It was cold. The damp earth around me felt like a cage, trapping me inside with this… Thing. I felt its grasp. Its touch. It traced its fingers along my mana channels, bringing rot and death with it.

I shuddered, pouring my increasingly weakening solar mana into my body to drive it off. It recoiled, hissing in displeasure as it left my body and spirit, going back around to circle me.

I panted at the effort, the sheer exhaustion and fine mana control it took to drive it off was difficult enough. Faint screams bled through the rock above me, telling of unspeakable grey-skinned horrors. I tried to shut my ears, whimpering in fright.

I am brave… I’m not hiding, no… I’m living to fight another day… The death whisperer will save me. She has to. I’m the elder’s son… She has too… I whispered to myself.

The deal was still in place, and she couldn’t break out of it. It was the law of this land. She would have to adhere by the fox clan rules.

I grit my teeth as the vile green snake cupped my ears, blackening them to rot. I sent a burst of solar mana to restore them to pristine health, forcing the predator back. I felt its smile, its evil and ever so patient smile.

And then it was gone.

I dared not drop my guard in case it was some kind of trick, drawing every inch of my solar mana, ready to defend against anything. When nothing came, I peeked open my eyes, looking around with mana sense to observe the ambient around me.

It felt… A little more rambunctious than usual, but other than that, pretty normal. I wanted to sob in relief. The horrible thing was gone, and I could finally resurface. I could finally leave this horrible hellhole created by my own paws.

I shifted my earth mana, eager to leave the confines of my small sphere. I used my earth mana to shift my position, sitting right beneath the surface, listening intently for the plague beetles and goblins. There was nothing.

Cautiously, I poked my head out of the hole. Or at least, I tried to.

As my head came out of the ground, It hit something. Something big, cold, and… Squishy? In confusion, I took a bit of solar mana in my claws and held it up to my squishy perpetrator.

The thing was gray and flaky, stretching unevenly across my small hole like a lumpy rock. I stared at it for a second, identifying it as flesh. Goblin flesh.

My breathing sped up for a second, my mind both panicking and raging at the dead goblin blocking my path to freedom. Then, I valiantly scrambled back into my sphere, pushing away with my earth mana and closing the hole.

Not that way. I thought after I had calmed down a bit. I aimed my bubble of earth away from the dead goblin, going 5 feet around it as I opened another hole that I was sure would lead me to freedom. Instead, all I got was another goblin body, plus a bunch of water.

I sputtered, closing the hole as dirty water dripped from my face, mixing in with the earth and the splatters of blood.

Not that way either. I grimly thought, angry at the stupid goblins that just had to die right there. They could at least have the decency to die away from exactly where I was emerging.

In annoyance, I opened up another exit, this time prepared for the water. However, instead of a torrent, there was only a trickle, as more goblin flesh blocked my way. I was gobsmacked.

How do I have such bad luck? I found three of these grey-skinned menaces in a row! I growled frustratingly. I just wanted to see the sun! Is that really so much to ask?

As I was stewing over the injustice of the world, a thought struck me. Wait… The chances of these goblins all dying in the same place is low… What if there's not 10 or so, but hundreds? What if I’m running into a mound of corpses right now?

That would… Make sense. Viralya wouldn’t be killed by these low-level things, and she wouldn’t let her children be killed by them either. Plus, I think I remember seeing them pop out by the dozens…

I surfaced around 50 feet from where I had started, and sighed in relief as I only had to redirect some of the nasty water.

Poking my head out for real this time, I looked around, finding myself a good distance away from the temple, its massive red walls only a shadow of its former glory. It was covered in guts, black blood, and the biggest goblin I had ever seen.

Below it was a mountain of hundreds of rotten corpses, piled up as if someone had just raked their remains, like leaves from the ground.

I shivered, turning away to look up at the blue sky, and the warm sun.

Its golden brilliance shone down on my fur, illuminating it beneath all the sludge it was covered in. I would have to get my servants to prepare me a bath later today. I was positively filthy and I couldn’t-

My servants. The image of Eishilya and Samilya being eaten up by darkness, came to mind, pushing and invading my innermost thoughts.

My pupils dilated and my fur bristled, panic flooding my mind as I looked to the temple, my whole face a mask of fear.

“Oh, kankaar…” I whispered. “They can’t be… They can’t all be…” I didn’t dare finish that sentence. I would cry this moment if I did. Before I knew it, my paws were carrying me across the water, bounding towards the once beautiful temple, now painted in blackish-crimson blood.

My solar mana reacted to my emotions, smiling down and flooding me with warm energy that enhanced my muscles, and sent me running faster and faster.

I disregarded the corpses, leaping over them as I raced up the temple. I paused at the sight of the goblin king, as well as the siren, but only for a moment.

I quickly found myself standing above the very thing that took my servan- my friends, away from me. The darkness was gone, its gaping mouth of a hole replaced with what had always been there.

The sound of rotten blood splashing onto the cold stone, and echoing through the temple sent waves of fear down my spine.

My body shook as I tried to force myself forward. There is nothing in there. There is no monster, evil being, or abomination in this temple that could possibly beat one as great as myself. I told myself. My friends needed me. They needed me.

But I stood stock still, looking over the waters in the highest vantage point for miles, mountains of corpses slain by another surrounded me, whispering my failings.

Once, I had felt like I was at the top of the world, part of the prestigious fox clan, proud to be called the genius that I was. Being revered had its perks, and I had loved every second of it. I was showered in compliments and given gifts that sent me to unparalleled heights in my journey to mage hood.

I went up here often with my father, going over my efforts in school and my levels. I had been congratulated when I had come back with a great name, using the elixir of fearlessness that all cubs took, standing in front of the gods as we were judged and given identities.

It all felt like a distant world now.

Standing here, in my silence, I began to realize something.

I was nothing. Or rather, I was no one important in the grand scheme of things. The only reason I had been paid attention to, was because of my father's rank in the clan. That was all there was to it.

My throat choked up as I remembered everyone I had pushed away in my pursuit of power. Everyone I had hurt because I didn’t care.

It all felt so pointless now. The worst part was that the only thing I had to show for it all, was a slightly stronger than average core, and broken pride.

Once again, I tried to take a step forward, a step towards discovery. Discovery of my friends, family, and myself.

But my body was still frozen, my mind vetoing any sort of movement that didn’t include hightailing it in the opposite direction.

I was a coward.

Even my skills said so. They all hinted at it, using flowery language and cheerful dialogue to cover it up.

‘I can’t just let them die.’ Her voice said, her golden eyes locking with my own. Sword mana flooded her channels, creating an aura of raw sharp destruction. Her brow was furrowed, and her teeth were clenched with determination, giving off a terrifying vibe. But even so, I saw the kindness in there. The hope, the sense, the potential for greatness.

‘Are you coming?’

My breathing sped up as I struggled to answer. “I… I can’t…”

A look of frustration and disgust shadowed her face, before grim acceptance set in. Like she had expected I would refuse. She jumped.

Samilya’s eyes held the same determination, fear, and shock hardening as he gave me one last look, before plunging into the depths too. Abandoning me.

In the bright sun, two glimmering droplets joined the blood below, mixing in with all the other pain and grief caused by the sirens. The Sirens.

“It’s not too late you know.” A feminine voice said from behind me. I didn’t need to look at her to know who it was.

“You can still help them…” They said softly, the cold exterior from before now completely gone.

I inclined my head and shut my eyes, grinding my fangs together.

“I’m… Trying…” My voice shook, resolutely facing the hole. I couldn’t let the traitor see me like this, my moment of weakness.

“I can help you know. You do not have to do this on your own.” Finally, I turned to look at her, tears spilling from my golden eyes, my fur brimming with deceitfully holy mana.

“H...Help?” I squeaked. A flicker of anger raced through me, demanding that I bowed to no one. I squashed the feeling, wiping my eyes with my paws.

“How?” I said, just a little clearer. She seemed to smile, looking at me with her silver eyes.

“I just have to do what I did with my cubs.” The wind started picking up. I looked at her suspiciously, not comprehending what she was trying to do.

“All you need is just… A little push.” She said, torrents of silver mana slithering through my four legs. I panicked for a second, remembering the horrible feeling of flying, the safe and soft ground miles below me.

I flinched as my face was battered with wind mana, pushing my entire body quickly, but somehow gently. I felt it swirl around me, encouraging me towards adventure, playfully pushing. It was so unlike my earth mana that I froze in shock, watching in rapidly growing terror as the entrance came closer and closer, the abyssal maw flashing closer and closer.

And then the ground left my feet behind as I tumbled down, the 7-foot gap between me and the 1st sanctuary platform thinned until my paws hit the ground, my legs absorbing the shock.

Laying stock still, I waited for the vile green monster to swallow me whole, returning me to the gates of my ancestors. I was certain that I had fallen into their trap, caught in their snare as greedy tendrils reached for my life-giving solar mana. But as the seconds passed, and nothing ate me, I began to hope that it was truly gone. That it had well and truly disappeared.

I felt a thump next to me and I turned, looking at the famed blood goddess, the death whisperer Viralya smiling encouragingly at me. I took a deep breath. There was no monster.

I could do this. I would do this.

Tentatively, my paws padded forward, cautiously testing the stone. After triple-checking that nothing had eaten me yet, I turned back and looked at Viralya, watching the very same smile urge me forward.

Suddenly, I felt very foolish. Of course there was no monster. She wouldn’t have taken me down here in the first place if there still was. I mean, what's danger with her around, right? With a bit more confidence, I went forward, descending into the hall of the gods.

An unfamiliar feeling seemed to wrap my core around me, filling me with the strength to move forward, the strength to find my kin.

Determination.

I felt her footsteps behind me, shadowing my advance. I could do this.

I ran faster and faster, eager to see my family and friends safe and sound. Images of the two tribes flashed by, the gods and their lofty palaces falling into a blur as the stories spun a tale of beast and fae.

At the very end, Necesse sat on their crown of bones, spinning forbidden spirit magic between their fingertips.

I rushed past, descending deeper as I took the familiar twists and turns, the memories of scurrying around with the other noble cubs playing hide and seek flashed through my mind. Along with them, were the not-so-fond memories of having to actually use those hiding skills to avoid my father, picking up the hide presence skill in desperation, his rough paw pressing against my face.

No. Not the time. I scolded myself, picking up even more speed.

We avoided the circle of treasures, looping around the 13th sanctuary and entering the prayer hall. It was the biggest, and the deepest room I knew of. If any survivors had managed to survive and take shelter, they would have gathered here, and better yet, Samilya and Eishilya. Father too.

But as I entered the room, I caught the stench. The stench of war.

My blood ran cold, my pawsteps coming to a halt as horror crossed my face. I felt Viralya whoosh past me, the silver blur opening the grandiose door with not a sound.

I threw up.

There was so much blood, corpses of golden fur now painted crimson red stretched across the halls, painting the great statues with tragedy.

Blood and bone mana wafted out the doorway, drifting along with the broken remains of solar mana. It seemed to funnel upwards, infusing into these massive… Webs… of flesh.

They coated the walls and ceiling like spider webs, black and shriveled as if they had died years ago.

“Wh-” I choked, but didn't finish, letting the silence stretch until it was broken.

“This shouldn’t have happened…” She frowned, her red fur letting her blend in perfectly with the remains of my kin.

“They weren’t supposed to die… What exactly have you done Celestina?” The wet squish of blood entered my dull ears, causing ripples of condensed and controlled mana the filter through the air hall with every step she took.

“Why…” I whispered. Viralya turned to look at me, her face a stony mask of dark anger.

“Why did this happen? What did we do? What did they do to deserve this...?” Anger and fear crept into my voice.

She shook her head.

“I don’t know.” She stated. “It seems that the fates have been tampered with, as has the timeline.” A look of doubt crossed her face before it was replaced with a more thoughtful expression.

“You… You don’t know?” I asked, my voice trembling in rising ager. “You have all this power… All this mana… And you don’t know?”

“I’m not omnipotent.”She looked me dead in the eye, forcing me to really and truly look at her. “I don’t have the experience, nor expertise to determine what this is. In all my years of adventuring, I have never seen anything like this.”

“But… But you were supposed to help…”

“I’m sorry. I do not have access to infinite knowledge, despite all my powers and skills. I am limited by this mortal world just as much as you are.”

My anger peaked and then snapped.

“Then what good are you?!?” I roared. “We made a deal with you! A deal to save everyone! To fix this!” The bloody hall shook at my rage, bits of solar mana shining through my body and seeping into the earth around me, mixing with the sacred stone.

“I’m sorry. I really did all I could.” She sighed. “But it wasn’t enough. The sirens were clearly well prepared, and had set up defense system after defense system to make sure all of you died.”

“But you promised!” I screamed. “You said you would save them! Eishilya made you promise!” My eyes wet themselves again.

She shook her head once again.

“I’m sorry.”

I growled.

“Sorry isn't good enough.” She said nothing as I entered the bloody hall, branding the image into my mind so that I may remember it for the rest of my life. My mana sense swept the place, looking for something to test my bite on. Something to hit. There was nothing.

But surprisingly, it wasn’t my mana sense that caught it. It was my regular ol’ eyeballs that actually managed to find something. Half frozen, I turned to the statue of Quaesitor slowly, faint wisps of hope sparking. The goddess of knowledge stood in front of me, pushing up her spectacles with her soft oval face. Her soft whiskers were stretched into a smile and her nine tails held scraps of paper and ink-stained quills.

But that's not where my eyes were locked in on. On her right forepaw, the glitter of metal that did not belong on a stone statue sparkled in the divine light that still shone in rays, casting my reflection in the light of a thousand crimson crystals.

I walked up to it, tracing the worn metal and expensive storage stone set in. It was a storage bracelet. Eishilya’s storage bracelet.

I unclasped it from the stone, turning it over in one of my paws.

My breathing slowed as the anger drained from my mind, joining all the other unspeakable horrors that had occupied this place only hours ago. From this, all I felt was emptiness. A hole where my friends should have been.

I had never really been the best friend to the two of them, but… We had had adventures together. We had all bled and fought together, searching for power like so many other youthful foxes did.

In the back of my mind, I wondered how many of my people would come back, no longer the children they were before, only to find a set of water-logged ruins. To find their homeland flushed away, their kin brutally slaughtered.

I looked back up at where the bracelet had been before, studying it carefully. The foreleg had wispy cracks running up its sides, barely holding the leg together. But I got the sense it wasn’t as bad as it should have been. Chips and cracks seemed like they had been sealed with electric and metal mana, magnetizing some of the pieces stone together. It was sloppy and poor work compared to some of the master sculptures, but I didn’t care.

The magnetism was a mixture of Samilya, and Eishilya’s mana, a sign. It twirled together, loosely forming the shape of an arrow, pointing to one of the tails of Quaesitor behind me, the fourth one with the ink quills.

My eyes drifted to it, tracing the curve of the perfectly sculpted fur. Now that I was looking closer… I could see an uncharacteristically dark red spot on the tip of the quill that was pointed upwards.

I looked behind me to see Viralya muttering to herself, inspecting the corpses. She was distracted. I turned back to the quill, my golden eyes shining with solar mana.

Scrambling up the side of the statue, I reached for the quill pointing skyward.

A small part of me was screaming at me to get off, saying I should run away as fast, and as far away as possible. Another was panicking at the clan laws I was breaking, defacing one of the divine statues with my touch.

My eyes picked out the dark color as dried blood, clinging to the tip of the quill. I frowned, wondering why my friend's crude arrow was pointing to this particular spot of blood. But I quickly deciphered why.

This blood was old. Like, old old. Far older than any of my... families remains beneath me.

Cautiously, I reached out to touch it, my eyes glinting with suspicion.

“Ow!” I said, pulling my paw back as it was nicked by the insanely sharp stone feather. I huffed, wiping the small droplets of blood on the cold stone. But as I made the blood smear, the entire statue began to shake, making me crouch and hang on for dear life. The rumbling spread, encompassing not just the statue, but the entire prayer hall.

“What's going on?!” Viralya shouted as she flew up to meet me, staring at me while I hugged the statue.

“I- I don’t-'' The rumbling gave way to a grating screech as the area around the statue of Quaesitor opened up, spinning with hidden magic that even Viralya hadn’t detected. Her eyes flashed in surprise as the staircase lit up with solar mana, words shimmering in front of our eyes.

‘All knowledge has its price.’

I stared at the bright symbols, the runes of our ancestors' ancient language making me jolt in surprise. The letters didn’t last long, the perfectly sculpted solar mana fading into ambient as the air turned stale once more.

“What did it say?” Viralya asked.

“You couldn’t read that?” I asked in surprise.

“No. The language is unfamiliar to me.” She paused. “Although, it does resemble some runal language I know of, but I can’t say for certain.”

“Yes, you're… correct.” It felt weird to know something that the monster in front of me didn’t.

“It said… Ah, let me think… I think it was; All knowledge has its price.”

She looked at me with a blank expression, her expression telling me she didn’t know what it was talking about.

“That is rather ominous.” I rolled my eyes at her obvious response. “But I do think we should at least venture down there. There may be more clues on what happened to your kin during the… Murder scene.” Her face twisted when she said that.

The same sense of hope I felt when I had discovered Eishilya’s bracelet burned brighter.

“Do… Do you think they might be down there?”

“I don’t know.” She gave me a slight smile. “But there's only one way to find out.” She flew down from the statue, a gust of wind starting to pick my body up too as I was forced into the air. My eyes widened as the stone once again left my paws, making me scramble around desperately.

By the time I was back on the ground, my heart was racing, my eyes wide with fear.

“Please… Please warn me before… You do that.” I said softly, terror laced into my voice. She gave me a raised eyebrow, looking at me in some confusion. I tried not to get angry as she shrugged, not saying a word as she descended the staircase.

I gulped, looking back one last time, remembering the vibrance this temple once held. With one last pang of grief, I followed her down the staircase.

“‘Achoo!’” I sneezed, wiping my nose with my paw as we kept going down. The steps seemed endless, riddles with small little traps and pits, making me feel quite frustrated. Contrary to me, Viralya seemed pleased with herself, like she had just found a gift at the door to her cave.

A steady sense of drainage was plaguing my body, sapping me of my strength and mana. Whatever this place was, it wasn’t kidding when it said all knowledge had its price. It had been taking both my solar, and my earth mana, depleting me of what may as well be my lifeblood.

Of course, Viralya seemed perfectly fine, trouncing around and investigating every corner with meticulous care. Apparently, whatever this power was, it was of divine origin. And since she was a traitor of the gods, she got a free pass. Or something like that, it was just a guess after all.

I groaned, rubbing my eyes with my paws, trying not to get angrier at her. The ambient here was so thin, it could have been called nonexistent. And without it, I couldn’t engage in meditation.

Earlier, I had lashed out in anger in frustration, unleashing my fleeting earth mana at her to send the floor slamming into the ceiling. She had not taken kindly to that and had almost killed me with a bat of her paw. The only reason I was alive was because of her healing mana.

It had been 30 minutes or so since that had happened, and we were still going down. I couldn’t sense anything with my magical senses, seeing as that the sacred stone was partially resistant to mana. Enough of it made it nearly impossible to get any sort of mana into it, let alone a recon spell.

“Are… We almost there yet?” I panted, trying to stop my muscles from shaking. Normally I would have walked down the steps with ease, but with my literal strength leaving me, I just couldn’t keep up with her. She glanced at me, taking note of my ragged form.

“I do not know. Maybe.” And with that, silence descended between us once again. I was so frustrated. Why didn’t she talk to me! She should be honored to spend time with one such as I! This is unacceptable! Outrageous! It’s… It’s...What I deserve.

I can’t keep thinking of myself as something more than a sun fox. I’m not. I have to remember that.

The tunnel seemed to give a sigh, the stone rumbling as the endless staircase… Reached an end. A very short hallway revealed itself, at the very back a massive door stood. I beamed, my grin positively radiant as I raced down the last steps, quickly trying to throw open the doors in front of me.

But as my paws reached the hallway, I cried out, falling to my side as waves of pain suddenly crashed into me. In shock, I reached for my enhancing solar mana, calling upon it to drive off the exhaustion. But to my horror, it was gone. My mana, both earth and solar, were gone.

I wobbled to my feet, taking a shaky breath as my head shook with pain.

“My mana… What-”

“The price.” Viralya spoke, making me raise my head to meet her in confusion.

“That's the price. It takes all of your physical power and forces you into powerlessness. Remember, this is Quaesitor we’re talking about, the very keeper of knowledge. He will not just give it all to you for free ”

“What? But… Can they not just block it or something? Why must they sap it?” I asked.

“Because this is a test of your will. A test of the pillars of your soul. You do not need might to gather knowledge, only a strong enough focus, and memory to retain it all. But that is all speculation. Come, potential answers await.”

That was a good enough answer I suppose.

I grunted, getting to my feet with some difficulty. Viralya looked questioningly at me, and then to the door, gesturing for my permission. I nodded, giving her the affirmative.

Wind slammed into the door, shaking it open as the metal doors slid against the stone.

“Formation 3! Attack!” A voice erupted as three adult foxes raced towards Viralya, baring their fangs and readying their claws.

Viralya, of course, responded in kind as she blasted all of them back into the room, quickly walking in.

I scrambled after her but had to stop dead in my tracks, almost forgetting my splitting headache as walls of bookshelves spanned the room, stacked orderly in a grid pattern stretching in all directions. The ceiling wasn’t even visible as the bookshelves seemed to reach into infinity, towering like tall giants.

I didn't get to look for long though as shouting erupted. My eyes locked onto the three foxes, groaning and getting back up as their golden fur shone in the fires of the runic solar mana orbs above us. I stood there, just staring at the three of them in disbelief.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were a fox!” One of them barked, climbing to their feet. But she (It was a she) was smiling. Beaming, in fact.

“Ah, I’m so sorry for attacking you…. But you actually came from the temple! And you're alive! That must mean that there are survivors! Tell me, what happened to everyone on the surface? Did they all manage to make it out okay?” She said, her comrades also standing up. But as she got a better look at Viralya, she froze, her jaw suddenly trembling.

“R-R-Red f-fur.” She stuttered. “Traitor… The death whisperer… Oh, by kankaar!” She looked at Viralya with an expression of absolute dread, rooted to the ground.

Viralya dipped her head.

“Indeed, It is I. I am… Sorry for the loss of your clan.” She said softly. “I do not think there were any survivors. We were actually coming down here to check if anyone had survived ourselves. Evidently, by your presence, some clearly did.”

She stood stock-still, as did the others. They didn’t even seem to notice me, just looking from Viralya to the staircase we exited with a blank expression.

“But… They can’t…” She said softly, her eyes quickly gaining the vibrance of anger until she snarled.

“Liar! You're a traitor, you would do anything you could to make us suffer!” The others, looking dazed and confused, gave a half-hearted cheer. But after a second or two, they managed to figure out what she was saying as they erupted in shouts, quickly lining back up formation.

“What a bunch of idiots…” I heard her murmur. She spoke again, louder this time.

“If you do not trust mine, trust his.” She spoke clearly and threateningly, her mana making everyone rock back in shock.

“You… You can use mana?! But that's… That's not possible!” One of the males behind the woman screamed.

“Yes. I can use mana. And if you continue to scream like that, I might just have to use it on you.” The threat was clear. He shut up very fast when she said that.

They were back to watching her in fear, their hackles risen and their ears flat across their backs.

“Now.” She looked back to me, thrusting me into the all too familiar spotlight. “I believe this young fellow can confirm my words.” She looked at me, a small smile on her lips. I looked from her to the scouts, gathering my thoughts until I formed a coherent sentence.

“Yes… There were no survivors. As far as I- we can tell, I was the only sun fox on the surface who survived.” All three of them looked towards me, eyes widening in recognition.

“Wait… Little Lu? Is that you?” The woman whispered.

I gave her a tentative nod, swallowing as I fought to keep my expression in control.

“You… Are you sure?” She asked me, her voice shaking. “Are they all dead? Are you Sure!?”

I was silent for only a moment, wrestling down my own grief. Oh god. I would need a private corner to cry for a long time after this.

“Yes. I saw their corpses with my own eyes.” I said, a lot more confident than I felt, trying to project some sense of leadership.

Her face fell, body slumping in defeat. I felt her grief, her hurt. My heart went out to her, sympathizing with the pain she felt.

“Then it's true… We’re the last of the sun fox race…” She sniffed, clenching her eyes shut before getting back to her feet.

“I… I need some time to think.” She muttered, starting to walk away before pausing and looking at us. Her soulless gaze sent shivers up my spine.

“Oh right… I’m sure you're going to want to talk to the rest of us… I’ll… Lead you there.” She began trekking in the opposite direction, venturing into the black. Her lackeys quickly followed, joining her in leading us across the library.

I shared a look with Viralya, before we nodded, padding after them.

The bookshelves really were endless. None of them had covers or titles, but there were a couple of ancient-looking scrolls. It felt like a maze, winding across spans and swaths of space.

I wondered why I had never been told of this place before. Back then, I had been informed of almost all of the secret passageways and tunnels, just in case something happened and I had to escape. This was definitely not one of them.

A part of me was tempted to grab a book and crack it open, but there were other concerns on my mind. Like who these other survivors are. Maybe Eishilya and Samilya would be there, talking to my father, just waiting for me to join them.

I sped up a little after that, eager to see my only family and friends again. When the maze eventually revealed a big open area with dozens of tables and seating arrangements, I was livid.

Around each of the tables and chairs, there were sun foxes. Their golden fur was matted, and their eyes were dull. I could almost taste the grim atmosphere. It hurt my heart to see them all like this, but still, I was happy. I was happy because they were alive.

Like an eager pup, I ran over to them, yipping in joy to see some of my remaining kin. A couple of them looked up, staring at me in disbelief. I scanned the crowd, my jubilant expression falling as I skimmed from face to face, looking for some familiarity.

Near the very back, I spotted elder Ponilya quietly speaking to a group of foxes I didn’t recognize. He was one of my father's best friends, and he was like an uncle to me.

My feet carried me over to his form, eyes lit with joy. In surprise, he turned to see me running towards him, his expression flickering from shock and disbelief to joy.

“Little Lu!” He exclaimed, running up to me and tackling me to the ground. I let out a laugh as I felt him nuzzle my side in a traditional greeting of family.

“Uncle Ponilya! I can’t believe you're here!” I shouted, burying my face into his furry and warm embrace. We hugged for a second before separating, his grin still as big as ever.

“Lucinya! It’s good to see you, you squirt!” His grin faltered slightly.

“But… How? You should be getting Viralya’s help right now! Ah but… I guess that makes sense…” He looked at me excitedly. “Did they actually manage to pull it off? Did those two actually kill the thing? Did everyone survive?” Uncle Ponilya asked, a hopeful look on his face.

I was quiet for a moment.

“Uncle… I don’t know what you're talking about. There was nothing up there besides mounds of this spider flesh thing and-” I choked. “Mountains of our dead kin.” Elder Ponilya’s face paled.

“They… They didn’t make it… Ha…” He slumped to the floor, the very same empty gaze I had seen on the scout earlier making me flinch.

“No… No this shouldn’t be possible…” He murmured.

I suddenly had the urge to throw up again.

Looking around, everyone was staring at us, their eyes wide and horrified. I counted about 50, and I knew none of them. My father wasn't there and neither were my friends.

“You asked a question earlier. You said ‘those two'. Who exactly were you talking about?” A voice interrupted. I turned to see Viralya staring at the elder, quickly startling him. He looked up, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to speak.

“They were… Little Lu’s two servants… Eishilya and… Samaelya was it? Yes, those two.” The elder spoke slowly and softly as if he was trying to decipher the very words that were coming out of his mouth.

I felt a jolt of shock at my friends' names hope fizzling as I looked at the elder with rapt attention.

“They… They bought us time. They gave us access to here… Wherever this is. All the other elders were dead… I was the only one left and I was too weak to defend them all… Too weak.”

…

“Wh-What?” I said shrilly.

He looked at me, a piteous expression in his eyes. “I’m sorry little Lu. I did all I could, but I failed. I failed our clan.” He swept his eyes around the tables. “This was all I could save. The only reason the undead couldn’t follow us in here was because of the divine price. I am sorry but… Your father is dead. Your servants are most likely dead as well.” A chill ran down my spine as I heard that.

“That can’t…. No. No, I refuse to believe they're dead. I refuse.” I shook my head. “Where did you see them last?” I demanded.

“Little Lu, I can’t-”

“Don’t call me that!” I snapped. “Just tell me where you saw them last!”

“But-”

“I said, tell me where you saw them!” I screamed, my rage and anger at my father's best friend sending waves of power through my body, my core struggling against the lack of mana. My emotions roiled as my body tried to find a way to compensate for the mana, my throbbing headache turning into a roaring tsunami.

And with a crack, suddenly it was there. My fur erupted in golden light that shone in dazzling lights that brought the sundown as it met the earth. I felt sudden and immense pressure, trying to weigh me down and suck the mana out of my body.

“Little- Lucinya! Your… How-”

“TELL ME!” I felt Virlaya’s shocked gaze, but I didn’t care.

“O-okay! Last I saw them um- they were heading towards the archives! I believe that was where the undead were coming from… But you can’t-”

I didn’t spare him another second. I shot off, winding through the very same passageways I had gone through before with unparalleled speed. This time, no one followed me. No one got in my way.

‘I did all I could.’ they said. ‘I’m sorry’

The same words. The same exact words. The same failure. The same lack of action despite all their power. The same uselessness.

I galloped up the stairs like a crossbow bolt, golden mana roaring in a tempest, feeding my muscles its life-giving energy, making me run faster and faster.

I didn’t even seem to perceive time, my focus entirely centered around the same images of my only real friends in this world. The ones I never appreciated. The ones I treated with arrogance, throwing their kindness back in their faces.

Not soon enough, I burst from quaestor’s staircase, rushing over the mountain of corpses overseen by the equally useless deities that guarded the room.

I ran past the prayer platforms and the sanctuaries, taking a shortcut through the third armory to the front of the archive room.

With a blast of solar mana, the doors were wrenched from their hinges, falling to the ground.

But what I saw made even my mana freeze.

There, floating in front of me, were my best friends. Sprawling like shadows, dripping in their own blood, black spikes embedded in their once golden fur.

It was dark. The only thing that lit the corridor was my own mana.

I stared at the two of them, elevated a few feet off the floor, their dead eyes reflecting my glowing image, their ears half ripped off.

The familiar sound of dripping blood carried through the corridor, leading into the entrance just outside. If I had just looked a little more to the side, if I had just gone through the archives rather than the hall of gods, I would have seen them.

If I had investigated the sound of dripping blood falling from the spikes in front of me, I would have seen them.

“Ha… Hahahaha!” I felt foolish, oh so foolish.

All my life, I had never expressed my appreciation. Never told them how they had helped me. I never told myself either, burying it under the pretense that they were my lowly servants. They were beneath me.

They didn't feel so lowly to me now.

“Ironic, isn’t it?” I whispered to them, hoping they could hear me. “You never appreciate what you’ve had until you’ve lost it. You never appreciate what you were given, until it's taken away…” My voice faded into the maddening silence as the drip of blood kept falling, the metronome of my life ticking on.

If I had gone with them, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. If I wasn’t a coward and fled when they jumped in, they might still be here. I could have prevented this. Could have joined them.

Sobs racked my figure as I collapsed to the floor, curling in on myself, shutting myself off. The room descended into darkness as my mana faded, leaving me completely empty.

“I’m sorry…” My voice seemed to join thousands of others, pleading for forgiveness. For a crime they didn’t commit. For ignorance.

“I’m sorry…”

I didn’t know how long I had been there, swallowed by grief. I dared not look back up into their empty gazes, lest I join them.

No matter how hard I tried, the tears just kept coming. Kept falling from my face like twin waterfalls. A distant thought struck me. My father was dead too wasn’t he? Didn’t that make me worthless? Useless, like the rest of them?

Someone sat down next to me.

“I know how you feel…” A powerful voice whispered, edging into my brain, tracing light claws across my psyche. I knew who it was, and I didn’t care. They were just as much of a traitor as I was, weren’t they? What right did I have to degrade them?

Like a drowning sailor, I threw myself upon them, burying my head in their fur as my shaking sobs turned into wails.

They didn't say anything. They just kept stroking my head, whispering affirmations.

“I… I failed them… I promised myself that they were okay, that they were alive, but...”

Silence.

I unburied my head, looking up into their silver eyes, sparkling with infinite depth.

“I know how you feel… I, too, failed someone once. And I too paid the price.” I said nothing, only stuffing my head back into their fur.

No words were said between us as I slowly quieted, my tears drying up as emptiness filled my core.

I sucked in a breath and pulled myself away, glancing at my two friends, their corpses just as dark as they had been before.

A burial… I thought. Later. That would come later.

“What happened to them?” I asked, wiping the remains of my tears with my paws.

“An abomination.”

What? I looked at her in confusion. She leveled my gaze, her eyes very serious.

“An undeath spirit. A cursed one.”

Oh.

A cursed spirit. One of the most deadly creatures in the world. An artificial abomination of immense amounts of cursed mana and the remains of torn-up souls. One of the great scourges of Zarenth.

“But… What's one doing here of all places? What's one doing so close to the forest of Esemar?”

She shook her head.

“I don’t know… But Intend to find out.” I didn’t get enough time to ponder, because right as she said that, another fox entered through the broken door.

“Uncle Ponilya!” I rushed to him, nuzzling his side. He smiled at me, before stiffening at the sight of Eishilya and Samilya. He looked at me, shock evident in his gaze. I only buried my face in his fur, trying to avoid the image forever burned into my mind, along with the mountain of my dead kin.

“What happened here…? Ah… I suppose it can wait.” His eyes flickered to Virlaya, and then back to me. I felt his breathing, his mind churning as he prepared to say something.

“Lucinya. Look at me.” With hesitation, I managed to tear my head from his soft and fluffy coat. His eyes met mine, just as serious as Viralya’s.

“Listen, I know this isn’t what you want to hear but…” His gaze hardened.

“You have a responsibility now. The rest of the elders besides me are dead, and I am not qualified.

“Wh-what?” I looked at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“The head elder, your father, was technically the king. No one ever referred to him as that because he requested not to be called that. He was a lousy ruler, and he knew it. He always dumped most of his workload onto his trusted friends and colleagues, elevating us into the ‘elder’ position.

“Hold on, did you say… King?”

He chuckled, his voice containing absolutely no mirth. “Yes. King. He did in fact rule these plains with great power and a lot of hard-won levels. He might have been stronger than even the death whisperer.” He glanced at her.

“No offense.”

She smiled. “None taken. He was indeed quite strong, if a bit immature. Though, it was spoiled a bit by his mead breath. He was quite the drinker after all.” They laughed, a little bit more real this time.

“K-King?” I said again, tasting the words in my mouth. Ponilya turned back to me.

“Yes. His last wish, believe it or not, was for you to inherit the throne. Or his position, so to speak.”

My eyes widened.

“He… Said that? No… No I can’t. I failed. I hurt everyone, I was a coward when it came down to it. I just stood there and watched while they… No, I can't accept.” I shook my head profusely.

“I know this isn’t Ideal, but you must understand. His word was law. You will be king, whether you like it or not.”

I wanted to scream. Guilt washed over me every time I looked over at my dead friends. No, I could never be a king. I couldn’t.

“Then, my first decree as king is to differ the power to Elder Ponilya!” I told him, my eyes beginning to wet once again.

He shook his head. “That is not how it works. You are the only one with his blood. You are the only one who can inherit the throne.”

“But I can’t! I’m a failure! I…” Soothing wind washed over my body, making me go silent and droop my head, tears falling from my face once again.

“If you ask me….” Viralya’s voice felt like a drug, her voice forcing the tears to come slower. “I think that makes you the perfect king.” I froze, looking up at her with a questionable gaze. She chuckled.

“You have experienced great loss, and have survived it. You have been through hell, and come out the other side.”

“But I failed…”

“Yes, but you are still here. You are still alive, and you recognize your mistake. You see your inner thoughts, your inner demons.” She paused, seeming to consider what to say next.

“Because of this, I am pretty sure you will never make that same mistake again. You’ve already hit rock bottom, where else is there to go except up?”

“That doesn’t mean I should become king… Just… Look at my father. If he really was king as you say, what's to stop me from becoming his copy? I am his flesh and blood. I will inevitably follow his footsteps…”

“I cannot believe I am saying this, but I agree with the traitor.”

“Uncle?”

He sighed.

“Look, you remember when I found you all bloody and bruised after your fathers' beatings? Do you remember when you convinced me that you were fine, and picked yourself up and walked away?” I flinched at that, turning to glance at Viralya to gauge her reaction. No change to her smile.

I looked back up at Uncle Ponilya.

“Yes.”

“Well, I think that's what she’s talking about. You survived, after your greatest mistake ever. This is true. But I think the proof lies in the tears on your face. A king must have determination, confidence, and above all, compassion.”

“But I don’t have any of that! I’m just a… Useless coward! A failure, just like you said!”

He shook his head. “The people need someone strong right now, and it can’t be me. It has to be you.”

My broken gaze bored at both of them, their solid expressions illuminated by my bloody solar mana.

“But… I can’t…” I said weakly. They smiled and looked at me. Chills ran down my spine as I heard myself, recognizing the same person that had once stood in front of my father.

How many times have I told myself I can’t? How many times have I shied away from a challenge? From a risk? The trembling stopped.

How… How many lives could I have saved if I was here with them? Maybe I would have died, but, if we had succeeded… How many could I have helped? My friends would be alive. My father would be alive. Most of my people would be alive…

As I looked at their smiling faces, I could just barely make out the outline of two transparent blue foxes waving to me, floating above their corpses. My breath caught as they faded, disappearing into the sky above.

My eyes met the goddess of blood and the closest thing I had to family, both smiling at me, from two separate sides of a river. My thoughts sped up further as enlightenment spun itself in coils around me.

Why had the earth element chosen me?

Why was I given the epitome of sturdiness and stability? The nurturing and ever-hard rock?

I had never been any of those things, and yet, through it all, I had the earth element. Maybe it wasn’t because of my stubborn commitment to cowardice… But because of my potential. My potential to give. To be the sturdy earth that others walk on, that others can always rely on to keep them grounded.

Eishilya’s and Samilya’s faces flashed across my mind, making my eyes harden, my tears stop, my body straighten, and my fur glow golden once more.

“I’ll do it.” I said with newfound confidence.

“I’ll be the king.”

And so, the legend of the cowardly king was born

I woke up to the sound of the system blaring in my head.

*Escaping with one foot in the grave, you put your all into the extermination of the flute bearer! You have leveled up!*

I swiped at the memories that weren’t real, trying to dismiss them as I sat up, or tried to at least.

Opening my eyes, I found myself flying high above the trees, the telltale silver mana carrying me and Cinder over the woods. I let loose a groan, shifting up as I used my wind mana as a prop. I winced at the drainage, quickly checking my core to find I only had 17% of my maximum.

“You’re awake, I presume?” Viralya’s voice hit me like a truck, making me wince.

“Yes, I’m awake… What happened?” I asked, wondering why we were in swamp territory.

“Oh don't worry about it. I just had to do a little investigation around the temple.” She glanced at me, making eye contact with an unusually serious expression. Her seriousness was unnerving me, making me want to turn away.

“Ah… I see…” I said, fiddling with my mana output so I could use shape of wind without strain, and eventually just giving up, letting Viralya’s silver mana do all the work. My face twisted as I looked around, wondering what had happened.

“So… What now?”

“Now?” She chuckled. “Now, we have a job to do.”