The mountain forest around Ashenrock Gorge was different at night—eerily still, yet heavy with unseen movement. The tall, jagged trees bent slightly with the night wind, their gnarled branches scraping against each other like old bones. Mist clung low to the ground, curling along the roots and stones, and every now and then, the cry of a distant night beast echoed through the gorge, muffled by the stone walls.

Moonlight filtered faintly through gaps in the canopy, but most of the path ahead was swallowed by shadows.

Luca walked beside Aurelia, his gaze shifting constantly, watching the dark thickets as though eyes were hiding within. Breaking the silence, he asked quietly,

"How are we going to find them?"

Aurelia didn't look at him, her crimson hair catching a faint sliver of moonlight as she kept her eyes forward.

"If they're looking for something in the gorge, they must have their base in this forest. We will find it out."

Luca nodded at her calm, assured tone, though he tilted his head slightly, raising a brow.

"But wouldn't it be too hard to look for them at night? We don't know the layout of this whole mountain gorge. Right now, we won't be able to find much anyway."

For a moment, Aurelia was quiet, her boots crunching softly against the gravel path. Then, she turned her head just enough for him to see her profile, eyes narrowed in thought.

"Then what do you suggest?"

Luca's lips curved faintly into a smile. Well… however angry she is at me, at least she's willing to cooperate. He cleared his throat and answered lightly,

"Well, let's find an appropriate place first to camp for the night. We can plan the next steps there."

It wasn't just talk. In truth, Luca thought grimly to himself, That's the best plan. Even though I did visit here many times while playing the game… It was way later. I don't know what exactly they're doing here now.

The forest trail stretched on, winding deeper into the mountain's heart. Aurelia didn't speak much, only glancing around every so often, her hand brushing the hilt of her spear at her waist out of habit.

Luca stole glances at her, sighing inwardly. How can I make up with her? The silence between them weighed heavier than the forest's shadows. But then, his eyes hardened with determination. No. I will do it.

Just then, Aurelia's voice broke through his thoughts. She raised her hand and pointed.

"Look. There is a cave there. Maybe we can camp inside."

Luca followed her gesture and spotted it—a cave mouth, half-covered by hanging moss and jagged rocks, like a dark, waiting maw in the hillside. The faint draft from within carried a chill, mixed with the earthy scent of stone and damp moss.

He squinted, then nodded.

"Hmm… that's a good place. It's a natural habitat. Let's take a look."

Together, they approached the cave entrance. The closer they got, the darker it became, until the light of the moon was swallowed entirely.

As soon as they stepped inside, the sound of their footsteps echoed faintly against the cavern walls. The air turned cool and damp, and shadows pressed in from all sides—unyielding, suffocating.

Inside, it was pitch-black.

The cave stretched deeper than expected, each step swallowed by the damp silence, their outlines faint in the pale glow spilling weakly from the gorge's distant moonlight. The air was heavy, tinged with moss and earth, and every sound of dripping water echoed like a warning.

A sudden guttural roar ripped through the darkness, reverberating against the cave walls. Aurelia's head snapped up, braid swinging sharply as her crimson hair caught the faint light.

Without hesitation, she stepped closer to Luca, her spear already shifting into her hand. Her free hand shot back and seized his wrist, pulling him behind her.

"Stay behind me," she commanded, her voice low and unwavering, though her grip betrayed urgency.

Luca blinked, momentarily startled—but warmth flickered in his chest. So, she still cares about me. There's still some hope. Instead of obeying, he gently pulled back against her hold, and before she could let go, his fingers slid down to catch hers. He intertwined their hands deliberately, refusing to release her.

"I'm not that weak, you know," he said with a faint, lopsided smile, his voice steadier than he felt.

Aurelia's violet eyes darted to their hands, and a faint flush crept across her cheeks. She immediately tried to tug her hand back, but Luca only tightened his grip, unwilling to let go even now. Another roar echoed, closer this time, shaking dust loose from the stone walls.

Luca drew a sharp breath and as if out of thin air, took out a faintly glowing stone. As soon as it left his palm, soft silver light spilled outward, painting the cavern in a ghostly glow. Jagged rocks jutted from the walls, their edges wet with condensation, and the air shimmered with an ominous heaviness.

The light caught Aurelia's face, her braid draped over her shoulder, and for just a moment she looked at him—not the stone, not the danger—but at him. Amazement flickered in her eyes, her lips parting ever so slightly before she masked it again with her usual cool tone.

"Where did you take it out from?" she asked, faint color still dusting her cheeks.

Luca opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the earth trembled beneath their feet. Stones rattled, and from the darkness ahead came a shadow—massive, hulking, wrong.

The light revealed a bear, or at least what once had been one. Its fur was patchy, patches of sickly black veins writhing beneath its skin like worms. Its eyes glowed an unnatural crimson, froth dripping from its mouth, and every breath was a rasping growl. The corruption oozed from its body in pulses, tainting the very air.

Luca's eyes widened, instincts screaming. A corrupted bear…?

"It looks like things are a lot more serious than we thought," he muttered under his breath, steel flashing in his gaze.

The beast bellowed and lunged forward, claws tearing gouges in the stone as it charged. The ground shook beneath its weight.

Aurelia slid her hand free at last, spinning her spear into position with practiced grace. Her braid whipped behind her as she leveled her weapon, stance firm.

"Let's deal with it first," she said sharply, amethyst eyes burning with focus.

The guttural roar thundered through the cavern as the corrupted bear's hulking mass surged forward, its claws raking stone and sending shards flying. Its body was twisted, patches of fur falling away to reveal raw, pulsating flesh tainted with black veins. Its eyes glowed with feral malice, burning red like coals.

Aurelia stepped forward without hesitation, fire flaring along her spear's tip. "Stay sharp."

Luca's twin sabers flashed into existence, one black as shadow, the other glowing faintly pale, like moonlight. He lowered into stance beside her, his lips pulling into a sharp grin. "I'll keep up."

The bear lunged.

Aurelia was the first to strike—her spear shot forward like a flame-tipped bolt, piercing the beast's shoulder and forcing it to stagger sideways. It roared, blood and black sludge spraying, but before it could swing back, Luca dashed in low, his sabers slashing across its underbelly in a brutal cross-cut. The corrupted flesh sizzled under his blades' energy, the stench of burning rot filling the cave.

Enraged, the bear swiped with its massive claw, forcing them to split apart. The air whistled with its strength as stone shattered where they stood moments ago. Aurelia spun her spear, fire bursting in a wide arc, and struck its paw mid-swing, burning through tendon. The beast shrieked, stumbling.

"Now!" she called.

Luca's eyes glinted—he leapt forward, both sabers raised. With a violent twist, he drove them deep into the bear's neck, black and white light crackling together as he wrenched upward. The corrupted flesh split in a brutal spray, the beast collapsing with a final gurgling roar.

The cavern went still. The only sound was their heavy breaths and the faint crackle of Aurelia's fire aura dying down.

Luca withdrew his sabers, their edges dripping with black ichor. He glanced sideways at Aurelia, who still held her spear at the ready, eyes lingering on the corpse to make sure it stayed down.

"Not bad," he muttered with a faint smirk, wiping the ichor from his blade.

Her violet eyes flicked to him briefly, firelight glinting in them. "…You weren't half useless yourself."

Luca's gaze lingered on the mangled corpse, the black sludge still oozing and hissing faintly against the ground.

"It looks like," he murmured, voice low and edged with unease, "things are not so simple."