The boys lay sprawled on the ground, chests heaving from exhaustion and essence depletion.
"I can't believe we finally killed those bloody ogres," Asher muttered, while Ethan and Nick nodded in silent agreement.
"Is it just me, or does anyone else feel the need to lift our heads and make sure they're really dead this time?" Asher added.
Almost like a spell had been broken, all three of them instantly raised their heads to look.
The ogres' massive bodies remained motionless.
They exhaled in relief.
"We still have to free the hostages," Nick said, his voice calm but firm.
"Wait—right now? Can't they wait a little longer?" groaned Asher. The thought of getting up and going back into that cursed cave made him shudder.
"How would you feel if you were the one tied to a wall?" Nick asked.
"Fine, fine. Let's get it over with so we can head back to the academy. This village gives me the creepies now," Asher muttered as he stood.
Nick followed, but Ethan remained lying on his back, staring up at the sky.
"Hey! You can't be the lazy one if I can't be," Asher snapped, annoyed. If he had to help, then Ethan wasn't getting a free pass either.
Nick ignored Asher and turned toward Ethan.
"You're still thinking about what happened in the cave, aren't you?"
Ethan slowly turned his face toward him. "So... you did see it. What was that? And how did I even channel it?" His voice was filled with confusion and doubt.
"We still don't know much about the elements," Nick replied. "What if what you did back there... was a branch of magic no one's discovered yet?"
Ethan shook his head. "That wasn't magic—not any kind I know. Didn't you feel it?"
"Feel what?" Asher asked, completely lost in the conversation.
"The rage. The anger. The despair. It felt like... destruction," Ethan whispered, now standing. "Is there something wrong with me?"
"There's nothing wrong with you, Ethan," Nick said firmly. "Whatever happened in that cave—we don't understand it yet."
"But I manipulated the shadows or darkness something like that" Ethan said. "Not on purpose, but still... it happened."
"What if we're wrong?" Nick suggested. "What if it was just in our heads?"
But they all knew it wasn't.
The truth was harder to accept: Ethan had channeled two abilities—and for a Bloodborne, that was supposed to be impossible and only the first ever lord was able to channel five elements due to the mutation of his blood of being a hybrid and due to having such power he was eliminated for the fear of what he could do.