"Ugh..." Gregory groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "...Oli?" he glanced at his friend in concern.

"...Greg..." Oliver faintly muttered, still unconscious.

"Oliver!" Gregory shook his friend.

"...Greg," Oliver mumbled.

Gregory leaned close to his friend's face. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

Oliver shook his head and opened his eyes. "...Greg?"

"Oli," Gregory grasped his friend's head and embraced him. "Thank God you're awake, friend!"

"Are you alright?" Oliver slowly rose, feeling heavy.

"Yeah," Gregory sighed as he pulled away from Oliver.

"Where are we?" Oliver rubbed his forehead as he looked around.

"Still in the lake. But it's too dark to see much," Gregory replied, gazing at the starry night sky.

"Where's the hole?" Oliver inquired, scanning the environment.

"Oli, please... don't," Gregory pleaded, holding Oliver's hands. "I cannot bear to lose you. We were close to death only moments ago."

"...Greg. I can do it alone. Perhaps, if I went alone, I could have secured that hole by now," Oliver said.

"What do you mean?" Gregory asked, furrowing his brow.

"You interfered with my duty, that's all!" Oliver replied.

Gregory's eyebrows furrowed deeper. "If I hadn't, you might have perished," he stated.

"I appreciate your companionship, but I must complete this quest alone if you cannot trust me," Oliver said, standing up and turning away from Gregory as he crossed his arms.

Gregory stood up. "...Wow," he murmured.

"What...?" Oliver asked, turning back to face him.

"But you always wanted me by your side," Gregory glared at Oliver.

"I do... but not at this moment!" Oliver exclaimed, his frustration growing.

"Because you don't want me to get hurt. I understand! I know," Gregory said, placing his hand on his chest. "Am I that precious to you!?"

"Yes, of course, you are precious to me! You're my friend!" Oliver yelled. "...My closest friend..." Oliver sighed.

"Oli..." Gregory whispered.

"What...?" Oliver responded softly.

"Do I need to remind you of my promise again?" Gregory asked calmly.

"Your promise?" Oliver said as he hugged himself for warmth.

"...I recall last year promising you that I would protect you. I assured you that you could trust me. And you did. But when you discovered that I am the son of the man who assassinated your family, you lost faith in me..." Gregory remarked, sitting down. "I tried to convince you that I am not like my father. I always want to protect you, Oli. And in the end, I proved that I am always on your side... I will always be on your side, as I promised. Oliver, you are my friend. I will always be with you."

"...But, Greg. I only want to keep you from harm," Oliver said as he turned around.

Gregory sighed before replying, "You have endured more difficulties than I. My father merely abuses me by beating me when I disobey him. But you...?" Gregory stood up and stepped closer to Oliver, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "...You have experienced extreme sorrow after your family's death; you have grown wary of society because you could not move on from that fateful hour; cruel people adopted you not out of love... but to exploit your elemental powers for their gain; you entered into an arranged marriage with a woman you did not love as a partner... but only as a friend; you fled from your previous adoptive parents because they would beat you for cancelling the marriage... and you had to learn that your closest friend... me...!" Gregory paused, mustering his courage to continue. "...Is the son of the man that took away your family..." he ventured.

"Greg... why are you saying these things?" Oliver pouted.

"I do not mean to weaken or frighten you by recounting your past," Gregory said. "I solely wish to remind you how strong you are for enduring those hardships. But I do not wish for you to encounter new difficulties. So, please... do not attempt to enter that hole alone..."

"I understand. I do not want any new conflicts either. However, I thought all of my problems were gone when I assumed it was all done..." Oliver said, gazing at the vortex in the distance shrouded in fog as the moonlight illuminated his golden eyes.

Gregory stood beside Oliver as they looked at the hole together. "But, look... you survived them all. You are a strong man, indeed," Gregory stated.

"...Thank you," Oliver smiled as they reconciled.