Garden Of The Abyss

Tears were shed in unison by the group as a close embrace was shared amongst them; even Mencius silently placed himself by their warmth. 

He found his snowy fringes hanging in front of his eyes, blurred with tears as he held Iris close to his chest—sharing the resonance of his heart with her. 

"We'll make it out of here," he resolved, "we'll defeat this place—for him."

After they ended their embrace, it was Mencius who handled the burial before they decided to take a break to gather their bearings.

Sitting mostly in solemn silence together, it was Jae-Seong who spoke up.

"…Listen, I've got something to say, but don't call me crazy for putting it out there," Jae-Seong said as he fiddled with the chain hanging from his neck.

"What is it, Jay?" He asked, sitting by the man while keeping Iris coddled close to his body. 

Jae-Seong lifted his gaze, looking at the others, "I don't know if it's the truth, but the main rumor is that once you reach the end of Purgatory, you're granted a wish, right? So…can't we use that wish to bring him back?…and anyone else who fell."

It was clear who the other was in his mind on this topic as his golden eyes came over with a tint of guilt. 

Silence sat in the tucked-away, cavern of verdant nature before Mencius was the one to put his word forth.

"I am against the idea of this," Mencius said sternly.

"Why?" Jae-Seong's gaze pierced the man.

Mencius maintained himself, "It's a fatal flaw in one's thinking to believe death can be reversed. In all of history and tales alike, such endeavors have only ended in further misery. Allow those who have fallen to rest; don't return them to a hell they don't wish to return."

These words seemed to trigger something within Jae-Seong for a moment as his veins pressed against his fists, but he composed himself as his aura settled. 

"…Whatever. We can save that talk for when we reach the end, right?" Jae-Seong said.

"Right," Mencius nodded.

None of the others were in a very talkative mood with the potent freshness of death still looming over them.

He sat with his arm around Iris' shoulder, gently soothing her as he looked up at the flowery ceiling of the cave.

Resurrection, huh?...I've thought about it everyday since Gramps told me about it. I still don't know what the right call is, Meinhard. 

Do you want to return to this cruel world? Am I cruel enough of a man to force you back? I don't know if you're yearning for it, or if you vehemently reject the idea. How can I know? 

I wish…you could tell me, Meinhard. Talk to me. I miss it…your voice, your kindness, the way you treated me like I belonged. 

If it wasn't for you, where would I be? I wouldn't have been able to cope with it, or adjust...I probably would've found my journey at an end quickly. 

That's why...I want to save you, Meinhard. But--what does that mean? he thought. 

A single tear strolled down his cheek as he quickly hid it with a brush of his hand against his face, swallowing the emotions stuck in his throat that had spurred from such thoughts. 

As the group took their rest in the silent cavern, the sound of rain, though dulled, could be heard pouring outside. 

"Sounds like it's going down pretty heavy out there. Maybe we should stay here until it settles," Macheo advised. 

"As long as it's safe here, there's really no reason to move forward, right? We just have to survive for a month," Hongse stated as he munched on a piece of bread. 

It was a point brought up by the giant panda that seemed to somehow fall from some of their minds. 

"That's right...we don't have to move any further," Aiko said, tucking her knees close to her chest.

She remained seated close to Macheo, who was busy blowing air between his lips to play with his hanging, golden fringes. 

Mencius, who elegantly consumed one of the green-skinned pieces of fruit the group had supplied, shook his head softly, replying with his eyes closed, "I believe that's the wrong move here." 

"What do you mean?..." Aiko looked at him. 

Macheo stopped fiddling with his hair boredly as he sat up, "What he means is that acting like sitting ducks is a surefire way to get ourselves killed." 

The draconic knight who had been busy cleaning her lance with a handkerchief butted in with a sigh. 

"I hate to admit it, but I have the same suspicion as those two," Valerie added, glancing at Hongse, "this hellhole is obviously not going to let challengers just tuck themselves away in a safe, little place...not by a long shot. If there's one thing I know about Purgatory, it's that it's simply not fair." 

He remained mostly silent while tending to his thoughts, but the discussion piqued his interest as he lifted his head. 

"So you're saying if we stay here, in this intermediate cavern, it's probable that 'something' will come for us?" He asked. 

Mencius answered, "It's all conjecture, really, but I'd say it's the safer bet to make when it's Purgatory we're talking about. I'd rather not wait around and find out if something decided to strike us down with impunity. I believe once we're on the "true" island, it'll be fair game to set up camp." 

Glancing to the side, he looked down at the blue-haired girl who was coddled close to him with her head laid on his chest; seeing her like that, he wanted to make whichever choice led to that moment more than a fleeting respite. 

"Then we'll head out once the rain stops," he decided, "with the mana potions we have, we can afford to explore around. We have to lean on the strengths we have." 

Jae-Seong yawned as he laid back with his hands acting as his pillow, "I agree. Wake me up when it's time to go." 

It seemed no further discussion needed to be had as the Weltwanders accepted this proposal, returning to either their restful approaches, or filling up their empty stomachs with natural nutrients. 

"Thanks, Jay," he smiled at the man with gratitude. 

With an absence of conversation filling the tucked-away, somewhat comfortable cavern area, the ambience of the falling rain sounded clear as if pelting against a windowpane just by his bedside. 

As the cold grew in response to the dense rainfall, Valerie took it upon herself to create a small fire in the center of the enclosed cavern, allowing a comforting warmth to greet them. 

As he sat with his back leaned against the wall of the cave, watching the flickering orange, he found relative comfort as it was softened by a layer of verdancy, keeping the girl close to his chest as he gently caressed her shoulder. 

Eventually, by the small, quiet breaths he listened to escape her lips, he looked down to realize she had fallen asleep against him. Even despite what they'd committed to already, he still found himself shy of even his own flustered heartbeat being heard as her head laid close to his chest. 

Still, he couldn't help but find himself smiling as he lightly ran his fingers through her silken, azure strands. 

I guess today has been a long day, he smiled slightly. 

Removing his silver cloak, he wrapped it around her body for further warmth and comfort as she naturally moved closer to him in her sleep--prompting a small blush to exist on his cheeks as he smiled. 

Looking up, he found both Macheo and Aiko spectating the rather sugary scene--giving him a thumbs-up that made him want to tuck away into a corner. 

"Idiots," he muttered playfully. 

Sitting there with little to do, he ran his fingertips against the rough, grated skin that existed as the new scar across his throat. 

Never thought a NEET like myself would become a scarred warrior, but here I am...how long has it been? Almost two years now, hasn't it? It's impossible to track time inside of here...and I remember Gramps telling me time moves differently in this place. 

All I know is--it's been too long, he thought.