The vast, twisted labyrinth of the school continued to loom above as Lumiel's group ascended. The eerie, flickering lights of the fourth floor cast shadows on the tiled corridors, and the system clock blinked: 10:01 AM.
"Hey, Lumiel..." Skye spoke, his tone uncertain.
"What is it, Skye?" Lumiel replied, glancing over.
"The demon said there were others in the game, right?"
"Yeah. He did say that."
"But where are they?"
Lumiel furrowed his brow. "That's... quite mysterious," he admitted. "Still, it's a good sign that I met you. It means the others might also be wandering this labyrinth somewhere."
"That makes sense..." Skye nodded.
Suddenly, a gold light shimmered beside Lumiel. A figure slowly manifested—elegant, radiant, and glowing with warmth. It was Lylia.
"Lumiel," she called softly.
"Mama? You can come back anytime now?"
Lylia smiled. "Yes. You've adapted to my soul after all these years. You can now see me clearly, and even others. I've become more than just a soul fragment inside you, Lumiel. I've become the guardian of your soul."
"Guardian?" Skye asked, wide-eyed.
"Thank you for asking, Skye." Lylia chuckled. "To put it simply, I'm the most precious soul dwelling inside Lumiel—a shield that protects his spirit from breaking."
"That's amazing, ma'am... You didn't just become a part of Lumiel. You became the one who holds him together. I wish I had a mother like you ma'am." Skye gripped Lylia's hands. "Would you like to adopt me?"
Smack!
"OUCH!"
Lumiel slapped the back of Skye's head.
"What was that for?!"
"Stop joking with my mother. Apologize."
"...I'm sorry, ma'am."
"Good." Lumiel crossed his arms with mock pride.
Lylia chuckled heartily. "Ma'am?" Skye confused.
"No, no. I just find it sweet that Lumiel has a friend like you, Skye. Thank you for being by his side."
"Y-You're welcome, ma'am," Skye replied, cheeks flushed.
As they continued deeper into the fourth floor, the warm moment quickly turned cold.
"H-Hey Lumiel," Skye whispered.
"What is it? Found something? Someone?"
Skye's eyes widened, locked on a hallway ahead. "L-Look..."
At the far end of a long hallway stood a staircase—and scattered across the floor, the lifeless bodies of students. Blood painted the walls and pooled beneath the fallen.
"There's so many of them..." Skye muttered.
"What could've done this...?" Lumiel whispered, horrified.
Suddenly, a student bolted from a classroom—only to be impaled to the wall by a grotesque, flesh-like trident.
Chime.
[System Notice: Dangerous Anomaly Detected Nearby — Run as far as you can.]
"Run," Lumiel whispered.
"What? What did you say?"
"Run! We need to run!" Lumiel shouted, panic rising.
The monster emerged. It had snake-like legs, a grotesquely muscular torso, and the snarling face of a rat. It shrieked.
[System Notice: Unknown Ailment Affected — Fear. Currently neutralizing mental health...] [System Notice: Neutralization Complete.]
Lumiel grabbed Skye's hand and bolted. The rat-creature gave chase, its trident raised to throw.
"Lumiel, watch out!" Skye screamed.
The trident hurtled toward them—but just before impact, Lylia appeared, arms raised.
"Don't you dare hurt my baby!" she shouted.
A radiant shield burst to life before them, pure and unwavering. The trident slammed against it and disintegrated.
[System Notice: Skill Evolved. Skill Change — Guardian Angel's Protection → A Mother's Vow.] [Skill Recognition: A Mother's Vow — The soul of a caring mother manifests a shield with unyielding love to protect her child, disintegrating any attack.]
"Holy Dawn!" Lumiel cried, summoning his celestial blade. It crashed down behind them, forming a barricade alongside raised earthen walls. With the path blocked, they escaped.
"Lumiel! Over here!" Skye pointed at a nearby door.
The two burst through. Inside was a large room—crowded with frightened students and teachers.
"Lumiel!" a familiar voice called.
He turned.
"Nishia...!"
Lady Nishia ran toward him, Mister Claud behind her.
"What happened? Why are you panting? Were you chased?!"
Lumiel struggled to answer as Skye collapsed nearby, gasping for breath.
"We were chased by a... monster with a trident," Lumiel explained between breaths.
Skye was quickly helped by a student and handed two water bottles, both of which he emptied instantly.
"Hey Nishia," Mister Claud called. "You should be asking about the half-dead guy too. Also... who or what is that gold lady behind them?"
"That," Lumiel said with a smile, "is my mother—Lylia."
Nishia blinked. "Your mother? But she looks like... a golden ghost. Maybe even an angel."
"She can hear you, you know," Claud muttered.
"Yes. She is really my mother. She appears like that because she's a soul."
"A soul?!" Nishia looked even more puzzled.
"Would you like to hear my story?" Lylia offered.
> If I listen to her story, I can learn more about Lumiel as a child, Nishia thought.
"Yes, I would love to," she said excitedly.
An hour passed as Lylia told her story.
By the end, Nishia was in tears, and Claud had turned away, hiding his face.
"Ma'am," Nishia said, holding Lylia's hands, "I swear to continue what you've started. I will protect Lumiel—even unto death." Nishia still in tears.
Lylia smiled. "Thank you, Nishia. Please take care of my baby."
> They're already close friends... I'm happy everyone accepts Mama. Lumiel's heart swelled with warmth.