step close to the core, I noticed a small glint of teal light inside a crack carved in the wall. I went to investigate it. Peeking down the crack, there was a diamond-shaped gemstone that was the source of the teal light. I carefully pried it out, the stone cool and smooth against my fingers. Turning it around, observing the finest detail, I smirked at the sight.
"This must be the tower gem that Karlton was talking about…" I muttered before dropping it into the bag. It clinked softly against something metallic.
Now, not seeing any further distractions, I hurried to the core. The core's golden orange glow faintly illuminates the stone below it. I knelt, my fingers brushing against the still-warm surface. It thrummed with a faint energy, a quiet hum that resonated in my palm. Carefully, I lifted it, feeling its surprising weight. It was smooth, almost glassy, and fit perfectly into my hand.
I just stood for a moment in awe. Having never seen one- yet touched one, this felt so unreal. However, I suppose everything feels unreal at this point. All because of that one tower… huh… I took a deep breath to focus. A strange warmth spread through my arm as I secured the core in the backpack, placing it gently beside the tower gem.
I followed the rest of the straggling party up the stone stairs. As the second floor came into view, a shallow mist covered the path. The group all stood at the entrance of some hallway. Though, as I looked closer, down that hallway seemed like a dimly lit maze, the stone walls damp and slick. The air grew heavy, thick with the smell of decay. My stomach twisted as I covered my nose and mouth.
"Ugh," I muttered under my hand, "Smells like a sewer exploded in here." I've dealt with undead before, so it isn't a first, but you never get used to the awful stench of death.
"Indeed," Claude chimed in, I could hear the smile in his tone. "How… repugnant. Though you can't expect anything else from such lowly existences. Just slightly worse than humans…."
"Shut up, Claude," I thought, a little more slipping on my tongue, "Just shut up…."
Just as I took a deep breath, another waft of dank air filled my senses. Figures began shambling into the mist — skeletal guards in rusted armor, their hollow sockets glowing with faint green light. I actually recognize these; they are E rank monsters! Is it because this floor is a maze?
Meanwhile, Karlton and Juliet stood there, watching, as the people in the front line already moved forward with a plan. They surged forward, attacking the skeletons. The swift rogues cut the joints of their skeletal ankles, making them fall over. The warrior types either crushed their skulls in or cut them in half. Meanwhile, I kept to the back, scanning the edges of the fight. Every time one of the skeletons went down, the bones cracked, that green glow dimming. I swore I could feel… something… leaking into the air around me. My palms itched.
Claude's voice slithered into my mind. "You feel that, don't you? Even at the lowest state of vampirism, you can sense the mana in the air. But that's not as potent as a human soul. Though that's why we are here, isn't it?"
I swallowed hard and tried to take a deep breath to focus. There are too many eyes. Even with the easy monsters, the lotus fang kept a good watch over everyone. Plus, since it is an E-rank monster, they would definitely be suspicious if someone happened to die. Suddenly, I noticed the noise of the clattering of bones had disappeared. The fight ended quickly, broken bones and dust fell to the damp stone, mixing with the foggy mist below.
Looking around, I focused my gaze on the lotus fang, trying to gauge what I should do next. However, suddenly, I remembered that I could be looking for gems in the tower's cracks. I walked over to the stone wall and gently brushed my hands against it, feeling for any cracks in the wall.
As I felt a dip in the wall, I heard Karlton shout to the party. "Everyone, attention! This is a D-rank maze. With its narrow walls, we won't be able to observe your talents. I trust everyone can make it to the other side. As a precaution, we will be going in pairs."
Karlton's voice carried easily through the mist. "We'll regroup at the other side. Don't stray too far from your partner. If you fall behind, you're on your own."
That last line sank into me like a hook. On your own. If I slipped away for just a moment… if I found someone wounded, distracted, cut off—
"Now isn't that delicious?" Claude purred, oozing into my head. "One lost lamb, one dark corner, one slip of your teeth—"
I clenched my jaw. "Not now!" I whispered, trying hard not to alert anyone. "Be patient. Plus, since we are going in pairs, I'd definitely get caught."
The lotus fang sectioned everyone into pairs. My chest tightened as Karlton's gaze swept the group, pausing on me for only a moment before moving on. I ended up with the same mage I'd caught earlier— the lanky one with wild hair. He shot me a nervous grin. "Guess we're stuck together. I'm Orin."
"Tristan," I muttered back. My throat felt dry, like some of the mist caught in my mouth.
We were one of the last pairs to step into the maze, the mist swallowing us almost instantly. It was like the maze was alive somehow and didn't want us to know where we were going. The walls pressed close, slick stone glistening with moisture. The only sound was the wet shuffle of our boots.
I let my hand graze the wall, fingertips searching for cracks or dents. Every so often, I thought I felt something else—like the air itself was pulsing. The atmosphere was tense, and my heart tightened even though there hadn't been any danger yet.
As we walked down the maze, turning corners, I grew more and more paranoid that something was going to jumpscare me any second. This couldn't be a simple maze, right? Suddenly, a sharp clatter echoed behind us. I jumped, turning around quickly. Orin raised a hand, a faint light flickering in his palm. A lone skeleton dragged itself from the fog, ribs cracked, one arm missing. It looked like it had already been attacked, just not finished off. It also seemed to come from a corner we passed, which I thought was strange.
Orin lowered his hand slightly. "This should be easy." he muttered.
My body moved before my mind could argue. The skeleton, seeing my movement, stumbled toward me, green light sputtering in its sockets.
I froze as Claude perked up, "You could push the human into the skeleton. No one is around." My heart tensed. I could. But… What if that doesn't do anything, and Orin overpowers me? Or what if-
"Tristan?" Orin's voice cut through, confused. The skeleton rattled closer. "Are you… okay?"
I blinked. My hands were trembling. The fog seemed thicker now, pressing down on me. I forced a half-smile. "Yeah. Just—thought I saw something else."
"Right." Orin didn't sound convinced, but he turned his attention back to the skeleton, sending a clean bolt of ice through its skull. The monster fell down to the ground, its reanimated bones becoming dead still.
Claude sighed in disappointment. "Maybe another time then…"
I clenched my fists. However, after taking a deep breath, I calmed myself. I have to focus. How did that thing get behind us anyway? We just came from that direction! Unless…
"Do you think we missed a turn?" I asked, looking over to Orin.
Orin kicked the skeleton's bones; they clattered like dice along the ground. The skull cracked in two. "Maybe… But we just came through here," Orin said, voice tight.
I sighed, just now noticing the rib cage, half splintered, like something had chewed it. My throat tightened. Whatever did that, it wasn't friendly. I glanced back at Orin, seeing that he also noticed.
Orin took a deep breath before taking a backup sword from my- Karlton's bag. "We should investigate, perhaps the way out to the next floor is down the turn we missed."
"Yeah," I nodded, "makes sense…"
We passed through the mist, heading towards where we had just come from. Paying close attention to the walls, I brushed my hands against them to feel for any openings. However, as we got closer to where the skeleton came from, I realized that I didn't need to. The mist opened up to a wide clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a staircase leading upward.
"Is- is this the way out?" Orin asked, puzzled.
I shrugged, walking closer to the stairs. "I don't know how the fuck we missed this, but it looks like a way to the next floor."
"Yeah, guess the mist-fog stuff covered it?" Orin shrugged, "Either way, we finally found a way out of this hellish maze!" Orin gave me a wide smile before taking a step up the stairs.
We climbed and climbed. The air thickened as we went further and further, each step heavier, like we were walking against a current of some viscous liquid. Once we thought we reached the top, as mist covered our bodies till the shoulders, it was another staircase. We did stop for a moment and regain ourselves before going up the flight of stairs again.
Once we finally made it to the floor above, we saw it. The floor was a graveyard. Bones littered the cracked tiles, split open and chewed raw. Not old, either. Red still gleamed wet on the marrow. I gagged, hand to my mouth.
And then the things that had left them stepped into view.
Not skeletons. Not rats. Hunched, bristling, hulking doglike beasts with five eyes stepped into view. Their teeth jutted outward, jagged and dripping with saliva. As if they had spikes along their back, teal fire flared intertwined with their fur.
One raised its head to us, a guttural growl escaping its mouth. It sounded distorted, like a broken record scraping over gravel.
Orin swore. "Fuck, Hellhounds!"
A few of them surged forward at us with a speed I hadn't experienced in a while. I moved on instinct, trying to activate Feather Dance. However, it was only after it didn't work that I remembered my spark had changed. I ducked low, barely avoiding snapping jaws. My heart felt as if it had frozen in my chest, but my body couldn't stop moving. I rolled to the side, barely avoiding another bite from another hellhound.
Orin's blade flashed beside me, the hellhound's fire dancing on its surface just before the sword plunged into its side. A geyser of blood and ice erupted as the blade tore through the beast and out the other side. The beast yelped, a sound that was half-scream and half-whine, as it collapsed to the ground, its limbs spasming as the teal fire flickering across its fur went out.
I tried to gather myself for a moment, trying to steady my breathing; however, just as the moment passed, another hound barreled into me. My back smacked against the ground hard, something cracking under me. Fangs snapped an inch from my face, hot drool spattering my cheek, leaving burn marks. I tried to activate my spark, trying to feel anything!...
Nothing.
Suddenly, Orin yanked the mutt off me, slamming his sword into its throat from its mouth. Blood sprayed, hot and metallic, mixing with ice shards as the blade ripped out to the other side of the hound's throat. The smell hit me like a brick. My lungs desperately grasped for air as my chest tightened. Some of the blood splattered along my face, making my stomach turn, but not only from disgust…
I lurched back, chest heaving. "I—I can't—"
"Can you activate your spark?!" Orin shouted, "I can't really do this on my own!"
"I-I…!" I tried again. Though with the adrenaline, I couldn't focus for a second. Every step was dodging, ducking, and weaving. Every time I tried to use my spark, it left me emptier, feeling more useless. Orin was fighting for both of us, blade clanging against teeth and bone, his breathing ragged. It was obvious, from both his heavy breathing and wounds, that if I didn't do anything soon, neither of us would be making it out of here alive.
"Move, damn it, MOVE!" I screamed at myself, voice cracking. My veins pulsed. The world tilted—and then, finally, something gave.
Then another hound flew at me, already injured by Orin's blade, but still lunging at full speed. I sidestepped, a sudden flicker of purple following my feet. On instinct, I swung my palm toward the hellhound, my hand tensing into a fist. Suddenly, Lightning burst from my fist, like a whip. It bounced along the ground and air as if it were alive. As the whip of bright violet lightning made contact with the hound, it pierced inside the beast, making it convulse, its eyes rolling back, smoke curling from its jaws before it collapsed in a twitching heap.
I staggered, staring at my own hand. The skin glowed faintly, sparks dancing across my knuckles. It hurt, raw and sharp, like I'd dragged live wire through my veins. But it worked! I tried to steady my breath, but it was still heavy and hard to tame.
The pack hesitated. Orin looked at the charred hellhound with a large smile before getting interrupted by another pinning him to the ground. He pushed it back with a spell, a bit of blood running down his nose. As the hound was pushed back, I took hold of the lightning whip again and cracked it against the hellhound. It shrieked, its body seizing as the electrical current arced through it. Stumbling back, the hound's fur singed, collapsing into a smoking pile of twitching limbs, its fire dissipating.
"Whoa! Thanks!" Orin shouted, wiping a streak of blood from his lip.
In unison, the remaining hellhounds charged, each of their five eyes glowing with furious light. I pulled back on the whip, the violet lightning coiling around my hand, and sent it lashing out at the closest beast. It connected with a sharp crack, and the hound went down in a cloud of black smoke and burnt fur.
Another one went for Orin, who was already in motion. His sword, now glowing with a cold, blue light, sliced through the air, leaving a trail of shimmering ice. The blade met the hellhound, and with a sickening crunch, the creature froze solid before shattering into a thousand pieces of icy bone and gore.
I managed to take out one more, the jolt of electricity leaving my hand aching. However, the last hellhound launched itself at me, jaws gaping, before I could even recover. I braced for the impact, but before the beast could reach me, Orin swung his sword into the hellhound's chest, more sluggish than before. The beast stumbled back, its momentum broken, but it didn't fall. Instead, it snarled, snapping at the blade. Orin grunted, pushing against the hilt with all his might, a sweat beading on his forehead. "Damn it!" he gasped, his voice strained. "A little help here!"
I took a quick deep breath before cracking the lightning whip on the ground. With a shaky hand, the lightning whip coiled around my fist, digging into it like barbed wire. I staggered forward, my body screaming in protest. The air crackled around me as I swung my arm, the whip lashing out and wrapping around the snarling hellhound's neck. I pulled, the whip tightened, the hellhound thrashed and convulsed as the current coursed through it, its eyes rolling back in its head.
As the last of the hellhounds was defeated, I dispelled my spark, watching it dissolve into the air. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my breathing. Looking at Orin, I could tell he was exhausted. He was shaking, panting, covered in blood—but alive. We both were.
We both collapsed against the far wall, trembling. The hall fell quiet. For a moment, it felt calm. Until my stomach tugged against me, like an empty gnawing that was reaching for something. I tried to push it down into my gut, stalling the feeling. Distracting me, I suddenly noticed a faint golden shimmer appear further down the hall. From the center of the floor, it seemed like a chest.
I took another deep breath and looked at Orin, having to push that feeling down further. "Orin, I think I see a chest at the end of the floor. We should probably get going before the hellhounds respond." And before I get hungrier…
Orin nodded, "You're right," he stood up, "just, while we walk, could you see if there is a health potion in your bag?"
I stumbled up as well. "Of course." As we walked, I rummaged through my bag, searching for a potion. I found several potions, all of them in various colors. I handed Orin a ruby red potion with the label of a mint leaf.
Taking it immediately, Orin drank half of the health potion, his wounds bubbling with pink light before leaving just scars. He gasped as he finished drinking, taking in a large amount of musky air. With a gentle smile, he handed the half-drunk bottle to me, "Here, you need some healing as well!"
Hesitantly, I took the bottle and stared into the liquid. I thought back to the bar as I couldn't drink anything but wine… and… I shook my head, my stomach growling. I gulped. Maybe since it is magical, I'll be able to digest it…
"Are you alright?" Orin asked, confused.
I nodded shakily before sipping the potion. However, as the minty taste hit my tongue, I felt my organs pulse. I immediately stopped drinking it and held my mouth, acid almost reaching my throat. I gulped it down and sighed, placing the cork back into the bottle.
"What are you doing?" Orinn asked again, more confused, as he stopped at the chest.
"Sorry," I said, a forced smile on my face. "I'm not a fan of mint. It always messes with my stomach. I'll probably not get healed if I puke it all out first," I tried to give a short laugh, though it came out awkward and shaky.
The excuse was flimsy, but it seemed to satisfy him. Orin just shrugged and turned his attention to the chest. "Suit yourself. We'll just have to get a healer for you then."
As he moved to open the chest, I noticed his eyes still lingered on me, a thoughtful frown on his face. "Hey, Tristan?" he began, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "Those hellhounds... those were C-ranked monsters, you know?"
My blood ran cold. I couldn't have heard him right. "C-ranked?" I squeaked, my already pale face turning even whiter. "But this is a D-ranked tower!"
He nodded, a grim look in his hazel eyes. "Exactly. I'm also surprised that they are in such a low-ranked tower. However, we took on a whole pack just the two of us. You have a powerful spark. So why... why did you sign up as support? With an ability like that, you could be a middle or even front-line fighter."
My mind raced, trying to find an answer. I couldn't tell him the truth. I couldn't tell him I didn't know I could do that, or that I had to lie about my spark to get in, or- hell- that I had a whole different spark just a week ago. I had to choose my words carefully. "I'm still new to this," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not a fighter. I have an electrical spark, yes, but it's not a combat spark. Even if it was, I'm not skilled enough with combat."
Orin didn't look convinced. He just stared at me, his gaze sharp and questioning. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, but he chose not to. He sighed, "Whatever, let's just open this chest…"
With a grunt, we opened the chest. Gold and gems, glittering in the faint light, spilled out. A few strange relics gleamed cold and distant among the coins. Orin didn't even bother to sort through it all; he was too exhausted. He just started scooping handfuls of treasure into my bag—Karlton's bag—without a second thought, his movements slow and tired.
Once all of the treasure was in the bag, we looked forward. There was a staircase that stretched up impossibly long. We had no choice but to venture upward. Step by step, we dragged our tired bodies up the stairs. It felt like forever as we both started to get drenched in sweat halfway. When the staircase finally ended, we stumbled onto what looked to be an empty floor. Empty aside from the rest of the Lotus Fang party.
Everyone looked at us, surprised. From their perspectives, a door randomly opened from the wall and two sweaty guys limped out of it. I instinctively slunk to the back immediately, heart hammering. Trying to disappear, not wanting anyone to ask any questions.
Claude's voice dripped into my mind, velvet and cruel. "You had him alone! Blood on the floor, no eyes to see. You could've fed and said the Tower ate him."
"Ugh!" my stomach churled, as I winced at the thought.
"You can't starve yourself forever!" Cladue insisted.
I clenched my fists. "…I wouldn't have made it without him."
Claude hissed, low and disappointed. "Excuses. You'll starve yourself to death with that conscience."
Maybe. But I am still standing. And Orin is too.
For now.