Chapter 2 : 98th floor.

[Floor 98] 

*Clang clang*

*boom boom*

Fog filled the floor, and lava was the ground. The echos of an ongoing battle filled the place, and Corpses could be seen all over. ' Dark side' ' Last hope' was written on their gear.

*ROAAAAR* 

" WATCH OUT !" Leader Morg, ever the guardian, moved to intercept the blow, but the force of the Dragon's attack was too great, sending him hurtling through the air.

"Leader Morg!" Scar's cry echoed through the floor, a desperate plea that fell upon deaf ears.

The black dragon, undeterred by its initial assault, turned its attention towards Scar, its eyes burning with a red fury, its belly started glowing in red, readying to shoot flames at him from its mouth . But before it could strike, Selena, her movements swift as the wind, launched herself forward, her swords finding their mark in the dragon's eyes.

Everyone was dead, and only 3 were remaining.

* KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK* 

With a deafening cry of pain, the dragon staggered backward, its vision clouded by darkness. Seizing the opportunity.

"Scar, gather your strength! Attack now, we shall bring this beast down!"

With a nod to Selena, Scar joined her in a synchronized assault, their blades flashing in the darkness as they struck at the dragon's weakened form.

But still, it wasn't enough to kill the dragon. It rose up to the sky and started hovering above them, they couldn't see it well from the fog and smoke, so they couldn't see where the next attack is coming from. 

*ROOAARR* 

The Dragon attacked like a rocket at them with a fast sweep in a surprise attack, but thanks to its bad aiming due to its injured eyes, it didn't hit them directly. They managed to hit it a very hard blow and cut its wings.

The Dragon tried to attack them again, but it already lost its eyes and wings, which made it an easy prey. After a fierce battle, they finally took it down.

In a blaze of glory, the black dragon fell, its mighty form collapsing to the ground in a heap of shattered fire and broken dreams. But amidst the triumph of victory, there was only sorrow.

Everyone, except for the heavily injured Scar and Selena, has died. Scar was sitting on the ground, his eye were empty of life. Selena, her expression not changing, gave Scar a glance. " Gather the Corpses, lets go"

"Corpses? is that how you call your fallen comrades? Do you even have feelings? everyone died and you are only saying that? do you understand the situation? we are the last survivors! everyone else died!" Scar was so angry. everyone was dear to him died, yet she didn't even have a change in her face, not a single one.

"Should i cry then? will they come back alive? didn't we all go through this knowing the danger? If you don't want to help me, then ill do it alone, you stay there and keep crying." Selena started gathering the corpses of the fallen comrades. But scar didn't let her do it alone, he gritted his teeth, wiped the tears, and stood up. The least he could give now was a good burial for the fallen.

They went down to the 55th floor, and went to the graveyard. It was full of graves of all the fallen warriors, the ones who one time, shared happiness and sadness, Victories and losses together.

A few days passed, they went to rest in a place were all used to come after every floor, but instead of filling the whole place, it felt empty.

Dust motes waltzed in a sunbeam that speared through the grimy window of the abandoned cafe. Scar, his face a weathered map etched with worry lines deeper than any he'd ever seen, meticulously scrubbed the counter. Each swipe echoed the hollowness that resonated in his chest.

With a sigh that rattled the chipped mugs hanging on the wall, he placed a steaming mug of tea on a chipped table and sank into a rickety chair. His gaze climbed the wall, tracing the faded floral wallpaper that peeled at the seams, a testament to a time when the cafe had bustled with life.The creak of the cafe door sliced through the oppressive silence.

Selena entered through the doorway, her shoulders slumped like a defeated warrior. Without a word, she pulled out a chair next to him and let out a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world. It was the kind of sigh that spoke volumes.

As Selena slowly lifted her head. Her eyes, usually sparkling with mischief and a competitive glint, were clouded with a weariness. It was a weariness that spoke of sleepless nights, gnawing doubt, and a future shrouded in uncertainty.

"What are you thinking about?" she mumbled, her voice thick with an emotion he couldn't quite place. Was it fear? Despair? A cocktail of both, perhaps.

Scar forced a smile, the gesture strained at the edges. It was like trying to coax a sunrise in the dead of night. "Nothing, just... lost in some old memories," They were so many, and this tiny place was so small to fit all of them, they were cheering after every floor, and the loud laughter filled the place. He snapped out of his thoughts, and offered, reaching for the teacup, the warmth a small comfort in the chilling uncertainty that hung in the air like a shroud. "Would you like some tea? It's still hot."

A laugh escaped Selena's lips, a flicker of her old fire returning to her eyes like a dying ember catching a stray gust of wind. "I'll take yours," she said, her voice weak but laced with a playful glint, a reminder of the woman she once was. "Go get yourself another one".

Scar chuckled, the sound rough around the edges, a melody born of worry and a desperate hope."Tsk, shameless as always," he teased, already on his way to get another cup from the shelf.

"Hey, Scar, sorry about earlier... losing them all was hard for me also, i just didn't know what to do" she said while laying her head on the table and holding the cup. Her voice was barely a whisper, laced with a vulnerability he hadn't seen in years."Do you... do you think we can make it?"

He returned with a fresh cup and settled back down beside her. "Let's try our best. We still need to know what exactly happened, who was behind all of this. A lot of questions, i really don't want to die before finding the answer."

Selena remained silent, her gaze fixed on a distant point. "I need to prepare for the next floor," she said finally, her voice laced with steel. "You should do the same. Rest well, Scar. We've got a tough road ahead." With that, she turned and began to walk away, her footsteps echoing in the dusty expanse of the cafe.

Scar's heart pounded in his ears. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Finally, his voice, low and thick with embarrassment, broke the silence. "Selena," he called out, his voice barely audible.

She paused, turning her head over her shoulder. "Yes?"

He was reluctant to say it. while looking to the side. He swallowed hard, his throat dry as sandpaper. "Umm.. after all of what happened, and after loosing everyone, sometimes when i look at you... i kinda feel afraid, and my heart in pain.. because I'm afraid that you will too.. go.. and then i remain alone. Please don't Die"

A flicker of surprise crossed Selena's face, quickly replaced by a sly grin. "Did you hit your head on something? Am i your wife or something? should i respond ' Okay my dear husband, ill never leave you'? " she started making fun of him, that's why he was reluctant.

Scar's face turned a deeper shade of crimson. "You little shit! Just... Just forget I said anything," He started screaming and hit the table with his hand.

"Just look at you right now hahahaha" Selena burst into laughter, she managed to make Scar feel embarrassed and angry teasing him. "Seriously though, Don't worry, my dear husband, i won't die." She said that, and walked out.

Scar looked at the closing door, and was lost in his thoughts, as emptiness filled the place again.