The flames had already completely consumed the building’s windows.

What had once been an absurdly luxurious façade hidden inside the black market now looked like a giant torch made of black stone and orange fire.

Wood creaking.

Glass exploding.

Internal columns collapsing one after another.

The heat was so intense that even from several metres away, it was uncomfortable to stand still.

Max watched the fire with a growing sense of discomfort in his chest.

Not exactly fear.

But definitely an unease that was hard to ignore.

"They’re taking way too long," he muttered.

Beside him, Chloe kept staring at the building with wide eyes.

She was still wearing Max’s cloak draped over her body, with soot smeared across her face.

"Are they still in there?" she asked.

Max slowly nodded.

"Yeah."

Neros stood completely still. Too still.

Arms crossed. Eyes locked on the smoke-covered entrance.

His feline ears barely twitched, tense.

Another minute passed.

Then another.

Nothing.

No sign of Seraphine.

No sign of Dorian.

Just fire.

And the sound of something massive collapsing inside the building.

CRAAASH.

Neros took a step forward.

His expression changed.

His patience finally snapped.

"It’s been too long."

Max slightly turned.

"Neros—"

But the cat-man had already made his decision.

He sprinted straight toward the entrance without another word.

Vanishing into the smoke within seconds.

Chloe blinked several times.

"...What did he just do?"

Max let out a small sigh.

"He went in to save Seraphine."

Chloe looked at him, confused.

"Didn’t he say like five times that she was his ex-wife?"

"Yeah."

"Then I understand nothing."

Max crossed his arms.

"Welcome to the club."

They didn’t have much time to keep talking.

Because suddenly, through the smoke and flames, a figure stumbled out through the entrance.

Max’s eyes widened.

"Dorian!"

The elf came out coughing violently.

Several parts of his clothes were singed.

His hair slightly messy.

And he was carrying Seraphine in his arms.

Unconscious. Completely still.

Max immediately ran toward him.

"What happened?"

Dorian let out a heavy breath.

"I thought she’d inhaled too much smoke because of me."

He looked down at Seraphine, visibly exhausted.

"But I tried basic healing magic, and she’s not responding."

He frowned.

"She’s not intoxicated."

His expression tightened.

"It’s a spell."

A chill ran down Max’s spine.

"What?"

"A pretty strong one. Similar to the castle incident," Dorian confirmed.

He looked at Seraphine with obvious concern.

"She must’ve been caught in some kind of delayed magical effect."

Max cursed under his breath.

Then remembered something.

His expression changed immediately.

"Neros went inside looking for her."

Dorian blinked.

"What?"

"He thought Seraphine was still inside."

Max quickly pointed at the burning building.

"See if you can break the spell out here. Chloe can cover you."

He turned around.

"I’m going after Neros."

"Wait—!"

But Max was already running.

"MAX!" Chloe shouted.

She instinctively tried to follow him.

But a hand gently grabbed her arm.

Chloe turned around.

Dorian shook his head.

His expression, though exhausted, remained calm.

He gave her a small gesture.

Trust him.

Stay here.

Chloe looked at the burning entrance.

Then at Max disappearing into the smoke.

She clenched her teeth.

"...I..." she murmured slowly, struggling to form the words.

She pointed at herself.

"I protect... you all."

Dorian smiled faintly.

He nodded.

"Thank you."

Chloe immediately straightened up as if she had just been assigned an extremely important official mission.

She positioned herself in front of Dorian and Seraphine with a serious expression.

Bodyguard mode activated.

Meanwhile, Max crossed the entrance again.

And immediately felt the full force of the heat.

"Shit!"

The smoke made breathing difficult.

Everything was burning.

The walls.

The curtains.

The stairs.

Magical decorations seemed to be exploding one after another.

Small runes burst apart, releasing erratic sparks.

The air was practically unbreathable.

Max covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve while advancing.

"Neros!" he shouted.

Nothing.

Only creaking sounds.

Another nearby collapse.

"Neros!"

He ran deeper into the main hall.

Visibility was terrible.

He could barely make out silhouettes through the smoke.

Some creatures were still trapped.

Others no longer moved.

He saw a large winged beast lying motionless on the floor.

One of the harpies partially buried beneath debris.

A small demon no longer breathing.

A knot formed in Max’s stomach.

’Damn it...’

He kept moving.

Coughing. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Sweating.

The heat burned his skin.

And then he tripped.

His foot struck something soft.

He lost his balance and crashed violently onto the ground.

"UGH!"

He tried to get up.

Couldn’t.

Something was gripping his ankle.

Far too tightly.

Max looked down.

And nearly screamed.

Groll.

Or more accurately...

What was left of Groll.

The orc sorcerer was still lying there among rubble and blood.

His torso completely destroyed.

One empty eye socket.

Half his jaw hanging grotesquely loose.

But even so...

His hand was still gripping Max’s ankle with monstrous force.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Max tried pulling free.

It didn’t work.

"Let go!"

The grip tightened even more.

Like some final reflex.

Or maybe just pure leftover malice.

"This is ridiculous even by dead-person standards—"

SHINK.

A sword slash came down.

Groll’s arm was cleanly severed.

The pressure vanished.

Max immediately looked up.

Neros stood in front of him.

Covered in smoke.

Breathing heavily.

Still holding the broken sword.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

His tone sounded genuinely annoyed.

"It’s dangerous."

Max coughed several times before answering.

"Dorian and Seraphine already got out."

Neros froze.

"...What?"

"Seraphine is outside."

Max pointed behind him.

"Dorian says she’s asleep because of a spell."

Brief pause.

"I came in to tell you before you died doing something unnecessarily heroic."

Silence.

Neros stared at him.

Then smiled faintly.

"...You’re insane."

He extended a hand.

Max took it.

Neros pulled him up.

"Yeah, well."

Max brushed dust and ash off himself.

"I learned from the finest group of idiots I know."

A beam collapsed near both of them.

BOOM.

"I think it’s time to leave," Max said.

"Agreed."

And both of them ran.

Dodging flames.

Jumping over debris.

Coughing while barely able to breathe.

Finally, they crossed the entrance and practically collapsed outside.

Fresh air.

Oxygen.

Life.

Max inhaled deeply as if it were the greatest religious experience of his existence.

"Ah..."

He dropped to his knees.

"I am never voluntarily entering a burning building again."

Neros crouched slightly, catching his breath.

"Don’t make promises you won’t be able to keep."

A few metres away, Dorian was still kneeling beside Seraphine.

A green and blue light slowly wrapped around the mage’s body.

Her face remained peaceful.

Far too peaceful for someone unconscious.

Chloe was still standing guard in front of them.

Arms crossed.

Staring threateningly at anyone who passed nearby.

Though most people were far too busy fleeing the fire.

Max approached.

"How’s it going?"

Dorian let out an exhausted breath.

"I think I finally figured out what’s happening."

Without stopping his spell, he barely looked up.

"It’s some kind of delayed activation effect."

Max blinked.

"In normal language?"

Dorian sighed.

"Something put her to sleep afterwards."

Max processed that for a second.

Then remembered Groll.

"...I think it came from that damned corpse."

Everyone looked at him.

Max pointed toward the burning building.

"Groll was still trying to ruin people’s lives even after death."

He crossed his arms.

"That guy was really committed to putting people to sleep and being annoying."

Dorian blinked.

Then let out a tired laugh.

"...That is incredibly useful information."

He rubbed one temple.

"I was starting to feel guilty."

Neros knelt beside Seraphine.

He looked at her with very unsubtle concern.

"Please," he said, looking at Dorian.

"Be careful with her."

His tone softened slightly.

"Even if it doesn’t look like it..."

He looked away.

"I care about her a great deal."

Silence.

Max looked at Dorian.

Dorian looked at Max.

Both smiled.

And answered at the same time:

"No, it absolutely doesn’t show."

Neros glared at them.

"Shut up."

Chloe watched the scene without fully understanding it.

But she looked entertained.

Then—

CRAAAAASH.

The entire front of the building partially collapsed.

An explosion of fire burst out from one of the upper windows.

The flames rose even higher.

The entire structure began being fully consumed.

Blackened wood snapping apart.

Stone cracking.

Runes exploding.

The definitive end of the cult’s hideout.

Chloe stared at the fire.

Her expression turned more serious.

Then she looked at Max.

"...The other creatures."

Max followed her gaze toward the flames.

His smile slowly disappeared.

Silence lingered for several seconds.

Finally, he answered.

"...At least the five of us made it out."

His voice was quieter than usual.

More tired.

Heavier.

No one responded.

They simply watched the fire.

The enormous cult building slowly collapsing in front of them.

All the chaos.

All the destruction.

All the pain.

Slowly turning into ashes.

Seraphine finally let out a small breath.

Her fingers twitched slightly.

Neros reacted instantly.

"Seraphine."

The mage’s eyes slowly began to open.

Confused.

Disoriented.

She blinked several times.

"...Did we win?"

Max let out a tired little laugh.

"Yeah."

He looked at the destroyed building.

"I think we definitely did."

Seraphine looked around.

Then at the fire.

Then at everyone gathered together.

Finally, she sighed.

"...I need to sleep for about fourteen hours."

Dorian smiled weakly.

"That can be arranged."

Chloe raised a hand.

"And food."

Everyone turned toward her.

The human crossed her arms with complete seriousness.

"A lot of food."

Max nodded solemnly.

"Correct priorities."

For the first time in quite a while...

The group was complete again.

Beaten up. Singed. Probably traumatised.

But alive.

Behind them, the building finally collapsed completely.

And ashes began rising into the night sky.