The cave was oppressive: dark and damp, the silence broken only by the echo of water dripping from the ceiling, each drop unnervingly loud. 'Plop. Plop.'
The rhythmic sound seemed to stretch on forever, gnawing at Crazy's patience.
He walked slowly, his boots scraping against the uneven stone floor. Ayeka, still reeling from their earlier chaos, followed quietly, her exhaustion visible in the way her shoulders sagged.
Yet her mind seemed far away, distant, as though lost in thoughts more complex than Crazy could even begin to understand.
Though, honestly, he didn't really understand much at all. He couldn't even figure out how to drink from a water bottle.
The air grew heavier, thick with a strange, almost suffocating energy.
Crazy sighed, letting the silence hang in the air. His eyes flicked to Ayeka, and a strange, unexpected thought passed through his mind.
Maybe caving in the entrance hadn't been the best idea. Now he had to breathe the same air as her, which… felt oddly intimate.
He shifted uncomfortably on his feet.
"...So," Ayeka's voice cut through the silence, sharp and biting. "Why did you bring me here? You could've left me to die."
Crazy blinked, surprised by the question. He turned toward her, flashing a wide grin. "Because you're cute."
Ayeka flinched, her expression twisting into a scowl. "Don't feed me that crap. Tell me the truth."
"Sharp girl," Crazy clicked his tongue. "Fine. I just wanted to."
Ayeka froze, her eyes narrowing. "...What? You didn't even check if I was alive?"
Crazy tilted his head, looking genuinely confused. "No need."
Her brows furrowed in disbelief. "Why?"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Because I knew you wouldn't die yet."
Ayeka's eyes narrowed even further. "Oh, really? And how the hell did you know that?"
Crazy scratched his chin, his gaze wandering. "Because that'd be bad writing."
He glanced up at the cave roof.
Without warning, Ayeka picked up a rock and hurled it at him with startling precision. The air seemed to warp around it as it sped toward him. Crazy dodged without flinching, and the rock embedded itself deep into the cave wall with a sharp crack.
"...Why do you act like everything's a story? I'm not in the mood."
"You never are," Crazy remarked dryly, though there was an unmistakable hint of amusement in his voice.
Ayeka's fury was palpable, like the air itself was thickening with it. He could almost hear the steam coming out of her ears.
But then, it happened again. The incomprehensible muttering. She whispered as she rubbed her face.
Was she schizophrenic? Maybe a bit edgy? Was that the problem?
It didn't matter, though. If anything… it was slightly attractive.
He suddenly paused.
He shook his head quickly, trying to clear his thoughts. Focus, Crazy.
Before he could spiral further, Ayeka's voice broke through the haze. "Hey."
Crazy glanced back at her. "...Yeah?"
"...What are you?" Her voice sliced through the air, and Crazy's eyes widened slightly.
Ayeka's usual sarcastic, irritated expression was gone, replaced by something else.
Curiosity? Wonder?
...Fear?
Crazy blinked before sighing. "...Well, depends on the time of day."
Ayeka stared at him, blank-faced.
Crazy smiled. "I'm kidding. What the hell do you mean anyway? I'm-"
His smile slowly faded as he tried to think of an answer. "...I'm..."
The tension between them grew, thick and palpable.
Finally, Crazy scowled. "...I'm whatever you want me to be, f*cker. Why do you ask?"
Ayeka flinched, but her expression softened with a sigh. "...Nothing. It's just..."
A memory flashed in her mind- a single slash, trees vanishing from existence, the blackened cuts on her body. The cry of the false god. She winced, then managed a small smile.
"...Never mind. Let's just go."
Crazy stared at her for a long moment before turning around. "Weirdo."
Ayeka's vein bulged. "You're the weird one here, demon."
"I'm not a demon."
"Then you're a crazy masochist bastard."
They continued walking, the mood somehow heavier than before.
"Are we close to the entrance yet?" Ayeka asked, her voice thick with frustration.
"Dunno," Crazy replied flatly, studying his fingernails as if the question were trivial. He adjusted his sword. "Why do you care?"
Ayeka stopped dead in her tracks, glaring at him with disbelief. "What? Do you even know where we're headed?"
Crazy turned toward her, his scowl deepening. "No. Who do you think I am, some kind of geolocational genius?"
Ayeka's fingers twitched, curling into fists. "Then why the hell have you been leading us?"
Crazy hesitated, his mind caught off guard. He stared blankly at the ceiling. He hadn't exactly thought this through.
"Alright then," he said, his tone softening, "Lead the way."
Ayeka's chest heaved as she fought to hold back a scream. "You-!"
Crazy could almost hear the vein throbbing in her forehead. "So you mean to tell me we've been wandering in circles because you just assumed I wouldn't notice?!"
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Nah, I just assumed you'd figure it out before I got bored."
Ayeka's hands clenched, her face turning red with anger. "...I hate you."
Crazy almost retorted, his usual, automatic reply on the tip of his tongue- I hate you more. But something stopped him. He stared at her, his mouth dry.
"...I love you too."
Ayeka recoiled, her face twisting in confusion and disgust. "...What did you just say?"
Crazy froze, blinking at her, utterly confused. What the hell?
His pulse quickened. His body suddenly aware of her proximity. The air around them felt... strange. Thick. Almost invasive.
But before he could spiral any further, Ayeka sighed—more annoyed than anything—and rubbed her temple.
"Wait."
Her voice was low, hesitant. She glanced at the cave walls, her expression tightening. "Something's wrong here. Now that I think about it... My head hurts. And I don't think it's you. The spirits are telling me something..."
Crazy raised an eyebrow. "You think so? I thought you were just having a bad day."
Ayeka shot him a glare that could melt stone.
Crazy's heart suddenly started to race. The beat quickened in his chest. What was this?
It was creeping in—an itch beneath his skin. Something invasive.
His throat felt dry. His fingers twitched.
He felt uncomfortably aware of how close she was standing. Her breathing. The way her weight shifted. The shape of-
NOPE. NOPE. NOPE.
Without thinking, a cringing Crazy punched himself in the face.
"Ow. That's better," he exhaled.
"...Did you just punch yourself?" Ayeka stared at him, unimpressed. "I was going to do that for you."
"Self-defense."
"Against what?"
Crazy paused. He looked at his hand.
Then he looked at her.
Then back at his hand.
"Myself."
"...Crazy bastard."
The silence stretched on, the only sound the constant dripping of water.
"...Listen," Crazy said, his voice suddenly serious, darker, echoing with something else. "Something's trying to make me stupid."
"You're already stupid."
Crazy scowled. "No. A different kind. The kind with bad decision-making."
"...So, the usual?" Ayeka didn't blink.
Crazy twitched. "Listen here, Lilith, you little-"
...
He stopped mid-sentence.
Lilith?
Ayeka blinked. "What? ...Who the hell is Lilith?"
The cave walls seemed to darken, closing in.
Crazy had the same question. Ayeka opened her mouth again…
But he couldn't hear her.
Something about the name... it called out to him. A faint voice. The water's dripping, a strange warmth coming from the walls.
A soft, violet glow shimmered in the darkness ahead. The walls reflected it like ghostly flames.
"...■■■■... Follow..."
The cave shimmered again. A faint purple light pulsed, growing stronger by the second. It was almost ethereal.
His body felt strange. The warmth spread beneath his skin, like something trying to claw its way through his veins.
He couldn't focus. The whispers began again, louder now, tugging at his consciousness.
"Crazy...!" Ayeka's voice called out, but it felt distant, muffled.
The light pulsed faster, drawing him in. His feet moved before he could stop them-compulsion stronger than reason. He stumbled forward, past Ayeka, his mind slipping away into static.
"Crazy!" Ayeka's voice cut through the fog, but it was too late. His vision swam with strange colors, and his body jerked forward. Whatever this was, it was too strong.
The soft whispers grew louder. Follow... Follow...
Something churned in his gut—a memory, vague, elusive.
A flicker of a name—Lilith.
His head spun. The voice from earlier now clearer, more insistent.
A red glow appeared in his vision, like a message floating there. It felt important.
[A fragment of the Demonic Apostle of Lust has been detected.]
His mind rang.
He stumbled, eyes wide. This wasn't good.
What the hell was this?
Maybe he'd wandered into the wrong cave.