Oh, how correct he was.
Amelia had never felt fear like this before.
It started the moment she pushed herself too far. The monster wasn't one of the big ones that Raven handled with ease.
It was smaller but faster and extremely vicious. She thought she could manage it this time.
But the strike came out of nowhere. Sharp claws tore across her side, heat flaring into agony before the cold numbness set in.
Her breath caught in a choking gasp.
She stumbled backwards, then fell, pain stabbing through her chest with every shallow breath
Raven was across the room, finishing off another beast without a glance in her direction.
Amelia's vision blurred. Her legs refused to respond. Panic bloomed. She tried to push herself up but collapsed again.
Cold sweat slicked her skin. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Her chest tightened until it felt like it would snap.
She thought about the stories she'd heard from her father about people dying in the dungeons: trapped, alone, forgotten. The cold, the dark, the silence.
However, she believed most others to be beneath her, that she was stronger and would survive, but now reality dawned on her
'Was this how it ended?'
A shadow moved over her. Raven's voice cut through the fog.
Not letting her self-pity continue, he yanked her out of her thoughts.
"Stand up."
Regaining a small bit of composure, she tried with all her might; however, her body still betrayed her.
The world tilted.
He was there beside her in an instant. His hands were firm but not gentle as he lifted her.
"You are not finished yet, you hear me."
Amelia shook her head, pain making her dizzy. "I can't. I'm... I'm done."
Raven's eyes flashed something she didn't understand. Not anger. Not amusement. Something close to concern.
"Stop being a crybaby and pull yourself together"
He shifted his stance, scanning the room. Another growl echoed from the shadows.
"You are just too weak to fight. You cannot survive out here alone."
She bit back a retort. She hated needing him. Hated the way her pride crumbled as her strength faltered.
He carried her across the uneven ground. The weight of her body was heavier than she expected. He didn't speak, didn't explain, just moved with purpose.
A group of creatures surged toward them, snarling, claws scraping stone. Raven's hands flared with magic. A burst of energy blasted the nearest attackers backwards like they were nothing.
[You have levelled up]
{Name: Raven Dmitry
Class: Classless
Level: 73
Exp: 1100/16700
Attribute points: 4}
Amelia clung to him, heart hammering. For the first time, she didn't struggle to break free.
When they reached a small alcove, Raven dropped her gently onto the floor and crouched beside her.
"Hold still."
He pulled out a healing potion that he had previously obtained from the system shop and poured it over her wound.
To Amelia's surprise, the cut closed at visible speed, causing her to relax as the pain slowly disappeared.
However, Raven was far from pleased.
"You were reckless. Next time I won't waste a potion on you."
"I was trying to get stronger." Her voice cracked. "Trying not to be useless."
"Strength is earned through patience, not stupidity."
She blinked, a mixture of anger and gratitude swirling inside her.
"You saved me."
"Didn't have much choice."
They were silent for a moment. The sounds of the dungeon crept back in, distant scrapes, heavy breathing.
Amelia's chest tightened again, but this time it was different. Not fear. Something heavier.
'Why am I feeling this? Gratitude?'
'No. That can't be right. I don't owe him anything. Not now. Not ever.'
'I survived because he saved me, but I'll never forget what he took from me, and I will definitely make him pay.'
She forced her face into a neutral mask, pushing down the flicker of gratitude gnawing at her pride. To her, it felt like betraying her own father, cause nothing could really make up for what Raven had taken from her.
"Why do you care?" she asked, voice sharp.
Raven looked at her then. For a fraction of a second, his mask slipped. Something almost like regret flickered in his dark eyes before the usual cold calm returned.
"I do not," he said, voice low. But even as he said it, his fingers flexed, hinting at something deeper.
Inside, he thought, she is stubborn. Too stubborn to bend, yet too fragile to break. I saved her for no important reason, but I guess I have at least somewhat gotten used to having her around.
"You owe me now," he said, stepping back, voice hardening.
Amelia's lips pressed tightly.
'Owe him? No. I accept this debt only as a temporary leash. One day, I will be free. One day, he will regret saving me.'
"If you want to keep surviving, you follow my rules. You listen. You don't get yourself killed again," Raven added.
She stared at him, burning with conflicted fury and a grudging respect that she didn't even want to admit to herself.
"Fine," she said finally. Her voice was low, almost a warning.
He nodded once, turning away.
"Good. Now get up. We have work to do."