Dust still fell in soft cascades behind them, a faint whisper of the collapse that nearly buried them alive. For a long while, Arios and Liza said nothing. They simply stood there, listening—to the hollow drip of unseen water, to the pulse of mana beneath their boots, to the sound of their own breathing.

Liza leaned back against the nearest wall, pressing a hand to her side. "That… was too close," she murmured.

Arios didn't reply at first. His gaze lingered on the sealed passage behind them, faint wisps of red mana still rising from where Garron had disappeared. "He's gone for now," he said finally. "But he won't stop."

Liza let out a tired laugh. "Yeah. I gathered that much."

Silence settled between them again. A silence that wasn't hostile, just heavy. Thick with the weight of everything that had happened—and everything they didn't yet understand.

Arios crouched, running a hand along the floor. The mana veins here glowed dimly, soft blue instead of the corrupted red from before. Stable, for now.

"We should move carefully," he said. "The dungeon's structure isn't stable anymore. If Garron's manipulating the core, then every corridor could shift at any moment."

"Great," Liza muttered. "So basically, we're walking through a collapsing maze."

"More or less."

A small chuckle escaped her. "You're terrible at comforting people, you know that?"

He looked up at her, a faint hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "Would you prefer I lie?"

"...Maybe just a little."

They began walking again, slow, deliberate steps echoing softly through the tunnel. The air here was cooler, almost damp, and the light from the mana veins provided a pale, wavering glow. Every few meters, the walls seemed to breathe—expanding and contracting as if the dungeon itself were alive.

For once, neither of them reached for their weapons. The quiet was fragile, and somehow sacred after so much chaos.

Liza's voice came after a long pause. "You've changed, you know."

Arios glanced sideways at her. "Have I?"

"Yeah," she said, eyes forward. "Back when we first met, you barely spoke to anyone. You just... existed. Like you were here, but your mind wasn't. Now—" she gestured vaguely "—you talk. You lead. You fight like someone who actually cares about something again."

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at his reflection faintly mirrored in the walls of glowing mana.

"Maybe I just got tired of pretending I didn't," he said quietly.

Liza smiled faintly. "That's a nice way to put it."

They continued in silence for a while longer. Eventually, the tunnel opened into a vast underground chamber—one not corrupted or crumbling, but calm.

Water pooled in the center, clear and still. The surface shimmered with faint light, reflecting the ceiling crystals above like a mirror. Around it grew pale moss and delicate, luminescent flowers that swayed in the nonexistent breeze.

For the first time since the exam began, the air didn't feel heavy.

Arios exhaled, lowering his guard slightly. "We rest here."

Liza didn't argue. She dropped her bag, unstrapped her gauntlets, and knelt by the edge of the pool. The cool water looked almost drinkable, and after testing it with a bit of purification magic, she cupped her hands and drank.

"Gods," she sighed. "That's the best thing I've tasted all week."

Arios crouched beside her but didn't drink immediately. His gaze lingered on the reflection in the water—the glowing light, the faint shadows above them. "It's stable mana," he noted. "Untouched by corruption."

"Feels like the dungeon's core left a piece of itself here," Liza said. "Like a safe zone."

He nodded slightly. "Maybe."

For a long while, neither of them spoke. The quiet rhythm of dripping water filled the chamber, steady and hypnotic.

After a few minutes, Liza stretched, lying back against the soft moss. "You think the others are okay?" she asked softly.

"They're strong," Arios said. "Lucy knows how to navigate irregular mana patterns. And Pokner…" he hesitated slightly, a small flicker of thought passing his eyes, "...she adapts faster than anyone I've seen."

Liza smiled faintly. "You sound like you trust her."

"I do."

Something in his tone made Liza glance at him. "That's rare for you," she said. "You don't usually say that about people."

He didn't reply, only gave a small shrug. "People can surprise you."

Liza laughed quietly. "You've been saying a lot of poetic things lately. Spending too much time around me?"

Arios smirked. "Possibly."

The faintest warmth hung between them. Not quite comfort, not quite tension—something quieter, subtler.

A few minutes passed before Liza's voice returned, softer this time. "Hey… Arios."

"Mm?"

"When this exam ends… what do you think happens next?"

He looked up at the ceiling, at the glowing threads weaving through stone. "That depends on what we find down here. If Garron's experiment connects to the Council, then this isn't just a test—it's a cover-up."

"And if we expose it?"

He paused. "Then the academy changes. Maybe for the better. Maybe not."

Liza frowned slightly. "That's not much of an answer."

"It's the only honest one."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "I hate when you sound like a philosopher."

He smiled faintly. "You say that a lot."

"Yeah, and you never stop doing it."

The two of them sat there, side by side, under the glowing cavern. The silence that followed wasn't empty—it was heavy with shared exhaustion, relief, and something like quiet understanding.

Arios finally broke it. "You should rest. I'll keep watch for a bit."

Liza opened one eye. "You sure?"

"I'm fine."

She hesitated, then nodded and settled back, arms behind her head. Within minutes, her breathing slowed, evened out.

Arios sat still, watching the faint ripples in the pool beside them. His reflection stared back—expression unreadable, eyes faintly glowing from the residual mana.

For a moment, he allowed himself to exhale. Really exhale.

It wasn't victory. Not yet. But it was peace—fleeting, fragile peace in a world that rarely offered any.

He looked at Liza, asleep on the moss. Then at the tunnels stretching ahead, faint blue veins pulsing in rhythm. Somewhere beyond them, Lucy and Pokner were out there, maybe searching, maybe fighting their own battles.

And Garron…

Arios' hand curled slightly against the ground. "We're not done," he murmured.

But for now, he stayed there—breathing, listening, letting the dungeon's silence settle over him like a thin, tired blanket.

The sound of breathing filled the cavern, slow and steady.

And the dungeon, for once, did not fight back.

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