Jace nestled on his chair, absorbing the overlook of the Port Town from above. A day had passed since his expedition in Stoneveil. His legs were no longer weak and his armor was freshly tailored again. As for his new sword, he had spent a hefty amount of chrome coins to fetch one of the expensive materials of steel.
The smith had called it adamantium and remarked the gleaming blue sword as a promising deterrent to any type of monster. The length of the blade was normal, with a neat cross-guard and tightly wrapped hilt, helping the swordsman with their grip. The pommel stood ordinary from its fashion, with a small and intricate design.
At least he wouldn't have to live with the fear of a shattered sword. Though, his bare hands are the first alternative if that happened again.
Jace turned his attention to an approaching server. The blonde girl had her hair tied into a comfortable pony-tail, wearing a stitched apron over a clean and buttoned shirt, she placed a generous portion of sliced cake in front of him.
Erin hugged the tray to her body.
"You really like this spot of the cafe, huh?"
Jace forked into his decadent, moist cake. He believed anyone would be fascinated by the view since the outside cafe was sitting one one of the highest elevation of the Port Town.
"But you're the one who took me here."
She snorted and perched on his table, checking first that no one was watching them.
"So, what's up? I know my cakes wouldn't be that good."
Jace had worn normal attire for once, with a dark long-sleeved shirt and basic trousers. He chewed on the vanilla cake before answering.
"I thought you would have known the moment I walked through those doors."
She raised an eyebrow as she said back in an amused tone.
"I'm on my working shift, jumpy, I can't just leave here and spend time with you."
He lowered his face, spinning the fork in his hands.
"It's…not that. I guess I should have worn my Climber gear, then?"
She laughed softly.
"Really?"
Judging from her smiling blue eyes, she must have figured out his plan. He was that easy to read, after all, so he didn't expect the blonde girl to take that long.
Jace wanted to return to Stoneveil again, challenging more and more Taurus until the Soul deems necessary experience was enough. More of that, he wanted to use his Curse to its maximum potential.
And he wanted to take her with him.
Erin sighed, turning her head away to the other guests enjoying their desserts.
"Jace, I can't just go back and pretend yesterday didn't happen."
He tried to match her gaze.
"What do you mean?"
She clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"How about you find some other Climbers instead of me? An actual squad that's capable of helping you and your suicidal ways to strengthen the Soul."
He shook his head stubbornly.
"I don't want to find anyone else. I would rather just be with you."
Her face was still for a moment, as if she was trying to digest his stupidity. Then, she reached into the back of her pockets and placed something between them.
The shining sun had highlighted the glimmering ring.
Jace choked into a coughing fit, feeling some of the cake's frosting escape into his throat.
Erin laughed at him.
"You had thought the Relic was lost, right?"
He exhaled as he caught his breath.
"You would have killed me."
She snorted, gently pushing the ring in his direction.
"You bet I would."
Though, he hesitated on wearing (Ring of Haste). Why was she giving this back to him? She could have just kept it for herself and her Soul. He didn't deserve any more pity, especially from her.
Jace was just about the same Level as Erin, but the abilities from his new Curse and Skill had sort of gaped their power further. She couldn't double her Soul nor could she unnaturally sense incoming danger. All she had was her traditional bow and quiver of arrows against the Tower's carnivorous monsters.
He held the Relic in his hands for a bit and asked back as if his voice sounded desolate.
"You're going back to them."
Erin didn't seem to move. Her face was turned away, making it difficult to read her expression.
"I have my own squad, Jace, I'm a Climber just like you."
He felt his eyes drift off.
'You're nothing like me. Nobody is. I'm not even a Climber anymore.'
He knew this truth already. Erin wasn't in Sun Valley because she missed the feeling of a Safeworld. It was just a rest from her past expeditions. She wouldn't give up a competent squadron of Climbers to be with someone insane like him.
Her squad was already the textbook definition of proficient. Being with Jace was just a constant risk that she didn't want to handle.
Jace flipped the ring around his fingers as his eyes grew cold.
"You would rather prefer your experience to be cut into four ways, or even any to yourself, than to be split between me? That doesn't make any sense."
She said back, still hiding her face.
"It makes sense."
He quickly retorted.
"And exactly how does it make sense, Erin? You told me that you leveled up three times because of our encounters in Stoneveil, and you would seriously choose to go back to them? Have you ever seen your Soul's Level increase three times in a single expedition?"
She clenched her jaw and gestured for him to lower his voice. They were in public talking about her Soul.
But the auburn boy didn't care. It felt like his heart was being torn right from his chest. She had practically used him as a gain for experience, ditching him away once her squad was ready to reunite like the slimy bastards they are.
He thought he was using her, instead she had used him. Their expedition had felt even more ingenuine.
Erin finally turned her face, her blue eyes were calm and collected, a complete contrast to the seething anger in front of her.
"You almost died, Jace, if we go back to the nineteenth Floor, what's going to happen? Do I have to watch you almost die again? Then try fend off another wave of monsters because you're dead?"
Jace abruptly stood from his chair, vigorously pointing into his chest.
"I lived, we lived, what the hell are you talking about? Are you telling me those three Levels, those three Soul Points were for nothing? We fought together, Erin, and guess what? We won. I don't see how you can possibly—"
She had cut him off and quickly snapped back:
"And you're just magically sure you'll fight off more unholy monsters?"
He scoffed.
"Did you already forget about my new Skill? I'm not going to lose, you don't have to worry about that—"
She cut him off again and said clearly in a somber voice:
"One hour. In that encounter with the Taurus, at the end of your Curse, it took me one hour to find a safe place for your body. Do you even realize how terrified I was, dragging your corpse as more of them walked past me?"
He felt his heart drop as he stumbled with his words.
"What are you talking about?"
'One hour? She said I was out for twenty minutes. Why would she lie about that?'
It began to connect together in his head. If his Soul had taken days to regenerate his body back to health from the drawback of (Curse of Unbridled), then a simple health potion wouldn't just bring him back within twenty minutes.
Erin must have immediately poured it into his mouth the moment she saw his body lay motionless on the flattened grass, then took the desperate responsibility to drag him while he was unconscious.
And by that time, more Taurus had come to patrol the sound of rumbling. After all, the other Taurus Jace had savagely slain was bellowing in anguish.
He couldn't imagine what type of fear she had to endure, knowing more Taurus began to surround them. It was a real miracle that the two of them escaped.
Jace swallowed, feeling his throat clench with invisible thorns.
"I'm…sorry. Why—why didn't you tell me?"
Erin sighed, as if some weight had finally released from her chest.
"Think about this, Jace, if you were to activate the Curse again then what if I'm not able to save you? Who's going to take care of your body? And what's going to happen to me?"
He sat back, running his hands through his auburn hair. The thought of both of them dying was too much to bear. From what he thought was a successful expedition had turned more dire, just because he wanted to catch up to her Soul.
She crouched in front of him, pulling one of his hands down.
"It's healed."
He looked at his right hand. It was indeed healed. That was just one of the benefits from the Soul.
Then, she placed the (Ring of Haste) onto his palm.
"We'll figure something out, jumpy, how about that?"
He averted his eyes, too guilty to groan and said lowly.
"I'm not a child."
A voice called her name from afar. It was another server, dressed in the same outfit she was wearing.
"Erin! Come on, what are you doing over there?"
Erin quickly stood, helping the auburn boy close his hand on the Relic.
But before she would leave, Jace also called her name. And as she turned, he gave her back the ring.
"Take it. I don't deserve it anymore."
She studied the ring in her hands.
"Jace, you can have it—"
He stubbornly shook his head again.
"After what I've done to you, I'm not going to let myself keep this. It's yours, it's always been yours since Whispering Woods. I can't let you do this to yourself."
A feeling of deja vu hit both of them. Though, she knew the auburn boy wouldn't argue again, so it was better to leave it alone.
Instead, Erin sprung forward and hugged him.
Jace froze in her embrace. There was a contagious warm feeling spreading throughout his chest. The longer she held him, the longer he wanted to stay there forever. It was like the world was disappearing around them as her arms wrapped tighter around his back.
And for that moment, nothing about the Tower or Soul mattered anymore.
He felt his eyes drop.
'She…smells nice.'
Erin released him and said solemnly.
"We'll find something to do after I'm done, jumpy. Just wait for me here."
As Jace watched her rush away, dealing with more orders from the guests of the cafe, he slumped back onto his chair.
He was always going to be a joke. Was his fate always bringing hardship to others? Because of his pitiful Soul? It had never changed. He was the same miserable seventeen-year-old boy with foolish ambitions.
How many more lessons would it take for him to finally learn?
Jace dropped a few chrome coins on his table and left, refusing to share his terrible fate with anyone else.
The half-eaten vanilla cake stood alone in the basking, endless sunlight of Sun Valley. For once thought of a new beginning had only turned into a dreary end.