Shadows of Ascension

79. The Aftermath

Tears stream down Riona’s face as she tries to get up, but Luca grabs her wrist, stopping her. They both watch in horror as Aiden’s relentless punches slow down, becoming weaker and weaker. Eventually, his fists stop moving entirely. He exhales sharply, then collapses onto the enemy’s lifeless body. 

"Now!" Luca shouts, springing to his feet. He steps closer, his stomach twisting as he takes in the sight before him. "He’s… dead," he mutters under his breath. 

Riona covers her mouth, unable to process what she’s seeing. The enemy’s head is smashed deep into the ground, blood pooling in the sand beneath him. It’s unrecognizable. 

Luca sighs, lifting Aiden’s unconscious body over his left shoulder, then, hesitating for only a second, he grabs the enemy’s corpse with his right. 

"We can’t leave him here like this," Luca says, his voice grim. "The vultures will pick at him by morning… or worse, the hunters will find him." 

He glances toward the horizon. "Speaking of which, I can feel them getting closer. They must have sensed our fight from miles away. If we don’t leave now, we’ll get caught in another battle." 

Riona nods, wiping her tears. "Then let’s go. Quickly." 

---

Aiden sees nothing but black. 

He hears muffled voices. His body feels weightless, as if he’s floating. Slowly, he opens his eyes. 

Where is he? How much time has passed? 

"Where… am I?" His voice is hoarse. His vision clears, revealing a dimly lit cavern with stone walls. He turns his head and sees Luca sitting beside him. 

"You’re awake," Luca says. His expression is unreadable. "It’s been three days." 

Aiden blinks. "Three… days?" He tries to sit up, but his body protests. "Where’s Riona?" 

Luca doesn’t answer immediately. Aiden’s eyes land on his friend’s bandaged wounds. He looks rough—far worse than Aiden expected. 

"Are you okay, Luca?" 

"You must have a lot of questions," Luca says instead. "But first, tell me—do you remember anything?" 

Aiden furrows his brows, trying to recall. "I… No. After I—" 

"I see," Luca cuts him off. "You gave yourself up. The ancient power took over. If you hadn’t, we’d all be dead. That enemy was strong, and he definitely wanted to kill us." 

Aiden hesitates. "How do you know? Did you overhear my conversation with Master Yun back on the mountain?" 

"No. I figured it out myself," Luca says. "But never mind that. We’re in an underground cave system, still in the lawless area’s desert, of course. Riona and I found this place just in time." 

"Just in time?" Aiden repeats. 

"Yeah." Luca exhales. "After your fight… other hunters arrived at the scene. It turned into a full-scale battle. If we had stayed even a second longer, we’d be dead." 

Aiden clenches his fists. "I see…" 

"You and I were badly injured, but—" Luca pauses. "Something strange happened. While you were in that… rampage mode, you healed much faster than normal. Your wounds are still there, but they’re not as serious as mine." 

Aiden processes his words. "And Riona?" 

"She didn’t suffer serious injuries. She’s already completely healed." 

Aiden nods slowly. His mind drifts to the enemy—the man he fought, the one who was already on the ground, begging for death before Aiden blacked out. 

"And the enemy?" Aiden finally asks. "You got him away from there, right? If you didn’t, the other hunters must have killed him." 

Luca stands up, his back turned. "He’s dead," he says coldly. 

Aiden exhales. "I see… So they killed him after all." 

Luca turns around, his eyes sharp as they lock onto Aiden’s. 

"No, Aiden," he says firmly. "You were the one who killed him."