I’ll rest for a little while, and then try to get out...I own this place now.

Or that was his plan. Not even a few seconds had passed before he heard a scream...someone screaming for Art. It had taken Leonidas a few seconds to realize that it was he whom Art was.

The voice was unmistakably feminine, belonging to someone he knew all too well. And as it turned out, he was missing her as well, which just made it all the more convenient.

Too convenient.

Is it a trap?

There was a high chance that the sound was some sort of beast with a mental Edict trying to pry him out of the protective embrace of the Sanctum.

But it might also be Willow.

He was torn between the two choices, but eventually decided on a simple solution.

Leonidas walked forward towards the altar and cut off a corner. A plain black circle sat in his hand. On that, Leonidas carved two words. On one side, the word ’DO’ and on the other the word ’Don’t.’

It was his makeshift coin, and the thing was now going to make all the hard decisions for him. Flipping the coin in his hand, Leonidas threw it upwards.

It spun, and spun, shining like a beacon in the dim lighting. Savior made new clothes for him, and Leonidas steeled his mind in the meantime.

A few minutes later, he was already gone.

He sprinted through the original chamber, the one where he had spent most of his time. The moment he had gotten near the collapsed door, it had gone back to its original state, as if by magic.

Pillars lifting and reforming, as if reversing in time, and soon enough, it was in pristine condition. He had stepped through without ceremony, and a wave of information had hit him. It wasn’t anything close to what he had felt when he had seen Art’s life.

The information had come gradually, in a stream rather than a wave. The feeling was surprisingly pleasant.

Leonidas had found out the name of the room—Chamber of Blue Fire—a fitting name. He did not know who had named it, but Leonidas liked their naming sense.

He chuckled, blue flames casting dancing shadows on his face. They drifted past his face like a line of brilliant light, disappearing the faster he ran.

Savior was right beside him, her steps light and silent despite her size. The door neared, and Leonidas gave it a mental command to open.

Huh...what is this sense of deja vu...?

Leonidas had been overcome by a feeling of nostalgia the instant he had seen the outside world.

The landscape was scarred beyond belief, as if overcome by a celestial battle.

What the hell happened here?

His gaze trailed over everything, taking in the details of the battle. Leonidas made a mental note of everything, but then he just...stopped.

His eyes were locked on an object lodged deep in the ground. The blood drained from his face, and his stomach sank, breath sucked from his lungs. Leonidas felt like his world had been turned upside down.

He walked forward, each step uncertain, dragging across the shattered battlefield. Savior seemed to have sensed his mood, as she quietly stood to the side.

How...you were supposed to be the best...how?

He was overcome by shock...but not as much as he expected, as if he had already seen something similar before.

The feeling of something wrong enveloped him again, this time harsher than before.

Wh-what is happening?

He really wanted to think about it, but there was no time...especially not since Willow was dying at his feet.

She raised her hand and grasped Leonidas’s own. She closed her eyes, the strength leaving her body.

"Don’t...cry because it’s over, smile... smile because it happened."

And just like that, Willow died; she died with a smile on her face. Leonidas was fuming, and he needed something to redirect his energy to, thankfully an opportunity provided itself.

A massive root blotted out the sky, titanic in its size. Leonidas smiled and got ready to attack.

That day, he died for the second time.

* * * * * *

ll rest for a little while, and then try to get out...I own this place now.

Leonidas heard a scream as he thought about resting.

The voice was unmistakably feminine, belonging to someone he knew all too well. And as it turned out, he was missing her as well, which just made it all the more convenient.

He had his doubts that it might be a mental monster, but something told Leonidas it wasn’t, something deep inside him.

Deciding to trust his instincts, Leonidas immediately summoned Savior and asked her to make him clothes using the second ability of her Edict, [Ambivalent].

They set out after, trudging along the vast expanse of the Sanctum of Sacrifice, information about each room entering his mind in gentle streams.

He knew something was wrong, as if he was being surrounded by invisible aggressors, but he felt nothing, only an odd feeling of deja vu.

He met a nearly dead Willow and was crushed to death shortly after, Savior unable to save him.

* * * * * *

Leonidas heard a scream.

He died a crushing death.

He died.

He died.

He died.

* * * * * *

Leonidas woke up with a gasp, having just exited his phosphene space. His head was swimming, as if he had just died a dozen times.

He staggered, clutching the altar for support, its curved edge stabbing harmlessly into his skin.

Wha-what is happening...?

Something wet dripped down his face, and when Leonidas touched it, he realized it was...tears.

I’m crying...but why?

He was confused, trapped in a maze of thoughts. Was something influencing his emotions? Had the meeting with Bloom affected him somehow? Was he under an emotional assault by some wild pilgrim?

The confusion was broken through when Leonidas heard a scream. It was the first time he had heard it, yet somewhere deep inside him, Leonidas knew that scream would lead to something pivotal.

Go...I must go. Something tells me I’ll regret it if I don’t.

Leonidas ran towards the exit, summoning Savior on his way.

He died again.