Chapter 7: Chapter 7 - Resolve

Rein and Morin launched off the ground with explosive force.

But almost instantly, Rein felt something was wrong. His ascent slowed too quickly. He wasn’t nearly high enough. He had overestimated his strength.

This is bad.

“Brother, shield your stomach!” Morin called out beside him.

“Wha—”

Before the word left his mouth, he heard a sharp swoosh from her direction.

He turned his head, and saw it.

Morin’s leg was rocketing toward him.

Rein’s instincts kicked in. His arms snapped to his abdomen just in time to shield himself, barely.

Her foot connected with a thunderous thud. The impact rippled through his body like a shockwave. His arms screamed with pain, and he doubled over, gasping, the wind completely knocked from his lungs. He spiraled higher into the air, coughing violently, but managed to hold on to consciousness.

No blood. That was something, at least.

My arms, though… probably useless for a while.

“Sorry, brother… I thought it was the only way,” Morin said, guilt flashing across her face.

Rein gritted his teeth, trying to mask the pain. With effort, he raised one trembling arm and gave her a shaky thumbs-up.

The agony in his ribs was sharp and persistent, but the kick had done exactly what it needed to. He was now climbing higher, right alongside Morin, both of them ascending in sync, just as planned.

“Nice thinking, Morin,” he managed, both hands clutching his stomach as he tried to steady his breathing.

Morin beamed, her eyes lighting up with joy at the praise. She gave an eager nod, clearly proud of herself.

As long as she’s happy… Rein thought, forcing a smile through the pain.

Their upward momentum soon began to wane. The rush of ascent slowed, then nearly ceased. They were approaching the peak of their jump. It was time for the second phase of the plan.

“Morin, cast the energy blast now,” Rein called out, turning to her mid-air.

From her pocket, Morin pulled out the sharp stone she had picked up earlier. Rein vaguely remembered her grabbing it, but he still hadn’t figured out what she intended to do with it.

Whatever guesses he had, all of them were wrong.

With a swift motion, Morin dragged the sharp edge across her palm. Bright red blood spilled into the air, scattered in droplets that shimmered briefly in the low light.

“What are you doing?!” Rein shouted, panic rising as he flailed his still-aching arms in a futile gesture to stop her.

“Don’t worry,” Morin replied, her voice calm, her gaze locked with unwavering focus.

Then the blood began to glow.

In the dim expanse of the whale’s belly, lit only by the pulsing river of magma far below, the crimson light of her blood stood out, vivid and ethereal.

And then, the transformation began.

The glowing blood dispersed—first to powder, then to fine mist, and finally into curling tendrils of smoke—until it vanished completely.

Morin brought her arms together, palms facing each other. Between them, a golden orb of light began to form, small at first, but growing steadily, pulsing with concentrated energy.

Once it reached the size of her head, she turned her palms downward. The orb sparked, and then, without warning, flared outward into a swirling explosion of light.

“Brother, cover your body!” Morin shouted.

“Cover my—what?!” Rein yelped, panic setting in as the blast surged toward him.

What did she mean by that? Wait… the kick earlier… did she not know...

“Dear sister, are you perhaps unaware that I still can’t form a pneuma shield—"

He didn’t get to finish.

The edge of the golden blast hit him like a meteor. Fast, furious, and blisteringly hot.

It felt like being struck by a scalding boulder wrapped in lightning.

All at once, Rein was launched upward at an even greater speed. His skin burned, his eyes stung from the light, and color flooded his vision until everything blurred into a disorienting swirl. He couldn’t tell what was happening, only that he was still ascending, fast, and nausea was creeping up his throat.

Something warm clutched his arm, grounding him slightly. He turned his head with effort, vision hazy, and caught the blurry shape of Morin gripping him tightly.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Is this how you followed me outside Rigel?” he managed to croak.

“Yes,” Morin replied, somehow understanding the garbled words. “Are you okay, brother? You look like you’re dying.”

Her voice reached him like it was echoing through water, muffled and distant. Still, he nodded, barely.

Then a wave of blistering heat struck them from below, like a volcano exhaling its molten breath. A flash of orange light followed, and with it, a sea of glowing magma consumed everything beneath them.

The heat jolted Rein’s senses. He wiped at his eyes, and when his vision finally cleared, he saw the full scope of the destruction below.

What was once a thin stream of magma was now an ocean, a blazing flood swallowing the entire chamber. The ground where they once stood was completely gone.

If they had stayed for even a moment longer, they would’ve been vaporized, and no amount of pneuma would’ve saved them. If not melted, they would’ve been crushed or boiled alive under the sheer pressure and heat.

They were still ascending, though much more slowly now. Rein wasn’t panicking yet but the peak of their arc was fast approaching. Once they started falling, it would all come down to timing. He just hoped the whale would finish vomiting its deadly flood before they began their descent.

That hope died the moment they stopped mid-air, suspended for a beat, then began to fall.

“The magma's still going!” Rein shouted. “Are you done yet?”

“Not yet,” the whale replied. “I will assist, but I cannot guarantee it will stop your fall completely.”

A blast of wind surged up from below, slowing their descent slightly.

“This will reduce your acceleration... but gravity will eventually win.”

As they dropped lower and lower, Rein could see the flood of magma thinning, but not fast enough. The ground was still a churning sea of fire. If they landed now, even with the shallower depth, it would be suicide.

“We’re not gonna make it,” Rein said through gritted teeth. “Morin, protect yourself. The magma isn’t deep anymore, and it’s denser than water. You might be able to float without sinking far.”

“You should protect yourself too,” Morin said quickly.

“I can’t,” Rein replied at once.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t know how.”

There was a pause.

“But earlier... you mean I—” Her voice caught as guilt flickered across her face.

“I’m fine, Morin,” Rein said, forcing a smile. “If you hadn’t helped, I’d already be dead. The kick, the blast, it’s a small price. Don’t blame yourself.”

“...Okay,” Morin murmured.

“Now focus. Look down.”

Morin glanced below, and her eyes widened in alarm as she realized just how fast the burning liquid was rushing up to meet them.

“See? Now protect yourself before you get hurt too,” Rein said.

“I will,” Morin replied.

“Good.”

“But you won’t get hurt,” she added firmly.

Before Rein could ask what she meant, Morin twisted her body mid-air, grabbing both of his legs and hoisting them onto her shoulders.

“What are you doing?!” Rein cried out, startled.

“Use me as a platform,” Morin said without hesitation.

“What? That'll make you sink deeper into the magma! Do you really think your pneuma can block all the damage? This isn’t normal magma it’s—”

“It's not fair,” Morin interrupted quietly.

Rein blinked. “What?”

“It's not fair if you’re always the one getting hurt,” she said louder this time, her voice edged with emotion.

Rein felt a chill despite the heat roaring below.

“But—”

“No buts. Just trust me!”

There was no arguing with her the moment she used that tone, not that Rein had much strength left to try. He let out a heavy sigh, defeated.

Why was it that every plan they came up with was so reckless? And why were they both so stubborn?

“Alright. I leave myself in your care, dear sister.”

“Good,” Morin replied with a smug grin.

She inhaled and exhaled rapidly, steadying herself. Rein, standing on her shoulders and gripping her hands for balance, felt the change almost instantly. Her skin beneath him hardened, her pneuma reinforcing her body until it felt less like flesh and more like tempered steel.

So this is what that technique feels like.

Then came the landing.

Morin’s feet struck the glowing magma, sending waves of molten liquid splashing outward. Some licked up dangerously close to Rein. He dodged what he could, but not all. Drops of magma seared his exposed skin, accompanied by a sharp sizzle and an instant burst of pain.

He clenched his jaw, refusing to cry out.

If he was hurting, Morin was in far worse shape.

Her face twisted in silent agony, her grip on his hands tightening like a vice. Rein winced, not from the pressure, but from knowing she was holding back a scream for his sake. Pretending she was fine. Trying to shield him from more than just fire.

He saw through it, but said nothing.

To honor her resolve, he stayed silent and held on.

Fortunately, they stopped sinking once the magma reached Morin’s hips. The current had weakened since earlier, but it was still flowing strong enough to carry them along. Instead of staying in one spot, they were drifting with the stream.

“Are you still not done vomiting?” Rein shouted over the rumbling flow.

“Almost. Just hold on,” the whale replied, its voice strained and heavy. “This is the final wave.”

Just as Rein thought they were starting to stabilize atop the molten surface, another surge crashed from behind, accompanied by a fresh gust of blistering heat.

“This is bad. Morin, it’s almost over, just hold on a little longer. If it gets too painful… let me go, alright?”

“I won't,” Morin answered, her voice tight, her teeth still clenched.

The current grew stronger again, propelling them forward with increasing speed. Up ahead, Rein recognized the glowing, pulsing red chamber they had passed through when they first entered the whale’s body.

“You’re not about to spit us out with the magma, are you?” Rein said, a note of panic creeping into his voice.

No answer.

Only silence from the whale.

And the light—the light was getting brighter.

Normally, that would have been a good sign. But not here. Not now.

They couldn’t afford to be ejected. Not when the outside still meant facing the serpent, and certain death.

They had to stay inside.

Whatever happened, they couldn’t be thrown out now.

“Hey! Are you still there?” Rein shouted into the hot, trembling air. “Don't tell me the serpent got you!”

The magma continued dragging them closer to the blinding light ahead. Still, no response from the whale.

“Brother, look,” Morin said, her voice low.

Rein followed her gaze and his stomach dropped. Towering white ridges like jagged mountain ranges loomed ahead.

The whale's teeth.

They were at the edge of its mouth, seconds from being spat out.

“This is really bad!” Rein yelled, panic rising.

In moments, they were being funneled directly through one of the gaps between the teeth. Just a slight push to the side and they could’ve avoided the opening, but they had no control. The current was too strong. Rein’s mind raced.

“Morin!” he called. “I know I’m asking for too much, but can you move us just enough so one of the teeth blocks us from getting ejected?”

“I can't,” she said through gritted teeth. “The magma is too thick.”

The light grew brighter. The heat more intense. The gap in the teeth drew closer, ready to hurl them back into the void.

There was only one more thing left to try. Another reckless idea. Of course.

“Morin, one last request, can you cast another energy blast like before? Launch us back in with the recoil?”

“Maybe,” she said quickly. “Let’s try! The wound on my palm, cut it again.”

Rein glanced at the hand he was holding. The wound from earlier had not yet closed, but the bleeding had already stopped. Of course. She needed blood again to cast it.

“You want me to reopen it?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yes,” Morin said without hesitation.