As Eis' consciousness began to slip away, a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder, pulling him out of the poisonous cloud. Although his vision was blurry, he felt a soothing warmth spread through his body, purging the toxin from his lungs and even healing the pain in his ribs. The sensation was both comforting and surreal.
Eis slowly opened his eyes, feeling hungry like a wolf and tired like he had run tens of kilometers. What greeted him was the sight of a young woman with striking black hair and eyes that seemed to pierce into his very soul. Her porcelain skin looked like it hadn't been touched by the sun since birth, and her expression wore a playful, almost mocking smile.
"We meet again. Seems like you're having an even harder time laying low than I am," she remarked with a hint of amusement.
"Seeker!" Eis only managed to mumble in surprise.
"Just call me Aria," she corrected him with a light chuckle. "I hate it when someone I know calls me by my title."
Eis blinked in confusion. "Actually, I don't think you know my name."
Aria paused, as if contemplating this, then nodded. "Oh, you're right! What a predicament! So, what's your name?"
"Eis." He continued to watch her with bewilderment. Were all seekers like this? If so, they seemed like a weird bunch. Very powerful and destructive weird bunch.
"Done!" She clapped her hands. "Now we know each other, and you can call me Aria!"
"Did you help me just now?" Eis asked, trying to steer the conversation toward more pressing matters.
"Yes, Eis!" Aria responded enthusiastically. "If I'd been a few seconds later, your body would've started decomposing from the inside out."
Eis shivered at the thought. "What?" he stammered, the horror of what could have happened sinking in. "What did you do to me?"
"Healed you, of course," Aria said as she spoke about the most common knowledge in the history of humanity. She placed her hand on his forehead again, speaking a few words in a language Eis didn't recognize. A small pentagram of bright, radiant energy formed on his skin, sending a gentle pulse through his body.
Eis felt like every part of him was being examined, stripped bare in an unsettling and oddly reassuring way.
"Relax," Aria said, noticing his discomfort. "I'm just checking for any lingering effects of the poison. The stuff those acolytes use is tricky—sometimes it leaves nasty surprises that can trigger later on."
Eis' mind suddenly flashed back to the man he had been chasing. "That man!" he blurted out, trying to rise, but his body refused to cooperate. He felt as weak as a newborn, his muscles unwilling to respond to his commands.
"Don't try to get up yet!" Aria ordered, her hand firm on his shoulder, keeping him in place with surprising strength. Despite her delicate appearance, her grip was like iron, and Eis had the distinct impression that he wouldn't be able to budge even if he used all his strength. He was caught between awe and confusion, his thoughts racing. 'How is she this strong? Should I even ask? Maybe not, if I want to keep my head.'
Instead, Eis let her do what she was doing.
"Can I ask you something, Aria?" She nodded, clearly pleased that he was using her name. "What are you doing here, and who were those people in the black cloaks?"
"I'm on a job, and those were bad people," Aria replied with a casual wave of her hand, as if dismissing the entire situation as unimportant.
Eis rolled his eyes. 'Is she mocking me?' Her demeanor was so different from when they had first met at the church. Aria had been mysterious and intimidating; here, she was almost carefree.
"In that case," Eis continued, "shouldn't you be chasing after the guy who escaped instead of helping me?"
"Normally, you'd be right, Eis, but that one is a special case. Even if I gave it my all, I wouldn't be able to catch up to him," Aria admitted, though there was no frustration in her voice—just a calm acceptance.
But then her expression shifted, a frown creasing her brow. "This is strange," she murmured. "I can almost sense something hiding in your body, but it disappears the moment I focus on it. Whatever it is, I can't pinpoint." She sighed, seemingly frustrated by her inability to identify the anomaly. "But the most important thing is that you're fine now. You should be able to stand up."
Aria finally released her grip and stepped back, giving Eis some space. Cautiously, he rose to his feet, testing his body. To his amazement, he felt fantastic—better than he had in a long time. Even some old injuries that had been bothering him seemed to have vanished. Eis jumped in the air, feeling light and energetic, but his stomach growled loudly, reminding him of his current hunger.
"Just a little bit hungry," Eis admitted with a smile. "Thank you, Aria."
"You're welcome, Eis." Aria returned his smile warmly. "It's normal to feel hungry after being healed. Healing magic speeds up your metabolism and stimulates your body's regenerative processes. That's why it's risky to use on people who are malnourished—it can actually kill them. But you'll be fine after a good meal or two."
"Sounds complicated," Eis muttered, scratching his head. 'What is she talking about?' He actually thought.
"Don't worry too much about it. I've never seen such a weak person as yourself chase an acolyte and live to tell the tale. Healing you was the least I could do," Aria remarked.
Eis blinked in disbelief. "Did you just insult me?"
Aria burst out laughing, unable to contain herself. "No, I was just telling the truth."
Eis felt a twinge of wounded pride but couldn't deny that she was right. The man he had chased had nearly shattered his ribs with a single punch. What kind of monster was he? And to think that Marcus was already fighting one of these acolytes...
"Marcus!" Eis suddenly shouted and sprinted back toward the tunnel's entrance.
Aria followed silently, her expression calm and amused as she trailed behind him. They exited the tunnel and returned to the cavern in no time, but what Eis saw made him stop in his tracks, his mind struggling to process the scene before him.
The cavern looked nothing like it had minutes earlier. The once-grand statues had been reduced to rubble, and the ancient stone floor was riddled with craters deep enough to bury a grown man. The walls and ceiling were cracked and broken, with large chunks of rock scattered across what remained of the altar, which was now split in two.
It was as if a natural disaster had torn through the place, leaving nothing but devastation in its wake. It was a miracle the cavern didn't collapse.
Amidst the destruction, a lone figure stood tall, holding a small body in one hand.
"Marcus!" Eis shouted, recognizing him immediately, and hurried forward.
Marcus turned his head slightly and, with a flick of his finger, sent a small stone flying toward Eis, hitting him squarely on the forehead. The unexpected impact caused Eis to lose his balance and fall back onto the ground with a thud.
"Ow! That hurt!" Eis complained, rubbing his forehead as he struggled to sit up.
"You, brat," Marcus growled, his voice laced with irritation. "I told you to give me space, not run off in a random direction like an idiot."
"I was trying to help you, you know!" Eis retorted, still nursing his sore forehead. "One of these guys escaped. I was trying to stop him!"
"Help? You were trying to get yourself killed like a dog on the street," Marcus shot back.
"The boy is telling the truth, old man," Aria said as she joined them near the split in two altar. Her demeanor shifted into something proud and dominating, utterly different from the playful attitude she had shown Eis earlier.
"I bet it was that f*ucker again. He must have some kind of sensory ability to always catch wind of what we are doing and escape like the rat he is. Things almost got out of hand with your boy here, but I managed. Tell your boss he owes me again." She winked at Eis.
"I call bullshit!" Marcus scowled at her words. "First, I'm in my prime and not an old man, and second, you were the one who asked for help, not the other way around!"
"If you think so, you should ask your boss for more details about the agreement." Her tone was mocking, almost daring him to challenge her further. "Now, hand over Lady Rylla and stop arguing like the old man you are. Unless, of course, you want the Queen's core to come here and explain things in more detail?" She raised an eyebrow, still smiling that infuriating smile.
"Fine." Marcus passed the unconscious girl to the seeker with a defeated expression. Somehow, he managed to clean this place of enemies, but that woman still made him feel like he lost in the end. "She needs your skills. Her life is not in danger, but these animals did something to her."
"Alright, I'll take care of her in a safe place. See you guys later." She winked at Eis again before pulling out a small device from her robes. With a click, she vanished from sight.
Eis stood there with his mouth open in disbelief. 'What did I just witness?'
"Secrets that can easily lead to your early grave," Marcus responded as if reading his thoughts. "Damn seekers, especially that woman. I hate working with her."
Eis finally managed to close his mouth, still reeling from everything that had transpired. "How come the Snake is working with a seeker? Isn't her job to capture people like you? And who were those guys in black? And you're awakened? What the f*ck, Marcus?"
Marcus sighed, hearing the barrage of questions. "It's complicated, boy. You got a glimpse of a world far outside your ignorance. Let's just leave it at that. And yes, I'm awakened, but not a very strong one. Compared to that seeker, I'm like a newborn."
Eis stared at him blankly for a moment before gesturing wildly at the devastated cavern around them. "You're joking, right? Why bring me here with you? I don't understand."
"The boss told me to." Marcus sighed again, understanding Eis' confusion. Honestly, he didn't know as well, but there was not much he could do about it. "Let's go. You can ask him yourself."
Eis stared at Marcus' back for a while before following reluctantly. His head was still spinning with so much information. What was the connection between the seekers and the Snake?
'A glimpse of a world far outside my ignorance? What the hell is that? I know everything in The Belows, and before today, I never expected to see such madness. Well, there is a lot of madness and desperation to go around, but nothing of this caliber. These guys make most of the residents in The Belows look like whining children.'
When Eis finally snapped out of his thoughts, they were already on the street, the cool air a stark contrast to the stifling atmosphere of the tunnels.
"Why did you warn me not to talk anyway?" Eis asked, still trying to piece everything together.
"Ah, that. The seeker was supposed to wait for us inside, but she arrived late."
"And why in the nine hells did you not want me to talk to her?" Eis pressed, his frustration bubbling over.
Marcus stopped, his usual indifference replaced by something more serious. "Listen, kid," he said, his voice low and intense. "The seekers are not your friends. They never will be, no matter what she told you or what she might promise you. They are the Queen's tools, forged to drench the rivers with the blood of the Kingdom's enemies. Never forget that!" His voice was filled with sadness and regret, as though he was speaking to someone from his past rather than Eis.
Eis swallowed hard and nodded, and they continued in silence to their destination. The sun crawled slowly in the sky, and time was running out. Eis could only hope he would make it to the location of the ambush before noon.
Several escape plans flickered through Eis' mind, each more desperate than the last. But he quickly dismissed them all. After witnessing what Marcus was capable of, he knew any attempt to flee would be futile.
'Geb is going to kill me. Of course, if the Snake doesn't do that first.' Eis laughed inwardly. He worried too much for a man with a few days to live.