CHAPTER 445: CHAPTER 445: DO YOU THINK HE’LL BE OKAY?

The inside of the cave shimmered like a dream carved from light.

The air smelled faintly of rain and something sweet—like crushed petals soaked in dew.

The walls were veined with glowing blue moss that pulsed gently, almost like the heartbeat of the mountain itself. From above, the waterfall cascaded through a natural arch, splitting into a thousand silver threads that poured into the pond below.

And gods, that pond.

It wasn’t just water—it was light made liquid. Every ripple shimmered with pale silver, and the mist above it hung suspended like a halo. Small glowing insects drifted through the air, wings glimmering sapphire and violet. They danced lazily in the moisture, leaving behind trails of faint luminescence that flickered like drifting stars.

Isabella stood at the entrance for a long moment, wide-eyed, her chest rising and falling as her breath caught.

"Okay," she whispered, blinking hard. "This is—wow. This is not what I expected from a murder mountain."

Glimora, perched on her shoulder, tilted her head, eyes gleaming in the soft blue light. "Mrrrp?"

"Yeah, baby," Isabella murmured, smiling weakly. "I know. It’s... beautiful. Creepy, but beautiful."

Her eyes swept across the ceiling again—searching for the faint silver glow of a moon—but found none. The light here wasn’t moonlight; it was something else. Something ancient, trapped and alive.

She frowned. "There’s no moon."

"Correct," Bubu said, its voice low and steady, the usual teasing edge gone for once. The blue cube floated beside her, faintly glowing in sync with the moss. "This part of the mountain generates its own luminescence through natural mana concentration."

"Yeah, that’s cool and all," Isabella said, brushing a damp strand of hair from her face, "but if there’s no moon, how am I supposed to find a Moonpetal Lily? I mean, hello, the name literally says moon!"

Bubu hummed, which was never a good sign.

Isabella groaned. "Don’t you dare tell me this is another ’character building’ thing."

"I was going to say patience," Bubu replied calmly.

"Oh, that’s worse."

She sighed and looked down at the unconscious phoenix man lying on the stone floor behind her. His golden feathers had dulled slightly, the faint light dimming as if he were fading along with it. She frowned, crouching beside him. "He’s... still alive, right?"

"His pulse is faint," Bubu confirmed.

"Great." Isabella rubbed her temple. "A dying man in a glowing cave full of fireflies. Perfect vacation spot."

Her map still floated faintly beside her, showing her destination marker blinking right at her feet. She followed it with her eyes, tracing the line to the pond. Then she looked at the man again. Then the pond. Then Bubu.

"So," she said slowly, "I just... throw him in there?"

"Correction," Bubu said. "You place him properly in the pond."

She blinked. "That’s literally the same thing."

"Not in intention."

"Oh my god," Isabella groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "You and your philosophy lessons."

"Two minutes remaining on your enhancement," Bubu said.

Her head snapped up. "Two minutes?!"

"Two minutes, Host."

"Oh no. No, no, no, no, no." She shot to her feet, cracked her neck like a soldier preparing for war, and stomped toward the man. "Fine! We’re doing this the hard way again. Glimora, baby, stay close. Mama’s about to commit emotional damage."

"Mrrrp!"

She crouched, grabbed the man under his arms, and started dragging him toward the pond. Her enhanced strength hummed to life again—thank the gods—but her muscles still screamed in protest. The man’s long blonde hair, streaked faintly with gold, trailed across the floor like silk. Every time his hand bumped against the stone, she muttered an apology she didn’t mean.

"Seriously," she grunted between breaths, "you could’ve at least been lighter."

Her boots slipped slightly on the wet rock, splashing through shallow puddles. The sound of the waterfall echoed louder the closer she got, filling the space with a deep, steady rhythm. It was hypnotic—too peaceful for what she was doing.

When she finally reached the edge, she hesitated. The water glowed beneath her, still as glass, reflecting her exhausted face.

"Bubu," she said cautiously, "if this pond eats him, I’m suing you."

"That would be illogical."

"Yeah, so is my entire life right now."

Taking a deep breath, she leaned down and pushed his body gently into the pond. The surface rippled outward in slow rings, swallowing him almost gracefully. For a moment, he floated there—his feathers flaring faintly gold against the glowing blue.

Then, one by one, the feathers began to fade. The gold dimmed, dissolved, and disappeared into the water like molten sunlight being swallowed by ink. His back arched once, as though reacting to something unseen, and then... his wings were gone.

Completely.

Isabella froze. "What the freak..."

Glimora pressed her head into Isabella’s neck, trembling slightly. Isabella’s hand instinctively came up to pet her, though her eyes never left the pond.

"His wings disappeared," she whispered. "Like—gone. Poof. What does that mean?"

"Regeneration process initiated," Bubu said, tone unreadable.

"Can you, like, expand on that?"

"No."

"Oh my god, you’re impossible."

She sank to her knees, wiping a sheen of sweat from her brow. The cold air from the cave brushed her skin, cooling the heat still radiating through her body. For the first time in hours, she allowed herself to just sit.

Water dripped steadily from the ceiling, each droplet echoing in the quiet. The faint hum of glowing insects filled the space, their lights drifting lazily over the pond’s surface like tiny lanterns.

For once, even Bubu was silent.

Isabella glanced sideways at the cube. "You’re quiet."

"I am allowing you a moment of peace."

Her lips twitched into a faint smirk. "Since when did you get sentimental?"

"System maintenance."

"Liar."

"I prefer efficient."

"Same difference," she muttered, leaning back on her hands. Glimora climbed down into her lap, curling up with a soft yawn. Isabella stroked the creature’s soft fur absentmindedly, watching the pond ripple faintly where the phoenix man floated.

"Hey, Bubu," she said quietly after a while. "Do you think he’ll be okay?"

There was a pause—long enough that she thought maybe Bubu had disappeared again. Then:

"His kind are difficult to kill," Bubu said softly. "They burn until nothing remains. And then, they burn again."

Isabella blinked. "That’s... actually poetic."

"Thank you."

"That wasn’t a compliment."

"Noted."

She chuckled weakly, rubbing her face. "You’re getting too good at that line."

"Practice," Bubu replied.