Elnora collapsed to her knees on the sixtieth floor, a single tear trailing down her cheek. Her body trembled as the entire dungeon shook violently, mana thick as a storm cloud flooded the chamber.


    And yet—she felt lighter.


    “R…Ryn” she whispered, struggling to steady herself, clinging to the memory of his warm smile.


    “I—I have to get up. Come on, Elnora.” She muttered to herself, willing her body to move.


    Then, her gaze landed on Alex.


    His body hanged limply over a jagged hole in the wall. His bone pierced the skin, his arm twisted the wrong way, his face a mask of blood and agony.


    Elnora’s stomach twisted.


    Then—


    “Agh.. that hurt.”


    Elnora froze.


    Alex’s voice was weak, but unmistakable.


    Her breath caught in her throat, as he shifted.


    “Hey! No—don’t move!” she yelled, panic surging through her as she sprinted toward him, weaving over debris and corpses that littered the floor.


    As she reached him, something changed.


    A surge of pink mana erupted from Alex’s body, crawling like veins along his broken limbs. His shattered bones snapped back into place, flesh knitting together in a grotesque display of regeneration.


    Elnora staggered back, eyes wide.


    “W…what…”


    Alex, now standing, flexed his arm, watching as the pink magic pulsed through his skin.


    “Huh.” He frowned, tilting his head. “How strange…someone with low mana capacity shouldn’t be able to move in this atmosphere.”


    He tapped his chin in thought, then suddenly leaned close to Elnora, inspecting her.


    Elnora stepped back.


    “Uh… n-not so close, please.”


    “Oh! Yeah, sorry.” He shrugged, then smirked.


    “Well, I suppose the cat’s out of the bag now.” He let out a dramatic sigh. “I can’t believe Ryn exposed himself like that in front of Lilli and the Princess.”


    Elnora’s stomach churned.


    “A-are you sure you’re okay, Alex?”


    “Yeah, don’t worry about me.”


    Elnora then noticed a Sakura-shaped sigil that bloomed on Alex’s right shoulder, the petals shimmering, pulsating the same energy as his body. He continued to mend himself in a grotesque way.


    “Ha! Seems like Ryn has finally awakened it,” Alex mused, humming to himself, arms folded behind his back.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    “Awakened what exactly?” Elnora asked, her voice above a whisper.


    “His true sigil,” Alex’s eyes flickered in amusement. “I suppose I’ll tell you. It can only be awakened by those with strong magical power. All heroes and gods have them. Of course, whether they are true or false sigils is always up to debate.”


    “S…sigils…” Elnora stammered, hands clenching into her fist.


    Her mind flashed back—a memory blurry.


    “Do… you mean this?”


    Hesitantly, she lifted her skirt just enough to reveal a glowing sigil etched in her thigh—a crown adorned with emeralds.


    Alex’s face turned red.


    “HEY!” He jerked back, flailing. “Y-yep, that’s one, alright!”


    Elnora’s brow furrowed.


    “How.. how long have I had this?” she murmured


    Alex’s grin sharpened.


    “Perhaps, since Ryn let you out of that orb.”


    She frowned, touching the sigil absentmindedly.


    “I… think I’ve always had it.


    Alex chuckled. That guy was right. You’re intriguing, Elnora. Ancient spells, unnatural mana levels, and now a sigil.” His eyes gleamed. “Oh, and badly stripped underwear.”


    “HEY!”


    Elnora’s fist crashed against his skull


    “OWH! OKAY, OKAY! I’M SORRY!” Alex yelped, laughing through pain.


    Their brief moment of levity faded as the ground trembled again.


    Their thoughts quickly snapped to Ryn.


    “We should probably do something useful while Ryn is fighting for his life down there,” Alex said his tone serious.


    “I’ll heal Lilli and get her to a checkpoint. Can you handle the princess?”


    Elnora swallowed hard, glancing around the dungeon—the corpses of students and professors scattered throughout.


    “Y-yeah I can.”


    She turned toward the heart of the room, stepping over the bodies as she made her way to Princess Celina.


    “H..hey there, Princess,” Elnora called out gently. “I’m going to heal you now, okay? If you can hear me.”


    “Y-Yes… thank you,” Celina replied weakly.


    “Heilen,” Elnora said aloud, channeling her green magic. A soft glow surrounded her hands as she began to heal Celina. She repeated the spell multiple times, layering the effect.


    Celina’s eyes widened slightly. “H-how... are you stacking that spell…? She whispered, barely audible. “T-that shouldn’t be possible..”


    “Oh.” It isn’t?” Elnora tilted her head. “I just figured I’d try it, and well it works.” She flashed a smile. “Sorry if I say something out of my station, Princess. I’ve never been around royalty before.”


    “You’re fine,” Celina assured her, her voice frail. “Again…. thank you.” She winced. “I…. don’t think I can get up.”


    “I’ll help you,” Elnora said. “Stay close to me and you will be unaffected.”


    With effort, she carefully lifted Celina up, the princess leaning into her for support. Celina’s arms wrapped weakly around her.


    “Let’s get out of her.” Elnora said firmly.


    Celina nodded. “L-Lets.”


    “Hey, Alex!” Elnora called out. “How’s Lilli holding up?”


    “S-she’s fine—just pissed about Ryn!” Alex said with a chuckle.


    “You ready?!” he shouted.


    “Yeah! We’re going to start moving!” Elnora answered.


    With Celina arms wrapped around her shoulders, she took a step forward. Alex steadied Lilli, and together, the four of them made their way down the ruined hall, searching for an exit.


    As they made their way to each floor, they found each checkpoint demolished—ruins of resting points for students. Celina then gasped as she walked passed the lifeless bodies of her subjects, their limbs torn and scattered around the dungeon.


    Yet, there was no time to grieve.


    Elnora whispered a spell under her breath. “Rebe.”


    Thick vines erupted from behind them as they walked, weaving into an impassable barrier. The enraged monsters that prowled slammed against them, snarling and screeching, only to be ensnared by the magic.


    They pressed on, floor after floor, until at last they reached the twentieth floor.


    And there—standing amidst the carnage—was Professor Redwood.


    His cane rested firmly in his grip, his stance unwavering. Behind him stood a group of surviving students, their expression mixed with fear, and exhaustion. Dark tendrils spiraled from the ground around him, his shadow twisting and shifting like a living abomination. Hundreds, of slain enraged monsters laid at his feet. Their bodies slowly dissolving into magi stones.


    “You—you kids are still alive?!” he shouted, his voice laced with disbelief. His sharp eyes laid on Celina. “Princess! I’m glad to see you alive.”


    “Hurry, come set the Princess and Lady Kirkwood here.” Redwood yelled.


    “You’re all barely injured…” His grip on his cane tightened as he glanced at the dungeon behind them.


    Alex and Elnora carefully set down the Lilli and the Princess, allowing them to rest.


    “I can heal the wounded!” Elnora called out toward Professor Redwood, already channeling mana into her hands.


    “T-that should be fine…” he replied. “But we need to—”


    He turned to Alex. “Go alert the other professors Al—”


    Silence


    Alex was gone.


    Only thing that loomed was the darkness of the dungeon.