His body was still trembling, the wound on his hand not yet fully healed after attempting to break the chains that sealed Lyrith. Alvaric sat cross-legged in front of her. His breathing was heavy. Every time he tried, the seal on the chains lashed back at him.
He stared at Lyrith's face, hidden behind strands of messy hair, her eyes still closed. There was no expression, but Alvaric knew—deep down, she was conscious. Still waiting.
"If this keeps going… nothing will ever end," he muttered.
He glanced up at the rocky ceiling, then shut his eyes. He tried to think harder. It was difficult, but from the novels he had read, every seal should have a way to be broken. The only problem was—he didn't know how.
He had no clue what to do. He had already tried various methods of unsealing based on what he remembered from novels, but every one of them failed. Worse, his body kept getting shocked by the cursed electricity from the chains.
Alvaric rubbed his chin. "If it stays like this, I'll be stuck here forever."
He lay down, frustrated and bored of this place. For a moment, he thought he should leave and take Niva back to the den to give her a proper burial. But Alvaric felt he had come too far to give up now.
Just one step left. He had to finish this. If he left, it wouldn't just mean failing to protect Niva, but also breaking the promise he made to the Giant Sandworm.
Alvaric stood up. "I know this is stupid, but it's worth a try."
He walked over to Lyrith, standing in front of the demon girl and gazing at her face. Alvaric nodded to himself and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. He held her for a long time, closing his eyes. There was no reaction, but he maintained his position.
One minute. Three minutes. Even five minutes passed without a single movement. Alvaric remained still. He actually felt comfortable—Lyrith's body was soft. This was his first time hugging a woman, and to him, it felt amazing. He could've stayed like this forever.
"Pervert."
Alvaric flinched. He opened his eyes, and a blinding light forced them to squint. The sound of chains clattering to the ground filled the air. He was still holding Lyrith.
Then a hand pushed him away. He stumbled back and saw Lyrith standing up. The chains hadn't all fallen, but her eyes were open. She was awake.
"Where am I?" Lyrith asked.
Alvaric scratched his head. He explained everything he knew. Lyrith listened attentively, nodding a few times. She now understood she had been sealed, but when she tugged at the chain wrapped around her hands, it wouldn't come off.
Lyrith raised one hand and channeled magic into it. Then, without warning, she slashed her own hand. Alvaric, witnessing this, immediately rushed to stop her.
"Why did you do that?"
"Why did you stop me?" Lyrith responded with a question of her own.
Alvaric scratched his head again, confused. "Because you're going to hurt yourself."
Lyrith tilted her head, puzzled. Alvaric's answer didn't make sense to her. "Why do you care? Do we even know each other? Are we friends?"
That question left Alvaric speechless. It felt like rejection—even though he hadn't confessed anything. The air grew awkward.
Lyrith continued what she intended to do, but once again, Alvaric grabbed her hand to stop her. He shook his head repeatedly.
"Don't do this. You'll mutilate yourself," he warned again.
Lyrith grew even more confused. She stared at Alvaric for a while before resuming her action. This time, Alvaric was flung back by a magical force. Lyrith severed her own hand. The palm dropped to the floor.
Blood gushed from her severed wrist. The chain clattered down.
She did the same to both of her legs, and even the other hand. Alvaric turned his head away. It was too gruesome to watch.
"One more."
She lifted her hand toward her neck. Only one chain remained. Without expression, she severed her own neck. Her head dropped to the floor.
At the same time, her body collapsed. Slowly, the dismembered parts of her body began to move and reattach themselves.
Alvaric was awestruck. He was stunned to witness such a thing existed in this world. Though, to be fair, he was stranger himself.
Lyrith stood up. She walked over to Alvaric and stared at him for a while before speaking.
"Who am I? And where is this?"
Alvaric frowned. "Didn't I already explain this to you earlier?" He wasn't sure, but at least Lyrith had some idea.
Lyrith tilted her head again. "I don't remember."
Alvaric stood. "My name is Alvaric. This place is an underground dungeon. You were sealed here by a being that descended from the sky. And…" Alvaric pointed at Niva, who lay lifeless. "She was my close friend. You killed her."
Lyrith fell silent. She blinked a few times. "I killed her? Am I evil?" she asked with an innocent face.
Alvaric wanted to say 'yes', but he held back and shook his head.
"You didn't do it on purpose."
Lyrith looked at Niva. She stood still for a while, then slowly walked toward her. Alvaric followed behind, unsure what Lyrith was planning to do.
She sat down and placed her hand on Niva's chest.
"Did she die because of me?" Lyrith asked again, her voice quiet.
"Yes," Alvaric answered with a heavy heart. "You killed her… but it was an accident."
Lyrith closed her eyes. Her breath trembled. Silence thickened around them. From her body, magic energy began to flow—calm but powerful. Light wrapped around her palm as she touched Niva's chest.
Slowly, the magic seeped into Niva's body, tracing each wound, repairing torn tissues, sealing deep gashes. Niva's breath was faint—barely there.
Alvaric stood beside them, watching in confusion. "You're… healing her?"
"She died because of me," Lyrith answered without looking up, her voice flat. "I won't let her stay this way."
She channeled more mana—deeper, faster. Her body trembled under the pressure, but she didn't stop. The light from her hand grew brighter. The magic reached into Niva's core, forcing her heart to beat again, her lungs to breathe.
Seconds passed.
Then—
Niva coughed faintly.
Lyrith opened her eyes.
Niva stirred weakly. She didn't open her eyes yet, but she was alive again.
Alvaric had been silent the whole time. He didn't expect Niva to be brought back to life.
Lyrith stood and faced Alvaric. She smiled brightly. "Am I evil?" she asked again.
And then she collapsed. Alvaric rushed forward to catch her. He helped her sit and leaned her against the wall. Then, he gave a small smile.
Alvaric shook his head. "You're not evil."
Lyrith smiled in relief. "Thank you."