Eclipsed

Chapter 55

Ren and Aiko made their way through the crumbling castle, stepping over debris and broken walls. The once grand structure was now a pile of ruins, with paths and roads destroyed. The devastation around them was overwhelming, but they had a mission to complete.

As they finally reached the front doors and stepped outside, the air felt strangely still after the chaos of battle. Aiko looked around, her eyes taking in the floating piece of land beneath their feet. "How are we going to get back down...?" she asked, concern lacing her voice as she gazed at the distance below.

Ren glanced over the edge, the vast drop ahead of them. He turned to her with a grin. "We jump."

Aiko's eyes widened. "What?! Are you crazy? We'll die when we fall!"

Ren, unbothered, shrugged slightly. "We won't die. But... we might get injured." He looked around, evaluating their surroundings. "Yep, looks like jumping is the only option."

Aiko groaned in frustration, clearly not convinced. "Ren, are you sure that's the only way?"

Ren nodded. "Trust me. Make sure to grab on to me," he said, stepping closer to the edge.

Reluctantly, Aiko grabbed onto Ren, her grip tight as they stood near the precipice. Ren took a deep breath, then, without another word, leapt off the edge.

Aiko's heart raced as she shouted, "Wait, Ren!"

But it was too late. They plummeted down at an astonishing speed, the wind whipping past them. The ground below rushed up to meet them, and Aiko's fear intensified. "REN, WE'RE GOING TO DIE!"

Ren, unfazed by her panic, calmly drew his sword. With his eyes closed, he focused, envisioning the flow of Hiraigen, the energy that had powered him throughout the battle. As he did, the energy seemed to gather within his blade.

Suddenly, the descent slowed. The rush of wind began to lessen, and their falling speed diminished. Aiko opened her eyes, realizing with a mix of disbelief and relief that they were no longer falling as fast. The ground grew closer, but at a manageable speed.

They floated gently down, the intense drop now nothing more than a controlled descent. The earth below them was finally within reach, and they touched down softly on the ground.

Ren straightened up and looked at Aiko, his expression filled with amusement. "See? It wasn't so bad, was it?"

Aiko's eyes blazed with frustration as she turned toward Ren. Without warning, she smacked him hard on the back of the head.

"Oww, that hurt..." Ren rubbed his head, wincing at the sudden smack.

"You deserved that!" Aiko snapped, her voice laced with irritation. "You scared the life out of me with that jump."

Ren couldn't help but grin, despite the sting. "Hey, how else were we going to get down?"

Aiko turned her head away, clearly still upset but knowing he had a point. After a beat, Ren looked ahead and said, "Well, let's get a move on then."

They continued walking in silence for a while. The destruction of the castle still weighed heavily in the air, but their immediate concern was survival. Aiko was clearly struggling; the intense battle earlier had drained her energy, and her breath was labored as they walked across the barren landscape.

Ren, noticing her exhaustion, pulled a flask from his waist and tossed it over to her. Aiko caught it with a tired hand and uncorked it. There was only a little water left, but it was enough for the moment. She drank greedily, then sighed with relief. "Thank you, Ren," she said, her voice softer now.