Celize brushed off her clothes and pushed a loose strand of her newly shortened hair behind her ear. "Let's go," she said, her voice steady even if her eyes were still a little red from earlier. "Que'Tol is still far away."
Kevin nodded and fell in step behind her as they began descending the ridge. Compared to the relentless climb the night before, the way down felt merciful—soft dirt, steady footholds, and the light breeze carrying the scent of pine and damp stone.
Halfway down, they stumbled upon a small horde of scavenger rabbits. They started surrounding Kevin and Celize, Ready to attack anytime soon.
Kevin sighed. "What a timing."
He snapped his fingers. "Come out, Black Rabbit. Meet your kins."
A ripple of shadow peeled away from his feet, coiling upward like smoke until Black Rabbit emerged fully, its tall, humanoid-rabbit silhouette still carrying the eerie stiffness of something half-evolved. The scavenger rabbits took one look at its burning red eyes and scattered like frightened birds.
"Don't chase," Kevin ordered.
Black Rabbit halted mid-step, then retreated quietly into Kevin's shadow.
A soft chime echoed.
"Congratulations. You obtained Soul Fragment."
Kevin blinked. Huh. That counts?
The system chimed again.
So as long as the soulborne has killing intent toward me and I spare it… I still get fragments? Weird.
Beside him, Celize let out a low whistle. "Kevin… how did you get such a powerful familiar?"
He turned to her. "A what?"
"A familiar." She tilted her head at Black Rabbit's resting shadow. "Adventurers—especially those from established houses—sometimes awaken with the ability to contract one. They're like… companions tied to their soul. But you—" She gestured helplessly. "You have a black knight and… you brought Sallie back from the dead. Are you… a Celestial Kin?"
Kevin raised an eyebrow. "A what?"
"Celestial Kin." Her tone dropped to a whisper, reverent and uncertain. "Ancient bloodlines with godlike abilities. Some could mend bodies, raise the dead, even reshape souls. But those are only stories. No one has seen one in centuries."
Kevin shrugged. "I'm not a Celestial Kin. I'm a Moonchild."
Celize stumbled on the trail. "A… Moonchild?"
"Yeah. One of my skills lets me turn soulbornes and even humans into shadows. Or 'familiars,' like you said. But Sallie? She's already dead. What you see now isn't her. That thing has no memories, no soul, no free will. Just a shadow that follows my orders."
Celize's eyes lowered, sadness softening her expression. "Sallie… she came to my household when I was young. We played together. She braided my hair when I couldn't reach the back. She stayed by my bed whenever I fell sick."
Kevin pressed his lips together, debating whether to tell Celize the truth—that Sallie betrayed her for gold. But he swallowed the words. Some wounds didn't need more salt.
They walked on in silence, emerging into a stretch of thick trees and moss-spotted boulders. A giant boar charged from the underbrush, tusks scraping the dirt, but then halted abruptly when Black Rabbit's crimson eyes flickered from the shadows. It turned tail and bolted back into the forest.
It happened again with a horned fox, then a pack of stone-jaw badgers. Every creature fled.
Kevin lifted his hands playfully. "This is great. I don't even need to fight, and I'm still earned soul fragments."
He earned a flat look from Celize, though a smile tugged at her lips.
But as they walked, Kevin's curiosity returned. "Why are all the soulbornes here just primal beasts? Not a single Fallen."
"We're still within the Outer Wall of the Corano Kingdom," Celize explained. "The inner wall is completely safe—no soulbornes at all. That's where most citizens live…"
Celize continued, "…but Que'tol… it's one of the frontier towns built close to the Outer Wall. The closer we get the more soulbornes we encounter."
Kevin frowned. "Why build towns close to danger?"
"Because danger brings opportunity," Celize answered. "Most who live in towns like Que'tol are adventurers or merchants. Soulborne materials fetch high prices—especially soul crystals."
"So people risk their lives for gold," Kevin said.
"Not just gold." Celize looked ahead. "For strength too. Soul crystals are the fastest way to earn soul fragments. Adventurers need fragments to grow."
Kevin nodded. "So we're pretty much the same as adventurers."
"Exactly."
"How much does a soul crystal cost?"
Celize shrugged. "I… actually don't know."
Kevin chuckled. "Then I seriously can't wait to get to Que'Tol."
"Me too," Celize murmured.
Hours passed. The sun climbed high, casting moving shadows across the terrain as they trekked through a narrow valley framed by steep cliffs. Near a bend in the path, half-hidden behind hanging vines, they spotted a cave mouth—dark, deep, and wide.
Kevin slowed, excitement creeping into his voice. "A cave. Want to explore?"
Celize sighed long and dramatically, shoulders drooping as if he'd requested she wrestle a bear. "Do we have to?"
"It might have soulbornes," Kevin said with a grin. "Loot. Crystals. Maybe even storage rings."
"Or," Celize countered, "it could have a sleeping Fallen boar that will turn us into red stains on the ground."
Kevin pressed his palms together mockingly. "Please. We have Black Rabbit, he's Fallen Beast, too."
Celize shut her eyes, exhaled slowly, and muttered, "Why am I traveling with a madman… Fine. We can take a look."
He grinned triumphantly.
She poked his forehead. "But we run if anything feels wrong."
"Deal."
They approached the cave entrance cautiously. Cool air drifted out, carrying the earthy smell of moisture and something metallic—iron? Blood? Kevin couldn't tell. The cave widened quickly, swallowing light and sound until only their footsteps echoed through the stone corridor.
Celize walked slightly behind him, her hood drawn, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword. "I can't see far. Don't go running off."
"Relax," Kevin whispered.
The air thickened—warning.
Kevin stopped. "Something's in here."
Before Celize could respond, several tiny, glowing eyes blinked to life in the cavern's darkest corners. One pair. Then three. Then more.
Dozens.
The creatures emerged with clicking mandibles and bristling black fur—cave mites, no larger than a child's torso but infamous for swarming prey until nothing remained but bones.
They charged.
Kevin didn't call the Black Rabbit yet. He dashed forward, meeting the first mite with a swift kick that sent it skidding across the stone wall. Another jumped toward his shoulder, but he grabbed it midair and smashed it down.
They popped like overripe fruit.
The swarm kept coming.
Sallie silently emerged from Kevin's shadow, her darkened robe trailing behind her. Without emotion, she raised her hand. A faint, dim-green pulse shot outward, blasting three mites into the air like tossed pebbles.
Celize stared, breath catching. Even dead, Sallie moved with frightening grace.
But the mites kept flooding out.