Do the ends justify the means?

The answer, like all other subjective questions, depends on the individual who is questioned. Some would say that, as long as the final objective is obtained without fail, the means through which we obtain it are irrelevant. Others, however, would question the morality of said means, and potentially refuse to continue if their moral conscience cannot support their actions.

Zane Naso was asking himself this question as he leaned on the wall beside Ash’s unconscious body. The boy was being treated by one of the healers that the Guild had called, the calming-green glow emanating from the elf’s palm spreading throughout the body of her patient.

Ash Moon had undeniably absorbed the power of the Great King Draegan. The only question that remained within Zane’s mind was whether or not Ash would be mentally sane when he awoke… if he awoke.

“I’ve stabilized his physical injuries,” said the elf. The magic in the room faded as the caretaker breathed a sigh of relief. It had probably been draining for her to heal such a wounded patient. “Please make sure he rests.”

“I will.”

Zane watched her get up and pass by him. She stopped at the exit of the room, turning around to say a few last words.

“The Dungeon is a dangerous place. While most adventurers start around the age of fifteen, that kind of life isn’t suited for everyone. That boy can have a prosperous life on the surface.”

“…”

Without an answer, the nurse took her exit, leaving only Zane and the resting boy. Ash’s face was contracted in an uncomfortable-looking expression, a sight Zane had become too accustomed to seeing.

“Still unable to sleep peacefully, huh?” he muttered, gently kicking off the wall and straightening himself.

Zane thought back to his clash against the Great King of the Shadows. It was painfully obvious how limiting the physical body had been for Draegan, and while Zane was confident in his abilities, he knew just how terrifying the higher-ranking members in the Shadows were.

Some inhabitants still believed that the Shadows were a myth. Without any physical proof that could be brought to the surface, encounters with Shadows were only communicated through the voices of traumatized adventurers. A source that wasn’t considered reliable.

“E-Excuse me,” whispered a voice timidly. Zane looked over, recognizing the same flaming red hair that had alerted him of Ash’s sudden fall within the Dungeon. 

“Ah, the red-haired hero!” exclaimed Zane, lightening the gloomy atmosphere that had settled.

“No, no, I’m no hero! If anything I’m one of the reasons this all happened in the first place. For that, I cannot apologize enough.”

Zane patted the shoulders of the bent-over boy, signaling that he wasn’t interested in apologies.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“J-Julius…”

Zane took note of the boy’s unwillingness to reveal his last name, though it wasn’t necessary. Zane knew exactly which family he was a part of, and why he chose to hide it. That flaming red hair and those scarlet eyes were unmistakable to him.

“Well then, Julius, I’ll be taking my leave now, it seems I’ve got… uh… somewhere to be. Look after Ash for me!”

“Wha-“

Before Julius could finish his sentence, Zane zipped out of the Guild’s infirmary complex, heading off towards the main building. 

Betraying someone in the Dungeon was an easy task, but refusing to guarantee your survival to save a stranger was something entirely different. Even if the red-haired boy had initially turned his back on Ash, he had ended up gathering the strength needed to turn back.

That was someone that Ash needed by his side.

Julius sat on the stool the nurse had been previously occupying, his hands placed formally onto his legs as he waited nervously. He wondered what he’d say to the boy he had betrayed. Forming a team with trusted friends was something that was pretty much a requirement for the weaker adventurers. Would Ash accept him as a teammate?

He wasn’t sure why he was so determined to become this boy’s companion, but something about him radiated with strength.

It wasn’t long after Julius had sat down that soft groans arose from Ash’s mouth. Ash opened his eyes slowly, still feeling the fatigue from being on death’s door. He squinted as the calm rays of dusk flooded into the room.

A weird-looking ceiling lay atop him. He focused, regaining consciousness.

That’s not a ceiling, he thought.

A dark screen with cyan writing lay in front of him, positioned to fit his vision perfectly. It read:

[The power of the Shadows now lives within you]

“Damn I got hit harder than I thought…” muttered Ash, grunting as he sat up. His head passed through the message, causing it to disappear in a small burst of dark particles. His head was throbbing, a pain that he used to justify his hallucinations.

“Ah…” stuttered a voice beside him. Ash looked over, slightly surprised at the noise.

He recognized the individual sitting beside him. 

“The boy who came back?” he muttered in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to apologize. I’m so sorry for everything that happened in the Dungeon, Ash.”

Ash couldn’t concentrate on the apology. All he could wonder was how this boy knew his name.

“Did you happen to meet a tall adventurer, platinum-blond hair, violet eyes, a stupid smirk on his face, and his hands constantly in his pockets?” he asked. Julius smiled at the humoristic question, amazed that Ash just didn’t care about his apology in the slightest.

“Yes, there was a man who fit those descriptions to the letter,” he responded. Ash laughed, putting the pieces together. If Zane had let the boy enter his room, then there was a goal behind it. He just had to figure out what it was.

“By the way, I can’t seem to remember your name. I think I got hit in the head pretty hard,” said Ash, frowning at the reappearance of the weird position that was this time located behind the red hair of his visitor.

“Julius.”

“Ah, that’s it. So, Julius, did you need anything from me?”

“Well… since we smaller adventurers need teammates to survive and venture beyond the first floor… I was hoping we could team up. I understand you might be wary of me considering what my team and I did to you, but I intend to prove my worth-”

“I mean sure.”

“And if you really don’t… wait, really?”

“Zane told me that small teams perform way better than larger ones. You were willing to put yourself at risk to save a stranger, right? I’m totally fine with teaming up with you.”

Ash extended his hand, smiling as Julius shook it firmly. This was the meeting of two individuals from completely different pasts, yet who shared so many similarities. Ash kept his doubts about the boy to himself but understood that he needed teammates if he were to survive.

Julius had proven he could be trusted to a certain extent, and that was more than the majority of adventurers, and who knows, maybe this was the first friend Ash could have as an adventurer. 

The weird message appeared again. Ash said nothing, waving happily as Julius left the room. He decided to consult the person he considered a brother. If anything, Zane could help him determine whether or not this message really was a hallucination.

Ash couldn’t remember anything from his confrontation with the Shadow after a certain point, and if something had happened, Zane would know of it. Right now, the best thing he could do was remain calm and question whether or not he was seeing imaginary things.

“I guess I’ll go see him, then.”