The morning sun hung high above the ravine, its warmth spreading across the rocky cliffs and sparse grasslands surrounding the ruins.
After two days spent underground in stale air, surrounded by ancient machinery, nightmare creatures, and enough magical nonsense to give most scholars a permanent headache, the simple feeling of sunlight on skin felt strangely luxurious.
For the first time in what felt like forever, nothing was actively trying to kill them.
The massive stone gates of the ruins remained sealed behind them, silent and dormant once more. Whatever ancient intelligence had slumbered beneath the earth for centuries had returned to its rest.
The ravine itself seemed peaceful now, as though the nightmare they had just survived had never happened at all.
Cana certainly wasn't appreciating any of it.
She lay flat on her back in the grass, one arm draped over her eyes, every muscle in her body protesting even the act of breathing.
Nearby, the seven unconscious researchers remained sprawled across the ground where they had been placed after being carried out of the ruins.
For several minutes, neither she nor Kai moved.
Then suddenly Kai sat upright with a sharp inhale. He stretched both arms overhead and yawned loudly.
A series of pops and cracks echoed from his shoulders, back, and neck as he loosened stiff muscles.
"Ahhh," he drawled in satisfaction. "The sound of relief."
Running a hand through his shoulder-length brown hair, he slicked it back and glanced toward Cana.
She hadn't moved her eyes closed and body motionless.
Kai stared for a moment before picking up a small stone from the ground. Without hesitation, he flicked it directly at her forehead.
Thunk.
Cana's eye twitched.
Slowly, very slowly, she opened one eye.
Kai smiled. "Wake up. We're not on a picnic."
Cana sat upright immediately and regretted it just as quickly.
Pain shot through her entire body.
"Let me rest, you bastard," she groaned. "I haven't recovered yet."
Kai blinked. "You haven't?"
The genuine confusion on his face somehow made it worse.
Cana stared at him in disbelief. "No, you prick. Most people don't recover from near-death experiences in fifteen minutes."
"Oh they don't, what a surprise!". He actually sounded surprised but cana could tell he was pulling her leg.
Before she could continue, another stone flew toward his face.
This one thrown by Cana.
Kai casually tilted his head without even looking and the rock sailed past his ear. His attention had already shifted elsewhere.
A thoughtful expression crossed his features.
Now that he stopped to think about it, Cana's condition confirmed something he'd noticed earlier. His recovery speed had improved.
Significantly.
His body felt refreshed despite everything they'd gone through. His ethernano reserves had recovered much faster than they should have.
Under normal circumstances, after the amount of reinforcement magic, Shadow Steps, Tinkerer Arts, injuries ,and experimental stupidity he'd performed underground, he should have needed at least another hour or two before feeling functional. Instead, he felt almost normal.
Immediately, he pulled out his journal.
The familiar notebook appeared in his hands as though summoned by instinct. *Recovery rate increased. Estimated improvement beyond normal parameters. Requires further testing.*
His pencil scratched rapidly across the page.
Cana watched him.
Then sighed.
Of course he was taking notes. They had barely escaped death.
Again.
And he was already doing research.
Eventually Kai snapped the journal shut and stood. "Well, I'm good to go."
Cana rolled her eyes. "Good for you."
Kai ignored the sarcasm.
"Let's heal these morons again and leave."
Reaching into one of his pouches, he withdrew the black Lullaby Flute.
The runes on his arms pulsed faintly.
Then he began to play. A soft melody drifted across the ravine.
The effect was immediate.
Warmth spread through Cana's exhausted body. The aches in her muscles lessened.
The lingering fatigue faded. Even her headache began to disappear.
Nearby, the unconscious researchers visibly improved as well. Their breathing steadied. Color returned to pale faces. Tension left their bodies.
The song continued for another minute before finally ending.
Silence returned.
Kai lowered the flute and examined it thoughtfully.
His eyes narrowed. *Interesting*
The drain was lower. Far lower. Not only that, but the control felt smoother, cleaner.
Like the magic flowed exactly where he wanted it to go without any wasted effort.
The runes covering his skin glowed softly beneath the sunlight.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
He had absolutely hit the jackpot. It wasn't often that a ruin rewarded him with something genuinely useful.
Most ancient sites contained broken artifacts, incomplete information, or dangerous things that should have remained buried.
This time?
He'd walked away with a magical processor integrated into his own body.
Definitely worth the risk.
Across from him, Cana saw that grin and immediately groaned. "I don't like what happens whenever you smile like that."
Kai looked up.
Then smiled wider. "I understand how very difficult it must be for a dumb little thing like you to understand the value of these discoveries."
Cana stared at him.
Expressionless.
Then flicked another rock directly into his forehead.
Thunk.
Kai grabbed the rock amused. "Violence isn't appreciated against scholars brownie."
"It is when you're involved." Cana mutters annoyed.
Ignoring him, she pushed herself upright.
"Just wake these idiots up so we can leave."
Kai nodded toward the researchers.
"Go ahead and try."
Cana frowned.
"What?"
"Try and wake them." Kai motioned
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously but walked over anyway.
One by one she nudged shoulders.
Nothing.
She shook one.
Still nothing.
Another.
No response.
After several attempts she turned back.
"They aren't waking up."
"Excellent observation my friend." Kai added dryly.
Cana ignored his tone asking confused. "Didn't you heal them?"
"I did."
"Then why aren't they waking up?"
Kai sighed dramatically. "My dumb companion."
Cana immediately regretted asking.
"It's called biology." He walked over while gesturing toward the unconscious researchers.
"Healing magic repairs damage. It doesn't replace food, water, sleep, mental recovery, or basic bodily functions."
He crouched beside one of them.
"These people spent days trapped underground. Their ethernano reserves were drained constantly. They lost supplies, suffered physical exhaustion, dehydration, psychological stress and probably several panic attacks."
He tapped the researcher's forehead.
"The body eventually enters a protective state."
"...A coma?" Cana asked concerned.
"Something similar." He nodded.
Cana nodded slowly. "So they'll wake up eventually?"
"Probably."
"Probably?"
Kai shrugged. "Medicine is mostly educated guessing."
Cana pinched the bridge of her nose.
Somehow that answer didn't inspire confidence.
At least they were alive. That was what mattered.
Unfortunately another problem remained.
She glanced at the seven unconscious bodies. Then at Kai. Then back at the bodies.
"...How exactly are we transporting them?"
Kai's grin returned.
Cana immediately knew she wasn't going to like the answer.
Three hours later she hated being right.
Very much.
The trip up the ravine had been miserable enough.
Getting seven unconscious adults up steep rocky terrain with only two people involved was an experience Cana never wanted to repeat.
By the time they finally reached the surface, she was convinced her spine would never recover.
Meanwhile Kai appeared perfectly content.
Mostly because he was building something.
Metal scraps, spare parts, wheels, lacrimas, planks and assorted junk were spread across the ground around him.
Cana watched with growing concern.
Whenever Kai started assembling things from random garbage, explosions usually followed.
"Tinkerer Arts: Creation."
Light flashed.
His boots transformed instantly. Metal skates formed around them. Small lacrima thrusters appeared along the sides.
Kai stood and tested them. The skates hummed softly.
"Nice."
Cana sighed. "Why do I feel like I'm about to become part of an experiment?"
"Because you are."
"Wonderful."
A few minutes later she found herself wearing her own modified version.
Thankfully they didn't explode.
Yet.
Then came the researchers.
Kai's solution was simple.
Disturbingly simple.
He built a large wheeled platform. Tied all seven unconscious men onto it. Attached ropes. And called it transportation.
Cana stared. "You cannot be serious."
"It's efficient with what supplies i have, besides they aren't my relatives for me to build them some luxury furniture." Kai responded bluntly.
"Even then it's insane." She sighed
"We can call it insane and efficient." Kai added helpefully.
Three and a half hours later they were speeding across open terrain toward Balsam Town while dragging seven unconscious researchers behind them like cargo.
At one point the platform hit a bump. The entire thing launched briefly into the air.
Cana winced. "Are they okay?"
Kai looked back.
The platform crashed down. One researcher bounced.
Kai shrugged. "Seventy-five percent."
"Seventy-five percent what?!" Cana asked.
"..Seventy-five percent okay..."
Somehow that wasn't better.
By the time they finally reached Balsam, both of them were exhausted again.
The town guards gave them extremely suspicious looks.
Two filthy teenagers dragging seven unconscious adults behind them wasn't exactly normal.
Fortunately Kai produced official paperwork identifying them as guild mages on official recovery mission.
After a quick inspection, the guards immediately allowed them through.
Neither Cana nor Kai stayed around long enough to answer questions.
The researchers were delivered to the nearest hospital.
Mission complete.
After that, all they wanted was a bed.
Hours later, inside their rented room, Cana collapsed onto her mattress with a groan. "This is officially the best and worst mission of my life."
Across the room Kai had already opened his journal. His pencil moved steadily across the page.
Recovery improvements.
Mana efficiency.
Casting optimization.
Rune interactions.
Everything was recorded.
The more he reviewed his observations, the more fascinated he became.
The runes integrated into his body were unbelievably advanced. They automated processes he normally handled consciously.
Mana circulation.
Waste reduction.
Spell stabilization.
Resource allocation.
Everything happened naturally.
Effortlessly.
It reminded him of the ancient core itself. Perhaps that was exactly why it had eventually developed intelligence.
The system was simply too advanced. Too adaptive. Too capable of self-correction.
But that only raised more questions.
Why had the Kaldors civilization created it?
What were they preparing it for?
What had destroyed them?
And why build something capable of mimicking thought in the first place?
He still didn't have answers.
For a moment he found himself glancing at the inactive idol.
The memory of that ancient question lingered.
Who are you?
For reasons he couldn't explain, he still didn't have a good answer.
"KAI."
He didn't hear cana shouting his name.
"KAI!"
Nothing.
"KAI!"
Kai jumped. "What?!"
Cana crossed her arms. "You know, most people respond the first time."
"Then talk to most people don't shout in my ears." Kai responded annoyed.
A grin spread across her face.
"I need a drink."
Kai stared blankly at her. "Then drink water is right there."
Cana gave him a unimpressed look. " You know what I mean , I haven't had alcohol in two days."
"Most people call that normal." Kai responded going back to his work.
"I call it suffering."
She grabbed his arm.
"Come with me."
"I'd rather sleep."
She pulled harder.
Kai reached into his pouch. Then dropped a heavy money bag directly into her lap.
"Leave me alone."
Cana blinked. "Seriously?"
"I need sleep more than I need alcohol." He spoke tired.
She weighed the pouch.
Then grinned.
"Well, if you're paying..."
Kai stared at her confused. "..I am always paying."
"You always regret it later." Cana laughed.
"Not true."
"What about replacing your brain with a magical ruin?"
"...No regrets."
Cana laughed.
Shaking her head, she headed for the door.
"I'll bring something back."
The moment she left, silence settled over the room.
Kai finally relaxed. His journal slid from his hand. For the first time in days, there were no ruins. No monsters. No experiments. No imminent death.
Just a bed.
A very comfortable bed.
Within moments, sleep claimed him.