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"Don\'t assume. Tell me what you know."

Raven\'s patience was wearing thin, especially after he had gone through the trouble of revealing some things about himself.

He previously thought that Zephyr would simply reciprocate but,

"What I know, huh? I know that you\'re one of them. I know that many of them were murdered in cold blood. And I think you killed them."

At those words, the Wind around Zephyr settled.

He lowered his Weapons.

"Finally some truth comes out of your mouth."

"So I\'m right?" Raven asked, his eyes shining.

"By truth, I mean something you believe to be true."

"Mm. Is that so?"

Cold winds passed by, and Zephyr remained silent.

"So? Will you satisfy my curiosity, or will I have to beat it out of you?"

"Why would a Vampire Lord care?"

"Don\'t forget who you\'re talking to. You\'re flying too high for your own good and..." Raven\'s eyes narrowed. "And you will end up burnt."

"A Vampire comparing himself to the sun. Now I\'ve heard everything." Zephyr said as he chuckled.

Raven chuckled too, but he was serious. And Zephyr knew that.

"I was one of the Tyrs long ago."

"Was, huh? Well, color me intrigued and tell me more."

"It\'s not much of a story. Wouldn\'t interest most."

"I\'m sure it\'ll interest me."

***

\'Wonder when he\'ll be ready to leave...?\' Elisa asked herself.

She stood only inches away from the doors.

From the Exit.

\'Maybe I can just take a peek. Just a...\'

Her hand approached the doors, but she stopped herself before touching those doors.

\'Can\'t do that... Can\'t do that... It would be a betrayal... Of sorts?\'

Elisa turned away from the Exit.

The Moonlit Feline was seated at the center of the Boss Room.

It patiently waited.

Elisa walked over and took a seat in front of Krista.

"Think he\'ll say yes?"

The Moonlit Feline tilted its head to the side.

"My Request, want to hear it?"

The curious Krista tilted her head even further.

***

"Shut up."

"I\'m just saying. In truth, he did us a solid by taking them away.

"Shut up."

"Think about it. You know it\'s true. You just have to accept it."

Mark clicked his tongue.

"You said it yourself. You\'ve lived a whole life needing help, unable to do things on your own, relying on others for everything. You don\'t want help anymore. You want to do things yourself."

"Don\'t lecture me about what I want."

"Argh..." She rolled her eyes. "We both know I\'m right. It\'s time for you to go your own way. To do things on your own."

Mark remained silent.

"Listen..." The woman positioned herself by his side. Side by side, the two lay on the ground and stared at the ceiling. "Let\'s talk about the Guardians. Ten of them, right? One of them had the most impact on you. Which one?"

"Levi."

"Wrong."

"The Fire Spirit-"

"Wrong. It\'s the Minotaur."

"Huh...? How is that even-"

"The first Guardian you Devoured."

Mark shut his mouth.

"Why did you devour that one, Mark?"

He didn\'t answer.

"Why?" She pressed.

"Because I wanted to become stronger."

"That\'s right. Why didn\'t you Devour the two previous ones? Remember them? The Orc-like Boss Monster and the Chimera? Your dear and long gone Kalès and Kira."

"Because..."

"Because?"

"Because I..."

"You...?"

"I thought it was the right thing to do at the time."

"Mm." She nodded. "Why did you think that?"

"Because..."

"You wanted help."

Mark brought a hand to his face and massaged his forehead.

"You were still used to needing help. To being unable to do things on your own. It\'s time to break away, Mark. You Revived them because you were scared. Because you were still used to others doing your bidding."

"Your point being?"

The woman sighed.

For a moment, Mark was amazed and astonished by the fact that the unconscious part of his mind could materialize itself.

But then, the fact that it could freely construct and create dreams, the fact that it could-

She snapped her fingers twice.

eaglesnovɐ1,сoМ "Don\'t let your mind wander. We\'re having an important discussion here."

Mark repeated words he had been told some time ago.

"There is no we."

"Yeah, yeah, sure." She pushed herself back and lay her head on a piece of rubble. "There must be a reason why he took them away, Mark."

"I don\'t care."

"You should. And, in truth, you do. The other Candidates probably don\'t have Underlings. It\'s a Skill you developed by Evolving after all."

"So?"

"So you gained something great, but, perhaps, lost something greater."

"Stop talking in riddles."

"Riddles are what I do. Remember? Dreams? Nightmares?" She chuckled.

Mark didn\'t find it funny.

"The other Candidates must have spent a long time in their Dungeons. More time than you have in this one, since you\'re the first to make it to your Dungeon\'s Exit."

"Okay, and-"

"And they spent all of that time alone. Without Underlings, without anyone to talk to, and without anyone on their side." She turned her face towards him. "Can you imagine how lonely it must have been for them? How hard? Both mentally and physically?"

"I guess."

"No. No, you don\'t know. You can\'t because you haven\'t spent time alone. There was always something or someone by your side. They went through something much more difficult, Mark. And there\'s one thing we know about this world..."

"The more difficult things are to accomplish..."

"The more you are rewarded by accomplishing them. Right. Now, what did they gain by being alone? What did you lose by having Underlings?"

Mark knew the answer, but he didn\'t want to say it.

"You put yourself on the line for them. You check on them in the middle of battle. You protect them. You care for them. Mark."

He turned his face towards hers and stared into her vibrant eyes.

"It\'s why you didn\'t want to trust Elisa. Why you wanted to kill her. Sure, that desire didn\'t last long, but you get the point."

"I do." Mark answered as his gaze went back to the ceiling.

"What is it, the thing they gained that you lost?"

He remained silent for a moment, and she started fading away.

Mark clenched his fists.

"Selfishness."