Chapter 35
The darkness of the cave envelops us.
Neither of us moves.
Seconds pass. Then minutes. Perhaps an eternity.
The sounds outside continue. Battles upon battles that any moment threaten to spill over into the cave.
Eventually, the sounds fade.
But even then, I don’t move—I don’t dare.
I just stand there with one hand braced against the rock, trying to get my lungs to work properly again.
The air inside the cave is cool and damp, tinged with earth and something mineral. This still freshness feels almost unreal after the chaos outside.
My pulse is still hammering in my ears, too loud, too fast, like my body hasn’t realized yet that we’re no longer being chased.
I let out a slow breath as I will myself to relax.
Moe is slumped against the cave wall. She lets out a weak laugh. “We actually did it.”
I nod, still breathless. “We did.”
We’re both looking at each other. I don’t know who smiles at whom first. But if I were to make a top ten moments of my life so far, this would be number one.
“We make a great team,” I say.
“See? I told you so. We make the best team.”
I stare at her, unable to look away.
She bends forward, her hands on her knees as she catches her breath. There’s dust streaked across her cheeks. Her hair is tangled from the run, and her clothes are streaked with dirt. She looks as I do—absolutely wretched.
But there is something that holds me captive. Her eyes. They’re so bright and alive, sparkling with vitality. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her like this.
The Moe I know is typically reserved. A little shy and mostly soft-spoken.But that was before she followed me here. Before she showed me she’s not just a delicate female in need of gentle treatment.
I think in my attempt to please her and do everything for her I may have treated her a little too…
carefully. Perhaps she’s always been this way but I never gave her the chance to show it to me.
After all, she was always a little private and withdrawn back home.
We did have conversations, but they were surface level.
This is different. It feels different. Perhaps it’s the life-and-death situations we shared that made us grow closer.
We shouldn’t have survived that. People far more experienced than us probably didn’t. And yet we did. Our teamwork did. We made a plan and we both executed it perfectly. Even when things deviated slightly from the plan, we worked together seamlessly to resolve it.
It’s not just that I had some abilities from the Zantrax, and thus could execute more difficult tasks. Without her brilliant ideas and thorough planning, I would have likely died had I attempted to do this alone.
Something settles in my chest at that realization.
As I look at her now, my pulse accelerates in a way it did not before. Whereas I liked and felt attracted to her in the past, it’s nothing like the simmering desire in my blood.
How the hell am I supposed to last another night with her?
I clear my throat and attempt to dispel those thoughts from my mind.
“We should prepare the parts of the Wilka here. I’m worried that if we leave we might be attacked by other beasts since they now know we are here.”
“I agree.” She nods. “You’re out of Zantrax, too, no?”
“Yes.”
“Then we should prepare as best as we can. These beasts are highly intelligent. I don’t want us to take any risks.”
I reach into the proto-realm. The Wilka’s body drops onto the cave floor with a heavy, lifeless thud.
The faint glow in its chest hasn’t disappeared entirely. It pulses weakly beneath its hide, like the last echo of a dying star.
Moe straightens and steps closer, drawn towards the odd light.
“It’s so beautiful,” she whispers. “I almost feel bad that we killed it.”
“It is quite striking,” I agree. “You might want to look away if this makes you uncomfortable.”
I take out a saw, some knives and scissors.
She gulps down but doesn’t look away. “No. It’s fine. I’ll help.”
She holds the Wilka’s body while I saw down the horn. It’s a tough material and it takes me a long time to completely remove it even with my currently enhanced strength. Once it’s off the body, I place it carefully aside.
Next is the abdominal cavity where the heart is housed.
Using a knife, I cut through the semi-translucent skin. A pop resounds in the air and a clear liquid with specks of glitter flows out of the chamber.
Both Moe and I look at it curiously.
“I wonder if this liquid has any benefits…” I muse to myself. Moe, efficient as always, takes out an empty container and places it under the leaking hole, gathering as much of the liquid as she can.
I chuckle but give her a nod of approval. Although it might not be useful for us, I’m sure we can get some money for it. After all, just the mythical status of the Wilka should attract attention to it.
When the last drops of liquid have been emptied, I grasp onto the skin and pull to the side, enlarging the hole.
There are similarly translucent ribs covering a vividly purple heart.
Even in death, it retains its perfect coloring.
Using the saw again, I cut off the ribs.
Then, careful not to squeeze too hard, I take the heart out.
“This is yours.”
She’s about to protest again, but I cut her off.
“No buts. I already said this is yours.”
“Nyk, it’s too much,” she murmurs. “That’s the most valuable part. You said it yourself… It can help an immortal—”
“I’d rather you have it. I want you stronger, Moe. This will make you stronger permanently, with none of the unpredictability or the side effects of the Zantrax.”
She purses her lips.
“All right.”
Then, slowly, she reaches out. Her fingers brush mine as she takes the heart, and for a brief moment neither of us lets go.
“What should I do now? Just…eat it?” Her nose wrinkles in distaste.
“That seems to be the most logical course. The book says it must be consumed.”
“They should have had some cooking instructions,” she grumbles.
“Perhaps it’s more potent raw?” I offer.
We both stare at the purple heart in her hands, blood still leaking from its orifices.
Moe makes a gagging sound as she squeezes her eyes shut.
“All right,” she says, more to herself. Bringing the heart to her lips, she takes a big bite. Purple blood smears around her mouth. Somehow, the image is familiar, though I cannot say why—such a ritualistic scene, why would I have witnessed it before?
“It’s foul,” she grunts, swallowing with difficulty. But that doesn’t stop her. Bite after bite, she swallows each awful morsel.
By the time she’s finished, she’s breathing hard. She brings her hand to her chest, gasping for air.
I’m on my feet before I even realize I’ve moved, kneeling by her side and patting her on the back.
The surface of her skin lights up, small purple particles moving haphazardly all around her body. It’s identical to the way the Wilka’s chest was lighting up while it was alive.
“Something—” she presses her lips together. “I can feel it.”
Energy moves through her—I can feel it. It’s like something is forcing its way into every part of her body, burrowing into every cell. The color starts a little muted and it gains in intensity with every passing second.
Her hands curl slightly at her sides, her shoulders tensing as she braces against it. I keep patting her back, comforting her as the changes within her take shape.
It lasts for minutes on end. The light inside her flickers one more time before it dies out.
“Moe,” I say in a low voice. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she manages, though it sounds strained.
I pull her closer in my arms, holding her tight.
She doesn’t refuse my touch. She leans into me, placing her head on my shoulder and hugging me in return.
That’s when I notice—her strength. It’s increased so much, I almost yelp in pain from her tight embrace.
“I… feel different,” she whispers in my ear. “Better. Healthier? I’m not sure if that’s the correct term, but it’s like my entire being changed. I don’t feel as fragile as before…”
Right, I might be the fragile one now if she keeps going like this.
“Do you think we’re good to continue or do you need a moment?”
“What do you mean?” She pulls back, her expression confused.
“There’s one more thing,” I say and bring out the Raffia eggshell from the proto-realm. It’s heavy and thick, and though it’s been half-destroyed, a hum of energy still lingers within.
“Come here,” I say.
She tilts her head to the side, not understanding what I want to do.
I let out a chuckle. Taking out a blanket and placing it on the cold floor, I motion her to sit. “On your back.”
“Nyk, the heart was enough. What are you—”
“The heart might have augmented your condition, but you’re still vulnerable. I don’t want to take any chances.”
She rolls her eyes at me, but a small smile pulls at her lips. She lays on the blanket on her back and waits.
“Uhm… Can you pull your shirt up?”
She raises a brow at me.
“I need to apply this directly to the skin.”
She makes a tsk sound—oddly familiar, again. She takes her shirt off and places it to the side, remaining only in a scrap of material that covers her breasts.
I break off the eggshell grind it down just enough to make a spreadable paste, using the liquid we collected from the Wilka too.
Carefully, I apply it over her chest, right where her heart sits beneath her ribs.
Moe watches me curiously, a lopsided smile on her face.
For a moment, nothing happens.
Then the material reacts.
It doesn’t spread outward like I expected—like an actual armor. Instead, it sinks. It burrows underneath her skin.
I can feel the shift even without touching it directly, like a barrier forming exactly where it needs to.
Over her heart.
Good.
“Try moving,” I say.
She does. First cautiously, then with more confidence. There’s a difference in the way she carries herself now. Her body is more fluid, her movements smooth and assured. It’s a subtle difference but one I spot immediately.