Chapter 304: Back on Earth
The sensation of exiting the dungeon was always jarring, but this one was a truly contrasting experience. One heartbeat, it was choking cold, and the next a rush of life and color. Gone was the stench of rot, the stifling shadows of undead-infested halls. They stood instead in a wide clearing nestled in a forest, golden sunlight streaming through tall branches, a crisp breeze rustling the leaves.
The girls exhaled in unison as if they’d been holding their breath for hours.
Aria stretched her arms over her head, tilting her face skyward with a sigh. "Gods, fresh air at long last. How I missed this... That crypt’s smell is going to haunt me forever."
Luna stomped her boots into the soft grass, clearly relieved. "Ugh. I feel like I need to scrub my skin off to get the stench off me."
Nyx closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, letting the forest’s fragrance wash the dungeon from her senses. Her usual smirk returned. "Better than perfume."
And Bastet... Bastet spread her arms wide like a queen claiming her throne, head thrown back, the golden sun pouring down onto her tanned skin. Her tail swayed lazily behind her plump butt as a giant, satisfied smile blossomed across her lips. "Mmm... finally. Sunlight." She purred the words, basking openly in the warmth.
Kaiden watched them for a moment before his lips transformed into a smile. Seeing his lovers finally out of danger posed by the dungeon and whining cutely about their problems brightened his mood immensely.
But when his eyes found Tessa, the smile faded.
The woman stood still, unmoving. The sunlight touched her, but she didn’t bask in it. Her gaze was cast low, distant.
Kaiden knew why. She’d lost a guildmate today, and worse, at the hands of another.