The next day, the stench of death lingered as Adexander walked through the dark corridors of the dungeon, each footstep quiet, but with purpose. His mind wasn't on the immediate fight, nor the tasks that lay ahead. It was the voices, again, that bothered him.
> "You can't outrun your past, Crimson."
They whispered like echoes, barely audible, but persistent.
Adexander's crimson eyes narrowed. He wasn't running from anything—not anymore. The question, however, remained. Why was he still hearing these voices? His past, the life he had once lived—was it now trying to drag him back? Or was it something deeper, tied to this place, this cursed land he found himself in?
---
Hours later, Raik joined him, the faint clink of his blade cutting through the silence.
> "What's got you so damn quiet today?" Raik asked, voice gruff. He was still as irreverent as always, but there was an edge to his tone—an unease he couldn't mask.
Adexander said nothing, his gaze locked on the cavern ahead. His eyes had become distant, filled with thoughts only he could truly understand. What did it matter if he had once been a king? What did it matter if his bloodline was tied to death and destruction?
> "You've been like this for hours. At least tell me you've got some plan," Raik pushed, irritation building.
Finally, Adexander spoke, his voice low and calm.
> "No plan. Only survival."
Raik snorted.
> "Survival? Hell, I figured you'd have more fire than that."
Adexander's lips twitched, a thin smile tugging at the edges of his mouth.
> "Fire… can burn out. But survival? That never fades."
---
As they pressed forward, the dungeon twisted in unnatural ways. Walls shifted. The air grew colder. And then the sound of scraping claws echoed from the dark.
Adexander's senses sharpened. His eyes flicked toward the shadows, muscles coiling in preparation.
> "Watch yourself," he muttered, gripping his bone dagger.
Raik raised an eyebrow. He drew his curved blade, the gleam of metal lighting up the murk.
> "What, are we about to fight a ghost? Or something worse?"
> "Worse," Adexander said simply.
---
And then, they appeared.
A group of spectral hounds, their bodies barely visible in the shadows, their eyes glowing with malice. They growled low, but the sound was enough to set the hairs on their necks on edge. Their ethereal forms flickered in and out of reality, phasing between dimensions.
Adexander's gaze sharpened. This was no ordinary fight. These weren't just beasts—they were cursed, souls bound by something darker than mere hunger.
Raik grinned.
> "Finally, some fun."
Adexander didn't respond. He just moved.
The first hound lunged, claws extending toward him, but Adexander was faster. He ducked, spinning low to the ground and slamming his elbow into the hound's side, sending it skittering across the floor.
Raik charged in, blades flashing like streaks of light. He danced around the second hound with reckless abandon, slashing at it with speed that belied his wild nature. But Adexander's focus remained.
One by one, the hounds fell. But it wasn't until the last one—a massive, glowing beast—made its move that things truly escalated.
The hound's jaws snapped open, releasing a burst of dark energy that threatened to consume everything in its path. Adexander reacted, his body moving almost instinctively as he slashed upward with his bone dagger, deflecting the attack.
But the blow wasn't enough. The energy grazed his side, tearing through his makeshift armor, and sent him crashing to the ground.
Raik cursed.
> "You alright, kid?"
Adexander's crimson eyes blazed with fury. His blood burned with power, but it wasn't enough.
> "No. I'm not alright," he muttered, his voice colder than the dungeon air.
Raik was about to rush in to help, but Adexander stood first. Slowly. His form was scarred, but unbroken.
> "I don't need help."
With that, he charged forward, his anger an unstoppable force. The last hound lunged again, but this time, Adexander was prepared. His eyes glowed brighter than ever, the force within him awakening—power that hadn't been seen since his past life.
> "Crimson Tempest," he hissed under his breath.
A surge of energy erupted from him, and the dungeon trembled. Raik blinked in astonishment as Adexander's body exploded with raw power, his strike so fast, so precise, that the last hound never stood a chance.
With a single motion, the beast was torn apart.
Adexander fell to one knee, panting heavily, but his eyes burned with an intensity that had yet to be extinguished.
> "Survival," he whispered.
---
Later, around the campfire, Raik remained silent for a moment, staring at the fire. The flickering flames reflected in his eyes.
> "Kid… you really are something else," he muttered.
Adexander didn't respond, his mind far away.
> "No one's ever made it this far without breaking," Raik added, his voice quieter now. "But you? You're different. I don't know who the hell you are, but you're not normal. And that—"
He paused, eyes narrowing.
> "That's exactly why I'm sticking around."
Adexander didn't say a word. He didn't need to.
---
The night grew colder. The wind whispered.
But inside the dungeon, amidst the flames, there was a promise.
Adexander wasn't done.