The masked Abomination opened the cell door, its hollow gaze fixed on both Neptune and Astariel.
Their eyes met—its stare sent the usual chill crawling down Neptune's spine. The creature tossed a piece of stale bread and a half-filled bottle of water into the cell.
"About time," Neptune thought.
He grabbed the bottle and drank greedily. He had probably never enjoyed water this much in his entire life. The bread, however, was useless for now—his jaw was still broken.
When the last drop was gone, he looked toward Astariel.
"How did the fight go?" His voice was raspy, each word laced with pain.
Astariel let out a dry chuckle. "I fought an Abomination. At first, it was going in my favor, but then I made a few crucial mistakes. Nearly got myself killed."
She wiped a smear of blood from her nose before continuing. "You look even worse than before. What happened to you?"
"The Abomination that attacked us earlier in the cell," Neptune replied flatly. "I had to fight it."
Astariel's expression froze. She blinked, once, twice—then her eyes widened.
"What?! You fought that Abomination alone and won?!"
Neptune wanted to smirk, but his shattered face wouldn't allow it. "It was injured."
"Still! It had two more Soul Vessels than you! That's supposed to be impossible!"
She stared at him, disbelief written all over her face. "What kind of monster are you?"
Neptune chuckled, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. Astariel shook her head, and silence settled between them for several long moments.
Then Neptune spoke quietly. "I've been wondering about something for a while now."
"Go ahead," she said, curious.
"How did you end up here? Some kind of punishment?"
She was silent for a moment before exhaling a weary sigh. "It's complicated. My own family betrayed me. They cast me out and threw me into the Oblivion Realm alone. I had no one and I was no one. So I searched for purpose."
Her voice was calm, but Neptune knew it was only a mask. Since the moment he met her, she'd always been composed, unnaturally so. Even Corrupted Creatures showed emotion: rage, fear, despair. Astariel showed none of it.
But he could tell, she wasn't emotionless. She simply hid them well.
"In the end," she continued, "I found nothing but pain, regret, and the truth of this world. But one thing kept me alive. A goal. That goal was to kill my family."
Neptune's eyes widened slightly.
Family, wasn't that something meant to be cherished?
He wouldn't know. He never had one.
Still, he could understand her hatred, even if he felt she was still hiding something.
"I was eventually attacked by a horde of corrupted creatures," she said softly. "They were too strong. I was overwhelmed. And just like you… I woke up here."
The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating. Then she asked,
"What about you? What's your purpose?"
Neptune hesitated. He'd never thought about it. He had no grand reason to fight—no one to protect, no dream to chase. His only purpose had been survival… and forming his first Soul Vessel.
"I don't have one," he said finally. "Except to survive."
His voice was still rough, but his jaw didn't ache as much now. Still, the words hung bitterly in the air.Because even survival had an end.
What would he do after?Surviving in the Oblivion Realm was almost impossible. Escaping it, even more so.
Then, without warning, Astariel stood. Her boots scraped against the stone as she faced him, her crimson eyes burning through the dim light.
She extended her pale hand toward him.
"As the Second Princess, Astariel Elaris Thorne of the Vampire Kingdom," she said, her voice sharp and unwavering, "I ask you this: will you help me kill the Nightmare King Gray, and not only escape this cursed place, but destroy it?"
Her eyes gleamed with pure determination, brighter than blood under moonlight.
She wanted to give him a purpose.
Her words sent a shiver down Neptune's spine.
Had she gone mad?
She wanted to kill an Archdemon—a being three Soul Vessels stronger than him, and two stronger than her. One so powerful it could suppress the Soul Vessels of everyone in this damned Colosseum.
And yet… she wanted to kill it.
And she had just revealed her secret. Neptune had heard the name before—the Second Vampire Princess. Stories said she had led a rebellion against her corrupted family. They'd branded her a traitor and cast her into the Oblivion Realm to die.
And now, she was sitting beside him.
He wasn't sure if he believed her. But why would she lie?
Neptune shook his head. "Such crap."
And yet…
He took her hand.