The world around her warped into the shadows, twisting through dark and light before spitting her out against the farthest wall.

She had no idea what was happening as another weight flattened her into the dirt.

Iliya's breathing came out in ragged, dry rasps as her panting subsided. Darkness had enveloped their surroundings as her mana gave out. Her vision was heavily obscured by shaggy waves of black hair brushing against her cheeks; she couldn't see more than a puddle of black ink where the monster had once been behind them.

Sorein was frozen above her, arms steeled around her small frame as he shielded her with his body.

The boulders crumpled to the floor just beyond them.

Safe.

They were safe.

She blinked and tipped her head back to find their bodies mere centimeters apart, feeling the weight of his thighs lightly pressing against her hips.

Still so much taller, towering above even as he ducked his head.

Thoughts began swarming her mind, rattling around. How they should get up, move, and investigate.

But Iliya merely found herself watching Sorein, still statuesque. His own breaths were shallow, but controlled. The caves were dark, swallowing the light with them as her vision strained to see more than those silver-gray eyes now peeking down at her.

Move.

She should move.

But her body lay beneath him, unmoving.

He inhaled, the tense sigh escaping him caressed her cheeks.

Iliya's lips parted to speak, the horrors of the mutilated demon blood behind them spreading over the ground. This man, her friend, had saved her. Again.

They were soaked in the grime and sludge, sulfur clogging the air with its foul odor.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Sorein lifted one of his hands from beside her head and gripped her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Examining her eyes, her face.

Inspecting for damage, she thought.

Clinical, purely clinical.

She'd never seen him so concentrated, analyzing her as best he could in the darkness.

"You're so impulsive," he whispered into the space between them.

Sorein's eyes traced down to her lips long enough for her to wonder if she had a cut or the stain of blood covered her face too.

The weight of his hips pressed against her for only another moment before he righted himself, pulling away.

She couldn't understand what was happening, her scattered thoughts did very little as she struggled for words. Iliya was certain she should say something. Do something.

His strength was potentially waning from the fight, yet...

His eyes flickered back up to hers. "Are you hurt?" he asked softly.

Sorein's voice was a gentle echo that whispered along the walls. The sound sent shivers cresting over Iliya's arms.

She was barely able to shake her head. No. She was not.

"Are you?" She managed to whisper back.

No matter how hard she tried, Iliya couldn't completely catch her breath. Not with the nearness of him, the adrenaline still buzzing in her head.

He shook his head. "No."

Safe.

They were safe.

Iliya continued to chant it over and over again in her head as his lips twitched into a smirk.

Sorein pushed himself off her entirely now, the attack wearing off. His hand dropped away from her face as he moved, examining what he could see through her sludge soaked clothes.

The ghostly touch of his hand now absent, she felt her cheeks heating up as he offered her a hand.

Taking it, Iliya felt weak as he hauled her up and stared towards the exit.

"Let's go," he murmured, tugging her after him.

Sorein didn't let go of her hand as they retraced their steps, only releasing his grip when the dim light of the Aphyre flickered near the end of the tunnel.

Their jarring experience sapped the life from both of them.

Sorein bent down and threaded his fingers together. "Come on, I'll toss you back up."

She frowned. "What about you?"

"Trust me," he said, meeting her hard stare. "I'll be right behind you."

Without another though, Iliya stepped into his locked hands and was flung up through the hole they'd come from.. Her butt slipped against the metallic dome despite being more dry than the rest of her.

Sorein followed suit, jumping with a force that scared her as he kicked off the Aphyre and landed on the platform by his knees.

"Irie," he said after catching his breath "Next time, tell me where we're going."

She looked from his face down to the ruined sweater. "Are you wishing you'd worn layers?" she quipped, smirking a little.

Sorein huffed a dry laugh and rolled his eyes. "I'm wishing I'd known what I was in for, yes."

Iliya stood, the heels of her boots sliding over the sleek surface. Gritting her teeth, she reached up with her Raisa and tethered herself to the railings above.

Her first attempt was unsuccessful.

In a couple quick steps, Iliya's feet slipped out from under her and she landed on her hip, hissing.

Sorein failed to hold in his laughter.

"Let's see you try it again," he said, chuckling.

Embarrassment blanketed her as she stood again, narrowing her eyes on the goal in front of her. Bracing herself, Iliya ran for the wall again, scaling it with brutal efficiency and grasping the rails.

The Prince clapped behind her, launching himself up the dome and landing on the edge.

She knew they had to be quick before someone saw them, so Iliya hopped the bars and started creeping through the shelves, playing Sorein would follow her.

His presence was a soft reminder behind her.

"You've returned," a clipped voice chimed from one of the work tables. Iliya's heart bottomed out. "I was beginning to wonder if the tunnels had taken you from us."

Her throat tightened as she came to stand in front of her grandfather, golden eyes blazing. Ezre toed the line of more rage than Iliya had ever seen, even as he leaned against the table with crossed arms. Fierce anger wrapped in elegance, his frame almost obscuring the real betrayal.

Behind him, Siofra sat at one of the chairs, lurched over the solid surface. Her face washed over with guilt and pain.

Weight pressed against the back of her arm, Sorein's body standing tall behind her in reassurance. Iliya almost sighed with relief when he rested his hand on her shoulder.

She had no words for Ezre, feeling the fear creeping up her spine.

"Did either of you consider that you might get yourselves killed?" Ezre snapped.

"I did," Sorein said calmly, leveling his icy stare with the flames before them. "Were you aware that more Taqrias live beneath the Aphyre?"

Iliya's gut clenched.

Questioning her grandfather when he was this angry was not a smart decision.

Ezre narrowed his eyes on Sorein, jaw grinding. "Iliya, you're dismissed."

"No..." she whispered. "Ezre this was my fault, he only came with me because I wasn't listening. Please."

His gaze slashed to her. "You act like I'm going to kill the man for protecting you," he growled, stalking toward her. "You are dismissed, now go."

She followed Ezre's pointed finger toward the door, tears burning in her eyes. Their discussion might become a male battle for dominance, but he wasn't violent.

Iliya swallowed back her rebuttal and strode for the entrance, taking one shaky breath after another. She heard footsteps following after her, soft and unlike the warriors of her family.

The only option left her livid.

"Don't you dare chase me," Iliya said over her shoulder, hiding her own glaring anger. "I don't need your excuses."

She didn't see Siofra stop, only sure the sound of footsteps disappeared as she paced through the grounds and passed the game room.

Her clothes were drying wrinkled and stiff, crunching as she went. Bathing might take a week's time now that the blood had turned sticky like old syrup. The idea made Iliya want to vomit over the marble floors.

"Iliya," a soft voice called after her. "Where are you go–" his voice died at the sight of her.

Noah's eyes hardened, walking quickly to catch her halted body.

She couldn't turn, couldn't meet his eyes, so she continued to squeeze them shut. Her tears wouldn't help anyone, least of all him.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

Iliya shook her head, afraid of the roaring in her head. Those thoughts wouldn't cease, begging her to go back. To stop their battle of minds.

"The Grand Archive," she murmured, nails digging into the palms of her hands. "Ezre and Sorein..."

Noah blinked.

For a moment he seemed to consider the tiny pieces of information she'd given before nodding.

"How can I help?" he asked again.

A tear slipped out from beneath the lid, streaking down her cheek. She was so sick of these raw emotions punishing her. Iliya took another deep breath and tried again.

"Make sure he's okay..." she answered, the words barely audible. "Go to the Archive if you have to, but please... Find out what's going on."

"Was there another attack?" he offered slowly.

She nodded.

Not in the way Noah was thinking, surely. But she knew that's what Ezre thought too.

"They're in the Archive?"

Another nod.

"I found Qudja for you," he said.

Iliya opened her eyes at that, her gaze shooting down to the sack of books Ezre hadn't bothered to take from her. She still needed answers.

"She'll meet you in your rooms tonight after dinner," he finished, reaching out to squeeze her arm. "Go get cleaned up."

Iliya agreed, mutely waving as her new friend disappeared down the corridor she'd come from.

She needed to get clean.

She needed to scrub everything away.

Her steps were heavy as she disappeared into the awful quiet of her mind.