After walking for more than ten minutes, I reached close to Uru’en’s location.
It hadn’t been a simple walk since the Dome kept throwing phantoms at me nonstop.
There were beast-shaped ones like that wolf, and some in the shape of snow barbarians I’d seen in Salom, some I’d never seen.
Heck, I’d just escaped a clone of Chief Risha that had tried to freeze me solid with a single glare.
Why not test her strength? Because fighting them would be pointless, as they could quickly reform from the shadows. Therefore, running and dodging were the only ways to save energy.
However, there was no sign of any living soul. It was just endless, hungry echoes.
’Hmm?’
Up ahead, maybe a dozen meters through the murky gloom, I saw a silhouette.
It reminded me of Uru’en’s broad, familiar frame. The compass also pointed right at it.
’It must be her!’
I sped up, relief washing through me.
Then, a few meters away, I saw the second figure standing right beside her.
They both turned toward me.
Seeing Uru’en alive and whole, my shoulders loosened.
But, seeing the man next to her, my mind stuttered.
’P-Prince Bane?!’
What in the hell is he doing here?
The same recognition seemed to hit them.
"Lumin!" Uru’en shouted, her face lighting up.
But Bane frowned. His hand shot out, stopping Uru’en from rushing forward.
"Uru’en, wait," he said.
She looked at him, confused. "What are you doing? He’s the friend I’ve been searching for!"
"I know," Bane said, his eyes never leaving me. They held a wary sharpness I’d never associated with the charming prince. "But this place twists everything. That might not be him. It could be a monster wearing his skin."
"..."
I squinted a little, my earlier relief hardening into cold suspicion.
’He definitely recognized me.’
’So why is he pretending not to? Could it be...’
"...Prince Bane?" I called out, my voice cutting through the stagnant air. "Do you not recognize me?"
"Huh? Prince?" Uru’en’s eyes widened, her head snapping toward Bane in surprise.
But Bane’s reaction was swift and controlled.
He furrowed his brows, the picture of genuine confusion, but the wariness in his eyes deepened into something sharper, more calculating.
"How do you know that name?" he asked, his voice steady but cool. "And I am not a prince."
’...I see.’ The pieces clicked into place immediately. So that was his game. He recognized me perfectly well, but he was masquerading under a different identity here. He feared I would expose him. My knowing him was a threat to whatever role he was playing here.
’Alright, I will play along with you for now.’
"Oh, is that so?" I said, letting my own expression smooth into one of casual apology. "Then I apologize for mistaking you for someone else. The gloom in this place plays tricks on the eyes." I turned my full attention to Uru’en, offering a weary but genuine smile. "Thank goodness I found you. I thought I would never find you."
Uru’en studied my face for a moment, her initial suspicion melting into relief. She nodded firmly, then turned to Bane, placing a reassuring hand on his restraining arm.
"You can lower your guard, Bane. This is Lumin, the friend I told you about. He’s not a monster," she said with unwavering certainty. "I can tell easily. The phantoms here... they feel hollow. He doesn’t."
Bane slowly lowered his hand, his gaze lingering on me, a silent warning gleaming beneath the surface of his performative reluctance. "If you vouch for him, Miss Uru’en. But we must remain cautious."
’So, you are still playing the charming guy role...’
"Thank you for trusting me," I bowed my head a little. "I definitely won’t betray it."
"Mm." Bane gave a curt nod, the charming, easy-going mask settling back over his features. "We must rely on trust in a place like this."
The tension eased, but a new, invisible line was drawn between Bane and me, a line of shared secrets and unspoken threats.
"Have you two found any other survivors?" I asked, shifting the focus.
Uru’en shook her head, her expression sobering. "No. I was separated from you and Karu. I was searching for both of you when I stumbled upon Bane," she said, gesturing toward him.
"Right, but, " I glanced around the oppressive dark, "how did you do it? Searched for me, I mean. And how are we speaking like this? I thought sound was blocked."
"Ah! Let me explain!" Uru’en’s face lit up. She held up her hand, showing me the glowing black tooth. "This! It’s the Fangs of the Great Hunts. My aunt gave it to me... well, she gave it to you, but you gave it to me. Anyway! It can push the darkness back." She gestured around us, and I realized the oppressive silence had receded just enough. "It also makes a little bubble where things are... normal. We can see, we can speak, we can hear! Well, as long as I’m holding it."
’The chief really thought everything through.’
I listened, committing every detail to memory while an internal sigh echoed in my mind.
’Alas, her daughter is this clueless.’
While I was thankful she trusted me this much, I couldn’t help but think it would be better not to reveal everything, especially powerful relics like this, in front of strangers. It might get one killed or exploited.
’Did he approach her knowing she had this?’ My eyes flicked to Bane. He was watching the relic with an expression that was hard to read. Not greed, exactly. More like... intense interest.
"What should we do now, then?" I asked, turning the question back to her.
"This..." Her confident demeanor softened into a sheepish smile. "I wanted to ask you this. I know I’m not that smart. So, I thought if I found you, we could figure something out together."
"Whoa, thanks for thinking so highly of me," I chuckled, shaking my head. "Alright. First, we need to find Karu. Then we need to find a way out, or at least a safer spot than the middle of an open..." I gestured vaguely at the shifting gloom around us. "...whatever this is. And for the first task, this might help."
I pulled out the Resonance Compass.
Its needle, which had been pointing unerringly at Uru’en, gave a sudden, sharp twitch the moment it cleared my pocket.
’...Hmmm, let’s set it to her .’
As soon as I chose the person I wanted to find, it shifted a few degrees to the left, toward a particularly deep pool of shadow between two jagged rock formations.
Bane’s posture shifted almost imperceptibly. "An intriguing device. What does it do?"
"A useful tool for the lost," I replied, my tone leaving no room for further inquiry. "It’s indicating something in that direction. Could be Karu. Could be something else entirely."
Uru’en’s hand tightened on the haft of her axe, her knuckles paling. "Then we go. If it’s Karu or anyone from the tribes, we can’t leave them alone." Her voice dipped, the bravado faltering for a heartbeat. "...Maybe we can find... my parents."
"Don’t worry, Miss Uru’en!" Bane gently put his hand on her forearm(since he couldn’t reach her shoulder that easily). "We will find them. You have my word."
"Mm." The gratitude in her eyes as she looked at him was painfully genuine. "Thank you, Bane."
"Stay sharp," I said, cutting through the moment. "Uru’en, you’re our light. Stay in the middle. Bane, watch our left flank. I’ll take the point and the right. Move quietly, and be ready for anything."
We began to advance, a small group that consisted of reunited friends and a charming stranger.
As I instructed, Uru’en walked at the heart. And I led the way, while Bane kept pace on her other side, his facade flawless, but his eyes were those of a sentry in hostile territory: constantly moving, assessing, calculating.
But I had a feeling the real threat wasn’t just the darkness ahead.
It might be the one walking beside us, whose every gracious word was a lie waiting for its moment to strike.