The morning passed in a heavy silence.
Ren glanced again and again toward the city gates, hoping to catch the familiar figure of Kizmel and the two others, but the gray stone road remained empty, only the falling snow layering itself thicker and thicker.
He sat down on a wooden crate by the ramparts, elbows resting on his knees, eyes fixed on the mist-shrouded lake.
Every ripple that stirred upon the water tugged faintly at his heart, like a bad omen waiting to surface.
And so the afternoon of December 25th slipped by, still with no word from Kizmel, Kirito, or Asuna. The worry inside Ren only grew, coiling tightly around his thoughts.
No matter how he tried to restrain himself, he couldn't stop his mind from straying to grim possibilities.
Meanwhile, the Dark Elf scouting parties finally returned, battered, their armor smeared with black blood. Their reports were delivered straight to the commander:
They had found no warships, nor signs of large-scale mustering, in the area Ren and Kirito had mentioned.
But instead, they had traced signs of a temporary outpost deep within another floating landmass.
Burnt-out firepits, shattered bones of hunted beasts, and tangled footprints proved that a significant force had once gathered there.
"We were ambushed as well," one scout rasped, his voice hoarse with fatigue. "A group of Fallen Elf emerged from the darkness.
They weren't many, and unlike their usual ferocity, this time they fought half-heartedly. Clearly, they only meant to test us and inflict losses."
The squad leader frowned, muttering to Ren and the soldiers nearby, "They're already close. If that really was a temporary base… then a major assault is only a matter of time."
Hearing this, Ren clenched his fists, gaze stretching toward the distant waters as if he could pierce the cold mist to find a trace of his friends.
A vague thought rose in his mind: had Kizmel and the others stumbled upon this new base by chance?
No one answered, only the cold wind whistling through the gaps in the walls and the thick metallic scent of weapons being forged in haste.
Night fell. The icy wind carried the lake's damp chill against the snow-covered ramparts.
Ren sat alone in a narrow chamber, the torch on the wall flickering against his tense face.
A soft ting chimed through the silence, a message notification. Ren opened the menu, the pale blue glow washing over his weary eyes.
It was from Argo.
Ren read slowly, line by line:
"I've returned to Rovia. Tried negotiating with both major guilds. Unfortunately, they refused to take part. They're pouring all their strength into locating the floor boss room, believing that to be the highest priority. I'm sorry."
Ren went still, the light of the message reflecting in his cold sapphire eyes. His fingers slowly closed the window, letting the glow vanish as though it had never been there.
A draft slipped in through the window crack, the chill biting into his skin. He leaned back against the wall, eyes drifting into the void, murmuring softly, as if only to himself:
"So… we'll have to stand on our own."
Outside, the guard's horns continued to sound, mingling with the clatter of armor, reminders that a storm of blood was pressing right against the castle gates.
Time passed. The dense black of winter night faded, replaced by the first streaks of silver cutting through the thin veil of snow—dawn of December 26th. Yofel Castle remained steeped in tension and exhaustion after a long night of vigilance, waiting for the enemy's strike.
Ren had not slept. His eyes were shadowed with fatigue as he sat again on the familiar crate by the fortress harbor, where he could watch the dark waters ahead.
A mix of restlessness and helplessness churned within him. Where were they? Why hadn't they returned?
Somewhere, the sound of wooden mechanisms creaked, followed by the subdued cheers of guards.
Ren snapped his head up. Through the mist and snow, a boat gradually emerged, the lantern at its prow blazing like a flame in the winter night.
His heartbeat quickened. He rose sharply, hurrying toward the stone pier.
"It's them! Knight Kizmel has returned!" one guard shouted, his voice edged with excitement.
As the small boat docked, Ren clearly saw three figures disembark. Kizmel still wore her black armor, her gait strong but shoulders weighed heavy, dusted with snow and the marks of a brutal journey.
Behind her, Asuna and Kirito followed closely, their faces weary but their eyes burning with determination.
Ren let out a long, heavy breath, as if casting off a boulder that had pressed on his chest for two endless days.
"You guys…" he muttered, his voice catching for a moment before he forced it down, striding quickly toward the pier to greet them.
The dawn light glimmered across the lake, stretching their shadows long over the snow, as though they carried warmth itself back into this place bracing for war.
Kizmel's lips curved into a faint smile at the sight of Ren rushing toward her. For a brief moment, the knight's usual sternness melted away, revealing rare warmth.
She gave a small nod. "I'm glad you're here. But first… I must report to the Viscount. He cannot be kept waiting any longer."
Her voice was firm, carrying both the discipline of a soldier and the poise of a royal knight.
Ren barely had time to respond with a nod before Kizmel was already walking away, her black armor-clad figure quickly swallowed by the deep corridor leading into the heart of the castle.
The harbor courtyard was now left with only three people.
Ren turned and met Asuna's gaze. She tilted her head slightly, the crimson cloak around her shoulders swaying with each cold gust. Snowflakes clung to the fabric but never reached the soft chestnut strands of her hair within.
Her eyes were clear, perceptive, as if she had already seen through what Ren wished to ask before he even opened his mouth.
"So… you must have a lot of questions, don't you?" Asuna spoke softly, her tone caught between a half-smile and seriousness.
Ren nodded, his brows furrowing slightly. "Let's go inside first. It's too cold out here."
He glanced at Kirito. The swordsman's face was flushed red from the frost, his black hair soaked and clinging to his forehead, droplets sliding down onto his shoulders.
Unlike Asuna, shielded by her cloak, Kirito looked as though he had just been buried in a snowstorm and didn't even care.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Kirito blurted out quickly, though his voice was hoarse from the cold. He hunched his neck, trying to hide a shiver.
Ren sighed quietly, his eyes flashing briefly with reproach, but he said nothing more. Instead, he walked ahead slowly, leading the two inside.
The crunch of boots on thin snow mixed with the whistling wind, stretching into a heavy silence…
.....
"All that we know about the viscount?" Kirito spoke as he accepted the dry towel Ren handed him, his hand trembling faintly from the cold.
Sitting close to the fireplace, he slowly dried each soaked strand of hair, the heat painting his face with a healthy flush.
"We don't know all that much…" Kirito's voice sank a little, his eyes fixed on the flames leaping within the hearth, as if recalling Kizmel's words.
"According to her, he is one of the oldest of the Dark Elves… once directly served the queen when she was still young.
A loyal knight, but now aged… The duty has since been passed to his descendants, while he withdrew here, to the fourth floor, guarding Yofel Castle as a final fortress."
Ren nodded slightly, listening in silence.
He lifted the cup of hot tea in his hands.
"Right…" Asuna continued, her slender fingers raising the porcelain cup before sipping lightly.
The warmth spread down her throat, making her shiver faintly...but not from cold.
"We haven't met him in person either. We only heard that… he suffers from an illness related to light.
He cannot step outside in sunlight, and even strong firelight causes him discomfort."
She paused, her gaze thoughtful. Under the flicker of the fire, Asuna's face carried both doubt and a trace of unconscious fear.
"Sounds like a vampire, doesn't it?" Kirito suddenly laughed, trying to ease the tension.
But his laugh was awkward, as though he himself wasn't entirely comfortable with the thought.
Ren tilted his head, the corner of his lips lifting into a faint smirk. "If that's true, then it fits the setting. A black stone castle, sharp towers, an aged lord who fears the light… straight out of a fairy tale."
Asuna turned toward him, staring for a long moment before letting out a soft sigh. "Please, don't say things like that."
Ren shrugged, his voice flat. "If we don't laugh, then we'll be left thinking about the enemy preparing to lay siege to this castle. Take your pick, which thought is easier to stomach?"
Kirito and Asuna exchanged glances. For a brief moment, both of them chuckled, not because Ren's words were funny, but because they knew he was right: fear always went down easier when wrapped in a bit of irony.
"And what about your mission?" Ren asked softly, rotating the teacup in his hand, the thin steam briefly veiling his eyes. "If it's something inconvenient to share… then just forget I asked."
Kirito leaned back in his chair, his damp hair still dripping even after being dried, and shrugged as if it were nothing worth hiding. "It's not that serious. To put it plainly, we were just asked to retrieve something stored in a dungeon."
Asuna nodded slightly, her voice dropping as she spoke. "The Lapis Key.
It was carefully hidden away by the viscount, but recently he feared the enemy had traced its location, so he entrusted us with the mission of bringing it back safely."
Ren froze for a moment, his fingers unconsciously tapping the rim of his cup. "The… Lapis Key?"
He recalled the chain of events: the Jade Key, and now another one. He let out a half-laugh, half-sigh.
"First jade, now lapis… what's next? Ruby, gold, or maybe even an iron key?"
Ren's joke lightened the air a little. Kirito chuckled, shaking his head. "If that were the case, each floor would turn into a key collection quest."
Asuna allowed herself a faint smile, though her eyes quickly returned to seriousness. "No matter how many there are… they're certainly not just for decoration.
Each key holds a place in the history of the Elf kind, and perhaps, they're tied to the sealed gates within this castle."
Ren fell silent, his gaze lingering on the flames crackling in the hearth. In that moment, a mix of curiosity and unease slipped into his thoughts.
If there truly were more keys, then what greater design lay hidden behind them?