We got through everything faster than I thought. This was also due to the fact that there were relatively few survivors. Of the original twenty-four guild members, just eleven are left, four of them unharmed. I healed the seven injured members one by one.

While I was able to repair most of the physical damage, the helplessness of not being able to assist them with the psychological side is driving me mad. My stomach is churning, and cold sweat is running down my whole body. The fact that I've used up vast amounts of mana also plays a not-so-insignificant role.

"Did you drink the mana potions?"

"Yeah. They tasted disgusting."

Apart from the disgusting taste and the surprisingly thick consistency, the potions had no immediate effect. I can't really tell when my mana is being replenished, let alone if it's truly empty. The only way I can tell that my mana is running out is by monitoring my body's reactions.

"Get some rest, I'm going to talk to Sami."

"I want to come with you."

"Do not force yourself."

I know she probably just wanted to give me a break, but if she was going to talk to him about the mission, I would like to be there. I'm part of this guild and willing to find out what happened.

"Thank you for your work. Lilith spoke highly of you, and she wasn't exaggerating."

"No problem," getting those words out is a lot more effort than it has any right to be. I try to control my breathing… It would be really embarrassing to throw up in Sami's personal tent.

"So, what exactly went wrong? All this doesn't sound like something that should happen to your guild."

The three of us sit on more or less comfortable folding chairs at a far too small table, but it's okay for the short meeting.

"They were real. The goblins and orcs were alive."

What does he mean? Of course, they were.

"You know how the monsters in the dungeon dissolve into mana when you kill them? These creatures were flesh and blood, just like us."

You can see the confusion on my face. What does that mean?

"Unusual for a C-rank dungeon. But that might explain the difference in strength. Above all, you relied on them being the usual weak enemies."

"Of course, we were relying on it," Sami raises his voice a little and sighs heavily.

"That wasn't an accusation."

"I know Miko. But the more I think about it, the angrier this makes me. Although we had noticed this inconsistency, we carried on as usual. This arrogance has led to the wiping of my guild. Friends of mine are dead."

While I try to find any words of encouragement, the other two also fall silent before someone storms through the entrance to the tent.

"It's Krystoff, he's wounded!"

We run off together and find our man very quickly. He stands right before the dungeon gate, his posture slightly bent. But what disturbs me most is that he can still stand, let alone walk.

A sword has pierced his upper body, and in the short time he has been standing there, a small puddle of blood has already formed on the ground beneath him.

I hear someone weeping. Nobody dares to get closer to Krystoff. It's as if everyone has been frozen by the shock. What were they supposed to do anyway? The only person who can do anything is me. I can feel their stares gathering on me. They expect me to do something.

The nature of the wound, the blood loss, and the internal injuries. Only a few weeks ago, I surprised myself when I healed a broken bone, but this task looks impossible.

"You don't have to try."

"Yes, I do."

My feet carry me on their own. The closer I get to him, the stronger the scent of blood fills my nostrils.

"How are you going to do that?"

"You pull out the sword, and I'll close the wound."

"He'll die."

"If we do nothing, he'll die anyway. This way, there's a chance to save him."

I don't know where I gained that confidence, and Miko is obviously unconvinced. Still, she places herself behind Krystoff, looking at me with an intense stare. He is still standing in the same spot, his breathing flat, his eyes more closed than open. I'm not sure if he's mentally present at all. Maybe it's better if he isn't.

"I'm counting down."

I nod.

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

With a smooth movement, she pulls the sword from his body, at almost the exact moment, I wrap my arms around him. He threatens to collapse, but Miko reacts quickly and supports his back with her hands. Meanwhile, I pump all the mana I have left into healing him.

I can feel my clothes soaking up the blood from his wound. It is warm and feels almost pleasant as my body starts to get colder by the second. My initially firm grip on his body is weakening. I feel dizzy, but my magic continues to flow out.

A stabbing pain spreads from the center of my body, and heat travels up inside me. Before I can ask myself what it is, blood literally gushes out of my mouth. I cough, and when I open my lips, the dam is broken, and another load of red splashes to the ground.

Without trying to, I close my eyes. When I want to open them again, I realize I never shut them in the first place. My vision simply went dark. My body feels sluggish. Despite the pain, I feel incredibly relieved. I clench my fists weakly and feel some grass between my fingers.

I can't remember lying down on the floor, but it's so pleasantly soft. I don't think I ever want to get up again. 

MIKO

I know that mana exhaustion is very hard on the human body. Still, I've never seen or heard of anyone spitting up blood and falling unconscious like that. I'm used to seeing injured people. I'm used to seeing corpses. But seeing Kayla lying lifeless on the floor was terrifying in its own way.

"The ambulances have left now. What are you going to do?" Sami seems exhausted.

"I'll call Lilith and go to the hospital. Are you going back inside the dungeon?"

He shakes his head weakly. "No, we'll wait another two or three hours and then close the gate. Another guild will have to take over."

The only thing we can all do is hope that no one is trapped in there waiting for help. I can't imagine that this dungeon will be cleared any time soon. First, the ministry must discuss this anomaly, which could easily take a month or two.

In the meantime, the stream of mana that allows anyone to enter or leave the dungeon is interrupted by a magical seal initially designed to drain mana from a mage. Given the size of the dungeon, the seal must be replaced every week since it can only absorb a certain amount of mana.

"I didn't have time to ask Lilith about it, but where did you find her? That wound wasn't something that could heal. But in the end, she was the worse one."

"She sobered up some drunk people behind a pub."

Sami starts laughing.

"I've never heard of anyone using healing magic for something like this. But I'm glad to know it exists. I look forward to inviting your guild for a drink or two. It's the least I can do to thank you for your help."

"Sounds good."

I pat him on the shoulder and walk away, grabbing my cell phone from my poncho. I don't feel like explaining to Lilith that Kayla is on her way to the hospital and probably using up all the money we earned from this mission. Denying us mages regular health insurance is just one of many blatant discriminations we still have to deal with to this day.

Not that I want to whine about it now. There are always people worse off than us, and I don't care about the money right now. As crazy as it sounds, I just want Kayla to get better. Maybe I'll sneak something yummy into the hospital for her. She deserves it. Honestly, it's the only thing I can do now.

It sucks to feel helpless. When I told Kayla that I would protect her, I had nothing like that in mind. So, I should hurry to be with her so I wouldn't leave her alone for too long.