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Chapter Text

Subaru woke up with a sigh, exhausted after a very long sleep. The first thing he realized was that he was completely restrained, trapped in some kind of metal capsule with several others around the room he was in. Another thing he could see was his captor, a kind of floating octopus man with tentacles coming out of his head.

The octopus man slowly approached another capsule with a frog-like woman. Subaru couldn't see properly due to the distance, but he heard the woman screaming in agony before fainting.

“Shit, how did I end up here!” Subaru thought, feeling too tired to speak.

Suddenly he felt something crawling in his mind, making Subaru turn his attention to the creature in front of him that was holding some kind of maggot between its fingers.

At that moment, small tentacles came out of the creature and it opened its mouth revealing several sharp teeth hissing at Subaru before it advanced.

And once again, Subaru slept.

One of the capsules opened with a soft hiss allowing Subaru to stand up, feeling more energetic than before. He quickly got out of his prison and looked around the destroyed room, noticing most of the broken and destroyed equipment with another capsule next to it.

Subaru looked down at his hands before looking at his own reflection in the liquid on the floor and he couldn't help but reflect on how awful he looked.

His hair was longer, falling almost all over his head, his eyes were dark and there was an unnatural pallor to his skin. In addition to the state of his clothes, his old jacket was dirty with mud, blood and other things he didn't even know what they were, with a simple cloak around his shoulders in a similar state. 

Unfortunately, the state of his clothes predated his capture. From the moment he was abandoned by Emilia...

“...Who are you?”

Startled by the new voice, Subaru turned around, pulling a small chipped dagger from his belt, his eyes widening at what he saw.

A humanoid dragon, it had white scales with a red tinge, with several horns coming out of the back of its head with crimson eyes staring at Subaru, with a mixture of confusion, doubt and... malice?

“Great... Another person with a desire to kill me, just perfect.” Subaru reflects, taking a step back. “But he looks as lost as I do... do I even have a choice here?”

Suddenly they both had to grab their heads, a strong pain jolted through them as they felt something turning over inside their brains, while Subaru and Dark Urge were able to visualize flashes of blood, fighting, screams of pain, deaths, shame and fear. However, as quickly as the images came, they disappeared, leaving the two stunned before facing each other.

“I'm Subaru Natsuki.” Subaru says hello, slipping the dagger back into his belt under the dragonoid's watchful eye. “And who are you?”

The creature in front of Subaru remained silent for a few seconds, frowning in thought. “...Dark Urge, I think.”

"...Dark Urge? What kind of name is that? Your parents must have some kind of twisted sense of humor, huh?" Subaru couldn't help but laugh a little hesitantly, which was only made worse by seeing how lost Dark Urge looked.

“I wouldn't know, I can't remember anything before I woke up here.” Dark Urge shrugged.

“...So I guess we're almost in the same situation, I'm not sure how I got here either, but I think we can escape from here together.” Subaru offers, hoping that Dark Urge will accept, after all unlike him, Subaru was weak with nothing but a lousy dagger to defend himself.

“Okay.” 

“...You accepted?” Subaru couldn't help but ask incredulously, prompting Dark Urge to nod.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

"I don't remember anything and you're here. Following you is a better option than just staying here." Dark Urge shrugged.

“...That guy's an idiot.” Subaru couldn't help but sigh before accepting what Dark Urge said and moving on, they didn't have time to debate their partnership right now. “All right, let's go.”

With that, Subaru turned to look around the room before heading towards a door there. He quickly pulled out his dagger while Dark Urge pulled out a staff, making Subaru notice that he was dressed like a media wizard from his world.

The two quickly moved on, entering a second room that was larger than the previous one and more technological than any Subaru had seen since he was transported to Lugnica. He glanced at Dark Urge and signaled to the second floor, making his companion nod before the two separated.

Subaru walked around the room, passing the tables as he looked at some kind of alien technology in a language that certainly wasn't the same language Ram had taught him, let alone Japanese. A feeling of dread began to build up in the back of Subaru's mind, trembling that his intuition was right.

Just then, Subaru noticed something, a body lying on a table. Slowly, he approached and felt his heart stop for a brief moment, he was seeing a goblin.

A goblin!

Goblins didn't exist in Lugnica, he knew that, just as there were no more dragons and yet here was a goblin and Dark Urge was a humanoid dragon. Unfortunately, he could no longer deny it...

“I...” Subaru muttered, falling to his knees. “I've been transported to another world...”

Subaru remained slumped for a few seconds before swallowing and getting up with a troubled but determined look on his face. This time he had an ally and a simple mission, to escape from his captors. After that, he could have his existential crisis.

“Subaru, come here!” Dark Urge called out, causing Subaru to raise his head where he saw his current ally waving at him.

Dark Urge, looked confusedly at Subaru who was visibly uncomfortable talking to the exposed brain that was responding to them telepathically.

“Yes, you two came to save us from this place, from this place you will free us.” The brain continued talking to both of them, in a childish tone of voice. “Please, before they come back!”

"Who are we talking to? The man or the human?" Subaru asks cautiously, approaching the brain, somehow overcoming his nausea.

"A newborn. Born again from that shell."

“Yes, not threatening at all.” Subaru thinks narrowing his eyes before looking at Dark Urge staring at him expectantly and all the destruction around them. “But we've been captured and this place is under attack from possible enemies, we'll need all the help we can get.”

“Okay, we'll help you, but what can we do?”

"Remove us from this body. You must free us from this husk. Please!" The brain begged, making Subaru sigh before looking at Dark Urge and waving at him.

Seeing the signal, Dark Urge approached the body before placing his hands inside the sides of the skull, causing Subaru to shudder as he noticed how the Draconate didn't seem bothered by it, and with that, gently removed the brain from inside the body.

Suddenly, the brain began to shake in his hands and fell to the ground, growing in size as tentacles came out of it along with four legs, causing the creature to stand up and face them.

"We're free! Our freedom is ours! Thank you friends." The brain thanked them before stopping for a few seconds and looking directly at them. "We should go to the control booth. In the cabin they need us."

“What should we call you then?” Subaru asked as Dark Urge crossed his arms watching the interaction.

"Us. We're Us."

"Okay then, Us. What exactly is in the helm?" Hearing Subaru's question, his brain tensed, seeming to think about the question.

With that Subaru turned quickly to Dark Urge, catching his eye before whispering:

“If it attacks us, kill it.”

Dark Urge nodded at the request and the two of them went back to staring at the brain.

"Didn't you hear? We're going to die if we stay here. We must sail, we must leave this realm." The brain explained in a confused tone of voice.

"...It seems we don't have much choice. Are you ready?" Subaru asked, looking at Dark Urge who just stared at him. “Perfect, then let's go.”

The unlikely trio made up of a human, a draconate and a brain, managed to get out of the ship where they saw an unrecognizable place, mountains in the distance, with a dark mist surrounding them with a reddish sky. Subaru stopped briefly to observe his surroundings, hearing roars in the distance.

“Sure enough, we're not in Lugnica anymore...” Subaru's eyes widened at the destruction.

Suddenly, a shadow passed over the three of them as a dragon passed them by when a new figure landed right in front of them, this time it was the toad woman Subaru had seen earlier wearing armor and wielding a longsword.

"Abominations. The end of you is here!" growls the woman, readying her sword.

Suddenly, Subaru, Dark Urge and the woman clutched their heads as images began to appear in their minds: dragon wings, the silver sword and their faces seen through the woman's eyes.

“Oh, my head, what was that... ngh.” The woman grunted in pain, clutching her chest, before her eyes softened in relief and she faced the two boys in front of her. "Tsk'va. You're not Thralls. Vlaakith has blessed me today, perhaps together we can survive."

The woman put her sword away, making Subaru and Dark Urge stare at each other.

"What made you think we were Thralls? You don't even know us!" Subaru exclaimed incredulously, making the woman glare at him.

"We have parasitic mind flayers tadpoles. Unless we escape from here, unless we cleanse our bodies and minds, we will be changed and transformed forever. In days we will be transformed into ghaik. Mind Flayers." The woman explains, making Subaru's eyes widen.

"How do you know all this? Who are you?" Subaru asks.

"...I am Lae'zel, a Githyanki warrior. My people have faced the mind flayers before." Laezel explains, causing Subaru to nod.

"Ok... Ok! That's great, so we're being turned into this mind flayers? There's got to be something we can do, right?“

”We can't do anything until we escape. That must be our priority." Lae'zel declares before hearing something behind her, which makes everyone look towards the source of the noise where they see what appear to be red demons with wings feeding on a body.

“First, we'll exterminate the imps.” Lae'zel comments with a frown.

“Right, then we'll go to the helm to take control of the ship.” Subaru added, swallowing as he removed the knife from his belt.

Suddenly, Lae'zel grabbed the knife and threw it away, startling Subaru before pulling out a dagger of her own and handing it to him.

“That toothpick of yours won't be any use in the battle to come, use a real weapon.” Lae'zel scolded him with narrowed eyes before looking at Us. "As for that thing. It'll stay tamed as long as it thinks we're Thralls, maybe it'll be useful in battle."

With that, Lae'zel stepped aside, causing Subaru to sigh and grip the dagger tighter before he, Us and Dark Urge stepped forward, standing next to her to face the Imps. They slowly rose from the corpses and roared as they faced them.

Dark Urge was the first to move, summoning a fireball which he quickly threw at an Imp, exploding it on contact. After that, Lae'zel moved to the side allowing one of the Imps to pass her before attacking it with her sword, breaking it in half.

Subaru meanwhile jumped backwards in surprise at the Imp's speed before plunging the dagger into the creature's chin. He fell to the ground as blood poured down his face before throwing the Imp aside.

“Shit!” Subaru shouted as he stood up in a panic realizing that he hadn't been hurt. before looking at Dark Urge and Lae'zel staring at him. “I mean... it went exactly as planned.”

“...You were lucky.” Lae'zel sighed before stepping forward, while Dark Urge remained still.

“You're covered in blood.” Dark Urge commented as Subaru tried to clean himself up.

"Really? I didn't realize." Subaru muttered.

“Don't just stand there, let's go.” Lae'zel calls out to them from a distance.

“Sure... let's get this over with, come on Durge.” Subaru asks, giving Dark Urge a friendly slap on the arm as he looks at him in confusion.

“Durge?”

“Oh yeah, it's a nickname.” Subaru explains, hiding the real reason for changing his name, after all Dark Urge could be seen as some kind of bad omen and it was also too long.

"...I like that. Durge." Durge commented smiling before following Subaru, while the boy couldn't help but smile nervously.

“Why did that give me deja vu?”

Chapter Text

Subaru gasped with difficulty as he tried to climb to the next floor by scaling the wall covered in wires. He wasn't even sure what they were made of, but almost everything on the ship they were on looked a bit organic, so maybe it was better not to know what they were made of.

Suddenly, his foot slipped, making Subaru's eyes widen as he reached out to grab anything that might stop him from falling. At that moment, Durge grabbed Subaru's arm easily, before pulling the boy up where Lae'zel stared at them with an unimpressed look.

“...You're weak, you'll slow us down.” Lae'zel growls, glaring at Subaru.

“If that's a problem, you can leave.” Durge retorts with a threatening tone, looking directly at Lae'zel as he stood up to his full height.

“... When we get those tadpoles out of our heads, I'll be happy never to see them again.” Lae'zel nodded before continuing on her way with Us following.

Durge stared at her as she walked away before looking at Subaru, who also stared at him in surprise.

“Why did you help me?”

“...I don't know. She annoyed me.” Durge admitted with a shrug before moving on, with Subaru following close behind.

The three of them then entered a new room that seemed to have a terminal with people strapped into some kind of metal seat with another pod next to it. Subaru quickly noticed the stunned and distant looks on the faces of the two who were trapped in the seats and quickly looked at Lae'zel.

“Those two, have they been infected too?”

“Yes.” Lae'zel growled, glaring angrily at the two. “They're beyond salvation now.”

“Okay...”

Suddenly, four red projectiles flew through the cabin before hitting the captives, causing their skulls to explode, which surprised Subaru and Lae'zel before they both looked at Durge who had a dark, animated look on his face looking at the corpses before he blinked, looking confused and looked at Subaru.

“What? You weren't supposed to do that?”

An uncomfortable silence settled between the three of them, with Subaru and Lae'zel exchanging glances before the boy snorted.

“No, no, actually, you did the right thing... They were beyond salvation.” Subaru assured Durge, while also trying to reassure himself.

Just then, Subaru heard something, like someone knocking on a window. He turned towards the capsule and his eyes widened at what he saw: there was a person inside.

It was a woman with long black hair wearing a diadem and silver armor who was desperately banging on the glass, which made Subaru run towards her.

“Help! Get me out of here!” Exclaims the woman, making Subaru look around the capsule.

“I... I don't see any lever or latch that I can use to open it. How can we help you?” Subaru asks, making the woman point to a nearby panel.

“The panel, they did something to it before they locked me in here.”

As soon as she said this, Subaru walked over to the panel with Durge following him, the boy was confused looking around for some way to turn it on.

“You're wasting our time, we should get out of here while we can and leave her.” Lae'zel interrupted as she approached them.

Subaru didn't answer her, choosing to ignore her before looking at Durge.

“Any ideas?”

Durge glanced briefly at the capsule, noticing the red glow covering it before looking back at Subaru.

“It looks like a protection rune, it's drawing power from the console...” Durge explained, narrowing his eyes.

“So, to get it out, we need to energize this console?” Subaru asks, looking hesitant.

“Are you stupid? This ship is going to crash any minute and you want to die for a stranger!?” Lae'zel asked incredulously, making Subaru stare at her before turning to the woman inside the capsule.

He recognized the fear in her eyes, how she didn't want to die, that she wanted to be saved. Probably if they left her, they could escape and she would die, it was the logical thing to do.

“...But this... is just like that time...” Subaru reflected, looking at the girl before letting out a sigh.

“Yeah, I'm really stupid.” Subaru admits with a tired tone, surprising everyone. “Durge, you know how to use magic, right? Do you know any way to turn this thing on?”

Durge looked thoughtful before moving towards the console, holding out his hands and writing symbols that Subaru didn't recognize. A few seconds passed and suddenly the console began to glow, buzzing with energy.

“Good work, Durge!” Subaru praised him as he stepped forward, looking at the machine expectantly. “Any idea how to use this thing?”

“...No idea.”

“We should leave it here and focus on escaping.” Rebutted Lae'zel, making Subaru stare at her.

“...You know, if the situation wasn't so critical, I'd consider you a heartless shrew.” Subaru grumbles before looking at the machine and reaching out, placing it on the dashboard.

At that moment, Subaru's eyes widened as he felt something squirming inside his brain, the parasite. He felt the creature twisting inside his brain until he felt something, a connection was made.

He felt...

Authority.

“Open the capsule, release her!” Subaru exclaimed in his thoughts.

As soon as he thought it, the capsule opened, throwing the girl to the ground, at the same time as Subaru stepped away looking momentarily exhausted, but Durge caught him before he could fall.  

“You freed her, now can we go?” Lae'zel asked with her arms crossed as Us walked ahead of them.

“...Wait, I have to check on her.” Subaru asks, turning away from Durge and heading towards the girl, offering his hand to her.

She stared at him for a few seconds, but then accepted the gesture, allowing him to lift her up.

“Thank you. I thought that capsule was going to be my coffin.” As soon as he finished thanking her, both the girl and Subaru's eyes widened as they felt a connection forming between them.

Another flash of images appeared in front of Subaru's eyes, as well as other people's emotions, before disappearing, causing the two of them to stare at each other.

“Great, one more to help us escape.” Lae'zel snorts as she crosses her arms.

“...You seem to have some pretty dangerous company.” 

“Yeah, yeah, a dangerous company might come in handy soon...” Subaru nods nonchalantly, trying to re-establish himself after the mental bonding; from the emotions he felt from her, he could already understand to some extent that Lae'zel or her people weren't so friendly.  “You felt it too, right? The bond in our minds.”

“Yes... Unfortunately we don't have much to discuss now, the focus should be on getting away from that ship. If you want, I can go along, we should watch each other's backs.” The girl offers, making Subaru nod.

“Of course, the more the merrier, I'm Subaru Natsuki, he's Durge, this is Lae'zel and that walking brain is Us...” Subaru introduces the group to the girl who nods briefly at them.

 “Shadowheart.” Shadowheart introduces himself before looking back briefly. “Just a moment...”

With that, Shadowheart returns to the capsule, picking up a small artifact before stowing it in a bag, attracting the stares of all three.

“What's that?” Durge asks curiously, making Shadowheart stare at him, something Subaru noticed.

He wasn't going to lie and say that he wasn't curious either, but considering that it might be a sensitive subject for Shadowheart, perhaps now wasn't the best time to broach it, especially on a ship full of enemies.

“It doesn't matter now, we should focus on getting out of here first.” Subaru interrupted the conversation, receiving a surprised look from Durge and Shadowheart.

“Finally.” Lae'zel smiles, lowering her arms.

The group continued exploring the ship until they entered another room, this one with several empty capsules, with the exception of one that contained a woman with a distant, empty stare. Subaru looked at the woman with pity before looking at Lae'zel.

“Is she also beyond salvation?” Subaru asked in a low tone.

“...Yes.”

Suddenly, the capsule seemed to come to life as it glowed, startling Subaru, Lae'zel and Shadowheart who all took a step back.

“Bloody hell!?” Shadowheart exclaimed, putting his hand on the hilt of the club at his belt.

“Wait...” Subaru's eyes widened at the sight of the woman squirming as she was covered in smoke before a large, pale hand hit the glass and revealed a mind-flayer staring at them.

At that moment, Durge returned to them and when he saw the creature in the capsule, he opened his eyes wide. 

“That's... The transformation can be triggered manually...” Durge commented in surprise, making the others stare at him. “I... I did it...”

“Durge, it's all right. You had no way of knowing, none of us did.” Subaru assured Durge, despite his own emotional turmoil at the thought.

“...We should keep going.” Shadowheart reminded them, causing everyone to walk away, briefly looking back. 

Durge took longer, stopping briefly to look at Mind-flayer, but Subaru managed to pull him back to the group.

Another door opened, allowing the group to enter a small chamber with a wall on fire. Subaru took the lead before stopping in the middle of the room, breathing hard before looking at the others who were also tired, but not as tired as he was.

“This place is a fucking labyrinth, how are you guys doing so well!” Subaru asked as he stood up fully, receiving an unimpressed look from Lae'zel.

“A maze is a mere joke compared to githyanki training.” 

“Sure, you're impressive, a well-trained warrior and blah, blah, blah, okay we get it!” Subaru sneered, receiving a snort from Shadowheart who turned his face away to avoid laughing while Durge chuckled softly.

Lae'zel stared at him with narrowed eyes.

“When we part... I'll make a point of letting you know how impressive I am.”

“...Shit, me and my big mouth.” Subaru sighs before looking at the other door in front of them. “And I think that's our way out of here.”

“Wait.” Lae'zel interrupts them, making them stare at her. “We're approaching the control booth, when we get there, do as I say.”

“And who put you in charge? I'll follow my own judgment.” Shadowheart retorted almost instantly, making Lae'zel glare at her.

“I have experience fighting mind-eaters, that qualifies me.”

Durge glanced at the two before turning to Subaru who looked incredulous at the two's bickering.

“Subaru?” Hearing his name being called, Subaru looked at Durge. “What do we do?”

“We stop fighting.” Subaru declared with a firm tone before placing himself between the two girls and pushing them apart. 

“Hey.” Shadowheart frowns at Subaru as Lae'zel growls at him.

“Enough! We're entering enemy territory where we can only count on each other. If you want to fight, do it when we get off the ship!” Subaru exclaims, glaring at the two.

“All right... But only until we get out of here.” Shadowheart nods as Lae'zel glares at him.

“Tsk.” 

“That's better than nothing.” Subaru thinks with a sigh before turning towards the door. “Let's go.”

With that, the group entered the cockpit and were paralyzed by what they saw. Imps and hellhounds were running around the place with the Mind-flayers fighting the demons. However, it was at this moment that one of the demons was attacked from behind by a Mind-flayer who bit off its skull, before throwing the corpse to the ground and looking at them.

However, in doing so, the Imps took the opportunity to attack the creature, killing it while another Mind-Flayer threw one of the demons to the ground.

“Servants, go to the command bridge and connect the transponder nerves. We need to escape. Now.” Just then, a winged demon holding a flaming sword approached Mind-Flayer. “I'll take care of him.”

Subaru swallowed looking at the battlefield in front of him before looking at his companions. “...You heard him, stick together, watch each other's backs and try to survive.” 

“That's a good plan.” Shadowheart commented, pulling out his club and shield. Beside him, Lae'zel was also preparing her own sword and Durge was conjuring a magical shield around himself as Us threw himself into battle with other like-minded people fighting the demons.

“Good...” Subaru took a deep breath, clenching the dagger in his hand.

Suddenly Durge's eyes widened as he smelled something strange, something rotten, vile. His nose wrinkled for a second before he looked at Subaru, realizing that the smell was coming from him. Never before had he felt something so horrible, but at the same time, familiar. Suddenly Subaru turned to them with determined eyes, something that surprised Durge.

“Let's go! Lae'zel, your bow!” Subaru exclaimed before running towards one of the Hellhounds who roared at him.

However, the boy quickly threw himself to the ground, sliding under the creature that leapt towards him, at the same time raising his dagger and slashing the Hellhound's stomach. An Imp on the other side roared as he prepared to fire with his crossbow when an arrow hit him in the neck.

Lae'zel growled as she ran towards Subaru with a bow in hand and pulled out another arrow aimed at one of the Imps.

Seeing this, Durge and Shadowheart ran towards them, not wanting to be left behind. Durge was quick to conjure rays of fire and ice, firing them at the opponents that appeared, while Shadowheart managed to overtake him and Lae'zel, staying by Subaru's side.

“Shadowheart, front. Lae'zel, rear. Durge, support.” Subaru commanded, surprising the other three with his newfound confidence; it was as if he were someone else.

Despite this, the three obeyed, with Shadowheart raising his shield to protect himself from the volleys fired by the Imps while using his club to attack the other monsters that approached him, Lae'zel firing arrows at the more distant and approaching opponents while Durge used his spells to affect the opponents. And among them was Subaru, strangely focused, seeming to calculate every step they took before stopping, which made his companions stop as well.

“Shadowheart, bless us all now.” Subaru said before looking back where they could see the demon killing the Mind-flayer.

Seeing the situation they were in, Shadowheart promptly cast the magic, making Subaru look at Lae'zel and Durge. 

“You need to buy time, Lae'zel go with your sword, your chances of survival increase. Durge, concentrate on supporting her. Shadowheart and I will take care of the ship.” Subaru commands, making Lae'zel narrow her eyes at him.

“We'll have a talk about it later.” Lae'zel assures him, clearly not pleased to have followed Subaru's commands. 

“Concentrate on surviving, Shadowheart, let's go.” Subaru promptly grabbed her hand and pulled her along, surprising the half-elf.

The two of them stopped in front of the panel, watching several tentacles float by.

“You know which one to use, right?” Subaru asked, although it sounded more like a statement from the tone of his voice, but Shadowheart still nodded. “Fine, do what you have to do, I'll serve as a distraction.” 

“...Distraction?” The half elf looked at him in confusion, but Subaru only pointed to the nerves of the ship, making her frown, but at that moment a large red dragon appeared sticking its head through a hole in the side of the ship before looking directly at Shadowheart.

“Hey you ugly bastard!” Subaru shouts from the other side, although the dragon starts to open its mouth, a red glow appearing at the back of its throat. “I can go back...”

Suddenly the dragon turned its head towards Subaru with savage hatred shining in its eyes, while the boy had a pained expression, before shooting a torrent of fire at him.

“Subaru!” Shadowheart called worriedly as she turned to him, but relaxed when she saw the boy leaping to the side, narrowly dodging the flames.

However, the cloak on his shoulders wasn't as lucky, with the edges burning, which made the boy's eyes widen and he pulled it away from him, allowing Shadowheart to see his coat.

“He's alive...” Shadowheart thought relieved, even though she had only known him a short time, she couldn't deny that she was grateful that he had helped her before and even saved her now from a dragon... it was time for her to repay the favor. 

With that, she connected the nerves making the ship disappear as the dragon growled flying through the now empty air before roaring angrily.

Shadowheart screamed as she felt her feet leave the ground as she fell through the cabin spinning in the air before hitting something a little softer that wrapped its arms around her.

“Are you okay?” Subaru asked with a grimace of pain, as the elf stared at him with a brief frown.

“I should be asking you that...” Before she could finish, they both felt the ship moving again, causing them both to fall to the other side. 

However, this time Subaru managed to hold onto the transponder with one hand while the other held Shadowheart. The boy looked exhausted and she could feel that his hand was very slippery and that he lacked the strength to hold on, but he still continued to do so.

“You should let go of me, I don't think you can hold on much longer!” Shadowheart warned, calculating his chances of survival if he let go.

“Shut up...” Subaru grunted with difficulty. “I'll make sure... that you live... this time...” 

“This time?”

Subaru ignored her and began to use his legs to try to step onto the floor of the ship and push himself up while holding her, but to no avail. He glanced at the connected nerve before looking at Shadowheart. 

“Hey, do you think you can reach that?” Subaru asked, gesturing to the nerve.

“Maybe, but what did you mean when you said you were going to make sure I lived?” Shadowheart asks again, making him stare at her.

“When we survive!”

Shadowheart didn't like the answer, but she couldn't deny that the moment wasn't right for a conversation. With that, she reached out with her other hand and grabbed Subaru's waist, earning a grunt from him.

“Sorry. Hold on tight.” She declared before starting to climb him towards the nerves and holding the wire firmly.

Once again they felt the ship teleport before Subaru released the transponder, causing the two of them to fall once again into the opposite wall next to a large hole.

“Shit!” Subaru exclaimed in pain, taking a quick look at her. “We need some kind of plan... Oh shit.”

This time, Subaru looked to the other side where there was another Mind-Flayer staring at him, Shadowheart prepared to launch a bolt of fire when a piece of the ship hit Subaru in the head, throwing him through the hole, causing her to open her eyes wide.

“Subaru!”

Meanwhile, Subaru looked at the ship as it fell with heavy eyes, having heard Shadowheart's scream, a small trail of blood was coming down from his head.

“Oh shit... again, I missed... I was so close.” His vision darkened more and more, falling towards his next death. “Shadowheart... Durge... Lae'zel... I swear...”

As he fell, he remembered several moments that never happened, how each of his new companions sacrificed themselves for him, conversations they had during battles, how he himself sacrificed himself for them. 

“...I'm going to save...” 

Unbeknownst to him, the ground was getting closer and closer.

At the same time, he could only think of the three who had helped him inside the ship and couldn't help but curse himself. Subaru knew he was getting attached again, someone like him shouldn't get attached, not again, he'd be abandoned... he'd be...

He was an idiot.

“I’m going to save you all.”

At that moment Subaru lost consciousness about to hit the ground, when suddenly he stopped, floating in the air. His body remained there for a few seconds before finally falling to the ground.

Chapter Text

The first thing Subaru felt was pain.

A sharp stab went through his head, as if something had lodged behind his eyes and was clawing at every thought he tried to form. His body was heavy as lead, his limbs stiff and bruised, his muscles begging to never move again. The damp sand stuck to his exposed skin, mixed with dried blood and the salt water that rose in shy waves from the low tide.

He tried to open his eyes, a single eyelid fluttered. The sky above was obscured by gray and red clouds, the sun filtered through mist. The world seemed to spin.

“... Subaru!”

The voice sounded distant, muffled, as if he were underwater. Still, he recognized it.

Durge.

Subaru blinked uneasily and felt his arms being lifted carefully, a familiar warmth enveloping his torso as he was pulled out of the puddle where he lay half-submerged.

“Are you... okay?” Durge asked, his voice low and hesitant.

Subaru tried to answer, but his throat only released a hoarse noise. His body trembled, more from exhaustion than cold.

“You shouldn't have done that.” Durge muttered. “You jumped in front of that dragon. I saw it.”

“Oh, that's right... the dragon. The flames. Shadowheart.” He vaguely remembered the smell of burning flesh and the metallic taste in his mouth. An image flashed into his mind: Shadowheart, screaming his name, as the world around him exploded into light and chaos.

Subaru closed his eyes again, trying to concentrate on something other than the pain.

“You've lost a lot of blood. There's a nasty cut on your head. But you'll be fine, I think...” With that, he began to rummage through a pouch on his belt before pulling out a vial containing a red liquid. “Here, drink this healing potion, it'll help.”

Durge spoke in a strangely calm manner, almost like a child caring for an injured bird. Subaru couldn't tell if it comforted him or frightened him.

“Did you find me...?” he finally managed to ask in a weak voice.

“Yes.” Durge replied, as simply as ever. “I found you and brought you away from the beach. But... you looked strange, back there, in the nautiloid.”

Upon hearing this, Subaru seemed a little surprised and even worried by what he'd heard.

“How strange?”

Durge tilted his head. “You weren't... you. It was as if you were awake, but with your eyes empty. Like... a mask. You seemed to know everything that was going to happen, where we should go, what we should do... And then you disappeared. And now you seem... scared again.”

Subaru swallowed.

So, even out of the loop, something had left traces. It was dangerous. Perhaps even fatal. He looked away, feeling his heart squeeze. If he spoke too much, if he told the truth... he could die. Or worse, make Durge die.

“I... I was just focused,” he lied. “The adrenaline, you know...”

Durge frowned. “You focus in a scary way. I don't like it. I prefer you like this. Quiet, but... real.”

Subaru let out a weak, mirthless laugh, but even that hurt. “...You're strange, Durge.”

“You too.” replied the draconate, as if that were a compliment.

For a moment, there was only silence. The sound of waves crashing against distant rocks. The cry of an injured seagull echoing off the cliffs. Subaru took a deep breath, feeling his lungs burn, but allowed himself to relax for the first time since opening his eyes.

Then something caught his eye, a soft glow between dark stones. A dark streak of hair. Someone was there.

“There...” he whispered, pointing with difficulty.

Durge followed his gaze and his eyes widened.

“That's her...”

The body lying among the rocks made Subaru freeze, for a second he felt like he had stopped breathing.

Black threads spread across the sand like spilled ink. The sea insisted on pulling her back, covering her ankles in small waves. Parts of her armor reflected the diffused light of the clouds, but her face was turned away, partially covered in wet sand.

Subaru froze for a second. He didn't know if he wanted to approach.

“What if she's dead...” His heart felt like a drum inside his chest. “What if all the effort, all the pain, all that insane string of deaths... had been in vain?”

“Shadowheart...” he muttered, as if the name alone was enough to make her react.

Durge rushed forward, already bending down beside her and checking her pulse. Subaru couldn't move. His legs felt shaky, as if the weight of all the wrong decisions he had made was sinking down on him at that moment.

“She's... she's alive,” said Durge, turning to him with wide eyes. “She's weak. But alive.”

The sound of those words tore through Subaru's chest like a blade.

Alive.

She was alive.

He threw himself forward as if he had woken up from a nightmare, his knees hitting the soggy sand hard. Without thinking, without hesitating, he pulled her body into his arms, his fingers shaking uncontrollably.

“You're alive...” he repeated, almost choking on the words. ”You're alive...”

Shadowheart didn’t answer. Her head slumped to the side, and Subaru instinctively held her tighter, as if afraid she would vanish if he let go. He pulled her against his chest, trembling, his eyes fixed on the scratches on her face, the burn marks on her armor, the dried blood on her forehead.

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry I was late,” he murmured, the words slipping through clenched teeth, suffocated. “I... I tried. I swear I tried.”

Durge watched in silence, standing like a shadow just a few steps away. The sound of the waves was muffled by Subaru’s desperate whispers, as he remained there, holding the limp body of the cleric like someone clutching a part of themselves they almost lost.

“Shadowheart, wake up…” he pleaded, gently rocking her body. “Wake up, please…”

She didn’t respond.

“Don’t do this to me… not now… not after everything…”

Subaru was gasping for air, eyes brimming with tears. The air felt too heavy to breathe. And then, something moved in the corner of his vision.

A shadow among the rocks.

White. Familiar.

He blinked, his eyes wide.

And there she was.

Emilia.

Standing just a few meters away. Her skin as pale as the surrounding mist, her white hair swaying gently in the breeze. Her purple and white dress flowed as if it didn’t belong in that place. Her lilac eyes cut through him like blades.

“So this is how you take care of the women who trust you?”

Subaru froze.

He didn’t dare answer. He couldn’t.

“You promised, Subaru.” She took a step forward. “You promised you’d behave. Promised to be my knight.”

“I-I…” the words wouldn’t come. His throat was dry. “I tried…”

“You humiliated me.” Her voice was low, but sharp. “In front of all the nobles. You exposed me. Dragged me down with you.”

She stepped closer. Each movement was a new weight pressing down on his chest.

“I don’t need a coward who breaks promises. A liar. I don’t need someone who lies… and deceives… and breaks promises… like a rat.”

Subaru clenched his eyes shut, curling around Shadowheart.

“This isn’t real. You’re not real…”

“And yet, look at you.” Emilia tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with cold contempt. “Holding another woman in your arms. Repeating it all over again. Trying to pretend there’s still something left to fix.”

Subaru gasped. Trembled.

“I released you.” she said, as if stripping the gauntlet from a fallen knight. “You are no longer my knight. Nor my steward. I release you from your duties… You were never worthy.”

With one last hollow glance, her image dissolved like smoke carried off by the wind. The world returned to silence.

Only him, Durge, and Shadowheart’s body, who is still unconscious in his arms.

Subaru dropped to his knees again, drained. Inside, he felt like ruins.

“Let’s get her out of here,” he said, his voice cracked. “Before the sea tries to take someone from me again.”

Durge rushed to help, and together they climbed over the rocks, carrying the cleric to a drier, safer spot on the beach.

Subaru said nothing more.

And he didn’t dare look at the sea.

The headache was like a nail driven into his skull, on top of the tadpole. The filtered light between the wreckage hurt her eyes, and the sharp smell of burnt flesh mixed with the salt air only worsened the nausea.

Shadowheart blinked slowly, trying to focus her vision.

Everything was swaying.

She felt her stomach churn when she realized she was being carried, not in strong arms, but slung over fragile shoulders, held up by trembling hands clutching her thighs with desperation.

Her hair, tied back in a long braid, was damp, sticking to her own face and the back of whoever was carrying her.

Subaru.

She recognized the scent of sweat, blood, and panic before even seeing him. The effort he made was palpable, the staggering steps, the trembling shoulders, the labored breathing. Every movement made her body slip a few centimeters, as if he might collapse at any moment.

“You’re… gonna drop me...” she murmured, her voice weak.

Subaru seemed startled, but stayed focused on something else, not turning to face her. “You’re awake?”

“Unfortunately… yes,” she whispered. “And you’re shaking.”

“You’re heavier than you look. Maybe it's your armour...” he muttered, not looking back. “Or maybe I’m weaker than I look.”

She tried to move, but pain shot through her legs and hips. She frowned, still dizzy.

“Why didn’t you leave me?” she asked. “You could’ve hidden me and gone…”

“Because you’re alive,” Subaru answered firmly. “And because… I’m not letting anyone die. Not here. Not now.”

His voice sounded stronger than she expected. But there was something beneath it, something brittle, fragile. Like he was trying to convince himself more than her.

The environment around her began to take shape as she blinked to shake off the dizziness.

Remnants of the Nautiloid.

They were inside one of the shattered sections of the crashed ship. Torn organic walls. Bones exposed in the structure. That familiar horror she thought she had left behind. And then, the sound of combat.

Wet growls. Cracks. Muffled screams.

Subaru stopped behind a partially collapsed organic column. He was panting. She felt his arms falter slightly before he readjusted and lifted her again.

“Just a little more…” he whispered to himself.

Shadowheart raised her head, and then she saw.

Durge.

The draconic sorcerer was a few meters ahead, surrounded by three creatures she recognized instantly, brain-like beasts with legs, similar to Us. But these were deformed. Longer tentacles. Pulsing skin. One of them even emitted faint popping sounds, as if spitting out blood residue.

As he fought the brain creatures, Durge spun with his usual brutal efficiency, but there was something more this time. His gaze lingered a second longer than necessary on the blood splattered across the ground. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth whenever his magic scorched one of the monsters, as if he took a bit too much pleasure in the violence.

Durge fought with his staff spinning in hand, conjuring bursts of fire that exploded with dry impacts. He had already crushed one of them against the floor, but the other two moved swiftly, attacking in sync, whipping tentacles at his legs.

Subaru carefully placed Shadowheart on the ground, behind the column. His hands were scraped, and his whole body trembled with exhaustion.

She leaned against the living wall of the place and watched as he positioned himself in front of her — not like a warrior, but like an improvised shield.

Dagger in hand.

Low stance.

No technique. But with purpose.

Shadowheart frowned.

“You’re really going to face that with a simple dagger?”

“If I have to.” he replied, not taking his eyes off the fight.

“You have a plan?”

“Durge can handle himself... But if one of them gets to you... I just need to buy time.”

“And then?”

Subaru hesitated. His grip on the dagger tightened.

“Then... I’ll figure something out.”

She saw the tension in his shoulders. The sweat dripping down his temples. It wasn’t courage he radiated. It was fear. But the kind of fear that makes someone stay standing even when everything inside screams to run.

Durge shouted something ahead, one of the creatures had knocked him down, but he responded with a wave of fire that engulfed both enemies. One of them collapsed into pieces, the other retreated, scorched but not dead.

When the second brain shrieked under the impact of his staff, Durge crushed it with force, and his eyes gleamed for a moment longer than they should have. His shoulders rose and fell with heavy breathing, but it wasn’t just exhaustion, there was a trace of euphoria. Almost like he didn’t want the fight to end so soon.

Shadowheart adjusted herself with difficulty against the living wall of the wrecked ship, her eyes still half-closed in pain, but now focused on him. Subaru stood in front, dagger low, ready to react if the creature came closer.

“Subaru…” she called, and her voice sounded steadier this time.

He didn’t answer right away but turned his head slightly,  just enough to show he was listening.

“Back there… during the battle at the helm. You knew the dragon was going to attack.” She watched him carefully. “You knew what each of us had to do. Told me to cast blessings at the right time. Gave orders like you’d already lived through it.”

Subaru stayed silent. His hand gripped the dagger tighter, but he didn’t turn around.

“And now... you bring me back into this rotten carcass because it’s the only way out. Because you already knew it would be.” Her voice was controlled, but there was a thread of suspicion there. Maybe even fear.

He took a deep breath, eyes fixed on the creature still crawling in the distance.

“I pay attention,” he said in a restrained tone. “That’s all.”

“It’s not just that.”

Subaru closed his eyes for a second. The pain in his body. The exhaustion. The weight of questions he couldn’t… no, mustn’t  answer.

“If I said more than that...” he murmured, hesitating. “...it wouldn’t be safe. Not for me. Not for you.”

The silence that followed was heavier than any battle.

Shadowheart didn’t push further. But she didn’t stop watching him.

And Subaru… could only focus on breathing.

One wrong decision. One misstep. One word too many  and everything could end right there.

Now the beach felt like a different place.

After the blood, the smoke, and the survivors of the Nautiloid, the simple sound of the waves crashing against the rocks felt like an almost unreal relief.

The rocky rise beside a moss-covered cliff offered the shelter they needed. Half-hidden by the vegetation, the natural stone formation created a dry space, enclosed on three sides, with a clear view of the sea. For the first time, the scent of the salty breeze felt clean.

“This place will do?” Durge asked, surveying the surroundings. His voice was calm, steady. The innocent gleam in his eyes was gone now, replaced by a quiet clarity, like someone who understood the weight of what they had been through.

“It’s better than the hell we came from.” Subaru replied, his voice hoarse with exhaustion.

Without waiting for orders, Durge began organizing fallen branches, using part of a tarp salvaged from the ship to improvise shelter. His movements were methodical, efficient. No silly smiles or attempts at jokes, just quiet work and steady presence.

Later, as he assembled the tents, Durge’s fingers lingered longer than necessary as he cleaned the blood splattered on his armor. Subaru, still seated near the fire, noticed but said nothing. He simply looked away, pretending not to see.

Subaru knelt beside Shadowheart, who remained seated on an improvised blanket. She scanned the area attentively, but the pain was visible in the way she kept her leg extended, her thigh wrapped in torn bandages.

“This is going to sting a little.” he warned, taking a small water canteen from his belt.

“I’m used to pain.” she murmured, biting her lip as the liquid burned the wounded skin.

Subaru worked in silence, cleaning the cuts, reinforcing the dressings, tightening the bandages with trembling hands. There was no tenderness, but there was care. A quiet, exhausted, almost mechanical care. He avoided her gaze, but his fingers hesitated over each wound, as if afraid of not doing enough.

“You’re more skilled than you look, Subaru.” she remarked, trying to ease the weight of the silence.

“It’s the least I can do after almost letting you die.” he replied bluntly.

Shadowheart studied his face for a moment, but said nothing. She simply waited for him to finish. When Subaru finally sat beside her, elbows resting on his knees, she broke the silence.

“You knew. On the ship. You knew about the dragon. About the enemies' positions. Even about my magic.”

He didn’t respond immediately.

“You acted like someone who had seen it all before.” she continued. “It wasn’t luck. Or instinct. It was… precision. You used me as support. Told me to cast my blessing at the exact moment.”

Subaru stared at the ground.

“It’s not something I can explain...” he said at last, voice almost a whisper. “And even if I could… it wouldn’t be safe.”

She was quiet for a moment, absorbing the answer.

“So you have some kind of gift? Visions? Foresight?” She analyzed him. “Maybe… a broken gift? Like a mirror that reflects what hasn’t happened yet. Fragmented. Incomplete.”

He let out a weak, humorless laugh.

“If it’s a gift, it’s closer to a curse.” he said. “And I’d trade it for a good night’s sleep.”

Shadowheart leaned back against the stone wall, eyes half-closed. There was a reluctant acceptance in her tone now.

“So you see the future… but can’t stop what hurts.”

Subaru swallowed hard. “Something like that.”

“That makes you useful.” she concluded, before turning her face toward the sea. “Or dangerous.”

“Maybe both.” Subaru murmured.

At that moment, Durge came back into view, now sweaty and with a few leaves stuck to his armor. He dropped two makeshift stakes and looked at them with a neutral expression.

“It’s done. Should hold until morning,” he said, wiping his hands.

“You did it alone?” Shadowheart asked, surprised.

“Yes. I figured you two deserved some rest.” Durge replied. His voice was calmer now. “And… keeping my hands busy helps keep my mind steady.”

Subaru watched him for a few seconds, his expression unreadable. Something between respect and gratitude.

“Thank you.” he said quietly.

Durge nodded and stepped away, sitting at the entrance of the shelter, his back to the weak fire that had begun to crackle.

“He’s strange,” Shadowheart murmured, a faint ironic tone in her voice.

“He is...” Subaru replied. “But reliable.”

“Just like you?”

Subaru didn’t answer.

The silence that followed was heavier than before. The crackle of the fire filled the void.

He looked at his hands, dirty, scarred, weak, and then at Shadowheart, leaning back and exhausted, still breathing. Still there.

He had managed to keep her alive. This time.

But for how long?

“If I fail…” he murmured, more to himself than to her. “If I fail again, there won’t be another chance.”

Shadowheart raised her gaze, surprised by his tone. But Subaru didn’t look at her. He stared at the ground, as if speaking to a ghost.

“And when I fail… they’ll leave me behind.”

He hugged himself instinctively, as if his body needed to shield itself from something the world hadn’t thrown at him yet.

Shadowheart didn’t reply. She only watched him in silence.

Durge, from the entrance of the shelter, said nothing either.

The fire crackled softly, its snaps muffled by the constant sound of waves outside.

Durge remained on guard at the mouth of the small cave. Shadowheart had already closed her eyes, not asleep yet, but silent, respecting the exhaustion they all shared. Regaining her strength before they started exploring their surroundings.

Subaru, however, couldn’t stop thinking.

His eyes were fixed on the flames, but his mind was far away, trapped in the living corridors of the Nautiloid, in the rotten stench of dead creatures, in the sticky sound of tentacles slapping against the metal floor.

And in that stare… hollow.

Us’s stare.

It had been during the last cycle, the final path that worked. The only time they all escaped alive. All of them… except him.

Us had extended his tentacles, waiting for a command.

But Subaru already knew, any attempt to save him in that run meant someone else would die. Shadowheart. Lae’zel. Maybe even Durge.

So, he simply didn’t answer.

He turned his back.

Let the creature be killed by whatever demon they were fighting, he didn’t even know which one. He hadn’t had the strength to find out.

Now, as the embers danced before his eyes, Subaru saw him again, just standing there, confused, not reacting. Like a child abandoned on a battlefield.

“I left you…” he murmured, barely audible. “I’m sorry…”

He brought his hands to his face, pressing his palms against his eyes until he saw red sparks.

“It wasn’t you or them.” Subaru thought, curling inward, feeling the tears pressing but holding them back, he knew he didn’t have the right to mourn. “It was just… just that I wasn’t enough.”

“I promised I’d save everyone…” he whispered. “But not even a monster ever trusted me as much as you did.”

He looked up at the sky through the opening between the rocks, dark clouds drifted slowly, veiling the moon. It was a starless night.

“And even then, I... abandoned you.”

For a moment, he imagined seeing Us in the flames, staring back at him. Not as a threat. But with disappointment, sadness, that Subaru had left him behind.

In the end, he wasn’t better than Emilia.

He was worse.

He curled up right there, kneeling near the fire, hugging his own knees tightly.

He didn’t cry.

He couldn’t.

It was as if even that had already been drained out of him.

Chapter Text

The interior of the Nautiloid still creaked, dripped, and pulsed with a life of its own, as if the ship-creature were resisting its own end. After some time resting, patching up their wounds with improvised bandages, and sipping lukewarm, metallic-tasting water, Subaru, Durge, and Shadowheart resumed their march through the twisted corridors of the planar aberration.

The silence between the three was heavy, broken only by the wet sounds of the walls breathing and the echo of their footsteps in the belly of the beast. After a few minutes, Subaru broke the silence, his voice tinged with barely contained worry:

“Do you think... anyone else survived the crash? Anyone besides us?”

He turned as he spoke, looking at Shadowheart, searching for some glimmer of hope in her eyes.

She hesitated before replying, her dark gaze briefly drifting forward down the path ahead. Her face was tense, as if she were reliving the moments of the crash.

“Hard to say. I... saw a lot of bodies,” she replied, her tone hovering between sorrow and cold detachment. “But the three of us survived, against all odds. So... yes, I think it’s possible. Especially if someone got their hands on a scroll of revivification.”

Subaru stopped abruptly, as if he’d hit an invisible wall. The other two took a few more steps before noticing his absence. When they turned, they saw him standing still, eyes wide, as if he’d just heard something absurd.

“A scroll of what?” he asked, voice low, almost a whisper, but filled with tension.

Shadowheart turned fully to face him, one eyebrow arched skeptically.

“A scroll of revivification,” she repeated with emphasis, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s used to... well, bring someone back from the dead. Rare, but I have one. I keep it for emergencies.”

She reached into the side of her pack and carefully pulled out the item. The scroll radiated a faint golden glow, magical and almost serene in contrast with the surrounding environment.

Subaru’s eyes widened further, shock plain on his face.

“Wait... you had that this whole time?!” he nearly shouted, pointing at the scroll like she was holding a divine artifact. “This whole time?!”

He turned to Durge, his eyes still blazing.

“And you? Do you have one too?”

Durge remained silent for a few seconds, staring at Subaru with that empty, enigmatic expression only someone with complete amnesia could manage. Then, calmly, he began to rummage through one of his pouches. Without haste, he pulled out a scroll nearly identical to Shadowheart’s.

“...Apparently, yes,” he said flatly.

Subaru stood slack-jawed for a moment, arms falling to his sides like he’d just lost an internal battle.

“How do you forget you have something like that?!” he exclaimed, then muttered to himself. “Ah... right. Amnesia. Of course…”

He rubbed his face with both hands, letting out a long, tired sigh. His tone shifted from irritation to resigned frustration.

“Why didn’t you use them earlier?” Subaru asked, voice lower now, but still charged with emotion.

Shadowheart narrowed her eyes, trying to piece together what he was referring to. After a few seconds, she seemed to figure it out.

“You saw someone who could’ve been saved? Back during the crash? In one of your visions?”

Subaru didn’t reply, but his silence said it all.

Shadowheart sighed deeply and crossed her arms.

“Look... first of all, we barely knew each other. Nothing personal, but... I didn’t trust any of you. And if I had to choose between saving myself or some total stranger, especially in that chaos, I’d choose me.” she said firmly. “Besides, those scrolls only work once. They’re delicate, need to be read properly and up close. In the middle of a crash in some hellish plane, with the ground shaking, demons flying around, and the ship coming apart? I chose to save it for when I could actually use it safely.”

She slipped the scroll back into her bag, and silence once again settled between them, thick, uncomfortable.

Durge just watched, silently, his eyes momentarily lost in the shadows ahead. Subaru finally let out another sigh, this time more subdued. He knew she was right... but that didn’t make it any easier to accept.

“Okay... okay, I get what you’re saying…” Subaru murmured, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to shake off the weight of the conversation. “Let’s just... focus on getting out of here.”

He sighed and began walking again through the pulsing corridors of the Nautiloid, where every step seemed to echo through the ship’s living flesh. But before he could take three steps, Durge suddenly moved forward, cutting him and Shadowheart off. The warrior stopped sharply, eyes narrowing, and a low growl escaped his throat like that of a beast on the verge of attacking.

Subaru froze.

“Huh? What is it?” he asked, confused, glancing between them, until he noticed the tension creeping over Shadowheart.

She hissed through clenched teeth, already drawing her weapon:

“Damn it... it's a mind flayer. Wounded... but still alive.”

Subaru’s eyes went wide, his heart skipping a beat. Even after everything they had been through, he hadn’t expected to face one of those creatures again so soon — especially not one clinging to life.

The three advanced cautiously. The mind flayer was slumped ahead, partially propped against a slimy wall. Its tentacles were bloodied and twitching, its chest rising and falling irregularly. Despite its pitiful state, the creature’s eyes glowed with a dangerous mix of rage, agony... and fear.

Subaru stopped a few meters away. The air around him felt heavier, as if he were being pulled toward the creature by some invisible thread. That gaze struck him right in the soul.

“He’s... suffering,” he murmured, almost to himself. There was something about that pain that didn’t seem merely physical. It was... existential. The horror of someone who knew death was near — and feared it with all their being.

For the first time, Subaru felt something unexpected: compassion. A sincere, painful pang that made him hesitate.

Then, a soft voice whispered in his mind, with an almost childlike tenderness:

“I love you.”

Subaru blinked. The warmth he’d felt vanished in an instant, like a cold wind slicing through his chest. He stumbled back a step, his face pale.

“Subaru?” Shadowheart called, her voice low and concerned.

Durge was already beside him, one firm hand on his shoulder. The warrior’s eyes were alert, studying his friend like someone watching a person on the edge of collapse.

“I... I’m fine...” Subaru replied, his voice faint, confused.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.”

The voice repeated itself, insidious, crawling through his thoughts like a parasite. It was sweet, affectionate... and utterly wrong. A wave of nausea churned in his stomach.

Then came the scream.

A high-pitched, distorted, bestial, and entirely unnatural howl burst through the air, reverberating through the innards of the Nautiloid. The three instinctively stepped back, drawing their weapons at once. But what they saw ahead surpassed any nightmare they could have imagined.

The mind flayer was convulsing violently on the floor, its tentacles whipping around uncontrollably. From its mouth, eyes, and ears oozed thick, liquid shadows,  like living black ink. The substance pooled beneath it, forming a dark puddle that seemed to absorb the light around it.

“What the hell is that…?” Subaru muttered, his face frozen in horror.

From the center of the puddle, long, slender hands, dark as shadows, began to emerge. They gripped the creature's body tightly, ignoring its desperate attempts to escape. The mind flayer thrashed and screamed, its eyes wide with pure terror as it was slowly dragged into the darkness.

Neither its cries of pain nor the scraping of its claws trying to tear into the floor could stop the inevitable. The hands pulled it inch by inch, ignoring its struggle until, with one final grotesque tug, it was swallowed whole.

Silence.

The shadowy puddle bubbled once more… then evaporated like mist, vanishing completely.

The space where the mind flayer had been was now empty. No trace, no sound, only the echo of the impossible.

The three remained frozen, eyes locked on the void where just seconds ago the creature had writhed.

Shadowheart was the first to break the silence, her voice choked:

“What the... hell was that?”

And for the first time since he’d met her, he heard Shadowheart curse, hoarse rather than angry:

“Holy shit…”

Sunlight filtered through the twisted gaps of the living structure as the trio trudged through the final corridors of the Nautiloid. The smell of blood, charred flesh, and alien fluids still clung to the air, but something was different now, a fresh breeze was coming from somewhere ahead.

Subaru, shoulders slumped in exhaustion and eyes half-shut from the throbbing pain in his temple, was the first to notice.

“I think we found the exit…” Subaru murmured.

Shadowheart narrowed her eyes, trying to see through the light pouring in through the cracks of the biological structure. The wall ahead trembled slightly, as if the organism itself was collapsing.

With one final push, the three forced an opening. A grotesque creak echoed, followed by a wet snap and then, suddenly, the world opened before them.

They stumbled outside, blinded by the sun. The ground beneath their feet was rocky and uneven. A steep cliff, covered in low vegetation, stretched to the horizon. In the distance, the sea crashed violently against the rocks below, white foam rising in salty clouds that nearly brushed their faces.

For a moment, none of them said a word. The brutal contrast between the chaos they had come from and the vastness of this natural world was almost too much to process.

Subaru took a few steps forward, his eyes locked on the ocean’s edge, where the sky touched infinity.

“This... this is real?” Subaru whispered, more to himself than the others. The breeze brushed his face like a promise of freedom. “A cliff... the sea… I think we actually made it out.”

He started walking toward the edge, mesmerized.

“Wait!” Shadowheart’s voice came firm from behind, her tone worried. “Don’t go too close. You’re still shaken, and that ledge looks unstable.”

But Subaru didn’t answer.

Because, in the next instant, strong arms shot out from the shadows in the vegetation to the left, grabbing him with brutal force. A cold, thin blade pressed against his neck with surgical precision.

“Don’t move. Any of you. If you want your friend to stay unharmed.” The voice was sibilant, melodic... and filled with menace.

Subaru froze. His heart pounded as he felt the blade graze his skin.

“What the…?!” he gasped, struggling to remain calm. The stranger’s scent was strange, heavy… with something old, maybe even rotten.

From between the trees emerged a pale elf with white hair and eyes red as glowing embers, dragging Subaru backward. His posture was tense, his movements precise.

“Explain yourselves. Now,” the stranger said coldly, staring directly at Shadowheart and Durge. “You came from that thing... What are you? Mind flayer servants? Hunters? Spies?”

Shadowheart had already drawn her weapon, her body in a defensive stance.

“Let him go. Now. Or I swear by the gods you’ll regret ever breathing,” Shadowheart threatened, eyes blazing. “If you wanted answers, you could’ve just asked.”

The elf’s hand trembled slightly at her firmness. He hesitated… but only for a second.

And that was enough.

Durge was already moving before anyone noticed.

Like a living shadow, he crossed the space between them with brutal momentum. With a guttural growl, he slammed into the elf with his shoulder, throwing him hard to the ground. Subaru dropped to his knees beside them, coughing and rubbing his neck.

“D-Damn…!” he gasped, but before he could get up, he saw Durge mount the attacker, fists already flying.

Heavy, blunt punches landed squarely on the elf’s face.

Wham!

Blood splattered across the rocky ground.

Wham!

A tooth flew.

Wham!

The elf groaned, trying to lift his arms in defense.

“Durge! Stop it, he’s already down!” Shadowheart shouted, now alarmed.

But Durge didn’t stop. His eyes were blank, feral, alight with sadistic glee. Each blow was harder, more furious, more personal, like he was beating something far deeper than just the elf.

Slowly, a smile began to spread across his face.

Finally, Subaru dragged himself over and grabbed his arm, gripping it tightly and forcing Durge to look at him. And just like that, all the rage seemed to vanish the moment he recognized who was holding him.

“Enough! He’s not even fighting back anymore, you’re going to kill him!”

Durge froze for a moment, his fist still raised. His breathing was heavy, erratic… but slowly, he lowered his arm. His eyes took a long time to come back from the trance of violence, blinking in surprise as he realized his position and the state of his victim.

The elf, bloodied, coughed and tried to crawl away, panting and swollen-faced. Durge slowly climbed off of him, shoulders tense. Guilt and confusion flickered across his face. He looked lost inside himself.

Shadowheart watched the three of them, still on guard, then finally lowered her weapon.

“Well, now that you’re done rearranging his face, how about someone tells me what the hell is going on… or I’m going to assume everyone’s gone insane.”

That’s when it happened.

All four of them gasped at once. A sharp pain pierced their heads like an electric shock under the skin — and suddenly, their eyes became one.

For a few seconds, Subaru was seeing through Durge’s eyes. Shadowheart saw herself from the outside. The elf could see himself through Subaru’s gaze… and at the same time, memories flashed before their eyes, rushing through dark alleys.

Suddenly, the visions vanished and the elf, still on the ground, stared at the trio.

“What the hell was that?!”

“…Ah, you’ve got a tadpole in your head too,” Subaru remarked, sounding genuinely surprised, which made the elf glare at him.

“…I have a what, where?!”

Astarion sat on an uneven stone, shoulders tense and eyes half-lidded, like someone who could still taste his own defeat. The healing potion in his hand trembled slightly before he finally brought it to his lips.

In front of him stood Subaru, looking calmer and more at ease with the situation, with Shadowheart by his side, club in hand, staring directly at Astarion. Durge, on the other hand, was behind the elf with his arms crossed, glaring at him intensely.

“Let me get this straight… we have these tadpoles inside our heads and we’re going to turn into mind flayers if we don’t get rid of them?” Astarion asked after finally settling down.

“In short? Yes.” Subaru nodded at that, which made Astarion chuckle.

“Ah, of course… I really don’t have that kind of luck,” Astarion grumbled before looking at Subaru. “Well, my name is Astarion. I hope there’s no bad blood between us now. That wasn’t personal, you know?”

“Sure. Can’t say I would’ve done things differently if I were you. Though… maybe with a little less knife-to-the-throat,” Subaru replied with a casual air, and he meant it. The situation made sense. “Anyway, I’m Subaru. Subaru Natsuki. These are Shadowheart and, of course, Durge.”

“Do it again, and we’ll have a problem.” This time it was Durge who spoke, voice sharp with anger, making Astarion glance his way.

“Oh, darling… I think your boyfriend is feeling a bit protective,” Astarion teased, prompting Durge to growl and draw a dagger from his belt while Subaru’s eyes went wide.

“What!?”

“Boys!” Shadowheart snapped, making both Durge and Astarion freeze under her glare. “Durge, please keep our new ‘friend’ in check while I have a word with Subaru.”

“Oh... someone’s jealous. Sorry, looks like I mixed up the roles.” Astarion smirked.

Shadowheart ignored him and grabbed Subaru, pulling him aside.

Subaru followed without resistance as she led him to a nearby rock. His body felt heavy as lead after everything they had endured, but it wasn’t until he sat down that he realized just how hurt he actually was.

It wasn’t just exhaustion, it was the kind of pain that layered itself, physical and mental. The shallow cut on his neck, left by Astarion, throbbed in sync with the fast beat of his heart. The cold sea breeze made it sting even more, an unpleasant reminder of how close he’d come to death.

Shadowheart watched him silently, her gaze steady, as if assessing something she wasn’t sure she could, or should, fix. Then, without ceremony, she knelt in front of him, opening her pouch with smooth, practiced movements. When she spoke, her voice was quieter, laced with a blend of firmness and thinly veiled concern.

“Let me see it. This could get infected if we don’t treat it soon,” she said.

Subaru tried to protest, raising a hand to his neck, as if to hide the wound. There were still traces of dried blood, and the skin was starting to swell. Even so, he hesitated. “I’m fine… It’s just a scratch, you don’t need to worry about it…”

She raised her eyes to meet his and for a moment, there was no patience in them, only a quiet authority, cold as tempered steel.

“You care too much about others and too little about yourself,” she murmured. Then she reached out, gently touching his chin and tilting his head to the side. “Don’t move. I’ll heal you.”

He obeyed. He didn’t know why, exactly, but something in her voice made it hard to resist. When Shadowheart’s fingertips brushed the skin around the wound, Subaru flinched slightly, but not from pain. There was a gentle warmth growing under her touch, like a spark slowly lighting from within, burning softly outward.

Her eyes were closed, focused, and her lips moved silently, whispering ancient words that felt weighted, secret… and filled with a dark, careful power.

Then the magic came.

Subaru felt something invisible ripple over his skin, not cold like medicine, but warm, like a prayer. The wound reacted almost instantly, tissue knitting itself back together beneath Shadowheart’s touch, the blood retreating, the pain dissolving like smoke in the breeze. When she opened her eyes again, the deep purple glow that had briefly shimmered in her irises gave way to a calm, slightly tired expression.

“All done,” she said softly, pulling her hand back with a hint of hesitation. “It wasn’t serious… but it could’ve been. The blade came too close.”

Subaru raised his hand to his neck, surprised to find the pain completely gone. Where he’d felt the cut, there was now only a faint mark, barely noticeable. When he looked at her, his expression held more than just gratitude, there was awe, admiration… and maybe something harder to define.

“Thank you…” he murmured. “That was... incredible.”

Shadowheart looked away, as if unsure how to respond to the compliment. She tucked her holy symbol of Shar back beneath her garments, as if hiding something too intimate to reveal for long.

“I’m just doing my part,” she said, her voice firmer now, almost defensive. “And I want you in one piece. Not just because we’ll need each other, but…”

She hesitated, her eyes finding his again, even if just for a moment.

“…because I saw how you reacted to Us’s death. Not many people in this world still care like that. Even about monsters.”

Subaru didn’t reply right away. Her words caught him off guard, but not in a bad way. He was so used to feeling out of place, so used to being underestimated or misunderstood… that having someone like her acknowledge it, even in so few words, stirred something deep inside. Something old. Something lonely.

“I just... don’t like seeing anyone die afraid,” he finally said, his voice raw with honesty. “Not even a monster… maybe that’s my biggest flaw.”

“Maybe…” she nodded, standing slowly, as if the moment had passed, but some part of it still echoed silently between them. She took a few steps, then glanced over her shoulder.

“Come on. Let’s make sure Astarion still has his teeth. I don’t think I can handle another one of you bleeding from the neck.”

Subaru got up too, his body feeling lighter. The wound was gone, but the warmth of her touch still lingered.

And strange as it was… it made him feel just a little less alone.

The forest opened up before them like a new world. It was, in part, a relief to leave behind the pulsing, viscous, infernal environment of the nautiloid once again, but what lay ahead was far from safe.

The vegetation was thick, damp, and the air was heavy with moisture and death.

The first signs came from the clearing just ahead, where at least half a dozen bodies lay scattered among exposed roots and dark grass. Goblins. All dead. Some had their throats slit, others were pierced with arrows in their backs or chests, as if ambushed while trying to flee. The already-dried blood attracted lazy flies that buzzed quietly, and the silence all around was far too unnatural to be comforting.

Subaru stopped beside a fallen tree and observed the scene cautiously. His eyes scanned every detail carefully. Even though he was still adjusting to the reality of this world, his instincts were beginning to adapt. This wasn’t a disorganized attack. This looked deliberate. A hunt.

“Looks like someone really doesn’t like goblins,” Subaru murmured to himself.

“Or just had a bad day and decided to take it out on them. Nobody likes goblins,” Astarion replied with a wry smile, running a finger along one of the corpses before wiping it clean on Subaru’s cloak. “Not that I’m judging. I’ve had days like that.”

Durge was approaching slowly, his eyes scanning the surroundings with animalistic unease. Unlike the others, he didn’t seem focused on the dead, but rather on what lay beyond. His body was tense, and his right hand hovered constantly over the hilt of his weapon. Subaru noticed this before Durge even spoke, and then his voice echoed between the trees, low and thunderous, like a storm building in the distance.

“There.” Durge pointed with his chin beyond the clearing. “Behind that cluster of trees… I can see the silhouette of a tower.”

Subaru narrowed his eyes and followed the direction he’d indicated. It was hard to see clearly, but there was, in fact, a triangular shape among the treetops. Tall, uneven, built of dark stone, partially covered in vines. The structure looked ancient, abandoned… but somehow still alive.

“Great. A lonely tower in the middle of the forest. That never ends badly,” Astarion said with a dramatic sigh. “Maybe there’s a Hag inside. Or a cultist. Maybe even a poetry-reading bear.”

The comment drew a guttural sound from Durge. Too fast. Too instinctive.

Before anyone could stop him, he was already in motion. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Astarion, grabbing the elf by the collar and lifting him clean off the ground with frightening force.

Durge’s eyes burned with a silent, primitive rage, as if the mocking words had poked something buried far too deep to be healthy.

“Tell one more joke. Just one more,” Durge growled, his voice so low it seemed to rise from an abyss. “I promise you’ll laugh while bleeding from your eyes.”

Astarion, clearly frightened, still didn’t lose the mockery in his eyes, whether out of arrogance or sheer survival instinct, it was hard to tell. But it was Subaru who intervened, moving fast, stepping between them like an improvised shield.

“Enough!” Subaru snapped, sounding more frustrated than angry. “We just got out of that damned nautiloid. I’m not going to stand here and watch you kill each other out here over words. Not now.”

Durge looked at him. His eyes lingered a second too long, as if resisting the command. But then, as if Subaru’s presence alone was enough to restore part of his reason, he let go of the elf roughly and backed away, fists clenched. Astarion landed on his feet, coughing once and adjusting his collar with an offended, but wisely silent, expression.

Amidst the tension that still clung to the air, Shadowheart kept herself busy. She was finishing looting the last goblin, her movements quiet and efficient, as if used to the task. When she stood, she brought with her a small goblin sword, simple but functional, the blade still sharp and the leather grip worn.

She walked over to Subaru and offered the weapon without ceremony, her eyes still alert as she watched the group.

“This is better than that little dagger you’ve been carrying,” Shadowheart said matter-of-factly. “At least it won’t break if you hit something harder than a mushroom.”

Subaru accepted the sword, surprised, and looked it over for a moment before sheathing his dagger. There was something symbolic in the gesture, even if no one said anything. He nodded his thanks, and Shadowheart simply shrugged and walked ahead again, as if nothing had happened.

Without another word, the group resumed their journey. The forest was thick, roots snaking across the ground like sleeping serpents, and the path to the tower was anything but clear. But they moved forward, together, and in silence.

Four strangers bound by a shared infection, by a fall into something far greater than they could understand. One step after another, through shadows and leaves, with the wind carrying the distant echo of whatever fate awaited them in that forgotten stone tower.

And for the first time… there was a faint feeling that this group, unlikely as they were, might actually survive what was coming.

Or, at the very least… Subaru would die trying.

Chapter Text

The group moved in silence through the twisted trunks of the forest, the canopies forming a thick dome that allowed only pale fragments of sunlight to pass through. The birds had stopped singing some time ago, and even the sound of the wind seemed trapped among the leaves.

Shadowheart walked in front, eyes sharp on the tracks in the damp soil, while Durge observed everything with the patience of a predator. Subaru came just behind, feeling the weight of the silence begin to pile on his shoulders. Astarion, in turn, was already showing signs of impatience, rolling his eyes every time he stepped on a dry branch.

That was when they heard the sound, a crack, something breaking violently, followed by a frustrated growl coming from just ahead. The group’s posture changed immediately. Shadowheart raised her mace, Durge already had his hand on the hilt of his staff, and even Astarion seemed to forget his disdainful pose for a moment.

As they advanced cautiously, the scene that revealed itself was, at the very least, unusual.

A muscular woman in rudimentary armor, covered in soot, was kneeling before a wall of earth, trying to piece together what seemed to be fragments of a wooden shaft wrapped in flames.

With each attempt, the wood crumbled into embers before even touching her skin, which in turn smoked and regenerated almost at the same pace. She growled, frustrated, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her forearm, and completely ignored the fact that her own body seemed to resist the flames with a mixture of pain and brute strength.

But it wasn’t just her.

On the wall, a magical rune was carved into the ground like a circle of living energy, arcane symbols dancing across the ethereal surface, radiating a pulsating purple light.

At the center of the circle, an unstable portal remained open, and from its middle, a masculine arm, covered by a mage’s robe, stretched out in desperation, trying to cling to the edge of the rune. The hand trembled, the arm flailed desperately trying to escape, and the muffled sound of a voice calling for help echoed, faint, almost swallowed by the unstable magic around it.

Subaru was the first to move.

“Hey!” he called instinctively, before turning to his companions. “There’s someone stuck there! Let’s go.”

The tiefling, until then focused on the burning shaft, quickly turned, her fiery red eyes locking on the group approaching. Despite her slightly hostile stance, trying to figure out if they were friend or foe, she still seemed relieved to see other faces.

“Hey, Soldier, think you can help us? That guy is stuck in this portal.” The woman shouted, pointing to the arm as she dropped the wooden shaft. “I’ve been trying to help, but everything I grab burns and he can’t hold on to my axe.”

Subaru was already moving closer, ignoring Astarion’s hesitation and Shadowheart’s warning look. When he saw the arm sinking further into the portal, he quickly reached out, grabbing the arm and began pulling, feeling the static energy raise the hairs on his arms.

“Whoever you are, thank you for your help!” The person inside the portal said, the voice seeming to echo with a strange static that Subaru ignored as he tried to pull them out. “Hey, not to sound ungrateful, but could you try pulling harder?”

Immediately, Durge stepped to Subaru’s side and promptly grabbed the arm with him. The two exchanged a brief look before Subaru nodded with a confident smile.

“Durge, let’s pull together. Now!”

He and Durge gripped the arm at the same time and began pulling as the magic resisted, but they didn’t relent. With a joint shout, they pulled with all their strength, feeling something within the rune snap with an almost deafening crack.

Then, with a sudden explosion of light and a roar of arcane energy, the portal collapsed, and a full body was thrown out, crashing onto the damp grass with a heavy thud. A dark-haired man, with scruffy beard, clothes singed beneath a purple robe, rolled onto his side, gasping. A tattoo seemed to glow on his chest, and his eyes, filled with disorientation and relief, turned to Subaru and Durge.

“By all the planes… thank you.” The man who had just come out of the portal said as he stood, brushing the dust from his clothes. “Well… Hello, I’m Gale of Waterdeep.”

Subaru smiled despite still looking a bit tired as he stood, Durge at his side with arms crossed, staring at the two newcomers. “You’re welcome, Gale, and whoever you are.”

The red-skinned woman with only one horn laughed at his response, smiling warmly.

“You’ve got guts, soldier. I like that.” The woman commented, looking especially at Subaru before thumping her fist against her chest. “The name’s Karlach.” With that, she pointed at Subaru and the others approaching. “And you?”

Subaru smiled, satisfied at finally meeting someone friendlier. “I’m Subaru and these are my friends, Durge and Shadowheart, and that one is Astarion.”

Astarion cleared his throat dramatically. “Ah, we’re not friends? I thought we had already made peace, Subaru. But either way, it’s a pleasure to meet you, muscles.”

“...You literally threatened me with a dagger to the neck when we met, like ten minutes ago…” Subaru said flatly, glancing at the elf, who only smiled in response.

Karlach blinked, surprised, giving the elf a suspicious look.

“Yes, nice to meet you, but how did you end up trapped in that rune?” Shadowheart asked, turning to Gale.

Gale briefly glanced at the rune on the wall before facing the group.

“I fear I don’t know exactly how it happened, but the Nautiloid exploded into several pieces and I found myself falling through the skies. In fact, it’s good to see you also managed to survive.” Gale explained, surprising the party and Karlach, who stared at him, but he looked at the extinguished rune with disdain. “As I approached what I thought would be my certain death, I noticed a glow near where I estimated I would land.”

Gale continued his tale, gesturing as everyone listened. “I recognized the glow as magical in nature and tried to connect with it to survive, but when I realized it, I was on the other side of the portal.”

“And you? How did you survive the crash?” Gale asked, now looking at the group.

“Subaru.” Durge and Shadowheart replied at the same time, making the boy’s eyes widen as he turned to them, surprised.

“What!? But I didn’t do anything…”

“You coordinated us in a battle against demons and mind flayers on the nautiloid’s command bridge, where we managed to bring the ship here and make a forced landing.” Shadowheart commented, crossing her arms, looking at the boy who seemed embarrassed. “And you even saved me from a dragon, keeping me from getting even more hurt during the turbulence we suffered.”

“But I…”

“Oh, so you’re a hero, huh?” Karlach said cheerfully, energetically approaching Subaru. “I’d like to hear more of your stories later, soldier.”

“My… stories?” This time Subaru looked even more alarmed at the subject.

“Of course, you seem cool, and if you did what they’re saying, you must’ve had plenty of adventures, right?” Karlach asked excitedly, though her smile faded slightly as she noticed Subaru’s hesitation.

“Yeah… adventures, sure, something like that.” Subaru laughed nervously.

“Well, I don’t know how you survived, but my pod fell on the other side of the ship and I crawled out.” Astarion replied, shrugging, diverting the group’s attention to him.

“Yes, that was my case as well.” This time, Karlach spoke up, surprising the group since she too had been on the Nautiloid.

“I see… Then all of you also ended up receiving an unwanted insertion in your ocular regions, didn’t you?” Gale asked, making everyone go silent, staring at him.

“...I couldn’t have phrased that in a more repulsive way myself.” Astarion raised an eyebrow at the question.

“There’s no need to sugarcoat it, we all know what we’re facing now.” Gale smiled before adopting a more severe expression. “They implanted us with a parasite that, after an excruciating period of pain, will turn us into Mind Flayers. This process is known as ceremorphosis, and let me assure you: We must prevent it.”

“By the way, none of you would happen to be a cleric, would you? A doctor? A surgeon?” Gale asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“You seem to know enough about our situation to realize this is beyond most clerical skills, right?” Shadowheart asked, crossing her arms.

“I’m a sorcerer and my focus is combat, I don’t really have healing abilities.” Durge declared from the back of the group.

“Nah, I’m a barbarian, my thing is punching and smashing stuff…” Karlach replied shyly, rubbing her neck.

“Hah! If I had any ability to remove a parasite worm planning to turn me into a brain-eating aberration, don’t you think I’d have done it already? I’m a rogue, not a miracle worker.” Astarion laughed, raising his arms in disbelief.

Subaru, on the other hand, couldn’t help but look confused at how everyone seemed to respond to the question, until he noticed they were all staring at him. “What?”

“...You know, now that I think about it, you never said what your class was.” Shadowheart commented, looking at Subaru curiously.

“Class? I don’t have a class, I…” Subaru began, but everyone now stared at him, wide-eyed.

“You don’t have a class? But… everyone has a class.” Karlach declared in shock.

“Really? I thought you were a bard, for charming that psychopath.” Astarion commented, genuinely surprised, while Durge narrowed his eyes at him.

Suddenly, Shadowheart grabbed Subaru’s shoulders and forced him to face her. The half-elf looked him up and down with such intensity it made the boy blush and try to gently pull away.

“Shadowheart, you’re…”

“Shut up.” Shadowheart interrupted, focused on analyzing him, even pushing aside the cloak covering him to see his clothes underneath, which only worsened his blush. “It’s true… you really don’t have any class…”

“For Shar’ sake…”

“So… we’ve been with a civilian this whole time?” Astarion asked, incredulous, before huffing and turning away. “We were being led by a civilian! We’re going to die!”

“Wait, wait, please, let’s all calm down.” Gale asked, stepping closer to Subaru, making the boy look at him. “You really don’t have a class, none?”

“No, I don’t, what’s the big deal with you all!? What is a class!?” Subaru asked, already impatient.

“They’re our vocations.” Gale began to explain, drawing Subaru’s attention. “We’re adventurers, so to speak, and our classes are unlocked the moment we embark on an adventure so that we can use magic effectively and other abilities.”

Subaru nodded, already recognizing what Gale was talking about. It was like RPG classes, really different from Lugnica when he stopped to compare. When he had been summoned, he appeared with nothing, like a normal human in a cruel and dangerous world…

After all, on his first day, he died three times.

“Ok, right. So, how do I get a class for myself?” Subaru asked. If there was a chance for him to at least have some power here he would take it, he needed any chance he could get, he couldn’t be useless.

Not again.

“Ah… maybe I’m not the most suitable, but I think I can help you get your own class.” Gale nodded after thinking for a bit and extended his hand towards Subaru’s chest.

As soon as contact was made, Gale closed his eyes while his hand emitted a faint bluish glow and he recited some words softly in a language Subaru didn’t recognize. A warm sensation began to fill Subaru’s chest as an unknown energy seemed to animate the boy.

“I love you.”

But, suddenly, the entire sensation changed, being replaced by an overwhelming cold that made Gale’s eyes widen and pull away from Subaru, everyone there seemed on alert, looking around worried.

“Did you guys hear that?” Astarion asked with a surprisingly scared tone.

“That woman’s voice saying she loves me? Yes, I heard it too.” Karlach declared while pulling out her axe, looking around uncertain and trembling.

“What…” Subaru continued, but he soon realized how the sky suddenly darkened and the shadows seemed to grow where they stood.

“Subaru, stay close.” Shadowheart asked as she approached Subaru, with her mace in hand and her shield ready.

“I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“Satella? But how? You’re trapped and …” Subaru thought, scared, looking around when he noticed something, the rune seemed to change color, it no longer glowed purple, but now it looked like it was formed of a black and white glow with some kind of dark liquid leaking through its lines.

“Bloody hells!” Astarion exclaimed as he noticed the rune, making everyone turn to face it.

But the liquid kept leaking until it formed a puddle on the ground in front of the rune and soon something began to come out of it. A black figure rose, completely dry, a woman covered by a dark veil, so dark it was impossible to see who was beneath it, except for a pair of glowing purple eyes.

An invisible pressure seemed to freeze each one of the Party members as the woman looked at them, more specifically, at Subaru.

“I love you, I love you, I love you…” Satella kept repeating when she finally began to move, advancing towards Subaru, walking slowly to him, ignoring how each of the others seemed frozen, staring at her, unable to move.

Satella soon reached right in front of Subaru before extending both hands to hold his cheeks lovingly, despite the despair they felt.

“I love you.”

Slowly, Satella leaned closer to Subaru while lowering her hands to hold his, and her veil seemed to open, revealing her face, silver hair, turquoise eyes and pale skin like that of a doll. And then, her lips met Subaru’s, making the boy’s eyes widen as he squeezed the woman’s hands.

Suddenly, the sound of birds singing echoed, making everyone blink and see that everything was back to normal, as if nothing had happened.

“What!? How!? Where did that go!?” Astarion exclaimed hysterically, looking around with his daggers in hand.

Suddenly, Durge fell to his knees before his hands hit the ground hard as he breathed heavily, a dry cough echoing from his throat. Karlach and Gale also seemed as affected as Durge, but their reactions appeared more restrained.

Shadowheart was still staring at the rune with wide eyes, trying to understand what had just happened before suddenly turning, remembering what that thing had done to Subaru.

“Subaru, are you alright?” Shadowheart asked before stopping as she noticed something.

A book in Subaru’s hands, with a black cover, as dark as the night, with what seemed like several different constellations around the cover and a strange symbol in its center attached to a clasp that seemed to keep the book shut.

“Is that… a grimoire?” Gale asked in a soft voice.

Subaru, however, didn’t respond to anyone as he reached out to open the clasp, before cautiously moving the cover to see the first page.

“The stars watch, silent and bitter.” Subaru read while everyone stared at him. “They envy you, they hate you… and yet, they bless you.”

The group fell silent, listening intently to Subaru as he flipped through the book for a few seconds, furrowing his brows when he returned to the beginning and soon repeated the motion, looking frustrated.

“What the hell? Where are the cool spells? There’s no attack here? Only buffs and debuffs!?” Subaru exclaimed incredulously before slamming the book shut with force, letting out a sigh at the end. “Looks like my nature with Yin magic follows me even here…”

“What the hell? What the hell is what I ask you! What was that!?” Astarion asked as he advanced towards Subaru.

However, before the elf got too close, Durge was suddenly between them with a terrifying expression that surprised the group, even more when the sorcerer grabbed Astarion’s throat and pushed him away from Subaru, while growling fiercely.

“Try again, I dare you.” Durge growled in a dark tone, staring directly at Astarion.

“Hey, hey, calm down!” Subaru exclaimed, while the book seemed to dissolve, sinking into Subaru’s shadow, which surprised the rest of the group as he ran to Durge and Astarion. “Let him go, this won’t help at all, we’re all together here, ok?”

Durge remained silent, staring directly at Astarion before throwing him to the ground, seeming to calm down before grunting and looking at Subaru.

“Alright, but if he tries anything again…” Durge gave a brief glance at Astarion. “I will tear him apart with his own dagger.”

An uncomfortable silence arose as Durge walked away from Astarion. Seeing how tense everyone was, Subaru clapped his hands, startling most of them and drawing their attention to him.

“Ok, so… we have a lot of problems, besides… whatever just happened, but the most important thing is we have these tadpoles in our skulls and we need to get rid of them, why don’t we join forces and…” Subaru suggested, trying to change the subject, something Gale seemed to agree with.

“He’s right. It’s not wise to investigate a Warlock’s contract and his patron, despite the peculiarity of how it was made we truly have more urgent problems now.” Gale added, receiving a grateful look from Subaru.

“Right… and what should we do now, soldier?” Karlach asked, looking at Subaru while putting away her axe.

“We were heading towards a tower, I think some kind of church nearby to seek shelter and find out if there was any civilization close.” Subaru replied, pointing in the direction they had seen the tower, receiving a nod from the Tiefling.

“Right, that sounds like a good plan, shall we?” Karlach asked, seeming excited again.

With that, most of them nodded as they began to walk, with Astarion lightly tapping Subaru’s shoulder, making the boy sigh before Durge stopped beside him.

“I’ll keep an eye on him.” Durge assured before continuing to walk, making a small smile appear on Subaru’s face, at least he had a reliable ally, though unstable.

Subaru began to follow the group before a hand grabbed his wrist, making him turn to face Shadowheart, who stared at him with a worried look.

“Are you alright?” The question ended up surprising Subaru, but he quickly nodded dismissively.

“Yes, I mean, considering everything, I think I’m fine.”

Shadowheart nodded, although she didn’t seem to believe him. “I see. I won’t pry into what you know, it would be hypocritical of me to demand your secrets when you don’t even demand mine, but I can’t ignore that maybe something has affected you.”

The two stared at each other for a few moments as Shadowheart seemed to grow more serious before sighing.

“Look, you’re the reason we got out of that ship, and you’re the only one who can rein in the mangy dog that is Durge, I fear without you he might actually skin Astarion.” Shadowheart commented, making Subaru huff, almost laughing at the joke at the end. “And even without that, your own foresight and leadership skills saved us before, you’re a fundamental part of our group so if that thing did something to you, poisoned you with some vile magic it becomes our problem.”

“I… I understand, but you don’t need to worry about that, I’m fine.” Subaru assured with a reassuring smile. “It’s just that I’ve always been a magnet for complicated and crazy things. I don’t know, I swear if I knew I would have already written a survival manual…”

“Yes, you really do seem like someone who gets into trouble… I guess our journey will have a bit more excitement than expected, won’t it?” Shadowheart asked with a sigh, making Subaru laugh.

“Yes, something like that. Sorry, I’ll try to control myself, we already have a lot to worry about, it’s not worth adding more things.”

Shadowheart looked at him with an even sterner expression, but still hadn’t let go of Subaru’s wrist. “There you go again with that nonsense of not worrying about yourself…”

“That’s because it really isn’t necessary…”

“You faced a dragon for me, Subaru!” Shadowheart exclaimed angrily, letting go of Subaru’s wrist before grabbing his shirt collar. “You carried me unconscious across a beach with remnants of Mind Flayers with only a dagger to protect us both! You are important to this group, so don’t belittle yourself like that, it’s irritating and I swear if I have to, I’ll check on you every minute to make sure you don’t kill yourself in some stupid way trying to be a hero.”

Subaru stared at her, speechless, feeling a strange warmth in his chest, he had been scolded before, but never for trying to diminish himself, it was the first time someone confronted him about his own worth like that.

“Sorry.” Subaru asked with a sigh. “It’s an old habit, I guess…”

“A habit that will be broken, I hope.” Shadowheart declared, releasing the boy and crossing her arms.

“Well…” Noticing how her eyes narrowed at him, the boy nodded. “Yes, of course.”

“Good.”

“Hey, lovebirds!” Astarion called them, a bit ahead with the rest of the group stopped and staring at them. “Are you two still going to take long to kiss or can we go?”

“…I take back what I said, Durge won’t skin him, I’ll have the honor.” Shadowheart commented expressionlessly while Subaru laughed nervously.