Raven's heart raced, every beat painfully quick as she pushed herself forward. The Heart's End, the deepest part of the dungeon, stretched out before her like an ominous abyss, the air thick with mana so dense it felt like it could smother her. She could feel the pressure mounting, her limbs growing heavier with every step she took. The dungeon wasn't just collapsing—it was alive, and it was actively trying to devour them. Every crack in the walls, every tremor beneath her feet was a warning that time was running out.
Celia... Celia was somewhere in this madness. She had to find her, she had to get them both out. Raven's mind screamed, but her body could barely keep up. Her katana shook in her grip as she forced herself to move forward, her every step a battle against the ever-growing weight of the mana in the air.
She could see the glowing crystals around her, radiating with an eerie, otherworldly light. Their colors shifted unnaturally, pulsing with raw, untamed magic. But they weren't just light sources—they were alive. Raven had felt it the moment she'd stepped foot in this place, the dungeon's essence vibrating with an intelligence of its own. The air seemed to hum, almost whispering in a language too ancient to understand, as though the crystals were watching her.
A sudden, harsh tremor rattled the ground beneath her, making her stumble and nearly fall. A jagged crack shot through the floor, opening up like the maw of some massive beast. Raven clenched her jaw, steadying herself. Her vision swam as the pressure in the chamber intensified. She had to find Celia. She couldn't lose her, not here.
"Celia!" Raven called out, her voice barely rising above the ominous hum of the dungeon. "Celia, where are you?!"
A moment of silence passed before Raven heard the faint sound of footsteps—distant, but unmistakable. She turned toward the noise, heart pounding in her chest. There, in the distance, she saw a figure struggling against the weight of the mana, stumbling forward with great effort.
Celia.
The relief that surged through Raven was almost enough to bring her to her knees. She didn't know if she was ready to face what was coming, but she knew one thing for sure—she wasn't leaving her sister behind.
As Raven moved toward her, the tension in the air grew even more unbearable. The pressure of the mana was crushing now, a constant, suffocating presence that made it difficult to breathe. Raven could feel it pushing against her chest, threatening to collapse her ribcage. She could barely see straight. Each breath was like inhaling a storm.
"Celia!" she shouted again, her voice hoarse. "We have to go, now!"
Celia's head jerked up, her orange eyes wide with fear. She tried to make her way toward Raven, but each step was slow and painful, the mana pressing down on her like a weight she couldn't escape. Her movements were sluggish, her face contorted with the effort of resisting the unbearable pressure.
"Raven!" Celia gasped, her voice barely reaching over the sound of the dungeon's rumbling. "You... you need to leave—this place is going to collapse! You won't make it out in time! You—"
"I'm not leaving you!" Raven cut her off, voice fierce with determination. She pushed through the intense pressure, refusing to stop, refusing to let her sister face this alone.
Celia's face twisted in anguish. "Raven, don't be reckless! You—"
Before Celia could finish, the dungeon gave a violent shudder, a deep, groaning sound that seemed to come from the very core of the earth. The walls cracked, sending sharp, jagged rocks tumbling to the ground. The floor buckled beneath them, and a deep fissure formed, splitting the chamber in two. The light from the mana crystals flickered wildly, casting strange shadows across the room.
"Raven, hurry!" Celia cried out, the desperation clear in her voice. She reached out for Raven, but the pressure was too much. It was pulling her down, keeping her trapped.
"Just... hold on!" Raven gritted her teeth, forcing herself to move despite the overwhelming mana that crushed against her every step. She could see the way Celia was struggling, her body trembling under the pressure. It was too much, and Raven knew it. They didn't have much time.
With a final, desperate leap, Raven reached Celia. Her arms locked around her sister, pulling her close. "We're getting out of here, I promise," Raven whispered, voice shaking but resolute. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, but she forced them back. They didn't have time for that. Not yet.
Celia's hands clung to her, and for a moment, Raven could feel the warmth of her sister's touch, the last bit of security in this nightmarish place.
But then, Celia's voice broke through, frantic. "How? How are we supposed to get out of here?!"
Raven's heart twisted. She didn't have a clear answer. But she knew one thing—they couldn't stay here. They couldn't die here. Not like this.
"We... we'll find a way," Raven muttered through gritted teeth, trying to steady her breath. But even she didn't believe the words. The dungeon was shaking so violently now that pieces of the ceiling were falling, crashing down with terrifying force. The mana in the air surged, wild and uncontrollable, and Raven could feel it slipping through her fingers, as though she were running out of time, out of options.
And then, it came to her. The technique. The one that had been drilled into her in her past life. The technique that could save them—but would leave her drained, weakened.
"Hold on to me," Raven ordered, voice stern despite the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm her. "Tight, Celia. Don't let go, not for a second. Do you understand?"
Celia's eyes locked onto hers, a mix of fear and determination swirling in them. "Raven, what are you—?"
"Just trust me," Raven snapped, voice firm despite the panic rising in her chest. "Hold on to me!"
Celia's grip tightened, and for a moment, Raven felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. But she couldn't hesitate. Not now. Not when Celia's life—and her own—was at stake.
Raven closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, centering herself. The air around them was thick with mana, pulsating with dangerous power, but she focused on that power. She reached for it, let it flow through her, felt it surge within her body. She could feel the strain on her body, the weakness in her limbs, but she pushed past it. She had to.
"[Void's Step]!" she whispered, the words slipping from her lips like a prayer.
A sudden blackness washed over her, engulfing the world in nothingness. It was as if the dungeon itself had ceased to exist, the ground, the walls, the ceiling—all of it vanished. Raven felt herself being pulled, her body torn from the physical realm and thrust into a void, a dimension of nothingness. The air was cold and silent, stretching out in every direction.
And then, just as suddenly, the void disappeared. The world snapped back into place with a violent force, and they were no longer in the Heart's End. They were at the entrance to the chamber, just a few steps away from safety.
Raven collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, her body trembling violently. She barely had enough strength to lift her head and glance at Celia, who was still clinging to her, her eyes wide with horror and disbelief.
"Raven...?" Celia whispered, her voice barely audible as she looked at her sister, trembling. "Raven, please... don't do this to me..."
But Raven could barely speak. Her vision swam, and she could feel the blood rushing in her head. She could barely keep her eyes open, the toll of the technique taking everything from her.
"Celia," Raven whispered hoarsely, her voice weak. "I'm fine... just... just get out of here..."
But Celia wouldn't let go. "No, Raven... I can't lose you... not like this. I won't leave you."
Celia tried to lift her, but Raven's body was too heavy, her strength nearly gone. The mana condensation in the air was still thick, making it hard to think, hard to breathe.
The ground beneath them began to tremble again, the ceiling cracking. Raven's heart dropped into her stomach as the whole structure groaned, beginning to collapse.
"Raven, please," Celia cried, clutching her sister tighter, tears streaming down her face. "Don't do this... please."
But Raven's vision was fading fast. She could barely hear Celia anymore, her sister's voice growing distant as she felt herself slipping away, the exhaustion threatening to swallow her whole.
Professor Lysque's voice cut through the haze, distant but firm. "Get her out of here, Celia! Now!"
But before Celia could react, the ground beneath them cracked open. Raven felt the pull of gravity, the earth giving way beneath her feet. With a final, desperate push, she shoved Celia forward.
"Go!" Raven gasped, her voice a strained whisper. "Get to safety... now!"
But Celia couldn't move fast enough. She screamed Raven's name, but before she could reach her, the floor beneath Raven crumbled, sending her falling into the abyss.
Celia's scream echoed in her ears as Raven's body disappeared into the dark, the ground closing up behind her, swallowing her whole.
"No!" Celia screamed, her voice broken with grief and terror. "Raven! No!!"
But there was no answer. No sound. Just silence.
Celia stood frozen for a moment, her heart in pieces, her sister lost to the darkness.