Chapter 38 – A Faint Recollection
They had wandered what felt like ages through the grand labyrinth — a sprawling maze of stone that seemed to stretch into eternity. The walls loomed high, cold and damp to the touch, their ancient bricks slick with condensation. Torches burned in uneven intervals along the corridors, their flames flickering weakly as if wary of burning too bright in this place. Shadows pooled in the corners and bled into one another, warping with each breath of stale air. Every footstep echoed faintly, bouncing away into the distance like whispers fleeing down unseen hallways.
Lucid had chosen the right-hand path, trusting instinct over reason. But every twisting turn, every hallway that seemed to stretch on forever, only led them back to the same yawning intersections. No matter how far they walked, the scenery reset — a cruel loop of corridors with no end, the stone beneath their feet repeating like the grooves of a broken record.
It was maddening.
The boy walking beside him was pale and silent, his small frame tense, his eyes darting about as if expecting the walls to shift. He stooped without a word, picking up a small rock from the ground. With careful precision, he began scratching a mark into the wall each time they reached a turn — jagged little notches in the stone, like breadcrumbs carved in desperation.
Smart kid, Lucid thought, watching him for a moment. Maybe this won't be as bad as I—
But optimism was already thinning, eaten away by fatigue. His legs ached with each step, muscles screaming for rest. The dull throb in his side — from a wound he'd all but ignored — pulsed in time with his heartbeat. The bleeding had stopped earlier, but the ache was constant, a heavy reminder that he was pushing himself too far. Whatever adrenaline had carried him until now was gone, leaving only exhaustion in its place.
And still, that strange moment from before haunted him — the white, smoke-like haze that had appeared without warning, swirling into the shape of a faintly rectangular panel. Black letters had shimmered and shifted across its surface, like ink suspended in water.
It had appeared as though answering a thought.
[ Name: Lucid ]
[ Rank: Unknown ]
[ Soul Concentration: Latent ]
[ Trait: Unknown ]
[ Faith Essence: 0 / 6000 ]
[ Followed Path: None ]
[ Description: Marked by the gaze of a deity. Possesses clarity of mind and unyielding resolve. Faces adversity and hatred, yet continues along an unchosen, uncertain path without deviation. ]
Even now, he could bring it back with just a thought, as if it were burned into his mind.
'Faith Essence? he wondered. The heck is that?'
Soul Concentration, Trait — the words made no sense, and yet the system seemed to know him. It knew his name, his very essence.
A faint, humorless chuckle threatened to rise in his throat.
'Maybe I've gone insane… or maybe this is actually real.'
The boy's presence beside him kept him anchored. Without it, Lucid feared he might've done something reckless, just to test if pain here was as real as it felt. The sweat sliding down his spine was real enough. The ache in his side was real. The emptiness in his stomach was real.
The boy stopped suddenly. His small hand gripped Lucid's tightly, halting him mid-step.
"What's wrong?" Lucid asked quietly.
The boy's gaze was fixed ahead, wide and trembling, his lips parting soundlessly.
Lucid followed his stare… and froze.
A cold, suffocating pressure coiled around him — the kind that made every instinct scream danger. He turned sharply.
It was there.
The shadowy creature.
The same nightmare that had pursued him in the four-way cross street. The same formless horror that had dragged him into darkness. Its pale eyes burned like twin lanterns in a void, set into a body of rippling shadow that seemed to drink in the surrounding light.
Lucid's arm shot out, pushing the boy behind him.
The creature stood unnervingly still, its shapeless mass undulating slightly, as if tasting the air. Then — with no warning — a tentacle-like appendage lashed forward, slicing through the air like a whip.
"LOOK OUT!"
Lucid dove, throwing himself over the boy as the shadow's strike slammed into the stone where they had stood. The ground cracked violently, shards of rock flying up as dust clouded the air.
Clutching the boy tight, Lucid ran. His boots pounded against the cold stone floor, every step echoing in the hollow corridors. His heart thundered so loud it nearly drowned out the creature's pursuit.
But luck doesn't last forever.
Something smashed into the backs of his legs, the force buckling him. Pain flared white-hot as another blow struck his spine, sending him sprawling forward. His grip slipped.
The boy was ripped from his arms.
Lucid twisted to see him — dangling upside-down, caught by the ankle in one of the creature's appendages.
"No… NO!"
The shadow tilted its head, examining the boy like a predator sizing up prey. Then another tendril drove straight through the boy's stomach.
The scream that tore from the boy's throat was ragged and high, blood spilling down to stain the ground.
"LET HIM GO!" Lucid's roar was raw, desperate. His hands scrambled for anything — a weapon, a tool, something. His fingers closed around a rock, and without thinking, he hurled it.
By sheer miracle, it struck the creature's pale eye.
It recoiled, the boy dropping limply to the floor.
Lucid sprinted, scooping him up without breaking stride. The boy's skin was ice-cold, his breathing shallow, his weight frighteningly light.
Another appendage lashed out, but Lucid threw a fistful of dirt into its eyes. The shadow recoiled, not blinded but slowed just enough for him to bolt down another twisting hall.
Left. Right. Right again.
They didn't stop until silence pressed in on them.
Lucid pressed into a narrow alcove, one hand covering the boy's mouth to muffle his pained breaths. They waited, frozen, as the sound of the creature's pursuit faded into the labyrinth.
When they moved again, it was almost by instinct — until they stumbled into a vast, circular chamber.
The Core.
A crystal monolith rose from the center, impossibly clear, glowing with a faint blue light that painted the stone walls in soft hues. The air here thrummed, vibrating faintly in Lucid's chest.
He lowered the boy to the ground. The cold floor beneath them seemed to leech away what little warmth remained in his frail body. Blood pooled slowly, dark against the pale stone.
"Hey. Hey! Stay with me. Don't you close your eyes!" Lucid's voice cracked, his hands trembling as he tried to keep pressure on the wound. "HELP! Somebody HELP!"
The chamber gave no answer.
Only the oppressive hum of the Core.
Then—
A screech.
The shadow had found them.
Lucid laid the boy down gently, rising to meet it. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to run, but there was nowhere left to go.
"You want me?" His voice was hoarse, but fierce. "COME GET ME!"
The creature lunged.
Lucid rolled, snatching up a jagged shard from the crystal floor. The edge bit into his palm, warm blood mixing with the cool stone dust. He didn't care.
They clashed.
Its limbs lashed with bone-breaking force, smashing craters into the ground. Lucid ducked under one blow, driving the shard into its shifting mass. The creature shrieked — a sound that scraped the inside of his skull raw.
Each strike he landed felt like hitting smoke and steel all at once. The impact jarred his arms, numbing his fingers.
A tendril slammed into his ribs, knocking the air from his lungs. Another clipped his shoulder, pain flaring down to his fingertips. Blood ran freely down his side now.
The shadow reared back for a final blow — aimed at the boy.
"No you don't—!"
Lucid threw himself forward, ramming the shard straight into its pale eye. The howl that followed shook the chamber. The creature thrashed violently, tossing him aside, but he refused to let go. Again and again, he stabbed, until the form of the monster began to unravel — melting into smoke, dissipating into the air with the echo of its scream fading into nothing.
Lucid collapsed to his knees, gasping for air. His arms trembled violently, blood dripping onto the stone.
He turned.
The boy lay still. Pale. Unmoving.
"No… no, no, please—" Lucid's voice broke. "Don't you dare leave me now. We made it! OPEN YOUR EYES!"
He gathered the boy into his arms, rocking him desperately.
Then — the Core erupted with blinding light.
[ Trial Complete ]
[ Participant 1: SUCCESS ]
[ Participant 2: FAILURE ]
[ Trial rank: B ]
[ Name: Lucid ]
[ Rank: E ]
[ Soul Concentration: Latent ]
[ Trait: The Four Suits ]
[ Faith Essence: 400 / 6000 ]
[ Reward: vanquished Foes +100P Faith Particles ]
[ Reward: Passed trial +300 Faith Particles ]
Lucid's arms tightened around the boy.
"STAY WITH ME!" His voice cracked into a scream. "I'M NOT GOING WITHOUT YOU… It's ok… breathe!"
His skin began to splinter, glowing blue motes drifting upward, his body fragmenting into dust under an unseen pull.
"No..No.No ... .NoNo..NoNo HE IS COMING WITH ME!"
The Core pulsed once more indifferent.
And Lucid was gone.
[ Trial has concluded ]
[ May your journey to enlightenment continue ]
Lucid fell from a tear in the air onto an asphalt road, the rift sealing shut above him.
He hit the ground hard — the pain sharp, real. But something was wrong. He could feel the rain pouring down, heavy drops striking his skin like small pebbles of stones, yet he barely flinched.
He lay curled in a fetal position, eyes open, dry lips parted.
Alive
But not present.
Sunlight poured through tall classroom windows, warm and gold, spilling across rows of desks and half-filled quiz sheets. The air was heavy with late-June heat, thick enough to cling to skin. A single window was propped open, letting in a faint breeze that barely stirred the curtains.
Somewhere close, a pencil scratched steadily against paper.
At the front of the room, the homeroom teacher sat with one leg crossed over the other, a book resting in her hands. She glanced up every so often, making sure her students were focused. Most of them were, heads bent over their work.
Kaori was among them, her elbow propped on the desk, the eraser end of her pencil pressed lightly against her lips. She squinted down at the page. Was it question B… or C? The choices seemed to blur together in the heat. She chewed gently on the pencil, willing herself to decide.
Minutes dragged on. A few students finished early, rising quietly from their seats to hand in their quizzes before leaving. The teacher gave each one a small nod, a casual "See you tomorrow"—though with summer vacation just around the corner, it was uncertain if she actually would.
Kaori finally set her pencil down with a soft sigh and glanced toward the back row, where Lucid usually sat.
But before she could really take in his face, the bell rang. Its chime was gentle, lingering in the corridors like an echo from far away.
"All right, everyone, time is up. Please return your sheets," the teacher announced. She stood and began weaving between the desks, collecting papers, smiling faintly at a few students, waving at others.
Kaori stayed in her seat, waiting for Lucid. Aika leaned on her desk, chatting quietly. Renji hung back too, tapping his fingers impatiently.
The teacher reached Lucid's desk and tilted her head. "Time's up, Lucid. No amount of last-minute studying can—"
Her voice trailed of..
Lucid hadn't moved. His quiz paper lay untouched, not a single mark on it. He sat hunched forward slightly, disheveled, eyes unfocused. His lips were dry and faintly parted, his gaze fixed on something invisible just past the edge of the desk.
She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something was horribly wrong with Lucid.
"Lucid?" The teacher bent her knees slightly so her eyes met his. One hand rested gently on his shoulder. "Are you feeling all right? I can walk you to the nurse's office if you need."
No response.
Kaori had noticed now, her quiet conversation cutting off. Aika frowned, exchanging a glance with Renji before they all approached.
Their voices reached him as muffled noise. He couldn't make out the words. Couldn't make out anything beyond the echo of the boy's scream still lodged in his skull.
Did I cause his death?
I… am… a murderer?
No.
A single tear traced down his cheek, catching the classroom light for an instant before falling to the desk.
The teacher's hands were on both his shoulders now, firm but gentle. Kaori placed a tentative hand on his back. He felt the warmth of her palm, but it didn't pierce the cold inside him.
Kind as ever… but I don't deserve your kindness. I don't deserve anything.
His breathing quickened. His heart thudded—not in fear, but in raw, cornered frustration.
Smack.
The sound cracked through the quiet like a whip. His own hand had struck his cheek.
Smack.
Again.
Renji stepped forward quickly. "Hey—"
Why?
Smack. Smack.
Lucid's strikes grew harder, his cheeks reddening, then burning. His breath hitched between each hit.
"Lucid, stop—!" Renji grabbed for his arm, but Lucid shoved him back with a burst of unnatural strength. Renji stumbled, his hip slamming into a desk before he crumpled to the floor.
Kaori gasped.
Smack. Smack.
"WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!" His voice tore through the room, each shout breaking under the weight of his rage. Students who had left now crowded against the sliding door and pressed their faces to the windows, eager to witness the chaos.
His hand rose once more, suspended in the air.
Tears blurred his vision until the classroom began to dissolve.
The warm sunlight dimmed. The walls lengthened. The smell of chalk dust and summer air faded.
When his hand came down—
Smack.
—it struck not his cheek, but somewhere else entirely. The side of his head.
Bars surrounded him. Cobblestone stretched underfoot. His wrists were shackled, the chain rattling softly in the silence.
A lone figure stood before him, faceless in the dim light.
Something heavy moved above his head. A steel rod.
It hit the side of his head..
It didn't hurt.
Lucid opened his eyes.
He was awake.
Awake with bitter memories.