An Act of Mercy [1]

Lumine sat precariously on the edge of the cliff, his legs dangling over the abyss, staring down at the black sand below with a solemn expression.

The wind brushed against his face, and he closed his eyes, sharpening his ears to the sounds behind him.

"Come on! How much longer do we have to stay here!?"

"It's been days already! At least let us return to the surface if we aren't going down!"

"I thought we were free to do whatever we wanted in the dungeon!?"

The cadets' voices rose in frustration, directed at Instructor Alicia, who stood there with a blank expression.

It was understandable; their patience was wearing thin.

One of their own had died—strangely and without explanation—and now they were stuck on this cliff for days.

Of course, they wanted to leave. But they couldn't.

Not with Instructor Alicia guarding the platform. Sure, they could explore the tunnels, but no one was foolish enough to try descending the cliff.