Chapter 230: Lost or Dead?
The gap closed completely.
The two buildings met with a grinding boom that sent dust falling from the ceiling above them, the seam between them pressing tight until there was nothing left.
None of them could see any gap, crack, or trace that an opening had ever existed there.
Melody’s hands hit the wall a half second later.
She slammed both palms flat against the stone, pushing as if force of will alone might reverse what had just happened.
The wall didn’t move. It didn’t even feel like an ordinary stone wall.
They could hear nothing from the other side, just the cold stone pressing back against her hands.
She turned to see the place where there should’ve been a wall fall away to reveal windows and a door, making it the new entrance of the building.
Lukas and Karrakas stood before her, the same expression of shock on both their faces. They looked like they couldn’t believe what they’d just seen. Like it hadn’t been Akira who had been caught between the buildings but someone they didn’t know.
Melody looked at Karrakas, her voice urgent. "What happened? Where is she? How do we get her back?"
Karrakas opened his mouth. His eyes were wide, the professional composure entirely gone. "I don’t—"
He stopped. Started again.
"I don’t know where she is. The layout shifted while the buildings were moving. She could be in a sealed section, she could be in a part of the dungeon that doesn’t connect to anywhere we can reach."
He swallowed. "I don’t know if she’s even—"
"She’s alive," Lukas said immediately, cutting off his words.
His voice was flat and certain, as if he knew for sure.
"A wall closing isn’t enough to kill her," he said. "She has a high Constitution and her armor over her body. She also has [Temptation], so she’ll be fine."
"I think she landed somewhere else. Maybe another building or another street. I’m sure it’s somewhere in this dungeon." He looked up and down the sealed wall. "And these walls have to lead somewhere. They moved from somewhere and they moved to somewhere, so if we break it down, we can get to Akira."
"Lukas," Karrakas said carefully. "That’s not how the dungeon’s—"
Lukas hit the wall.
His fist drove into the stone and a chunk of it broke free, skipping across the floor. He hit it again. Another piece came away, larger than the first.
"Lukas, listen to me. Breaking through isn’t—"
He threw another punch and a crack appeared, running diagonally from the impact point towards the ceiling.
"It doesn’t work that way," Karrakas said, louder now. "The building moved. Akira is not on the other side of this wall. Breaking through it won’t find her."
Lukas hit it again.
Karrakas stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder.
Lukas stopped.
His knuckles were bleeding, but that was the only injury on them. He stared at the cracked wall, his chest rising and falling, the dust from the broken stone settling around his feet.
Melody stepped forward and took Lukas by the arm, pulling him gently away from the wall.
"Your system," she said quietly, glancing back to make sure Karrakas couldn’t hear them. "Can it tell you anything about Akira?"
Lukas looked at her, his eyes widening. He’d been so focused on getting Akira back that he hadn’t even stopped to think of that.
’Where is Akira?’ he asked his system.
The system responded almost immediately, the familiar blue text appearing in front of him and Melody.
[Akira Graves remains connected to the system. Her life force is present and active. She is alive.]
The breath he’d been holding left him all at once.
Melody gasped in relief, grabbing his arm with both hands, and squeezing hard. Her eyes went bright, a wide and happy smile on her face.
Akira was much more than just a fellow wife to her. She was like a sister. So whatever happens, she wouldn’t let Akira die.
Melody smiled and pressed her forehead against Lukas’ shoulder, while he held her closer.
Karrakas moved closer as they hugged, and on his face was a careful expression. It was clear that he’d come to offer comfort, but he wasn’t sure if they’d accept.
He opened his mouth, but before he could talk, Lukas spoke. "Thank you, Karrakas. I know what you want to say, and thank you, but she’s alive, don’t worry."
Seeing the expression on Karrakas’ face, he added. "Even if you think all we hold is false hope, let us hold onto it."
Karrakas exhaled, his posture relaxing as he nodded. "Okay."
Lukas released Melody, then walked to the window, staring out at the street outside.
It was just the same as every other street. With buildings rising up, doors and windows on the ground floor only, and the Undercity’s ambient ticking filling the air.
"When we clear the dungeon," he said, "would we be immediately sent out of it?"
Karrakas shook his head. "No. Dungeons here also follow the same rules as the First Floor. The dungeon holds you until you’ve claimed your rewards, and nobody leaves until the run is officially complete."
Lukas nodded.
"Then here’s what we do," he said. "We’ll continue moving to the main clock. That was always the objective and it still is."
He looked back at the wall one more time. "Akira knows what the dungeon objective is. If she’s moving through the dungeon, she’ll be heading towards the same place we are."
"So, this is what we’ll do. We’ll continue on our way and clear the dungeon, and if she isn’t there when we arrive or meet us on the way, I’ll go back into the Undercity and find her myself."
Karrakas started to speak.
"Don’t worry about us," Melody said. "If Akira is still alive, we would be abandoning her if we leave. If you want to, you can leave the dungeon. But Lukas and I will stay and search."
Karrakas looked at her, then at Lukas, then at the street outside.
He sighed. "Fine. Let’s go."
