Chapter 5

...⚠ Warning:...

...This chapter contains scenes of injury and distress. Reader discretion is advised....

...— Arcllumen...

...──────────────────────────...

...𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄...

...𝙴𝙽𝙳𝙻𝙴𝚂𝚂 𝙻𝙾𝙾𝙿...

ᴵᵐᵃᵍᵉ ⁵• ᴬⁱ ᴳᵉⁿᵉʳᵃᵗᵉᵈ • ˢᵒᵘʳᶜᵉ ᴾⁱⁿᵗᵉʳᵉˢᵗ

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭

"Miss..." A faint voice broke through the stillness of the cold, dark night. She stirred, her mind groggy, unsure if it was real or just her imagination.

Something nudged her—steady and persistent. She became aware of the hard, damp ground beneath her.

"Miss Melisylva..."

The voice came again, clearer this time. Whoever it was sounded close, urgent.

"Miss Melisylva!"

The louder call jolted her fully awake. She blinked, her vision blurry at first, then settling on the figure crouched beside her.

"Ferro..." she whispered, but her voice faltered as a sharp pain twisted in her stomach. Her gaze dropped to the source, and her breath caught at the sight of blood soaking her clothes and pooling on the ground.

"Take it easy," Matthew said quietly, helping her sit up and lean against the cold wall. His movements were careful, steadying her as she winced.

"Can you hold on?" he asked, his tone calm but firm. His dark blue eyes met hers, steady and unreadable, giving nothing away.

She gave a faint nod but didn’t speak. Matthew reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, tapping rapidly on the screen. "The dark energy here... It’s stronger than I thought," he muttered, more to himself than to her.

He glanced at her, his lips pressed into a thin line. "What was that idiot thinking, sending you on a mission like this?"

Chugar’s brows furrowed, her green eyes sharp despite the pain. "Are you doubting me?" she said, her voice low but biting.

Matthew raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond. Instead, he stood, brushing off his coat. The sharp ringtone of his phone cut through the tension, and he answered without moving far.

"We’ve searched everywhere on campus," he said into the phone, his tone clipped. "The Dread Relic isn’t here."

A light, mocking laugh came through the line. "Huh? Seriously? That’s hilarious." The voice was playful, almost amused. "Guess you’re stuck there."

Matthew’s jaw tightened, his hand curling into a fist. "It’s not here," he repeated, his voice low and strained.

"Well then," the voice continued, unbothered. "No coming back until you find it. And don’t forget to take care of Miss Melisylva." There was a teasing lilt in the words. "You know, I set this up just for you two."

Matthew’s composure slipped. "*You— I'm gonna kll you when I see you**—" he began, but the line cut off before he could finish.

"That guy..." he muttered, shoving the phone into his pocket. He turned back to Chugar, his expression cold. "We can’t leave until this is done. You know that."

Chugar grimaced, pressing her hand against her stomach to slow the bleeding. With a sharp inhale, she pushed herself to her feet, her body trembling from the effort.

Matthew watched her, his brows furrowing slightly. "Are you a healer?" he asked.

"A healer can’t heal themselves," she replied, her voice strained. She paused, catching her breath as sweat dripped down her brow. "But..."

Matthew waited, saying nothing, his gaze fixed on her.

Chugar looked at him, her emerald eyes steady. "I know someone here. She can help me."

...˚ ༘ ೀ⋆.˚...

Minutes passed as the two followed the path Chugar had directed:

"Are you sure we're on the right track?" Matthew asked, doubt evident in his tone.

"Yeah... I’m sure we are, but..." They both halted as Chugar’s face drained of color, her skin as pale as candle wax. "Mr. Ferroniger, I think we're stuck in an endless loop," she forced a smile, though her voice trembled with pain from the wound she’d suffered.

"Hold on," Matthew said quickly, urgency in his voice. Without hesitation, he lifted her into his arms. "Damn it," sweat beaded on his forehead.

He briefly glanced at Chugar's condition and could see it was worsening. They had to find the person she’d mentioned. "Listen, Melisylva," he said firmly, "Don’t you dare sleep, no matter how tired you feel." His voice was sharp, almost pleading.

Chugar, exhausted and worn, managed a faint, almost resigned smile. Her vision blurred intermittently, and she fought to distract herself from the pain. ‘Where did I get this wound again?’ She tried to shift her thoughts, but the burning pain persisted. ‘Ah, yes... That Mutadaptive Hexeds.’

‘It jagged limbs and monstrous, ever-changing faces. Their eyes glow unnaturally, and their mouths are full of sharp teeth. What's worse, they adapt quickly—every injury you inflict only makes them more dangerous.’

As the memories replayed in her mind, she gasped out in pain, her voice hoarse but audible to Matthew, "If I ever see that Mutated Hexed again..." she winced, her words barely a whisper, "I’ll make sure to torture it slowly."

And with that, her consciousness faded, the world around her slipping into darkness.

𝓣𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓮𝓭...

...─────────── ୨୧ ─────────────...

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