Chapter 48 : Darkness, I know it so well

Days. It felt like days since she moved. Oz laid in a heap where she fell, the frozen air around her still. A fine dusting of snow and ice shavings covered her. The mantle wasn't large enough to cover both her body and protect her from the frozen ground.

Why hadn't they found her?

Did they not want her anymore? 

They said they would help her.

Said they fight with her.

Was she not enough?

Why was she never enough for anyone?

Her own mother gave up on her.

Her aunt gave her up to a black guild.

Her guild sold her off for backbreaking work.

Would anyone come?

Would anyone even care? 

Why did she open up again?

They weren't friends, they just needed her.

She was cold.

So cold.

And tired. Maybe it was time to stop…fighting.

A nap sounded good. 

A light came into existence, the burning blue seemed to be on fire. The once delicate text was screaming into the void. Illuminating the entire space. 

[OZEL KASPER]

The box's text burned in the darkness, turning side to side like an eye seeking the smallest of movement.

[OZEL KASPER RESPOND]

Her frozen lashes fluttered against pale, sunken cheeks before opening. Lifeless dark eyes darted upwards to the light above. How long had it been since she fell into this forsaken pit?

[ACCEPT DAILY QUEST! SURVIVAL!]

The woman wheezed out a miserable sounding cough that should have been a laugh. Her voice barely more than a whisper in the weight of the oppressive space. The blue status box expanded before her eyes, a burning beacon that lit up the darkness around her.

[SURVIVE] 

Survive, the word had been burnt into her retina. She was good at that. It didn't matter how long it had been since she fell into this horrid trap. There was no up, there was no down in this place. No time, nothing but darkness. 

She bared her teeth and started to drag herself forward. If the others weren't coming she would drag herself out of hell.

Oz's path was lit by the floating dialog box, Source refusing to leave her unlike anyone else. The glowing aura gave little more than a small two foot sphere of light. Only enough for her to pull herself another few feet before exhaustion hit her.

She would be damned if she died here of all places. Not after everything that happened so far. From a banked ember, a roaring wildfire blazed to life within the woman's left eye. She would not only survive but she would thrive in the ashes of the burnt bridges left in her wake. In the corner of the darkness, a glowing blue flame came to life.

Instead of salt, ice or ground, her fingers wrapped around something new. A skull? Just as she touched it, she cried out. From the hard ground she collapsed into a frigid shallow pool of crystal blue water. Immediately she cried in pain, the cold water like daggers into her frozen bitten skin. Her teeth chattered, her heart thundered.

"Were you…abandoned as well?" Oz croaked to the skull, barely able to sit upright. All the warmth is being absorbed by the water. Her body rocked back and forth as she held the skull to her chest. It was a beautiful chalk white, clearly it had been here for a very, very long time. She ran her hands over the smooth, ivory surface.

"I won't…abandon you." She whispered, resting her cheek on the frigid skull, nearly poking her eye out from the horn that came out of it.

'Truly?'

Suddenly a heat grew around the skull, glowing dark blue flames that erupted from the long dead sockets. From her hands it flew upward hovering over her head, staring down at her. The water itself was burnt away, her body dried and growing in warmth by the second.

Above even the skull glowed Source. 

[SURVIVAL REWARD GRANTED] 

[100 Bonus Stat Points]

[New Companion Unlocked]

[Light of the Fallen Tower Unlocked]

From Source's dialog box suddenly one of those tarot cards appeared, hovering mere inches from her hand. Oz barely read the text as it burned brighter and brighter, her eyes felt like they were bleeding.

"OZ! If you are dead I will kill you myself!"

There was creak above, as if a trap door were ripped open. Suddenly the darkness flooded with even brighter light, causing Oz to cry out in pain. Her hand touched the tarot card, causing it to explode into starlight as it absorbed into her very being.

"I found her! Everyone, she's here!" Selene's voice was muffled, Oz's ears not used to sound after what felt like an eternity in the darkness.

Ice and salt crunched under foot as a body jumped down. Only now did enough light flood the space to show Oz that this entire time she was in an underground cavern. The small pools of water splashed under foot. She couldn't stop herself from cowering back into the familiar if painful darkness.

Her frail and frigid body tossed into a furnace. It took her a minute before she realized that Narhen was wrapping his arms around her, the proud elf actually shaking as he cradled her.

Hot tears that Oz didn't know she had started falling as she sobbed.

"You left me." 

"Never. Never. We've been hunting for hours for you." Nahern pressed his forehead against hers, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. 

Oz blinked tiredly at him, only now realizing he was filthy. Mats of dark blood stained his usually spotless white furs, his pristine braids tangled and twisted, his armor dull. Yet he held her as delicately as one would spun sugar. LIke she was some precious…treasure.

"It has been weeks." Oz coughed, straining to keep upright as he simply picked her up. Nahern grabbed the rope that Selene threw down. With one hand and just his feet, he tugged on it. Bells chiming off the knots to catch attention above.

"Weeks? Nonsense, it has been six hours since you fell down that trap hole. The gathered water underneath the salt flowed you down to a lower level. You stupid human. The dungeon must have confused you." Nahern kept her tucked close to his body. "Everyone! Come down. This is the final level."

Oz peered over Nahern's shoulder, her arms tight around his neck. Absorbing every last drop of heat he could give her. Floating there…was the skull. 

Only it wasn't a skull anymore, but a person. A tall person in a fine suit underneath a set of robes. The cow skull's eyes were glowing a soft blue, eyelights locked entirely with Oz's eyes.

"You are correct, this is the final level. But this is no dungeon. But a tomb." Said the skull-faced man. "Your tomb in fact."

Blue aura surged from around the walking cane he tapped against the floor, ripples of water appearing underneath his loafers. From the rippling tide, hundreds if not thousands of weapons littered the icy ground below. Swords, staffs, wands, hammers, weapons and skeletons all lined the ground. A testament to the boss before them.

Oz dared lift her head, a knot in her throat.

[???? | Abandoned Soul of Everthorn Mines | Level ???]

[Defeat the Lich and Survive!]

[Hidden Achievement Available]