I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 210: Silent Shoreline

Alexander was in critical condition for three days before he finally showed signs that he was winning against his injuries.

Everyone was ecstatic.

Alicia never left his side since day one. She stayed by his bed constantly, talking to him about everything. About their parents. About home. About her daily routines after he left. About small, meaningless things and important ones alike. She wanted to make sure he didn’t miss anything. She wanted him to hear her voice, even if he couldn’t respond.

When he finally woke up, Alicia panicked and hid.

She was terrified that Alexander might still be angry with her. That he might hold grudges. That he wouldn’t want to see her after everything she had done.

But the first words that came out of his mouth were,

"Where is Little Ali?"

Alicia broke down.

She came out of her hiding place in tears, rushing to his side. They hugged tightly, clinging to each other as if afraid the other would disappear again. From that day on, they were inseparable.

When Alexander died, Alicia nearly lost her mind to grief.

The only thing that held her together was guilt.

She killed Alexander. And because of that, she believed she had no right to fall apart. No right to mourn properly. She needed to make sure his legacy continued.

So she swallowed her grief. She delayed her mourning. She forced herself forward and poured everything she had into work.

She became the Chief of Solarys Dungeon Emergency Unit.

The same position Alex held when he died.

She had only just begun securing his legacy when she met him again.

Right in front of her.

"No." She shakes her head, stepping backward.

"No!"

"You’re dead! You’re dead!" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"I killed you!"

Alicia screams and turns to run.

Alexander remains where he is, standing still, smiling.

"Yes," he says softly.

"Yes, you did, Little Ali."

And his voice turns terrifying.

------------------------------

"Captain," the pilot says over the headset. "We’re arriving at St. Lucas."

Captain Chambers and Rhaenas look out the window.

Theo freezes.

Everywhere he looks, there is water.

St. Lucas is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Solarys. It is located in the middle of Lake Lucas, on St. Lucas Island. Despite its name, the lake is not truly a lake, but a gulf.

A very large gulf.

In the middle of that gulf stands an island, called St. Lucas. The island is still under Solarys’ jurisdiction.

Under normal circumstances, the view would be breathtaking. The water stretches endlessly, reflecting the sky like glass. The weather here is never hot like most gulfs. Instead, it is cool, gentle, and comforting. Perfect for tourism. Perfect for escape.

But not today.

Access to St. Lucas is currently blocked.

People who were already on the island are being evacuated out. Boats and helicopters move in organized chaos below, ferrying civilians away as quickly as possible.

At the edge of the gulf lies another city, also named St. Lucas. That city sits along the shore and serves as the mainland hub. But it is rarely what people mean when they say "St. Lucas."

When people talk about St. Lucas, they always mean the island.

And right now, something is very, very wrong there.

The Solarys DEU’s helicopter lands on the St. Lucas Resort helipad.

They all get off and follow another DEU officer who has been waiting for them. He leads them down toward the beach shore, facing the open ocean.

The view is breathtaking.

Theo has never seen anything like this before. Caelthorn was always dark, gloomy, suffocating. Stone, shadow, and narrow skies.

This place is the complete opposite.

It is bright. Open. The air is fresh and carries a sense of freedom he has never felt before.

It is completely different from Beachwalk in Arvion. Both have ocean and sand, but St. Lucas feels brighter, wider, more welcoming. Even now, in its empty state, St. Lucas feels warmer than Beachwalk ever did.

The officer leads them toward the gate, which stands right at the edge of the beach. Waves roll in and occasionally crash against its frame, seawater splashing around the base of the structure.

The officers stationed at the dungeon site visibly brighten when they see Captain Chambers.

They rush toward him, crowding around, relief written clearly on their faces.

"Officers!" Captain Chambers shouts, raising both hands.

"I understand your feelings," he says firmly. "And we are here to help." He gestures toward Rhaenas standing behind him.

"This is Rhaenas. I’m sure all of you have heard about them. In a few minutes, they will enter the dungeon and clear it, while hopefully rescuing our comrades as well."

His expression hardens.

"Remember," he adds, voice grim, "clearing the dungeon is the first priority."

It sounds less like a reminder and more like something he is forcing himself to accept.

The officers’ faces fall, but they nod.

They understand.

This is their duty.

Captain Chambers turns to Rhaenas. "This way. There’s a place where you can do the final briefing before you enter the dungeon."

He leads them to a tent near the shoreline.

Once inside, he turns to face them. "I don’t know how dangerous this dungeon is," he says honestly, "but I know it is dangerous. There’s another detail that I forgot to share."

He pauses, clearly struggling to find the right words.

Finally, he exhales and blurts it out. "This is a mutated level eight dungeon."

His eyes flick across their faces, waiting for shock. For panic. Especially from Thea Montrose and Maeve Collins.

But none of them react the way he expects.

No widened eyes. No sharp intake of breath. No stunned silence.

Captain Chambers frowns. "You’re not surprised?"

They all shake their heads.

"Have you all suspected it?" he asks.

Arthur answers calmly, "No. We didn’t suspect it. We know. Only mutated dungeons can be entered again even if there’s already one or two teams inside."

Captain Chambers wants to crawl into a hole.

How could he forget that?

He clears his throat. "You’re right. Yes. You’re right."

He clears his throat again, visibly trying to regain composure.

"Do you want to do an internal briefing before you enter?"

Arthur shakes his head. "No. We should go in now. We’re racing against time."