The tunnels twisted deeper, the air growing damp and thick with elemental residue. Aether walked at the front, flanked by his hopping shadows.
With every chamber they entered, slimes fell in minutes—dissolved in coordinated assaults of anemo and hydro . The group barely had to lift a finger.
Barbara stayed behind the others, her eyes sharp and wary. Every time Aether summoned the shadows, he felt her stare dig into his back like a dagger. She didn't say anything—but she didn't have to.
Her silence said enough. She was watching. Judging. Waiting for him to slip.
He sighed inwardly. Figures. A nun raised in the Church of Favonius... To her, what he did wasn't just dangerous—it was unnatural. Sacrilegious.
Still, it stung more than he expected.
Maybe it was because of her voice, or how earnestly she healed the others. Maybe it was because she was actually kind—until he wasn't someone she could trust.
And maybe, he admitted to himself, it was because he kind of liked her.
But there was no time for that.
Behind him, Sucrose was keeping close to Razor, eyes flicking between him and her potion vials.
He was still fighting, but his steps were slower now, his breathing heavier. The damage from the Geo Slime had taken its toll. Aether had offered to let him fall back, but Razor refused.
"Tch," Razor muttered after slicing down a Pyro Slime. "I'm not the type to sit back and watch someone else fight my battles."
"I could reinforce your leg with an alchemic brace," Sucrose offered gently. "Temporarily. If you'd let me—"
"I said I'm fine."
Aether didn't interfere. He respected Razor's pride. But he also kept one shadow close to him, just in case.
After nearly an hour of clearing chambers and collecting drops, Aether slowed his pace, scanning the stone floor. The glyphs on the walls were getting clearer. The elemental energy in the air was thickening.
"We're close," he said. "Boss lair's ahead."
Barbara tightened her grip on her catalyst. "What kind of boss?"
"Don't know," Aether answered.
He glanced at the others. "Let's be ready."
They approached the large stone archway ahead—carvings of waves and storms etched into its frame. Aether stepped forward first, his sword drawn.
Barbara hesitated at first, then stepped closer to Aether as the others kept a cautious distance from the massive stone door. Her voice was soft, almost uncertain. "Aether…"
He turned to her, eyes calm as always.
"I just wanted to say… Thank you. For protecting everyone," she said, wringing her hands. "Even if your powers are… different. You didn't have to shield Sucrose back there. Or finish the Geo Slime alone. You didn't have to care, but you did."
She looked down, then back up, her expression sincere.
"I'm sorry. For how I acted earlier. I let fear get the better of me. You deserve better than that from a teammate." She stepped a little closer, clutching her catalyst to her chest. "So please… trust me. Let me heal you too, when you're hurt. That's my role here. I want to help—you, too."
Aether's lips curved slightly. He didn't speak, just gave her a small, knowing smile.
Barbara's breath caught. Her heart jumped in her chest. It was just a smile. Just that. But something about it knocked all the life out of her lungs.
Before she could say anything more, the massive stone door behind them began to rumble. Dust shook from the ceiling. The symbols on the arch lit up faintly, glowing with blue energy.
The door groaned open on its own, the sound deep and ancient.
All of them turned as the chamber inside came into view.
At its center, slumped on the floor, was a Ruin Guard—deactivated, head bowed, moss growing across its armor plates. But floating lazily above it was something far more dangerous.
A Hydro Abyss Mage, encased in a water bubble, drifting in slow circles around the dormant machine like a vulture waiting to feed.