Chapter 10
Morning arrived over Ashroot beneath a sky painted in brilliant shades of pale gold and soft crimson, the first rays of sunlight creeping over the distant mountains before spilling gently across the frontier town. One by one, lanterns hanging throughout the streets were extinguished as merchants reopened market stalls, blacksmiths rekindled their forges, and hunters made their final preparations for another day beyond the safety of the walls.
To everyone else...
It was simply another morning.
To Adrian...
It was the beginning of the most important expedition of his life.
He stood quietly upon the balcony outside his room in the Guild Hall, breathing deeply as cool mountain air filled his lungs. Although an entire week had passed in Eryndor since he had left, the memories no longer felt distant. Theron's lessons with Frostrender echoed naturally within his mind, Ruby's advice regarding battlefield triage remained as clear as though she had spoken only moments earlier, and Garrick's countless stories about Ashroot's history blended seamlessly with Adrian's own experiences.
It didn't feel like remembering another person's life at all. It simply felt... like remembering last week.
He smiled quietly to himself, flexing his fingers. "The system really does work."
A familiar knock sounded at the wooden door behind him three slow, heavy taps. They were completely unhurried and patient, exactly the way Theron always knocked.
"Come in," Adrian called out.
The enormous elf stepped into the room, carrying two steaming mugs that sent fragrant ribbons of steam into the cool morning air. "I figured you'd already be awake and pacing the floors."
Adrian accepted one of the mugs gratefully, the heat warming his palms. "You know me too well, Bear."
Theron laughed, a low rumble. "I've spent an entire week training with you, after all." He paused, a playful glint in his eye. "...Twice, technically."
Adrian blinked, the surreal nature of his double life hitting him, before he broke into a genuine laugh. "I suppose you have."
Neither of them needed to explain the mechanics of the slime consciousness split. The original Adrian remembered every single lesson the Echo had learned over the last seven days. Every correction to his form, every grueling spar under the morning mist, every minor defeat, and every hard-fought victory was seamlessly his own. To Adrian, nothing had been lost to time; it had only been gained.
Theron studied him for a long, quiet moment before his smile widened. "You seem... different this morning."
Adrian looked into his mug thoughtfully, a soft expression crossing his face. "I had a very good dinner last night, Theron."
The unexpected answer completely surprised the giant elf. "I see." There was another brief, companionable silence between them as Theron processed the cryptic statement. Then, he gave a firm nod. "That explains it, then."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "It does?"
"You've got the exact same smile you had when we first met Mira back at the manor," Theron noted wisely.
Adrian laughed softly, turning back to the window. "I didn't realise it was that obvious."
"It is," Theron said, resting one broad arm against the balcony railing. "Family has a habit of doing that to a man."
A deep, resonant horn suddenly echoed across the roofs of Ashroot once, then twice. The signal carried throughout the frontier town with practiced, military familiarity.
Down in the streets, local hunters immediately began moving with purpose toward the western gate, while Forest Wardens gathered beside the heavy supply wagons. The crates were already securely loaded with climbing equipment, enchanted lanterns, medical supplies, and carefully packed provisions. Today, there would be no routine scouting patrols and no minor monster hunts. Every single available hand in Ashroot had one massive responsibility: supporting the expedition force descending into the dark of the Cycle Dungeon.
Within half an hour, the entire expedition stood assembled outside the reinforced western gate. Theron, Ruby, Mira, Guild Master Garrick, the elite Forest Wardens, veteran Ashroot hunters, and several royal mages sent directly by King Eldaron to maintain the ancient teleportation circle stood shoulder to shoulder. Everyone wore heavy, practical travelling gear instead of ceremonial clothing. This wasn't a matter of royal politics anymore; this was raw duty.
Adrian adjusted the leather strap securing his mana blade across his back before glancing toward the immense stone archway rising from the thick forest beyond the town walls. Today, they would finally walk through it.
The journey from the gates of Ashroot to the official dungeon entrance took barely an hour. Unlike the peaceful, musical forests surrounding the capital of Verdant Reach, these woods carried an unmistakable, suffocating sense of tension. Woodland animals remained completely scarce despite the warm morning, while many of the towering pines bore long, jagged crystal veins creeping slowly through their dark bark like glowing blue roots.
It was dungeon mana. Adrian recognised the corruptive signature immediately from his battles on the frontier. "The influence reaches this far out already."
Garrick nodded grimly, his hand resting on his sword hilt. "Another critical reason we can't afford a single day of delay."
Ruby gently placed one bare palm against one of the crystal-veined trees, closed her eyes, and listened. "It isn't dying," she spoke quietly, a fierce pride in her voice. "It's actively fighting back."
Mirelle smiled sadly from the front of the line, her silver fox trotting close to her bare feet. "The forest always does, Ruby."
Adrian looked around at the resilient trees. "So does everyone living in it."
Eventually, the thick trail broke, and the trees parted completely. The ancient stone arch stood proudly before them in the center of the clearing. Up close, it no longer appeared to be an abandoned, ancient ruin.
Its weathered pillars were covered in intricate carvings so old that time itself had nearly erased them, while brilliant blue mana flowed endlessly through countless runes carved deep within the stone. The air shimmered gently beneath the archway, distorting the forest behind it until the entrance resembled the surface of a perfectly still lake.
Dozens of experienced adventurers waited nearby, carefully checking their equipment one final time before stepping through the ancient threshold. Some sharpened the edges of their heavy swords with long, rhythmic strokes of whetstones, while others bowed their heads and silently prayed to whatever gods or spirits watched over them. Nobody joked. Nobody laughed. Everyone present understood the immense, crushing weight of what lay directly beyond that stone.
Adrian stepped closer to the pulsing line, adjusting the leather strap of his blade. He could feel it shifting in the air. The mana out here was ancient, patient, and intensely focused. It felt less like a pool of energy and more like a colossal, unseen entity watching them from the dark. The dungeon knew they had arrived.
Near the edge of the clearing, away from the tension of the frontline fighters, several beautifully carved wooden structures stood nestled beneath the shade of the trees. They were surrounded by vibrant flowering bushes and shallow, winding streams fed by crystal-clear spring water. Unlike the cold, military preparations dominating the center of the clearing, this little corner of the forest felt profoundly peaceful. It felt almost sacred.
Mirelle smiled, her amber eyes reflecting the soft light of the glade. "This is the Sanctuary."
Adrian looked around with genuine curiosity, letting his guard drop just a fraction. "Sanctuary?"
She nodded smoothly, her robes rustling over the grass. "A sanctuary for our companions. It is a place where injured familiars recover their strength far from the frontlines, and where young, newborn companions first learn about the wonders of the world."
Dozens of animals of every shape and size wandered entirely free throughout the hollow. Brightly feathered birds perched fearlessly upon the low wooden railings, sleek forest foxes dozed happily beneath flowering trees, and a young lynx cub chased butterflies through the tall grass without a care in the world. Everything here radiated a quiet, unshakeable safety.
Then... someone called Elena's name from across the clearing.
"Elena? Is that truly you?"
Adrian turned his head instantly, tracking the voice. Standing near one of the elegant wooden footbridges was a woman unlike anyone he had ever met before in Eryndor.
Her hair shimmered with a pale, ethereal silver touched by faint traces of emerald light, flowing almost weightlessly around her shoulders despite the completely still morning air. Delicate markings resembling curling ivy vines traced softly across her sun-kissed skin, while her luminous green eyes held the exact same gentle, fierce warmth Adrian had always seen in Elena during their darkest hours. She wasn't merely beautiful; she seemed entirely ethereal, as though the ancient forest itself had taken human form just to walk across the grass.
Elena stopped walking, her boots freezing on the path. For just a heartbeat, she didn't speak. She simply stared, her breath catching sharply in her throat. "...Aunt Lysara?"
The woman smiled, a look of profound relief washing over her face. She crossed the wooden bridge without a single second of hesitation, her flowing robes trailing behind her before she wrapped Elena in a deep, warm embrace.
"My beautiful little blossom..." Her voice trembled ever so slightly, thick with tears she refused to shed. "You've grown so much."
Elena hugged her back just as tightly, burying her face into the older woman's shoulder as if texturing the reality of her touch. "I thought..." She swallowed hard, fighting down the sudden wave of emotion. "...I thought my father's side of the family was entirely gone after the war."
Lysara gently rested one warm palm against Elena's cheek, tilting her head up. "And we thought we'd lost you to the wild frontier forever, sweetie."
A profound, respectful silence settled around the group. Even the usually boisterous Theron quietly looked away toward the horizon, letting the two reunited souls have their sacred moment without intrusion. Adrian smiled softly, a quiet warmth settling into his own chest. Sometimes, he realized, the most important reunions in life didn't need a single word of explanation.
Yet, far behind the safety of the sanctuary structures, hidden securely beneath the massive roots of an enormous cedar tree, two bright amber eyes watched the sunlit clearing with unblinking intensity. A tiny striped tail flicked once against the soft moss, and then it flicked again, twitching with sudden excitement.
This time, the strange, hollow feeling that had confused its instincts for the past seven days was completely and utterly gone. The true warmth had returned to the trail. The familiar, resonant hum of the soul it had been desperately searching for was finally right in front of it.
The little red panda took one cautious, trembling step forward out of the shadows. Then it took another. Its small heart beat just a little faster against its ribs as it stared directly at the dark-haired young man standing by the elves. It had finally found him.
Yet, despite the joy bubbling in its chest, its raw animal instincts whispered that it still wasn't quite ready to leave the safety of the forest just yet. Not in front of so many loud strangers. It would wait... just a little longer. It would follow him to the edge of the dark, and see what kind of man he truly was.
The reunion between Elena and her aunt continued for several quiet minutes beneath the flowering branches surrounding the sanctuary. Neither woman seemed eager to break the embrace they had been denied for so many years, and no one interrupted them. Even the Forest Wardens respectfully busied themselves elsewhere while Mirelle quietly tended to several injured woodland creatures recovering beneath the wooden shelters.
Adrian watched the heartfelt embrace with a gentle smile, feeling a profound sense of relief for his companion. Families reunited; it truly seemed Eryndor had a beautiful habit of giving people unexpected second chances.
The comforting thought lingered only briefly before a familiar, subtle tug brushed against the outermost edge of his senses. It wasn't a sudden flare of volatile mana, nor was it the sharp instinct of impending danger. It was that unmistakable, persistent feeling of being watched by hidden eyes.
He slowly turned his head back toward the deep forest. The towering cedars stood perfectly still beneath the quiet morning breeze, shafts of bright sunlight dancing lazily between their ancient, textured trunks. Birds continued singing their cheerful melodies overhead while a pair of forest squirrels chased one another across a mossy fallen log. There was absolutely nothing unusual to see, yet Adrian smiled anyway.
"I know you're out there," he murmured softly.
Theron glanced over from adjusting his gauntlets, raising an eyebrow. "Talking to yourself, or to someone in the trees?"
"I think I'm talking to someone," Adrian replied, keeping his eyes on the shadows.
Mirelle looked up from the injured fox she had been treating, her attention immediately caught. Her calm amber eyes quietly followed Adrian's exact gaze toward the thick undergrowth, though she said nothing. Several long, tense seconds passed in complete quiet. Nothing emerged from the brush.
Mira tilted her head curiously, squinting. "Who's hiding out there? Is it a monster?"
Adrian shrugged, loosening his shoulders. "I'm not entirely sure."
"You've been looking into those exact trees ever since we got here to the sanctuary," Mira pointed out, stepping closer to him.
"I know."
"Can you actually see something moving?"
"No," Adrian smiled down at her. "I can just... feel it." He searched for the right words, gesturing vaguely. "Like a hum in the air."
Right on cue, the little robin perched upon Mirelle's shoulder chirped softly, its tiny chest puffing out, before letting out a second, sharp note. Mirelle listened with complete, unwavering seriousness. As the message settled, her expression became intensely thoughtful.
"...Interesting," she whispered.
Theron looked toward her, his deep voice slicing through the quiet. "What is it, Mirelle?"
"He came back," she revealed, a look of wonder crossing her face.
"The little fellow from yesterday?" Theron asked.
She nodded firmly. "He hasn't taken his golden eyes off Adrian since the moment the boy stepped into the clearing."
Mira immediately became incredibly excited, hopping on her feet. "Can I see him? Where is he?" She stood high on her tippets, squinting dramatically toward the dark tree line. "I don't see anything at all! It's just bushes!"
"You aren't supposed to see him yet, little one," Mirelle answered gently, her voice a soothing anchor. "He will only come out when his heart is fully ready."
A comfortable silence returned to the glade. A sudden breeze stirred through the sanctuary, causing the vibrant wildflowers to sway gently while the leaves whispered secrets overhead.
Then... a tiny, crimson-furred paw appeared from behind the broad, gnarled root of an ancient cedar tree. It remained visible for only an instant before rapidly disappearing back into the safety of the dark.
Mira gasped, pointing a finger. "I saw it! I actually saw it!"
Theron smiled, a low rumble in his chest. "So did I, sweetheart."
Adrian remained perfectly still, deliberately keeping his posture entirely relaxed. He didn't take a step closer, he didn't draw his blade, and he didn't call out into the woods; he simply waited with absolute patience.
Another tiny paw emerged. This time, it was followed by the tip of a small, elegantly striped tail. Then, slowly and deliberately, the tiny creature stepped fully out of the shadows and into the warm morning sunlight.
It was noticeably smaller than Adrian had originally imagined it would be, measuring barely larger than a common housecat. Its deep, rich crimson fur shimmered beautifully beneath the morning light, the vibrant coloration broken only by soft cream markings along its face, ears, and chest. Dark, pointed ears twitched independently as it carefully studied every single person gathered within the sanctuary grounds, while an enormous, plush striped tail swayed slowly behind it measuring almost twice the length of its entire body.
Its bright amber eyes settled directly upon Adrian, locking onto him and never leaving his form for a single heartbeat. The little red panda took one cautious, trembling step forward onto the grass, then it took another. Its tiny black nose twitched constantly, sniffing the air as though scent alone wasn't enough to confirm what its instincts were screaming. It was listening, feeling, and searching for a specific spiritual resonance.
Mira whispered so quietly Adrian barely caught the words, her eyes wide with adoration. "...It's absolutely adorable."
Theron folded his massive arms across his chest, a deadpan look on his rugged face. "I'll freely admit... that's not exactly the word I expected to use before a dungeon dive."
The little creature ignored everyone else in the clearing completely; its entire world had narrowed down to one single person: Adrian.
Mirelle slowly rose to her feet, her movements fluid and unhurried. She made no movement toward the little red panda, giving it a wide berth as she quietly spoke to Adrian. "His name... is Ember."
Adrian smiled softly, his heart warming at the sight. "So that's the mysterious observer who's been tracking me."
Mirelle nodded, her eyes fixed on the animal. "For the past seven days... he's followed your Echo every single day without fail."
Adrian looked thoroughly surprised. "I never noticed a thing."
"He made absolutely sure you wouldn't," she noted.
Ember took another careful, silent step over the soft moss. Only twenty short feet of open grass separated him from Adrian now. Then, abruptly, he stopped. He tilted his head to the side, his intelligent amber eyes narrowing ever so slightly. A look of profound confusion crossed his features, followed almost immediately by... disappointment.
Adrian frowned, sensing the sudden shift in the creature's aura. "What is it, Ember?"
The little red panda sniffed the air once more, huffing softly. Then, to everyone's complete and utter surprise, he slowly and deliberately began backing away toward the woods. He took one step back, then another, his ears drooping heavily, until he vanished completely behind the trunk of the same cedar tree.
An absolute, suffocating silence fell over the battlements of the sanctuary. Mira blinked, completely bewildered by the rejection. "...Did..." She looked toward Mirelle, her voice dropping. "...did he just leave us?"
Mirelle remained completely frozen in place, her eyes wide with shock. "...He shouldn't have done that."
Theron frowned, his protective instincts kicking in. "What do you mean, Mirelle?"
"He always finishes approaching when he comes this far," she explained, her voice shaking slightly with genuine bafflement. "If a companion comes this close to the threshold... they always make their definitive choice."
Adrian rubbed the back of his neck, a bit self-conscious. "Maybe he just changed his mind once he got a good look at me up close."
Mirelle slowly and firmly shook her head. "No, that's not it." Her voice had become distant, almost clinical as she analyzed the spiritual failure. "Ember has never once... hesitated like this before."
Several quiet minutes passed, but the little red panda never returned to the sunlit grass. Eventually, Guild Master Garrick approached the group from the direction of the main dungeon entrance, his heavy boots snapping the silence. "The teleportation circle is fully charged and ready, everyone." He looked between the strangely quiet, solemn group, his brow furrowing. "...Did I miss something important?"
Theron answered honestly, his voice low. "To be perfectly fair, Garrick, we're not entirely sure ourselves."
Mirelle continued looking toward the empty forest trail, deep in thought. The little robin upon her shoulder chirped quietly, its feathers rustling. She answered the bird almost automatically, her voice a mere whisper. "I know." Another sharp chirp followed. "I felt the exact same displacement, little one."
Theron stepped closer to her. "What did you feel, Mirelle?"
She hesitated, looking down at her hands, then quietly admitted, "...For just a fleeting moment... it was almost as if... as if the soul he was looking at didn't fully align with the memories he had been tracking all week." She stopped herself, shaking her head to clear the thought. "No, forgive me. That makes no sense. I've simply never seen a familiar behave like that before."
Adrian shrugged gently, trying to ease her worry. "Maybe we can figure it out after we deal with the dungeon."
"Perhaps," she answered, though her eyes remained troubled.
Yet, something deep inside her ancient instincts told her otherwise. Ember had desperately wanted to choose Adrian; she was absolutely certain of that desire. But something structural had actively stopped him at the final second. And for the very first time in her long life, the Keeper of Companions had absolutely no logical idea why.
Without another word spoken, the expedition force gathered their heavy equipment, checked their weapon clasps, and began making their way toward the shimmering stone archway leading into the perilous depths below.
Hidden safely behind the trunk of the ancient cedar, Ember slowly peeked around the rough bark once more. His tiny ears drooped flat against his head, and his bright amber eyes never left Adrian's retreating back. He wanted to run to him with everything he had; everything inside his small soul screamed that he had finally found the one he had been waiting for since birth.
But something didn't fit. The raw soul aura of the young man today felt vastly different, deeper, and more complex than the hollow phantom he had been observing for the past seven days. Something was... missing from the equation, and it confused his primitive animal instincts.
He quietly sat down beneath the great tree, watching Adrian's silhouette disappear completely into the glowing portal of the dungeon entrance. The little red panda lowered his head onto his paws, letting out a small, sorrowful chirp into the empty woods. He was confused, he was waiting, and he was desperately praying that whatever was wrong... would somehow become right when the young man returned.