Alvaric struck Zurath's body repeatedly and brutally. He looked like a madman. Lyrith, who had been standing at a safe distance, started walking toward Alvaric. She grabbed his hand firmly. Alvaric turned to Lyrith, his gaze sharp as if he would kill her right then and there.
Lyrith looked at Alvaric with unusual eyes—not with fear, but full of empathy. She felt slightly disturbed by how suddenly Alvaric had become furious and insane. She gripped his hand tighter, making the man jolt out of his emotional outburst.
"Alvaric," said Lyrith in a soft yet firm voice, "that's enough. You need to calm yourself. He can't fight back anymore. His face is already destroyed."
Alvaric fell silent. His breath was ragged, his body still trembling from the storm of rage and confusion. He turned slowly to face Lyrith, and for a moment, his eyes seemed capable of destroying anything in his path. But Lyrith's gaze didn't falter. She met his eyes with a calmness that pierced through the fury.
As if waking from a nightmare, Alvaric looked down. He saw his own hands, now covered in blood and filth. His fingers trembled. He dazed off, frozen in a moment that felt suspended in time.
Zurath lay motionless, his body battered and bruised. His face was unrecognizable, crushed beyond repair. Blood trickled out slowly, blackening in some places. Lyrith glanced at the lifeless body, then back at Alvaric. No words were exchanged, only the whispering wind carrying the metallic scent of blood.
When Alvaric looked at Zurath's corpse, he fell into a long silence. Seeing Zurath like that struck his heart like a bolt of lightning.
"I…" Alvaric's voice was barely audible. He sank to the ground, sitting weakly. His shoulders slumped, as if a mountain of weight had crashed down on his back.
"Did I kill him?" he asked softly, more to himself than to anyone else. His eyes were hollow, his voice cracked like glass on the verge of shattering.
Lyrith gave no reply. She only stood beside him, silent but unmoving. She held Niva on her back. At that moment, the rocks blocking the exit began to crumble. The Monster Girl was no longer there, but the broken floor leading down remained visible.
Lyrith turned her gaze away. Back to Alvaric, who was still in shock. She walked toward Zurath's body and carried it on her back. She began heading toward the exit.
"I don't know why you were so angry, but… this man wasn't a villain," Lyrith said.
Alvaric looked up. He said nothing. He was still there, lost.
Lyrith only glanced back at him and continued walking. She wanted to bury Zurath's body properly. Leaving it here would only cause it to rot.
"Am I the monster?" Alvaric murmured.
***
Lyrith stood at the exit. She stood there for a very long time, unmoving. Alvaric had begun climbing up. He stopped when he saw Lyrith frozen in place. His mental state hadn't fully recovered yet. His heart was still filled with inner turmoil.
"What's wrong?" Alvaric asked softly.
Lyrith turned to him. Her eyes looked slightly vacant and confused. "Where am I?"
She had lost her memory again. Alvaric wasn't too surprised anymore. He walked over to Lyrith and tried to smile, even though he himself was far from okay. He explained to Lyrith that everything was fine. He told her several lies about Zurath's death.
"…He was a good friend of mine. We came here looking for him and… it turns out he was killed," Alvaric explained.
Lyrith nodded. "What should we do with this body?"
"We'll give him a proper rest."
Lyrith nodded again. Alvaric gave her several instructions. Together, they buried Zurath's body. After it was buried, they placed a marker so they could find the grave again later.
Afterward, Alvaric clenched both fists. He prayed. Lyrith turned to him, puzzled. She closed her eyes and mimicked what Alvaric was doing. She peeked a few times while he prayed. Only when Alvaric opened his eyes did she open hers.
"Let's go," Alvaric said.
"Where to?"
"Home."
***
The two of them walked slowly toward the dungeon exit. Alvaric was cautious, hiding whenever monsters appeared. He wanted to avoid fighting as much as possible. At night, they hid in small, unreachable spots to avoid the giant monsters roaming around.
"Be careful! Don't go out when I'm not here," Alvaric warned Lyrith.
Hearing that, Lyrith simply nodded as if she understood. That night, they slept there. Alvaric was the last to fall asleep, staying awake to guard Niva and Lyrith from any monster attacks.
While still awake, Alvaric held his head repeatedly. He curled up for a long time, his gaze empty. The events of the previous day still haunted him.
"Do humans really commit such crimes?" Alvaric shook his head. He refused to believe it. "No. Something must be wrong. That wolf monster must've been trying to deceive me. He wanted to shake me up. Then, when I was vulnerable, he would kill me and laugh."
Alvaric nodded to himself. He convinced himself that was what really happened. He nodded again and slowly closed his eyes. Yet, a strange feeling lingered in his heart. Something inside him whispered that he had drawn the wrong conclusion. It bothered him a little, but he ignored it and eventually drifted off to sleep.
"I'll prove that humans aren't evil."
And with that, he finally fell into deep sleep.
***
The next morning, Alvaric slowly opened his eyes. Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the wooden shelter. It was already midday. He frowned, feeling uneasy. The atmosphere was too quiet.
When he turned toward the entrance, his eyes immediately caught the silhouette of someone standing in the distance, in the open area. He rubbed his eyes and looked again to be sure. He glanced around quickly. Lyrith wasn't inside.
Alvaric's heart began to race. He got up from his bed and ran toward the figure outside. When he was close enough, he realized who it was.
"Lyrith!" he called out, quickly grabbing her hand. "What are you doing? The monsters here are dangerous!"
Lyrith looked at him—her eyes calm, even a bit puzzled, as if she didn't understand why Alvaric was so panicked. Her gaze was as innocent as a child's.
"They're not evil," Lyrith said softly.
Before Alvaric could stop her further, Lyrith slowly pulled her hand away from his grip and stepped forward again without hesitation. Calmly, she extended her hand.
Alvaric moved quickly, trying to pull her back. "Lyrith, don't! That's too—"
But the girl ignored him. The massive creatures were now approaching her. A grey-furred wolf, a golden-eyed serpent, and several others.
Alvaric held his breath, frozen in place. He was sure those monsters would attack anyone on sight. He knew, because that's what had happened to him and Niva.
But they didn't attack Lyrith. There were no growls. Only silence, broken by the heavy footsteps of the creatures approaching… then bowing before Lyrith.
With careful movements, Lyrith opened a small pouch on her waist and took something out—dried meat and fruit that Alvaric had given her earlier.
One by one, the monsters accepted her offering. They ate from her hand obediently. They were calm around her, like pets being fed by their owner.
Alvaric could only stand there, amazed… and confused.
"How is this possible?"