Chapter 46 : Two Flames, One Sky
Alise’s Perspective — “The Invitation”
Location: Hostess of Fertility — Late Evening
The tavern air was thick with laughter and the smell of spiced ale.
Alise Lovell wiped down the counter with a worn cloth, her movements smooth, practiced — a rhythm meant to keep memories at bay.
Five years since Astrea Familia fell. Five years since she last set foot in Knossos.
Her fingers traced a faint scar along the edge of the wood. A small gesture. An old wound.
Click.
The tavern door opened.
Not with a bang. Not with a shout.
Just a shift in the air — a coolness that cut through the warmth.
And there she was.
Aiz Wallenstein. The Sword Princess. Standing in the doorway like a silver dream, her golden eyes scanning the room before locking onto Alise’s.
The noise around them seemed to fade.
Alise: (softly, to herself)
“Well now… this can’t be good. I haven't seen the sword princess in her since... I first met Bell.”
Aiz moved forward — not hesitant, but deliberate. Her boots made no sound. The adventurers nearby instinctively made space without knowing why.
Aiz:
“Alise Lovell.”
"Here we go"
Her voice was quiet, yet it carried. Clear as a bell through the clamor.
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Alise: (leaning on the counter, grinning)
“Sword Princess. Didn’t take you for a tavern crawler. Here for a drink?”
Aiz:
“Sure, i'd love to, thank you.”
She didn’t smile. She blinked. Just stood there — a storm waiting to break.
Aiz:
“Loki Familia is preparing an expedition. Into Knossos.”
The word hung between them. Heavy. Poisonous.
Alise: (setting down her cloth)
“Knossos…”
Her voice dropped. The grin faded.
“That place took enough from me. From all of us.”
Aiz:
“You’ve been deeper than anyone still alive. You know its tricks. Its heart.”
Alise: (raising a brow)
“You have Finn. Riveria. Gareth. Why come to me?”
Aiz: (stepping closer, voice dropping)
“They’re commanders. You’re a survivor.”
For a moment, neither spoke. They sipped their drinks. The clatter of mugs and murmur of voices felt miles away.
Alise: (sighs, runs a hand through her red hair)
“You’re serious.”
Aiz:
“I need you.”
Alise looked down at her hands — hands that once held a sword drenched in blood and hope.
She thought of Bell — his bright, stupid, reckless courage. The way he looked at her after she’d trained him — like she was still a hero.
“You can’t keep hiding, Alise,” he’d said. “Not when you still burn like this.”
She met Aiz’s eyes again.
Alise:
“Fine. You’ve got me.”
(extends a hand — calloused, firm)
“But if we die down there, you’re buying the next round. In heaven.”
Aiz: (grips her hand — a warrior’s clasp)
“We won’t die.”
Alise: (a smirk — sharp and real)
“Then let’s make sure the Dungeon remembers our names.”
Bell’s Perspective — “The Echo of a Fall”
Location: Hestia Manor — Night
Bell Cranell stood on the rooftop, the wind cooling the heat in his chest.
Orario glittered below — a city of dreams and graves.
He could still feel it — Wiene’s small hand in his. The way she smiled. The way the mob screamed “Monster!” at something kinder than they’d ever be.
His fists clenched.
I won’t run. Not again.
The memory of the Xenos haunted him — not as failure, but as fuel.
Hestia: (from below)
“Bell? You’re going to catch a cold.”
She climbed up, her blue eyes soft with worry.
Bell:
“I’m okay, Goddess. Just… thinking.”
Hestia:
“About the expedition?”
He nodded. The Guild had announced it this morning — His Familia leading a deep-run into the dungeon because of his recent level up. Smaller familias were invited. Support roles. Scouts. They would form a united front.
The task felt like a curse on his tongue.
Bell:
“It’s not just about getting stronger anymore. It’s about… protecting what matters. No matter what they are.”
Hestia: (softly)
“You sound like her.”
Bell didn’t need to ask who.
Alise.
Her words echoed in his mind — “We fight for the world we believe in, kid. Even if it doesn’t believe in us.”
He remembered sparring with her — the way her flames mirrored something in his own soul. The way she never once treated his dream like a joke.
And Aiz…
Her wind, her silence, her strength.
Two women — two legends — pulling him forward in ways he didn’t fully understand.
Bell: (whispering to the stars)
“This time… I won’t let anyone down.”
He made a promise — to himself, to Wiene, to the two flames guiding him from the shadows.
I’ll be strong enough. For all of us.
