The silence didn't last long.
It shattered.
A sharp screech tore through the cave—
highpitched.
Ugly.
"…Left."
Darius moved before the word finished.
A blur.
Steel flashed.
A goblin lunged from the darkness—
twisted—
fast—
Too slow.
The blade cut clean.
The creature dropped.
Dead before it hit the ground.
Elios froze.
"…That was—"
"Stay behind me."
No time to process.
Another movement.
Right side.
Kael reacted this time.
He stepped forward—
Strike—
Not as clean—
But enough.
The goblin stumbled—
then fell.
"…Two."
Kael exhaled.
"…There's more."
Darius didn't look back.
Didn't need to.
The cave shifted again.
More sounds.
Scratching.
Movement across stone.
Fast.
Unpredictable.
Then—
They came.
Three.
From different angles.
Elios stepped back instinctively.
His heart started racing.
"…I can't—"
"Don't move."
Darius stepped forward.
Everything changed.
His stance—
his presence—
Sharp.
Focused.
The first goblin lunged—
He didn't dodge.
He stepped in.
Cut.
The second came from behind—
He turned—
Blocked—
Countered.
The third—
Kael intercepted.
Not perfect.
But strong enough.
Steel clashed.
The goblin screeched—
Then dropped.
Silence.
Again.
But this time—
Elios' breathing didn't slow.
"…That's… it?"
He didn't believe it.
"…For now."
Darius lowered his blade slightly.
Not relaxed.
Just… less tense.
Kael wiped his blade.
"…You see now?"
Elios didn't respond.
His eyes were still locked on the bodies.
Small.
Ugly.
Dead.
"…They're not that strong."
The words came out—
But they didn't sound right.
Kael glanced at him.
"…Individually."
A pause.
"…They don't fight alone."
That mattered.
Elios swallowed slightly.
"…Right."
Darius turned slightly.
"…We go deeper."
"…Already?"
"…We didn't come here to stand at the entrance."
Fair.
They moved again.
Slower this time.
More careful.
Elios stayed closer.
Not because he was told.
Because he understood now.
The cave felt tighter.
The air heavier.
The silence—
different.
Not calm.
Waiting.
"…There."
Darius stopped again.
A small cluster of stones.
Faint glow.
"…We take this and leave."
Short.
Clear.
Kael stepped forward.
Started working.
Careful.
Controlled.
Elios watched again.
But this time—
His focus wasn't on the stones.
It was on the dark.
The edges of the light.
The places they couldn't see.
Then—
That feeling returned.
Sharp.
Wrong.
"…Something's off."
Darius froze.
Not visibly.
But completely.
"…What?"
Kael asked.
No answer.
Because it was already happening.
Behind them—
A shift.
Not sound.
Not movement.
Presence.
Fast.
Too fast.
Elios turned—
Too late.
A blur from the darkness—
Stronger.
Sharper.
Different.
Darius didn't even fully turn.
The strike came first.
Clean.
Through him.
No struggle.
No resistance.
Just—
impact.
"…Father—"
The word didn't finish.
Kael moved.
Instinct.
Anger.
Too late.
Another strike.
Closer.
Faster.
He dropped.
Just like that.
Silence.
Total.
Elios stood there.
Frozen.
His body didn't respond.
Didn't move.
Didn't think.
The goblin stood in front of him.
Not bigger.
Not monstrous.
Just—
wrong.
Its eyes locked onto him.
And for a moment—
it didn't move.
It watched.
Then—
It turned.
And disappeared into the dark.
Just like that.
Gone.
Leaving him alive.
Alone.
Elios' legs gave out.
He dropped.
Hands shaking.
"…No…"
His voice broke.
"…No…"
No answer came.
Because nothing was left—
to answer.
End.