Flailing midair, Alexia instinctively switched to a backstroke. She was supposed to be a spectator, not a participant in this bloodbath.
"Okay… is that statue waking up?" She squinted, watching as the ancient figure reignited, veins of molten fury pulsing beneath its obsidian skin.
The cavern trembled as a deep, thunderous voice rolled through the chaos.
"I, Thrakos, will guard this place to the death."
Alexia sighed. Of course. Why did every ancient ruin insist on having an overdramatic guardian? Would it kill the universe to hand her a treasure trove without a monstrous beast, deadly traps, or world-ending consequences?
A sickening crunch snapped her thoughts in half.
Alexia's eyes widened. Below, Thrakos raised one massive pincer and brought it down. The squad of B-rank warriors who had so bravely rushed toward him were reduced to a smear of crimson and shattered armor, their legacy ending in a single brutal instant.
She let out a sharp breath, chest heaving. "Okay! Whose brilliant idea was this?" she demanded, watching as the guardian continued its relentless massacre. "The gods really have no sense of humor. Who does this?!"
Alexia landed with a wet squelch. Something soft cushioned her fall—too soft. A corpse.
She blinked, then glanced down. Ah. A mermaid. Or at least, what was left of one. The body was riddled with ragged bite marks, flesh torn away in gruesome chunks, exposing raw muscle beneath.
She tilted her head. So, someone's a cannibal?
Lifting her boot, she gave the body a small nudge. The mermaid's lifeless green eyes stared back at her, blank and glassy beneath a tangle of flaming red hair. Alexia's own golden eyes gleamed with interest. Nice hair. She must've been pretty.
Above her, the guardian's voice thundered through the cavern, another squad of warriors reduced to bloody smears in the background. The air reeked of burning flesh and molten rock.
Alexia let out an exaggerated sigh, stretching her limbs as if she'd merely collapsed onto a particularly uncomfortable couch. "Well, I'm busy right now, or I might've looked into this."
The thick warmth of blood seeped into her clothes. She grimaced, flicking a speck off her sleeve. "Gross. This dress has seen better days."
Stepping back, Alexia took in the battlefield—a twisted masterpiece of carnage. Rivers of blood carved their way through severed limbs, the cavern a stage for warriors lost in either frenzied battle or something far less noble. Chaos reigned, bodies moving like tangled marionettes, their strings hopelessly knotted.
She exhaled, flicking a stray drop of blood from her fingers. "This is getting ridiculous. Power, lust, pride—people are so predictable." She sighed, almost disappointed. "Would it kill them to be a little original?"
Alexia's gaze swept across the battlefield, idly cataloging the carnage—rivers of blood carving through stone, severed limbs strewn like discarded offerings, warriors locked in either violent combat or something far less noble.
Then, amidst the chaos, something unusual caught her eye.
A man with short blue hair was gliding across the bloodstained floor, arms stretched wide, his movements fluid, almost weightless. Like a bird testing its wings.
For a moment, she just stared.
Something about the way he moved tugged at a memory buried deep in the corners of her mind. A memory of warm hands lifting her into the air, of laughter that used to belong to her.
Father and Brother used to do this for me all the time… back when he still loved me.
Her breath hitched.
"Lugus—"
Pain snapped her out of it—a sharp sting blooming across her cheek. She blinked, swallowing hard. Then, with a huff, she pouted.
"Okay, fine!" she grumbled under her breath.
She exhaled sharply, shaking off the lingering thoughts. Focus. With a flick of her wrist, a whip of fire ignited in her grasp, its heat curling around her fingers like a living thing.
"Hello, stranger. Time to tango."
The whip lashed forward, wrapping snugly around the playful man. His bloodstained slide across the battlefield came to an abrupt halt.
"Got you." Alexia smirked, reeling him in. As he neared, her gaze flickered with something unreadable. "Desires can actually be this pure, huh?" The words slipped out, half in disbelief.
The man flopped beside her, his grin lazy, his gaze unfocused. He blinked up at her, slow and dazed, as if he were somewhere far, far away.
Alexia crouched beside him, tilting her head. "I really, really shouldn't save you," she muttered, as if trying to talk herself out of it. "Everyone I try to hold onto dies." She let out a slow breath, tapping her fingers against her knee. "Burned, roasted, or traumatized—sometimes all three."
She grinned, licking her lips. "So… nod if you're ready for one crazy ride."
The man—dazed, unfocused—giggled. Then he nodded.
Alexia blinked. Then snorted. Then burst into laughter, her face flushing from the sheer absurdity. "Thought so."
Her fingers twitched as she reached for him, an almost giddy smile playing at her lips. "If you wake up, you're going to hate me for this."
He simply stared at her, expression blank yet oddly content.
Alexia sighed, shaking her head. "You're so cute." Her lips curled into a smirk. "I think I might just keep you."
Reaching out, she traced her fingers over a red mark on his neck. The moment her touch grazed the spot, he shuddered.
Her brows furrowed. The skin was punctured—like a bite.
Her gaze darkened, suspicion flickering in her golden eyes. "I hope you merfolk don't have a vampire lurking among you." She studied his flushed face, her smirk widening.
"...Or maybe just a lecher."
As the ground trembled beneath them, Alexia exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing at the retreating form of Thrakos.
"Okay… how exactly am I supposed to carry a full-grown man and keep us alive with this useless body?" she muttered, her mind racing through a hundred solutions—none of them ideal.
She rolled her shoulders, straightening. "Everyone left is either dead or lost in their own twisted dreams. So… maybe I can try it." Her voice dropped to a whisper, uncertainty flickering beneath her usual confidence.
Closing her eyes, she steadied her breathing, forcing herself into a meditative focus. Come on… it happened once, right?
Then—something clicked.
A faint white glow spread across her skin. Her veins pulsed with a strange mix of fire and light, threading through her wounds, mending some of the worst damage. A shudder ran through her body as the energy took hold, an almost forgotten sensation sparking to life within her.
The blue haired man, still sprawled beside her, sucked absently on his thumb as he stared at her, wide-eyed. His expression was one of pure, unfiltered wonder—like a child watching a butterfly for the first time.
He didn't speak. Didn't move.
Just watched.
Feeling the newfound strength coursing through her, Alexia smirked. She brought two fingers to her lips and let out a sharp whistle.
"Little flame, come out. Aren't you my guardian or something?"
The flickering ember hesitated before appearing, its glow uncertain.
Alexia clapped her hands together, golden eyes gleaming with mischief. "Good. I have another plan."
Crouching beside the dazed blue-haired man, she twirled her whip before casually looping it around his wrist.
***
"Lord Thrakos! I challenge you!"
Thrakos halted mid-motion, his molten gaze sweeping across the battlefield. He let out a dismissive huff. "There is no one here worthy of challenging me."
His eyes landed on a small, insignificant girl standing just beyond the protective boundary.
Alexia cleared her throat and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Mighty guardian! What exactly makes one worthy? Strength? Power? Or is it just looking appropriately menacing?"
Thrakos tilted his head, white hair brushing his shoulder. "Fate," he rumbled. "If one is fated, strength is irrelevant. Or rather, proving one's worth is. Strength alone does not determine victory."
Alexia's smirk widened. "Then, Lord Thrakos, would you accept my challenge?"
Thrakos studied her, his molten gaze flickering to the small flame at her side. His grip on his blades loosened slightly, his expression unreadable.
Then, ever so subtly, he nodded at the flame.
Alexia, oblivious to the wary glances exchanged behind her, kept talking. "A dance battle."
Silence stretched between them.
Thrakos stared at her, molten eyes unblinking, as if weighing the absurdity of her words against the sheer audacity it took to say them. Then, to her utter shock, he smiled.
"Destiny is with you," he rumbled. "What are the rules of this dance battle?"
Alexia's eyes widened. 'He actually agreed?'
She coughed into her fist, regaining her composure. "Well, first—you have to be at my rank. And second..." Her gaze flicked up and down his massive form. "Aren't you a little too big to dance?"
Thrakos paused, contemplating her words. Then, with unnerving ease, he answered:
"Very well."
Alexia watched in fascination as Thrakos began to change. His towering, statuesque form shrank, molten obsidian skin fading into a rich honeyed hue. The jagged exoskeleton that had encased his legs shifted, reshaping into human limbs before her eyes.
Now standing before her was a strikingly lifelike man—tall and powerful, his frame adorned with a tattoo of a scorpion, its molten lines pulsing faintly against his arm. Twin obsidian blades remained fused to his forearms, gleaming under the cavern's flickering light. He wore a short black tunic, a stark contrast to his flowing white hair.
His blazing amber eyes locked onto her, and he smiled. "I am ready to do battle." His deep voice resonated through the cavern, punctuated by the sharp clang of steel as he flexed his blades.
Alexia, still staring, let out a slow breath. "If you live long enough, you see a lot of things."
Alexia swished her pigtails with a smug smile, stepping forward. "Lord Thrakos, you look amazing for your age. But tell me, do you know how to dance?"
Thrakos regarded her with mild curiosity. "A battle is a battle. I am a master of combat." He took a step forward, the ground trembling slightly beneath his weight.
Alexia clicked her tongue. "No, no, not that kind of battle. This kind." She rolled her hips to the side in a slow, deliberate sway.
Thrakos observed her closely before mirroring her movement in the opposite direction. His expression remained serious. "Like this? How does one fight this way?"
Alexia grinned, her golden eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh, you'd be surprised."
"Today, I shall pass down an ancient family secret... because you are worthy."
Behind her, the blue-haired man blinked in utter confusion, scratching his head, while the little flame sat beside him, watching intently.
Alexia placed a hand over her heart, her expression solemn. "My people call it… BREAKDANCING." She let the words hang dramatically in the air before flashing a mischievous grin. "Think you can handle it, Lord Thrakos?"
Thrakos nodded, completely serious. "A battle is a battle. I am ready."
Without hesitation, Alexia threw herself into a roll, transitioning smoothly into a headspin. Thrakos, ever the warrior, mirrored her movements with flawless precision.
'As a warrior, adaptability is key,' he thought gravely, executing the spin as if his very honor depended on it.
"You amaze me!" Alexia exclaimed, bouncing backward with a delighted grin.
Thrakos hesitated for only a moment, his obsidian blades flaring back to life. His molten gaze sharpened. Then, with solemn focus, he mirrored her movement.
The entire cavern shook.
A deep rumble tore through the ground as stalactites cracked from the ceiling, plummeting like obsidian spears. The battlefield erupted into chaos.
Everything was caught in the destruction—except the blue-haired man, who remained untouched, safely shielded by the little flame.
Alexia barely managed to roll out of the way, eyes wide. "Whoa, whoa, WHOA—"
Amidst the falling debris, Thrakos straightened, clearly pleased. He turned to her, flashing an approving smile.
"Marvelous technique. Which tribe created this... break dancing?"
" My Lord, I am greatly displeased that this scandalous attire in unfitting for this." She said changing the topic.
Thrakos frowned looking at his tunic. " I remember civilization requiring one to cover themselves. But if my attire shall limit me, then I shall reluctantly disgard it."
" What? No! I'm talking about myself....my Lord." Alexia's covered her red face with her hands as she watched him almost remove his black tunic.' I'm too pure for all this.'