The Art of Gold Digging
Ch.32- Reunion.

[Quite the morning jog, isn't it?] 

"What?" Amy gasped between ragged breaths. Her heart hammered in her chest, her legs felt leaden, and her breath came in painful gasps. Basically, her whole body felt like shit. 

She was running with all her might, yet it felt like she was the only one—apart from Lyra—putting any effort into it.

The group sprinted through the frozen streets of the city. Ash was in the lead while Crow and Iris flanked him. Meanwhile, Lain, Zayd, and Lyra moved alongside Amy at the rear. If it wasn't because of all the training Amy had done these past few days, it might have been impossible to keep up the pace—hell, she could barely manage even now. 

[I said, 'quite the morning jog, isn't it?' Though I suppose it might not be technically morning. Hard to tell time here.] 

Amy barely managed to sneak a glance at her satchel before she was forced to redirect her attention back to her footing; she had no time for this. 

"Enemy left!" Crow suddenly shouted from ahead. 

The warning came just in time. A small yet deadly-looking creature lunged from a darkened doorway, its slim, dark body seemingly covered in limbs and teeth. 

Ash delivered a brutal punch that knocked the monster down while Crow struck with his blade, not even slowing his pace, as it severed its head. 

"They are catching up, move faster!" Crow ordered, as he sliced another monster that seemed to appear from nowhere. 

"We can't keep this up forever!" Iris called back, ducking as something small, swift, and dark swooped overhead from a broken window. Her fist connected with another creature that leaped at her from the side, breaking its torso and sending it flying into a frozen lamppost. "Where are we even going?" 

"Teleporter," Crow responded as he ran, holding up the amulet he'd taken from the Headmistress's corpse. "There is a side entrance to the Academy close by. This amulet is guiding us there." 

"'Close by' my ass!" Ash shouted. "We've been running for minutes!" 

[To your right, Amy.] 

Acting purely on instinct, Amy spun, her hand rising to form a barrier. A mass of limbs and fangs slammed into the golden shield, cracking it instantly but bouncing off long enough for Lain to freeze it solid with a sweep of her hand. 

[Nice reflexes. Nice magic, too. You have come very far.] 

Amy was about to respond with a 'thanks' before realization hit her— Libris had just helped her. Again. 

Shit! She wanted to scream to Libris, but she shouldn't—couldn't waste breath. Instead, she reached down, frantically tapping her satchel. 

[Oh? Are you still worried about that small crack? You are so cute sometimes.] 

What the fuck— This fucking dingus! 

Amy's expression turned into a scowl, and her concentration slipped for a second, causing her to almost stumble. 

[Sigh~ Amy, just focus on running.] 

What is this damn— Ughhhh! 

She ignored Libris, focusing solely on keeping up with the others. Her lungs burned with every breath, and her legs felt increasingly heavier with each step. Sweat ran down her face despite the freezing temperature, making her eyes sting. 

"They're gaining!" Zayd shouted from the side. 

Amy dared a glance back and immediately regretted it. Dozens of chaos creatures were pursuing them. Some bounded on all fours while others seemed to flow across the snow. Their numbers had grown since they'd first spotted them. 

"W-We can't outrun t-them!" Lyra barely managed to shout. 

"I know a path up ahead!" Crow suddenly announced, pointing to a narrow alley between two ice-covered buildings. "Through there!" 

They altered course, veering sharply toward the alley. As they approached, Crow slowed just enough to let the others pass him. Amy stumbled as she ran past, but Lain caught her arm, steadying her without breaking stride. 

Once they were all through, Crow turned to face the oncoming horde. He raised Bloodedge and drove it into the frozen ground. A pulse of red energy erupted from the sword, spreading outward in a wave. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and with a loud crack, the buildings on either side of the alley entrance collapsed partially. 

Massive chunks of ice and frozen brick tumbled down, creating a temporary barrier between them and their pursuers. 

"That won't hold them long," Crow said grimly, retrieving his blade. "Keep moving!" 

They pushed forward through the winding alleyways, walls of frost-covered brick rising high on either side. Amy could hear screeching and clawing sounds from behind as the creatures began to tear at the barrier. 

[Those don't sound like particularly patient creatures.] 

The hell is wrong with this damn piece of paper? 

"Not now," Amy hissed between breaths. 

The alley eventually opened into a small courtyard surrounded by abandoned shops and frost-covered market stalls. 

"Through there," Crow directed, pointing toward another street. "We need to be fast—"

"Wait," Lain said suddenly, pausing Crow mid-sentence. "Listen." 

Everyone fell silent, straining to hear. The screeching and howling of the chaos creatures seemed to be coming from multiple directions. 

"They're circling around," Crow realized, his expression darkening. "Trying to cut us off." 

"So what do we do?" Lyra asked, her face pale with exhaustion and fear. 

To everyone's surprise, it wasn't Crow who responded. 

"We hide," Zayd said. 

"What?" Crow looked at him with confusion, "They will find us in no—" 

"Trust me," Zayd insisted, cutting Crow off with a sharp gesture of his hand. He crouched low and motioned for them to follow, pointing toward an overturned market cart about twenty yards away. 

Without waiting for agreement, he began moving silently toward it, keeping his profile low. 

After a moment's hesitation, Crow reluctantly nodded at the others, and they followed suit, crouching as they moved carefully across the courtyard. When they reached the cart, Zayd positioned them within a small alcove formed by the cart and a partially collapsed wall. He knelt at the extremity of their huddled group and closed his eyes. With precise movements, he began tracing patterns in the air. Dark energy—not unlike the shadows themselves—gathered around his fingertips. He whispered words in a language that seemed to absorb sound rather than create it. 

Crow's eyes widened in recognition. "That's—" 

Zayd's eyes snapped open, silencing Crow with a look. The darkness between his palms expanded outward, enveloping them all in a dome of soft shadows. He then gestured towards Bloodedge, and Crow hesitantly vanished the sword, extinguishing the faint glow surrounding it. 

"Not a sound," Zayd ordered in a whisper while dropping flat against the ground. 

The entire group followed his example with some lag. Amy fell with less grace than the others, her exhausted body finally giving out as she collapsed onto the frozen cobblestones; the cold bit through her clothes, but she barely registered it as adrenaline coursed through her veins. 

Footsteps. Dozens of them, moving in unison. The sound grew louder, accompanied by a strange, rhythmic clicking of claws on stone. 

Amy pressed herself deeper against the wall, holding her breath as she caught her first glimpse of what approached from a small gap between the cart and the building. 

The first creatures appeared—small, swift shadows darting between the abandoned stalls. They moved with crazy speed, their forms blurring as they passed. Amy counted at least a dozen before they disappeared from view. 

Just as she began to relax slightly, a second wave emerged. These were larger, more substantial beings—some bipedal with elongated limbs, others crawling on multiple appendages. One passed so close to their hiding place that Amy could see the texture of its skin—like oil in water, constantly rippling and reforming. 

And then came the third wave. These creatures were massive—easily twice the height of a human, with bodies that seemed assembled from mismatched parts. Some had multiple heads, others bore clusters of eyes across torsos covered in what looked like armor. They moved more slowly, deliberately, as if searching every shadow and crevice. 

Then, a while after, the ground began to vibrate beneath them. At first, Amy thought it might be her own trembling, but the sensation grew stronger, rhythmic footsteps. Something huge was approaching. 

The narrow street at the edge of the courtyard darkened as an enormous figure emerged. A massive creature, similar to a mix between a minotaur's body and a bat's fur and wings. Shape wrapped in flowing darkness, its features obscured by shadows. Only its eyes were visible—twin points of crimson light. It moved its head back and forth, searching for something, for them. 

Amy noticed Lyra beside her—much like herself—beginning to tremble slightly, barely seeming to breathe. Honestly, Amy was certain they would be discovered; she was ready for the worst to happen and to push her ability to the extreme if it was necessary. But luckily it wasn't. 

The big monster directed the procession onward with a nod of its head and a low growl, continuing along their path down another street. The sounds of movement gradually faded into the distance, yet no one moved, each person listening intently for any sign that the danger had not truly passed. 

It was only after a few more seconds that Crow spoke. "Clear," he whispered, his voice barely audible even in the silence. 

The collective relief was palpable as everyone slowly shifted positions, Zayd also finally releasing the shadow dome, the darkness dissolving into wisps that faded into the air. 

"Onyx magic," Crow stated after a bit, his expression dark and his voice low. "How do you—"

"Another day, Thorne," Zayd cut him off, suddenly looking exhausted. "We'll talk about it another day. Right now, we need to reach that teleporter before they circle back." 

Crow looked like he wanted to press the issue, but after a tense moment, he simply stood up silently, then looked around a few times. "We should go. Fast. The main horde will be here at any moment," he said, gesturing for the others to get on their feet. 

"And you're sure this teleporter thing is legit?" Iris asked, her breath coming in visible puffs. 

"Stake words were clear," Crow replied tersely while looking at Amy momentarily. "Moreover, my ability shows that the amulet is indeed magically connected to something. If we follow the connection, we should arrive— Either way, there is no time to lose. Let's go!" 

The others stood up, and soon they all continued running. 

Amy lagged behind as they pushed forward, her fatigue becoming increasingly difficult to hide. Beside her, Lyra wasn't faring much better, her face pale with exhaustion. 

Lain noticed immediately. She advanced and tapped Crow's shoulder, which provoked him to slow down and assess the situation before coming to a decision. 

"We need to move faster," he repeated, then turned to Ash. "Carry Lyra." 

"What?" both Ash and Lyra exclaimed simultaneously. 

"There are no more chaos creatures in sight, and we need to increase our pace," Crow insisted. Without waiting for further protest, he turned to Iris. "You take Amy." 

"Why me? Are you serious right now?" Iris objected, even as she glanced at Amy's clearly exhausted state. 

"Dead serious," Crow replied. "The chaos creatures aren't far behind. We move together or we die separately." 

Iris sighed dramatically but nodded. "Fine. Come here, little golden princess." 

Amy couldn't even ready herself as Iris scooped her up with surprising strength, carrying her princess-style. 

"..." This is embarrassing, but honestly my honor be damned. I'm tired!

Nearby, Ash had already lifted Lyra in the same way, who looked mortified but resigned to the necessity. With their new arrangement, the group began moving at a much quicker pace through the narrow streets and alleyways. 

Amy's satchel knocked repeatedly against her hip. Reminding her of Libris's previous actions. Having a bad premonition, Amy opened it. She could see Libris inside, and just like she feared, the crack she'd noticed earlier had grown. What had been a thin line splitting from the spine had now spread further across the cover, branching into smaller fractures that resembled a web. Still small, but it was also bigger. 

"Libris," she whispered, anger noticeable in her voice. "I told you to stop helping me." 

[And I told you, this is nothing to concern yourself with.] 

"Nothing? You can't be serious." 

Iris's head turned slightly. "Uh, who are you talking to?" 

Amy glanced at the woman looking at her weirdly. She wondered whether to postpone the conversation, but eventually decided she couldn't give a shit anymore—at least not in these conditions. 

"What kind of game are you playing?" she asked, turning to Libris once more. 

[Listen, Amy. I know you are mad at me for some of my current actions. But this anger, mixed with the worry that you bear, has made me ponder very deeply about the nature of our relationship, and I mean it when I say deeply. I realize that just like you, I also held some of these emotions within myself. Once I had this epiphany, I realized what I should do.] 

"Just what the hell are you talking about?" 

[Amy. Too many variables changed at once. The blood mimics, the chaos creatures gathering too quickly, Crow's father being active already— You are strong, but you aren't strong enough to handle it all.] 

"..." Amy pursed her lips but did not retort.

"Are you…" Iris began, looking back at her with increasing concern. "...talking to your book? Is that a thing now?" 

Amy continued to ignore her, focusing entirely on Libris. "What does that have to do with you cracking apart? That warning from earlier wasn't necessary at all, I could have reacted without you." 

[That was a gift. You're welcome.] 

"Libris." 

[Honestly, at this point, it does not matter if my situation becomes worse, as the destination is the same. What is a few more scratches?] 

A cold dread settled in Amy's stomach. "Can you just talk plainly? What. Are. You. Planning." 

A long pause followed, the only sounds being their heavy breathing and the crunch of snow beneath their feet. 

[I'm going to set things right.] 

"What does that mean?" Amy demanded, her voice rising enough that several others in the group glanced back at her. 

"Seriously, what is happening right now?" Iris muttered, adjusting her grip on Amy's legs. "Are you having some kind of breakdown?" 

[What it means is that you don't deserve any of this. I've had enough of seeing you suffer. The expression I saw in your face after you saw the headmistress's corpse was enough to convince me. You truly shouldn't be here in this world, at least not in these unfair conditions.]

"Libris—" 

[You can do this, Amy. You're stronger than you know. Stronger than anyone I've ever encountered. You will definitely be able to save this world, I'll make sure of that.] 

"Stop talking like that," Amy insisted, her fingers clutching the edge of her satchel so tightly her knuckles turned white. "You sound like you're saying goodbye." 

[Do I…? My apologies then, as I did not mean for it to sound that way.] 

"This isn't funny," Amy whispered fiercely. "Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't."

"Someone wants to tell me what's going on?" Iris asked, loud enough for the others to hear. "Because Stake is having a full conversation with her bag." 

Crow looked back between Libris and Amy for a few seconds, then shook his head. "Later," he cut her off, pointing ahead. "We're here." 

"Libris," Amy tried again, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Please, tell me what's happening. What do you mean by setting things right?" 

[Some things can only be fixed a certain way, Amy.] 

"What does that mean? What does any of what you are talking about even mean?" 

[It means that I believe in you. I always have, from the moment we met. Keep pushing forward, no matter what happens next.] 

The metallic tone in Libris's voice sent a shiver down Amy's spine. "You're scaring me," she admitted quietly. 

[I don't mean to, sorry if it came across that way.] 

"..." 

They had reached the house now. Iris set the pale Amy down. The others gathered around as Crow examined the amulet in his hand, then the worn door before them. 

"Ready?" he asked, looking at each of them in turn. 

Amy's vision was split between the immediate danger and her increasing concern for Libris. The book had fallen silent, but she could still see the network of cracks across its cover whenever she glanced down. 

Crow pushed the door open, revealing a small, barren interior. Most of the furniture had long since rotted away or been removed. All that remained was a single wooden chair in the center of the room and what appeared to be the remnants of a fireplace along one wall.

"The teleporter should be here," he said, stepping inside cautiously. "According to the notes, we need to—" 

Crow stopped abruptly, hand flying to Bloodedge's hilt. 

"What is it?" Ash asked, moving to stand beside him. 

"Something's wrong," Crow whispered, his eyes scanning the room. "The energy here is... disturbed." 

Amy felt it too—a strange vibration in the air, a sense of anticipation that made the hair on her arms stand on end despite the cold. 

[Amy, no matter what happens next, remember what I told you. Stay strong. Keep going forward.] 

"Libris, please," Amy whispered desperately. "Whatever—" 

[Do not worry. I got you.] 

"Libris, I don't understand a single damn fucking thing you are talk—" 

Before Amy could finish her sentence, the air in the center of the room began to distort. 

"Get back!" Crow shouted, drawing Bloodedge in one fluid motion. The others immediately fell into defensive stances.

The figure within the dome continued to materialize. First came the silhouette: tall and imposing, with broad shoulders and a straight-backed posture. Then came the details: a long black coat that nearly brushed the floor; silver-streaked dark hair falling to his shoulders; a face that bore the unmistakable echoes of Crow's own features, though weathered by time and hardened by age. 

The man's eyes—the same obsidian black as Crow's—finally appeared, completing the manifestation. The dome of energy dissolved, leaving him standing there, solid and undeniably real. 

"Who…?" Crow whispered, the tone in his voice indicating that he was muttering everything but a question. 

The man smiled—a quiet, almost sad smile—as he took in the stunned mirror of himself. "My son," he said, his smile falling gradually as the next words struggled to come out. "You've grown."