The Midnight Garden:

  The following day, Aki and Ais arrived at the Midnight Garden. Aki answered Erebus’s question without hesitation, passing the test. With this, she was granted the right to join Bell and Ais in the Dungeon as part of their party.

  Alfia wasted no time, subjecting Aki to the same rigorous training that the others had endured. The exercises were intense, designed to push them all to their limits. Aki, however, strove to meet each challenge head-on. The hours passed quickly, filled with the sound of clashing swords and heavy breaths, each of them growing stronger for what lay ahead.

  As the training drew to a close, members of the Astraea Familia arrived. Their presence signaled a shift in the day’s purpose. They were here to train, but also to accompany Bell into the Dungeon. Lyra and Iska would join the group today.

  Before leaving the Midnight Garden, Ais and Aki would left ahead of the others, avoiding the attention that traveling through the city with Bell might attract. The plan was simple: meet at the Guild, choose a quest, and then begin their descent into the Dungeon.

  Later, Bell and his companions arrived at the Guild Hall, the stone building standing as a testament to the countless adventurers who had passed through its doors. They moved with purpose to the Dispatch Quest board, their eyes scanning the available quests. As they did, Ais and Aki rejoined them, their expressions calm and focused as though searching for their own quest.

  Together, they reviewed the quests, each option representing a new challenge and a new danger. From the board Bell selected the following quest and held it out for the others to examine:

  Trader’s Request:

  A well-known trader has placed an order for a large quantity of magic stones. Given the volume of the request the Guild will start to run short on available inventory after this fulfillment. As such the task is acquire a large volume of magic stones from the 5th through the 10th Floor. Preference will be given to adventurers that can clear the lowest floor requirements.

  Quest Requirements: 100 pounds of magic stones

  Guild Reward: 150,000 Valis to be split between party members.

  Bell pulled a quest from the board, the parchment crinkling slightly in his hands as he examined it. His eyes scanned the details before he turned it to the others, who each gave a nod of agreement. Ais’s eyes gleamed with anticipation, at the thought of facing more monsters than usual clearly excited her.

  With the decision made, Bell walked over to the Guild receptionist to officially accept the quest. The process was swift, a brief exchange that barely interrupted the group’s momentum. Quest in hand, they made their way to the Dungeon entrance, the weight of what lay ahead settling over them like a familiar cloak.

  As they began their descent into the Dungeon’s depths, Bell broke the silence with a plan. “I think we should head directly to the 10th floor,” he suggested, his voice steady. “They will have the largest magic stones. What do you all think?”

  “I like it,” Ais said immediately, her eagerness to dive into battle evident.

  Aki hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice measured. “I’ve trained down to the 9th floor with Lady Riveria. The 10th will be new territory for me, but Lady Riveria said I could handle it with a strong group.” She glanced at Bell, watching his reaction carefully. His expression remained neutral, though his brow twitched slightly at the mention of Riveria.

  “No need to worry about that,” Iska said with a fierce grin. “We may not be as strong as Lady Riveria, but we can handle these chumps.”

  Lyra nodded in agreement as she spoke “Yeah, don’t worry. We’ll keep an eye on you if you need help.”

  “Thank you,” Aki replied, bowing her head slightly in gratitude.

  “Alright then, that’s the plan,” Bell confirmed.

  With that, the group continued their descent into the Dungeon, the dim light from above fading as they ventured deeper.

  During the Descent (7th Floor)

  As the group descended deeper into the Dungeon, the tension of constant battle slowly eased, leaving a quiet lull in its wake. Aki, sensing the opportunity, remembered what Riveria had told her about trying to connect with her new companions, especially Bell.

  “Hey, Bell,” Aki began, her voice breaking the silence as they gathered the last of the magic stones from the defeated Killer Ants. “Why did you become an adventurer?”

  Bell paused for a moment; his expression thoughtful as he answered; “I HAVE TO become stronger because I have a wish. I have to become stronger to fulfill it.”

  Ais, who had been silently collecting stones, froze at his words. Her hand stopped mid-reach as she turned to look at him, her gaze suddenly intense. Bell, feeling the weight of her stare, turned around, his nerves tightening under the scrutiny.

  “What is it, Ais?” he asked, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

  “Bell,” Ais said, her eyes locked onto his, “what is your wish?”

  Bell hesitated and before he could respond, a high-pitched screech echoed through the cavern.

  SCREEEEEEEEEEEEE…

  A several Killer Ants descended upon them, cutting off any chance of further conversation.

  “Ais, I’ll tell you on our next break!” Bell shouted as he drew his weapon. Ais and Aki immediately moved to his side, weapons drawn, while Iska and Lyra observed them.

  The battle was swift, their earlier coordination paying off as they dispatched the Killer Ants with practiced efficiency. As the last of the ants fell, silence returned, broken only by the sound of their breathing. The group regrouped, exchanging brief glances before continuing their descent, each step bringing them closer to whatever awaited on the lower floors.

  During the Descent (9th Floor)

  The group settled into a small room on the 9th Floor, just shy of the entrance to the 10th. The walls were rough, the air damp, but it offered a brief respite from the constant threat of monsters. They damaged the walls and floor, a precaution to prevent any monsters from spawning while they took a break for a quick snack.

  As they prepared a quick snack, Bell felt a familiar sensation—a set of eyes boring into him. Turning, he found Ais staring at him once again, her gaze unwavering. He sighed, realizing Ais wasn’t going to let go of the question she had asked earlier.

  “Ais,” Bell began, his tone resigned but gentle, “do you still want me to answer your question about my wish?”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Ais’s head bobbed up and down vigorously, almost comically.

  “Pft,” Lyra stifled a laugh, amused by the earnestness of Ais’s response.

  “Hehehe,” Iska giggled, finding the normally stoic Ais’s nodding endearing.

  Bell sighed again, closing his eyes momentarily to gather his thoughts. When he opened them, there was a quiet resolve in his voice.

  “I want to kill the One-Eyed Black Dragon.”

  The room fell silent. Iska and Lyra froze, their easy smiles vanishing as they fully grasped the enormity of Bell’s words. They knew the legends, the terrifying stories of what had happened to the Zeus and Hera Familias. The bar Bell had set for himself was unimaginably high.

  Aki, too, was stunned. She had heard whispers from her parents about the horror that the One-Eyed Black Dragon must have been to defeat the once-great Zeus and Hera Familias. It was a monster spoken of in hushed tones, a creature of nightmares. The dread apocalypse.

  But it was Ais who seemed most affected. At the mention of the One-Eyed Black Dragon, her body went rigid, her face losing its color. Her heart seemed to stop for a moment before it began to hammer in her chest, a torrent of thoughts rushing through her mind. Bell is like me, she realized, the words echoing in her thoughts.

  “Why?” Ais croaked out, her voice unsteady, as she tried to understand.

  Bell’s eyes softened as he answered, the weight of his past pressing down on him. “My father was a member of the Zeus Familia, and my mother was part of the Hera Familia, though she was a non-combatant. When the Familias went to face the One-Eyed Black Dragon, my father was part of the expedition to kill it. But he, along with most of members, died in the attempt.”

  A melancholic look crossed Bell’s face as he finished speaking, his gaze distant as if he could see the memories playing out before him. The room remained silent, each member of the group processing the gravity of Bell’s wish. Ais stared at Bell, her own thoughts a storm of emotions.

  For the first time, she felt a connection to someone who understood the weight of such a burden. The air in the room felt heavy, charged with the unspoken emotions hanging between them. Ais, despite the turmoil roiling within her, was the first to break the silence.

  “So, you want revenge?” she asked, her voice steady, though her own heart trembled with the question.

  Bell’s expression tightened slightly, the corners of his mouth twisting as he considered his response. “I can’t deny that it’s crossed my mind,” he admitted, “but that’s not my main reason for wanting to kill it.”

  “Then what is?” Ais pressed, her inner self latching onto his words, desperate for understanding.

  Bell hesitated, glancing at each of the girls before him.

  “Promise not to laugh?” he asked, his tone almost shy.

  The women nodded in unison; their expressions sincere.

  “I want to be a hero,” Bell said, the words coming out with a hint of sheepishness. “A hero who protects people. The reason I want to kill the One-Eyed Black Dragon is so that no one else has to go through what I did.”

  For a moment, there was a stunned silence. Then, Iska stood up, her expression serious as she said: “Bell”

  Bell swallowed hard, a nervous lump forming in his throat. “Yes, Iska?” he asked, his voice edged with uncertainty.

  “That is so WONDERFUL!” Iska suddenly exclaimed, her serious expression melting into one of pure joy as she threw herself at Bell, pulling him into a bear hug and wrapping herself around him.

  “PGFHFHGD—” Bell’s words were muffled as Iska’s embrace nearly smothered him, his face turning beet red as he struggled to breathe. He was acutely aware of her chest pressing against his face, and the color in his cheeks deepened.

  While Bell was caught in Iska’s enthusiastic hug, Lyra chimed in, her tone playful; “Damn, Bell, talk about being ambitious.”

  The tension in the room eased, the heavy atmosphere lightening as Iska finally released Bell, who took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. Ais, still quiet, watched him closely, her own thoughts racing.

  After Iska finally released Bell from her enthusiastic embrace, Lyra stepped forward with a smirk and gave him a light pat on the back..

  "You survived," she teased, her tone lighthearted,

  Bell, still flushed from the unexpected hug, managed a sheepish smile.

  “Barely,” he replied, trying to regain his composure.

  Ais, however, remained silent, her gaze distant as she processed everything that had transpired. Her thoughts were a storm of emotions, but outwardly, she gave no indication of what she was feeling. Aki, standing nearby, seemed similarly contemplative. The only sign of her thoughts was the slight twitching of her tail as it swayed back and forth.

  The group quickly finished their snack, the atmosphere settling into a more focused calm.

  The group finished its snack and proceeded to the 10th floor. They were able to acquire the number of magic stones that the quest required and were even able to acquire an excess. Having completed the quest, the group returns to the surface without issue. As they reached the surface and emerged from the Dungeon. There was a collective sigh of relief as they took in the familiar sights of the city above, their task completed.

  Twilight Manor (Ais’s Room)

  After completing the quest, Ais returned to Twilight Manor, and retreated to her room.

  Once inside her room, Ais closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a moment, as if the solid wood could somehow steady the whirlwind of thoughts in her head. She crossed the room and, without bothering to remove her gear, curled up on her bed. The soft mattress offered little comfort as she pulled her knees to her chest, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.

  .

  "Bell wants to be a hero."

  .

  The words echoed in her mind, repeating over and over until they blurred into a single, overwhelming thought. She had known of Bell's determination, his drive so much like her own, but hearing him say it so plainly had struck something deep within her.

  Ais tightened her grip around her knees, her body curling further into itself. Her golden eyes stared blankly at the wall, but she wasn’t really seeing it. Instead, her thoughts spun in circles, caught between the past and the future, between her own desires and the stark reality of the world they lived in.

  She couldn’t shake the image of Bell’s face as he had spoken those words—how serious he had been, how much it had meant to him. It was a kind of determination she understood all too well, a fire that burned with a purpose so strong that it consumed everything else. And yet there was no blackness in Bell’s heart when he spoke of slaying the OEBD.

  As the minutes ticked by, the exhaustion from the day’s events began to catch up with her. The weight of her thoughts, combined with the physical toll of the Dungeon, made her limbs feel heavy, her eyelids drooping despite the turmoil in her mind.

  Slowly, her breathing evened out, and her thoughts, once spinning chaotically, began to slow. Ais remained curled up on the bed as sleep overtook her, pulling her into a dreamless slumber. The last thought that passed through her mind before darkness claimed her was of Bell, and the hero he wished to become.

  .

  Dream 1

  Golden eyes watched her father’s back as he swung his sword.

  The young girl was sitting in her mother’s lap in the shade of a tree as the sun’s rays filtered through the canopy.

  Her father always seemed embarrassed by people watching him practice, so he didn’t like doing it in front of others. But whenever her mother coaxed him to let her watch, he would always give in. After his initial embarrassment, he would soon become focused in his practice as her mother watched him with a gentle smile. And Ais’s cheeks would flush at the sight that always captivated her.

  She couldn’t keep up with the blurred blade as her father swung. But she could still tell how beautiful his techniques were. She could remember the sword’s melody whenever she wanted to simply by closing her eyes.

  She loved seeing her father’s techniques.

  She knew that her father’s sword was used for hurting things. And the flash of an unhesitating sword calling forth a mist was a scary thought to her. But that was a sword for saving everyone.

  A sword to protect her mother.

  When she thought of that, she was proud of her father. She aspired to be like him.

  He was the hero she dreamed of. The swordsman her mother loved.

  Finally, after finishing his training, he came back to the shade of the tree,

  She beamed at him as he approached, and he returned her smile, the wind blowing his hair.

  “Ais”

  He said her name as he held out the sheathed blade to her.

  After a moment of wide-eyed hesitation, she took the sword in both her hand

  It had profound weight, but it also felt comfortable to her.

  “Ais”

  Turning to face the voice from behind, she saw her mother smiling at her as well.

  Almost as if telling her to follow her father, her mother raised her arm, and held up a single finger, and made a sound.

  “_____”

  Along with the sound, Ais felt a tender breeze embracing her body. She trembled, giggling as the the wind’s whispers tickled her.

  Her mother broke into a smile and wrapped her arms around her and the wind.

  “I’ll always be with you”

  This person. And me.

  She nodded at her mother’s word. She nodded over and over again as she smiled…

  As she basked in the warmth of her father and mother, happiness filled her.

  The sword was calling her closer and the wind was smiling so gently at her.

  .

  .

  Dream 2

  .

  The screams of men and women,

  .

  .

  The roar of monsters,

  .

  The shaking earth.

  .

  The stench of blood.

  .

  Ais saw the backs of her mother and father leaving her behind as the raced out of the manor.

  .

  Ais felt a crushing weight of terror grip heart as she followed her parents to the front door.

  .

  The sight before her was one of horror.

  .

  The city was engulfed in flames. Buildings that once stood tall were now crumbling ruins, their walls devoured by fire.

  .

  Smoke blotted out the sky, casting a suffocating haze over the destruction.

  .

  The air was thick with the stench of burning wood and scorched earth.

  .

  As Ais took in the scene, she heard the great the flapping of wings.

  .

  As she turned towards the center of the city she saw IT.

  .

  A symbol of annihilation.

  .

  A great black dragon.

  .

  Its wings spread wide, blocking out the light and casting an ominous shadow over the city.

  .

  Its roar, a deafening proclamation of destruction, shook the very ground beneath her.

  .

  The image of the dragon, a symbol of annihilation, loomed large in her mind, seared into her memory as the world around her fell into chaos.

  .

  And that was where her memories cut out.

  .

  Dream 3

  .

  A girl was crying.

  .

  Her voice quivered as sobs racked her body and tears streamed down her face as she gazed up at the gray sky.

  .

  A flood of emotions wracked her body. The hole that had been torn in her heart dragged her down into a swirl of dark emotions that left her body feeling unbearable cold.

  Despair.

  Loss.

  Suffering,

  Rage.

  Hatred.

  As the sun rose and set again and again.

  Time marched on without her.

  The people she loved would no longer hug her.

  Her happiness would never come back.

  Her cries and wails for help went unanswered.

  Her Hero never appeared.

  “Wouldn’t it be nice if you meet a wonderful partner too.” Her mother’s warm words now rang hollow in the girl’s heart.

  “I hope that someday, you find a hero- your hero.” Her father’s word sounded like a fairy tale that would never come true.

  For all the promises of her parents, a hero that would save her had never existed in the first place. As soon as the girl realized this ice encased her heart. An enteral wall of ice that would never melt guarded it.

  As the girl’s heart froze all emotion vanished from her face, leaving her face like that of a doll’s and eyes of sharpened steel, She came to a realization;

  That if there were no heroes to save her than she must save herself.

  That wait for a hero would not save her mother,

  That waiting for a hero would never bring back what was lost.

  That waiting for a hero would never make IT pay.

  The maelstrom of the girl’s emotions settled into one direction

  REVENGE.

  As the girl’s emotions settled, she realized that she would need something for it:

  “I want power.”

  That was the first thing she had said meeting the crimson-haired goddess, the prum hero, the great dwarf warrior, and the high elf mage.