—Deuz!— Shoun sprinted to his fallen companion, who writhed screaming on the ground—Let me see the wound!
—Aaaaagh!—The boy with the beret ignored him, his cries unrelenting. The vestige's thrown greatsword had cleaved through his abdomen, blood staining the pristine floor. His hat lay discarded from the impact. As he convulsed, his sweat gleamed unnaturally black, while inky tendrils snaked from the wound itself.
—Shit!—Shoun tore off his bracelet to activate its healing effect, but Deuz rasped:
—Metal... don't!
—Like hell I won't! You'll die without this!— Ignoring the protest, he slapped the Clover Bracelet onto Deuz's arm. His core drained dangerously as it siphoned ambient energy to compensate. The gash slowly knit itself, black threads stitching flesh together before fading to normal skin tone—Fuuuh.
Shoun collapsed beside him, bracelet retrieved. The stupendous electricity cost had nearly emptied his core, a first since becoming an Apprentice.
—Haaah... Thanks, Shoun—Deuz sat up weakly, adjusting his signature beret with genuine gratitude.
—Don't mention it. But I've got questions, I saw these black threads coming from your wound while healing you. Know what that was about? Also, your pain tolerance's crap. You should toughen up!
—Pretty sure being a masochist has warped your sense of pain. That sword would've split me in half if it'd veered slightly right. As for your question... hard to explain, but ever since becoming a Codex bearer, my body reacts like this to injuries. Seems to boost my healing factor, but makes the process excruciating.
—You never told us that—Shoun crossed his arms, eyebrow raised.
—It's not listed in my abilities... Plus, you get it, right? If enemies knew how pain-vulnerable I am—
—Deuz. We're your team. We'd never exploit that. Hell, if we'd known sooner, we could've strategized to keep you safer. You don't have to hide things... It's okay to be vulnerable with us—The young man gripped the beret-wearer's shoulder, their gazes locking, Deuz momentarily lost in Shoun's unwavering resolve.
—...Alright. I apologize for that. I'll explain everything when we get back.
—Good enough. Now let's move, we've got a mission to finish—With Shoun's support, they limped toward their objective at the room's far end—behind the throne where the Traitor of the Final Eclipse once sat. A grand altar stood there, adorned with black-and-white flowers and intricate carvings. Beneath it rested a stone coffin, sealed tight.
—A coffin... Makes sense. This is a mausoleum. Would've been weirder if death wasn't involved.
—Yeah...—Shoum brushed dust off the lid, revealing an inscription. They froze upon reading—Here lies...humanity.
Shoun recoiled; Deuz tugged his beret down, shielding his expression.
—Fuuuh... This can't be literal. Definitely something to discuss with the others.— Shoun fought the urge to pry the coffin open, opting instead to grab the small gray key resting on the altar, their mission's clear objective. The material felt alien to the touch, but he pocketed it without hesitation—Mission's done. I'll grab the books and—
A new Codex screen materialized above the coffin, text glowing above a key-shaped slot:
[Target recognized. Deposit?]
Shoun hesitated, then sought Deuz's approval. The beret-wearer nodded silently. Carefully, Shoun inserted the key into the holographic slot. With a turn, both key and screen vanished, replaced by a new message:
[One of three seals has been broken]
Silence filled the dark chamber. They waited for earthquakes, for storms, for any cataclysm, but nothing happened.
—...I'll get the books. I don't want to stay here another second—Deuz shadow-teleported away and returned instantly with the texts. They immediately exited the mirror world, reappearing in Shoun's living room before quickly returning to their base's mirror counterpart, where the rest of Clover Flush awaited.
—Hey guys! How'd it go?—Robin called out. The others had returned from their vestige hunt earlier and were watching movies on their base-installed TV. Shoun and Deuz didn't answer at first, simply sitting down as the latter wordlessly handed over the books—Why do you both look like ghosts? Wait—what!?
After Robin's initial shock upon skimming the books, the pair recounted their experiences in the Mausoleum of Gloom, eliciting varied reactions.
—This...—Robin struggled to process it. While thrilled by the research potential, he shared the group's unease—Haaah... There's no way to know what seal was broken. Worrying is pointless, but we should avoid certain missions for now, just in case we accidentally release something we shouldn't.
—Yeah, that's probably for the best—Shoun agreed, opening his Codex to read the entries of the recently slain vestiges—Let me share these so we can piece together the mausoleum's secrets.
[Priest of Perdition: Wretch. Knelt eternally in the shadows he helped create. Chanted and pleaded, not for salvation, but for permanence. Praised the one who extinguished light and banished darkness, not from devotion, but because he'd lost the voice to curse.]
[Eclipse Bishop: Wretch. First to proclaim that neither sun nor moon were needed, for all light springs from shadows. Preaches not in temples, but in ruins where few still remember the weight of lost history.]
[Traitor of the Final Eclipse: Wretch. Refused to kneel. While others pledged loyalty to the one who extinguished light and banished darkness, he guarded an ember of hope. His weapon echoes with betrayal, not of oaths, but of dawn's memory.]
—I see... These entries confirm these vestiges aren't from the Ancients' civilization. The logic doesn't fit—Robin asserted confidently, flipping through the books with no new revelations.
—Exactly. And it seems "the one who extinguished light and banished darkness" was worshipped as a deity by these vestiges, or rather, by their lost civilization—the young man added.
—I get that... but one thing bothers me. What's this about humanity being in a coffin? How does that connect?
—Judging by the names and the mausoleum's design, that world seems to have been plunged into eternal gloom, an endless eclipse. That likely caused humanity's extinction... though it's odd there's no mention of elves or demons—Deuz replied, noticeably calmer now, almost cheerful.
—Do demons share our celestial bodies?—Kaze's muffled voice asked.
—As far as we know, demons see the same sky we do—Robin set aside the three books—I'll need time just to determine if deciphering these is possible. For now, let's table this mystery of... let's call them "the Eclipseborn" for clarity. This weekend, let's focus on hunting. Who knows when we'll clash with The Three Jacks again.
—Agreed—Shoun said before heading straight to the training room—(Deuz almost died today. Together we're strong, but injuries are inevitable. Trust is necessary, but overconfidence is poison. From now on, we need more caution. Ideally, we should get healing artifacts for everyone. And I can't stagnate either, must expand my Balance Voltage style. Relying on the same tricks won't make me stronger.)
***
Two days passed swiftly in the mirror world. After everyone said their goodbyes, each went their separate way. As usual, Sein walked quietly toward his home at night, lost in thought.
—(We're all improving so much. Kaze and Deuz are nearly ready to become Dominators. Shoun and I still have some way to go, though we shouldn't rank up too soon—it would look suspicious if we advanced so quickly... It's a shame Robin can't rank up for now)— The small boy reflected on his group's future while admiring the nightscape. Soon he reached a familiar place, the swings where not long ago he used to meet with Joy—(...I still don't know what to think about you, Joy... Sometimes I believe if we could just talk one more time, maybe we could fix things. But I know it's pointless. You attacked my friends, betrayed my trust, that's something I don't think I can forgive.)
Now bitter from the memory of his former friend, the boy moved to continue his journey, only to be stopped by the voice of the last person he wanted to see at that moment.
—Sein!
—...Joy.