Lucas nodded in agreent, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if he was assessing the potential threats. "You're right," he said, turning back to face her. "We don't know what kind of dangers we might face in here, and we might not have another chance to talk like this."
"Besides," she added, trying to lighten the mood. For so reason, she could feel a flush creeping up her neck. "It's not like I can keep these feelings bottled up forever. They might burst out of like a volcano at any mont."
"Moreover- "
"Wow." Lucas interrupted her. "I have not seen you this nervous in a while."
"Nervous?" Her face turned ugly. "Who is nervous?"
"Not ," Lucas shrugged. "Shall we get going?" he asked.
"Where?"
"To find a good place to train," Lucas said.
"We are not looking for a way out of this place?"
"What for?"
Rosalind blinked. What about the others? What about Huig and Magda?
As if reading her thoughts, he chuckled. "Let them train on their own."
"You an in this place?"
"Where else are they going to train?" He lifted an eyebrow before he got up and held a hand towards her.
Without having a second thought, she accepted his hand and the two of them started to walk deeper into the cave.
...
"Where are we?" Elias looked around. "Where are the others?"
"They should be in the opposite direction." Atior was quick to answer.
"Then why did you follow ?" he asked.
"You were the one who followed ."
"I thought you were Valentin."
"Do I look like a man to you?"
"You do."
Atior gave him a blank look before she examined their surroundings. The mountains around this place were rugged and unforgiving, with steep cliffs and jagged rocks jutting out of the earth. It was hard for them to traverse this place.
Luckily, they were able to spot a small alcove nestled between two large boulders.
It was only big enough for three people to fit and it provided enough cover for them to hide them from the monster that Elias fought against earlier.
"You were too impulsive. It was clear that we could not beat the monster, yet you had to rush in like a lunatic."
"You should have left then, " Elias snorted.
"Because of you, we got separated from the others."
"Stop blaming !"
"Are you going to ask for another fight?"
"Well, this location seems too cramped for that," Elias remarked, his focus set on the more nacing foes that lurked in the vicinity. Engaging in combat with this sorcerer did not appeal to him.
"We must find a way to escape this area," Atior declared.
"And risk being prey to that monster?"
"I was referring to the island."
"Are you regretting your decision to co here?" Elias asked.
"I won't tolerate being labeled a coward," Atior frowned.
"Oh? I'm sorry, but did you anticipate us setting up camp here? Our purpose in coming here was to train, and that involves combat."
"Idiotic."
"Coward."
"I said, I am not a coward!"
"Then perhaps you should refrain from calling stupid!"
"Your lack of concern is unnerving. How could you think about fighting even when the others are missing?"
"You are underestimating them too much. They will live."
"Rosalind is missing."
"She is with the Duke," Elias shrugged. Having experienced the Duke's capabilities firsthand, he was confident in the Duke's ability to keep Rosalind safe.
"No. She cannot stay in this place." Atior's words made Elias frown.
"What? Why?"
However, Atior maintained her silence, not saying another word. Instead, she looked outside of the alcove. "We need to find her," she said.
"How?"
"There must be a way," Atior uttered. "We need to get her out of this place and we need to do it quickly."
"Why? Are you not going to answer any of my questions?"
"No," Atior frowned. "We should get going."
......
Inside the cave.
As they delved deeper into the cave, Rosalind continued to pepper Lucas with questions about the demons.
Lucas finally broke his silence. "Demons used to occupy this world," he began. "They shouldn't be on this continent."
"So why are they here?" Rosalind pressed.
"They found a way," Lucas replied.
Rosalind's mind raced with the implications of what she was hearing. "Should we tell the other empires about this?" she asked.
Lucas let out a scoff. "What can they do?" he said. "They only care about themselves. They won't believe us."
Rosalind felt a growing sense of unease settle over her. The re presence of demons posed a grave threat to humanity, and if her dreams were any indication, the consequences could be catastrophic. She couldn't shake the feeling that they needed to do sothing.
She swallowed hard as the weight of the situation bore down on her. The thought of the death and destruction that could unfold was simply too much to bear.
Then she thought about the seven Blessed Families.
While knowledge about the demons was crucial, she couldn't deny that the seven families had beco corrupt. They were more interested in maintaining their authority and influence than in fighting the real threat. They had stopped going to the North to fight the beasts and were now focused solely on politics.
"Stop dwelling on it," Lucas said, halting in his tracks and turning to face her.
"Why should I?"
"Your priority should be getting stronger. What's the use of worrying about things that haven't happened yet?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.
"But-"
"Rember, humans are fickle creatures, Rosalind. Keep that in mind." His face remained expressionless, but for so reason, the nonchalant tone of his words stirred a mory in her. The man in her dream had spoken in the sa way.
He reached out and gently cupped her face, his eyes locked onto hers. "Focus on the present," he said, his voice low and steady. "On what's right in front of you."
Rosalind's heart rate quickened as she realized just how close they were. "You are in front of ," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Then focus on ," he said, his eyes darkening with intensity. "And alone."
Rosalind's mind raced as she tried to comprehend his words. Was he implying sothing more than just training?
The sinister glint in his eyes made her shiver, but then it was gone as quickly as it appeared, leaving her unsure if it was even real.
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