When Celestina warned Azriel that the second floor was unbalanced, she was right.
But she had no idea just how much.
Lumine had come here alone once and discovered something—something that almost cost him his life.
The abandoned tunnel on the second floor was random, unknown, and undiscovered, lying in the opposite direction from where the floor boss resided.
The only way Azriel could reach this place was by heading east from the strange rock he had mentioned to Kevin before they departed together.
It took him several tries to navigate here, and the Cradler chasing him didn't make it any easier—except for the other void creatures, which were too terrified to attack.
"I already knew this place existed because of your memories, but... seeing is believing," the fake Leo remarked, gazing ahead alongside Azriel with a solemn expression.
An undiscovered part of the second floor.
The humming grew closer, reverberating through the air like a malevolent heartbeat, yet Azriel remained rooted in place.
Because ahead of him loomed an abyss.
The torches that had once flickered in the tunnel ceased where he stood, and nothing before him was illuminated.
But there was no other way to go.
It was either step into the darkness or face the Cradler—and he wanted no part of either.
Yet, he had no choice.
From the very beginning, he had planned this.
The Cradler was merely an unexpected variable.
But it shouldn't matter; as long as his plan worked, he would rid himself of it.
A crooked smile curled on the hateful figure beside Azriel.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock—better hurry and decide which path to gamble your fate upon."
Azriel clenched his fists and took a deep breath, his throat dry as he licked his lips, trying to moisten them.
The heat didn't reach him here, yet he felt sweat trickling down his face.
'...Here goes nothing.'
And then another step.
Everything turned dark.
He could see nothing anymore.
Perhaps he could have looked back, but his instincts screamed at him never to do so.
Azriel pressed onward, the humming growing louder, more insistent.
Yet he knew—the Cradler would hesitate, just as he did.
He felt unbalanced, taking each step slowly and carefully, afraid he might fall.
And if he did, he might not hit anything at all—only fall forever.
He focused on his breathing, trying to slow his racing heart, calming his nerves in the oppressive dark.
The path was suffocating, disorienting his senses, twisting reality into a nightmare.
"Wouldn't it be funny if you got lost here? The prince wandering eternally in darkness, trying to find a way out. That would make a good bedtime story."
Leo's voice echoed mockingly to his right.
But when Azriel glanced over, he couldn't see his face—only shadows dancing in the dark.
Gritting his teeth, Azriel kept walking forward.
Then the humming stopped.
Azriel didn't know whether to feel relieved or not.
'I need to hurry...!'
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
He quickened his pace.
After what felt like an eternity of walking, as if hours had slipped away once again, Azriel's feet and legs screamed in agony.
Yet, amid the endless darkness, he finally spotted a glimmer of hope—a chance to escape.
Regaining all his vigor, Azriel dashed toward the source of light ahead of him.
As he reached it, his breath caught in his throat.
"Well, this is certainly a sight worth dying for..."
Before him lay a colossal cave, its sheer size dwarfing everything he had encountered in the depths of the tunnel.
Standing on a bridge as wide as the tunnel, Azriel was momentarily disoriented by the stark contrast of vibrant light pouring in from the cave's mouth.
The bridge, crafted from ancient stone, was worn and cracked, etched with strange, indecipherable runes.
Stepping forward in awe, Azriel leaned closer to examine the runes.
A sharp pain throbbed in his head as he strained to focus on the symbols.
He turned away, moving cautiously toward the edge of the bridge.
Beneath him lay an endless void—a bottomless chasm that swallowed all light and sound.
Azriel's heart raced; the void loomed like a gaping maw, a haunting reminder of the depths he had escaped.
It was a chilling parallel to the path that had led him here, a dark abyss that seemed to beckon him closer.
Azriel's eyes narrowed as he looked ahead.
The bridge ended at a colossal gate, eerily similar to the boss gate on the first floor.
But this one… this one was different.
The gate didn't just lead to another boss room.
No, it led to the third floor.
But it wouldn't be easy.
Everything comes at a price.
There were no free passes in this world.
Azriel's brow furrowed.
'Why is nothing happening?'
His stomach churned uneasily.
Something didn't feel right.
The silence was unnerving, as if the air itself was holding its breath.
Azriel's face darkened, frustration simmering beneath his skin.
Too many things were slipping out of his control.
He walked toward the gate, half-expecting the worst.
When he reached it, he wasn't surprised to find it unyielding.
No matter how hard he pushed, it wouldn't budge.
The most irritating part?
The same cryptic runes etched into the gate, making it unbearable to look at.
Each glance sent a sharp throb through his skull.
"Where's the supposed guardian…?"
According to the book, there should have been a guardian here, just like the floor boss on the previous level—one that protected the gate to the third floor here.
Azriel bit his lip, anxiety gnawing at him.
"Don't tell me... everything was for nothing—"
His words caught in his throat.
A chill ran down his spine.
His eyes widened, locking onto a figure emerging from the darkness, from the same tunnel he had come through.
A figure that made his entire body shudder in fear.
"Well, now you're really screwed."
The Cradler stood there, silent, its twisted smile spreading across its face.
The usual humming was gone, replaced by a sick, twisted enjoyment of Azriel's fear.
It relished his helplessness.
Azriel's heart raced.
His plan had been to let the Cradler and the guardian fight, then take out the survivor when they were weakened.
But now, there was no guardian.
No guardian to save him.
The Cradler took a step forward.
Azriel took a step back.
Another step forward.
Until his back hit the gate.
Void Eater appeared in his hand.
'Am I really going to fight this thing?'
Maybe, by some stroke of luck, he could defeat it, but it would cost him everything he had left.
He'd be too weak to face whatever came next.
'How much time has passed?' Azriel's thoughts raced.
His body was screaming for rest.
He hadn't truly slept or recovered in what felt like days.
The Cradler came closer, each step deliberate, savoring the moment.
Azriel could hear his own pulse in his ears, the heavy thump of fear.
There was no other choice now.
Just as Azriel steeled himself to strike—
An arrow tore through the back of the Cradler's head, the tip emerging from its forehead.
More arrows ripped through the Cradler's body, black, viscous blood leaking from the gaping wounds.
The Cradler staggered, but it wasn't dead.
It turned slowly, a twisted snarl curling on its lips.
But before it could react, a sword flashed through the air—too fast for the creature to see.
A clean slash across its neck.
Its head rolled to the ground with a sickening thud.
Azriel stood motionless, his mind reeling.
He couldn't believe what had just happened.
His eyes darted toward his unexpected saviors.
A small group of people emerged in his vision.
"Looks like it's finally show time."
Four of them were clad in black uniforms, their presence unnerving in its precision and coldness.
But then someone stepped out of the darkness.
"...Instructor Benson."
Instructor Benson's narrowed eyes locked onto Azriel.
"Cadet Azriel... where is Instructor Kevin?"
Azriel didn't answer.
Instead, his gaze shifted toward the others.
Their uniforms made it obvious—they were military.
One held a bow, another a sword, the third a spear, and the last, an axe.
"Instructor, who are these people?"
Azriel asked, though he already knew the answer.
Benson grumbled, clearly annoyed at being ignored, but let out a frustrated sigh.
"The void dungeon trip has been cancelled, Cadet. Instructor Alicia returned to the surface and reported sudden, dangerous changes on the floors. She warned that lives were at risk. And when you didn't return with Instructor Kevin on time, we organized a search party. We're lucky we tracked you down in time..."
Benson's eyes fell on the Cradler's headless corpse, his expression grim as he turned back to Azriel.
"So, let me ask you again—where is Instructor Kevin? Shouldn't he be with you?"
The air, already thick with tension, grew heavier.
Azriel didn't answer, his expression unreadable as his thoughts swirled in his mind.
Time seemed to stretch unbearably between them.