Day 9 Part 3

The staircase stands before me, mocking me with its tranquil, invitingly dry surface. "Alright, let's head up," I say, drawing in a deep breath. As if that would help. I reach for Ilka, my fingers clamping onto her cheeks.

"Before we go up, tell me right now," I command, fixing her with a glare that could turn water into ice. "Why are you laughing so much? Although you're a pain in the ass, you seem to be forcing it out."

She struggles in a vain attempt to break free from my grip, managing only an indignant squawk. "W-well you see," she stammers out, her voice awkwardly high-pitched and cracking in a way that I've never heard before. "I-I didn't tell you about the side effects of using my footwork for a long period of time with a weak body..."

The eyebrow I'd been keeping aloft finally falls back into place. I blink once, twice. The words sink in slow, like a rock plunging into a deep, dark pool. Or a dumbass wizard plummeting into a conveniently appearing lake. Damn, my life has become a series of sinking metaphors.

"Wait, what?" I sputter, shock giving way to irritation. "What the hell are you implying, Ilka?"

She doesn't answer right away, choosing instead to fiddle with her fingers. I narrow my eyes. It's almost like she's... embarrassed?

"Y-you see," she finally murmurs, her eyes flitting away from mine. "A normal person would be fine, but you're cursed... I thought you were having fun, so I didn't say anything."

She finally meets my gaze, an uncharacteristic innocence reflecting in her eyes. Her lips curl into a genuine, childlike smile. "In around six hours your body is going to hurt... like hell... like thousands of needles piercing your aura paths, hehe."

A slow, agonizing groan slips from between my gritted teeth. I let go of Ilka, my hand falling limp at my side. "You little..." I mumble, clenching my fists so tightly my knuckles turn white. "You knew, and yet you let me..."

"I... am going to kill you..." I growl, each word a pronounced threat. Why...just why.

Ilka smiles. "Sure, Kael! After you're done being a pincushion for invisible needles."

Confusion furrows my eyebrows, stitching my forehead into a frown. "The last time I used your footwork was three days ago," I state more than ask, my finger poking into her feathered chest. "Just why am I going to feel it six hours from now?"

Ilka looks unperturbed by my frustration. "Well, honestly, you wouldn't have felt much if you took a break and allowed your body to recuperate. However, for three days you were focused on absorbing the magic stone. I'm not too sure which method you used but regardless of that, your body had no time to heal itself. I've been keeping track of time and it won't be long before your body forces you to feel all the pain it's been accumulating."

The information washes over me, leaving me feeling even more irked than before. "That is...the dumbest...thing..." I mumble, my words petering out into a growl. I'm so focused on my annoyance, I hardly notice the ground beneath me shaking with my simmering rage. Why, just why does fate have such a bizarre sense of humor?

"Why didn't you tell me, huh!?" I bark out, my voice ricocheting off the walls. It rings through the cave, the echoes fading away just as Ilka opens her beak to respond.

"I didn't want to worry you... I-" she begins, but I'm in no mood to hear her out.

"You didn't want me to stick you in that damn sword, huh? Just how bad is it in there?" I accuse, cutting her off. She simply smiles in response and hovers up, landing on top of my head. How in the world does she manage to be so infuriating and valid at the same time?

I click my tongue, exasperation welling up inside me. Trying to get a straight answer out of Ilka is like trying to milk a stone. Or trying to climb a wet staircase using a magic rope. I've had my fill of impossible tasks for one day.

"Fine," I grunt, turning towards the staircase. "Whatever."

I clamber onto the first step, the dry surface a welcome relief after all the water antics. I better go find Isadora before Biana drives her insane. I hope Biana hasn't lost an arm, maybe she got her beauty sleep.

Ilka chirrups a laugh from my head, her weight a familiar, frustrating presence. "Let's go, klutz."

The top of the staircase offers no more comfort than the bottom had. In fact, it's even worse up here. I find myself staring out at the familiar expanse of the underground ruins, the sight of them triggering a whole new level of irritation.

"Fantastic," I mutter to myself, my voice echoing off the cavernous walls. "More of this. Exactly what I needed."

I sigh and start to trudge my way through the ruins, determined to find Biana and Isadora. With only six hours left before I'm going to be in so much pain I won't be able to move, it feels like the clock is ticking faster than ever.

"Isadora has probably cleared out all the monsters by now," I muse aloud, casting a glance over at Ilka who merely squawks in reply. Her nonchalance does nothing to ease my mounting frustration. "I wonder if the rest of the class is nearby?"

An ominous rumble from my stomach interrupts my thoughts. Suddenly, the idea of food becomes the most alluring thing in the world. "I swear, if Biana and Isadora haven't left me any food..." I grumble, quickening my pace.

The memory of splitting up with Isadora and Biana comes back to me as I retrace my steps, the sight of the decimated skeleton hoard making my stomach churn. Only dust remains now, a stark reminder of the carnage that had unfolded here.

Next room. Ugh, wet floors. Again. I squelch through the puddles, cursing under my breath. One would think I'd have gotten used to all the water by now. The irony is not lost on me.

The sixth hour starts to loom large, my body beginning to throb with the promised agony. It's not just a ticking time bomb anymore, it's a damn orchestra playing a symphony of pain. I grit my teeth and push on, every step a struggle against the onslaught of discomfort.

"This stone maze..." I hiss through clenched teeth, my fingers digging into the damp stone. "This... painfully long... stone maze..."

From somewhere near, Ilka's voice floats in, "You better hurry up, Kael. Time waits for no one, and neither does pain."

I grunt in response, not in the mood for her antagonism. "You know, your bedside manner could use some work, Ilka."

"Perhaps," she responds, a smirk evident in her voice. "But it's not my job to coddle you, now move."

And so I do, the pain creeping up on me with each passing moment, the maze stretching endlessly before me. But I'll be damned if I let Ilka see me falter. She might not be a physical entity, but her words can sting as much as any physical blow.

"Just you wait, Ilka," I growl, pushing forward. "Once I'm out of this, you're going back into that sword."

Her only response is a chuckle, low and taunting. Clearly, she's enjoying this a little too much. But it's alright. Two can play at this game. I'll get her once I'm out of here, for sure.

The harsh, unforgiving edges of the stones scrape against my knees as I hit the ground. I cough, a guttural sound that echoes in the silence of the cavernous ruins. It's followed by a sharp, metallic taste spreading across my tongue. I spit onto the ground, the dark blood splattering against the gray stones.

There's a tightness in my chest, a pain searing through me like molten steel. My lungs feel like they're being crushed, every inhale a battle in itself. It's as if my body's screaming at me for pushing it so hard.

A brutal cough tears its way out of my throat, tearing through the heavy silence of the ruins. My own taste is metallic, iron-filled. I spit out a mouthful of blood, watching as it stains the ancient stones beneath me a dark crimson.

"Damn... it... hurts... so much," I gasp out, my voice reduced to a breathless whisper. Pain, intense and unrelenting, courses through every inch of my body, shredding any semblance of thought or coherence. It's as if a thousand fiery knives are stabbing into my very soul.

From above, Ilka lets out an obnoxiously chipper chirp. "Oh, don't be such a bitch, It's just a little muscle strain."

"Just... a little...?" I splutter, my words choking off as another wave of agony washes over me. "This... feels like... I'm being split open!"

"Oh, the drama!" Ilka chimes in again, a ripple of laughter in her voice. "You would think you were on the verge of death. Now get up, we need to move."

I want to retort, to tell her just how much her encouragement feels like a kick when I'm already down, but my energy is all consumed in the raw agony coursing through my veins. Clenching my jaw, I attempt to rise to my knees, but a fresh bolt of pain sends me crashing back down.

"Stars... it's like... burning," I whimper, the taste of blood intensifying in my mouth. "I... can't..."

"Kael, come on, don't give up. It's just a bit of pain. You're a....warrior, yea a warrior..sort of, don't give up," Ilka urges, the mirth fading from her voice.

Despite her tone, I can't help the bitterness that wells up in response. A warrior. Right. I'm not even able to stand, let alone fight. And all she can do is joke about it.

"C-can't..." I manage to gasp out, coughing up another mouthful of blood. The world spins around me, a carousel of agony that refuses to let up.

"Okay, okay. Let's calm down a bit," Ilka's voice cuts through the fog of pain, her tone surprisingly gentle. "You're stronger than this. You can... I know you can..."

Her words hang in the air, a beacon in the unrelenting storm of pain. But it's too much. I can't... I just can't...

I can hear Ilka murmuring something else, but her words are drowned out by the roar of pain that overwhelms my senses. Every cell in my body seems to be screaming, a cacophony of torment that swallows up everything else.

My body spasms, writhing in the throes of agony. Each minute stretches into an eternity, every breath an uphill battle. I'm dimly aware of the blood leaking from the corners of my mouth, the dull echo of Ilka's voice in my ears. But it all seems insignificant, drowned out by the overwhelming tide of pain.

I don't know how long I lay there, lost in my own personal hell. Time loses all meaning when measured in increments of pain. I don't know if I'll survive this. I don't know if I want to.

Eventually, my vision begins to blur, the pain ebbing away to a dull throb in the back of my mind. I'm not sure if it's a sign of my body finally giving up or if it's a brief respite from the torment. But I'll take it. I'll take any break I can get.

Ilka's voice is a soft whisper, her words barely registering. "You're stronger than this, Kael. You just need to..."

But I'm already slipping away, lost in a haze of pain and exhaustion. I'm not a warrior. I'm not strong. I'm just a guy who's in way over his head, trapped in a body that's slowly falling apart.

"Sorry, Ilka..." I mumble, my words slurred and heavy. "I... I can't..."

As my eyes slide shut, I hear Ilka's voice one last time, a soft sigh that seems to echo my own defeat. "I know, Kael... I know."

Everything fades to black, the pain finally receding into the back of my mind. And for the first time in what feels like an eternity, I find peace in the darkness.