Rey was pissed.
No, that felt like an understatement compared to what he was feeling at the moment.
His friends and allies were all gone, and he couldn't do anything to save them. All his classmates were also caught up in it.
'Alicia too… DAMNIT!'
The rage swelling from within him felt like it could explode him from within.
He hated how he was feeling. He knew he was being extremely insensitive to Esme, who was most definitely still confused about the whole thing.
But… he couldn't stop mulling over everything.
'What was that, though? A Dungeon Trap?' Rey wondered to himself.
If that was the case, then it made a lot of sense. This would be the first time something of this scale had happened—since such traps usually only transported one person or a small group—but that didn't discount the possibility of a much bigger trap.
This was a Grand Calamity Class Dungeon, so something of this scale had to be expected.
Yet… Rey wasn't satisfied with that explanation.
If it was a trap, then that meant there was no rhyme and reason to its effects. The Dungeon just reacted to their presence and used one of its defense mechanisms.
Plain and simple. But…
'It can't be that simple!' Rey found something gnawing at his heart.
He was tempted to leave things as they were, instead focusing on saving everyone, but he couldn't ignore an explanation that was rising from within his depths.
'Adrien! Maybe he… no, not maybe. He has to be the one behind this!'
Everything that had happened thus far couldn't have just been coincidences. Rey had tried his best to consider how they could all be natural, but this was the last straw.
Perhaps he was seeking out patterns where there were none.
Maybe he just felt so frustrated that he needed some 'living' entity to vent on, rather than the automated 'Dungeon Defenses.'
It was even possible that he was being illogical and unreasonable.
BUT—
"This Mass Teleportation… I think Adrien is behind it!"
—Rey didn't care any longer. He already knew Adrien was behind this, one way or the other, so something of this scale could also be attributed to him.
"What do you mean Adrien?"
Despite faintly hearing Esme's question, he was too immersed in his thoughts to offer a coherent response.
'But why? What could he gain from doing this?' Rey gnashed his teeth as he considered the possibilities.
'Is this just one of his games? How will this benefit anyone? How will it help the cause?!'
No, perhaps this was never about benefiting humanity.
This was merely just Adrien selfishly doing what was going to be beneficial to just him.
'Even if thousands die in the process…'
There were no Floors here. Just rooms that Rey considered 'Zones.'
'If Alicia, or anyone I care about, gets trapped in a Zone that is a lot more dangerous than they can handle… maybe a Boss Room or something, then…'
His heart thumped loudly as his eyes turned bloodshot. With his fists clenched, the air around him began to quiver.
Everything shook tremendously.
"… I'll KILL him!"
At this point, his gaze happened to reach Esme, whose face seemed to be pale with hints of fear and disbelief.
Her body was vibrating, almost as if it was being shaken by an invisible force.
'H-huh…? What?'
At that moment, Rey snapped out of his dark thoughts and stopped the intense bloodlust that was being released from him without his knowledge or control.
Once he did so, Esme gasped very loudly, almost as if she had been deprived of air for so long. She collapsed to the ground and fell on her knees, gasping even more.
Rey saw this, and his raging heart instantly melted.
"I-I'm sorry, Esme!" He swiftly apologized, rushing close to her until he knelt.
Before he could reach her, she raised a hand and stopped him.
"I-I'm fine. Don't worry…" She slowly raised her head, and streams of tears were falling from her eyes.
That went on to break Rey's heart.
"I'm so… so sorry."
"I know you are. But…" She placed her two hands on his shoulder, gasping for more air while panting very loudly.
"… Don't you ever do that again!"
Her gaze seemed dangerous, almost like she was warning him.
Rey had never seen Esme so mad at him before, but it seemed like she genuinely was upset for his action; something that he completely understood.
"Do you understand?"
Rey slowly nodded his head, causing her to sigh very loudly.
Esme raised herself up, though staggering a little once she stood. Her pale face had recovered, and she wiped the tears on her face away.
"My philosophy makes me consider anyone who may hurt me an enemy. You're dangerous, Rey, and I already knew that…" She looked at him as he picked himself up from the ground.
"But I never considered you a threat to me. That's why I don't see you as an enemy."
Esme's moist eyes that glistened with clear blue felt like diamonds carved from the sky. It felt exquisite, yet distant.
"I don't want that to change, Rey. I don't want to think of you as an enemy, or someone who could hurt me."
"I'm not an enemy, don't worry! And I won't h-hurt… you." Rey instantly recognized how false his words seemed in light of his recent actions.
Yes, he didn't know what he was doing. However, if there was a chance that an unconscious action of his could hurt her, didn't that make him dangerous?
"That's why I said don't do it again." She said with a small sigh. "I know you didn't mean that."
"Y-yeah… thanks."
Rey's head shamefully hung on his shoulders as more worrisome thoughts burdened him, almost to the point of being overwhelmed.
Then, he felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder.
"There's no need to overcomplicate things with useless thoughts. Whether or not Adrien is behind this, the most important thing right now is saving everyone."
Rey raised his head and saw Esme's smile. That look she gave him, devoid of fear and full of hope… it saved him.
"So are you coming with me or not?" Esme stretched out her hand and nodded invitingly at him.
There was no way Rey could refuse now.
"Yeah! Let's go!"
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Thanks for reading!
