The Fall of Babel

Shadows and Encounters

The last rays of daylight were fading, and I, wrapped in the dusk that loomed like a heavy cloak over my back, descended into the bowels of Babel. That great tower, dominating the skies and the gazes of all Orario, concealed at its base the portal to hell: the Dungeon. My mission remained an enigma, even to me. The Mugic, a cryptic term resonating in the dark corridors of Illia's mind, was my only guide. However, what I sought in those depths was both a physical object and an answer.

With my senses heightened by fear and anticipation, my cautious feet echoed in the infinite sound of the stairs leading me to the underground. It hadn't been long since I outsmarted the guards with the little distraction I orchestrated at the gates of Babel, but stealth was essential. My presence here could not be revealed, for the danger came not only from the creatures lurking underground but also from those dwelling above.

In the back of my mind, one question continued to pound: what is the true nature of this task? But that question evaporated into the air when, without warning, something small and light collided with me on the first floor of the Dungeon. I barely regained my balance when I realized it was a young Pallum.

"My apologies," I exclaimed instinctively, stepping back from her, squinting my eyes to examine her. Before me stood a small figure with large, round eyes, returning a gaze that seemed to intertwine fear and surprise. Liliruca Arde, as I would later know her, was at that moment nothing more than a lost young girl, or at least that's how she appeared.

Her voice, trembling and soft, broke the silence: "Are you an adventurer?" she asked with rehearsed shyness, fixing her dark eyes on mine, assessing every part of my response.

There was no time for interrogations. "Yes, I'm just exploring a bit," I replied casually, trying to appear as harmless as possible. The Pallum's gaze, though innocent at first glance, hid something more. However, my urgency to continue without drawing further attention made me act quickly. "This place isn't safe to wander alone. You should join your group."

Liliruca regarded me with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. "I got lost," she said, playing her role so convincingly that for a moment, I almost forgot my own suspicions. But something in her words didn't add up. That creature, so small and vulnerable in appearance, didn't seem to be what she claimed.

I pressed my lips together, trying to seem uninterested. "I'm afraid I can't stay to help you. I'm a bit busy with my own exploration," I finally said, searching for a way out of the encounter. No one must know my true purpose here, especially not a stranger who could complicate matters.

"Will I see you again, adventurer?" she insisted with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

I didn't respond. My mind was already focused on continuing my path, ignoring the slight buzz of unease coursing through me. "Maybe," I murmured before disappearing into the shadows of the labyrinth.

However, as I silently moved toward the deeper levels, I still felt a weight on my shoulders, as if Liliruca's gaze were still pursuing me. It was impossible to know if I had convinced her, but at that moment, I couldn't afford to waste time on her.

Liliruca Arde, the little Pallum, watched as the adventurer faded into the darkness of the Dungeon, and her lips curled into a cunning smile, so different from the innocent image she had projected moments before. As soon as she was sure he had moved far enough away, she let drop the mask she had worn during the encounter, transforming from the lost and innocent girl into the cunning and stealthy hunter she truly was.

"How easy it could have been," she murmured to herself, crossing her small arms and gazing in the direction from which the adventurer had vanished. "With a little more insistence, I could have pried something out of him... perhaps more than he himself knows."

Liliruca, known among the darkest corners of Orario as an unparalleled opportunist, had found something unusual in that adventurer. His nonchalant attitude had failed to deceive her. She, who lived among shadows, knew how to read the hidden tensions in the bodies of those who crossed her path. He was hiding something.

"But there's no hurry," she told herself, straightening up and adjusting her cloak. "If our paths cross again, I'll know how to handle it."

The little Pallum, far from harmless, was an expert at making the most of every situation. Though she had let this opportunity pass, she had no doubt that the adventurer was hiding something valuable—something that, if she played her cards right, could end up in her hands.

Without further ado, she resumed her role as a lost and frightened adventurer, walking briskly across the Dungeon's stones. Her eyes shone in the darkness, alert for any potential prey that might appear. She had learned to survive in Orario by taking advantage of others' innocence, and this adventurer would be no exception.

The fates of both Antauri and Liliruca had already intertwined, though neither of them knew it yet. While one cautiously advanced toward the darkest levels of the Dungeon in search of the Mugic, the other waited patiently, weaving her webs in the shadows.

What was to come, however, would be far more dangerous than any creature dwelling in those depths. And Antauri's mission was about to become more complicated, for in the Dungeon lurked not only monsters... but also those like Liliruca, who knew that true power does not always reside in strength, but in cunning and opportunity.