Catgirls And Dungeons (Yuri)-Chapter 160: Safe and sound

Consciousness creeps back slowly, like a hesitant tide easing onto a broken shore. My eyelids flutter open, heavy and reluctant, and the first thing I see is a soft, familiar glow. Faint light filters through a wooden ceiling overhead.

"Urrghhh… where am I?"

A weak groan escapes my lips. My head feels incredibly heavy, and I can barely think straight.

I blink, trying to push through the lingering fog clouding my mind.

I am lying in a bed.

The sheets feel cool and clean against my skin.

The faint scent of lavender and old oak drifts into my nose, stirring a memory buried deep within my exhausted mind.

This place…

This feeling…

It reminds me so much of Eris' room at the Gilded Horns.

…

Wait.

Another sluggish second ticks by as my brain finally processes my surroundings.

No way.

This is—

This is the Gilded Horns!

But how?

Was I not dead?

Had I not already failed?

Had I not fallen, swallowed by that endless zone of darkness and corruption?

The demons, the illusions… they should have claimed me.

I was supposed to disappear there, alone and forgotten.

So why… why am I here now?

My breath catches sharply in my throat, disbelief and overwhelming relief crashing through my chest like a tidal wave.

And then—

I feel it.

A warm, steady pressure around my hand.

A familiar touch.

A hand gripping mine, firm yet gentle.

I turn my head, heart pounding painfully against my ribs.

And there she is.

Eris.

Lying beside me.

Her head resting near my arm.

Her fingers tightly interwoven with mine.

Her dark hair spills loosely across the pillow, and her slow, steady breathing fills the room with a fragile, almost unreal peace.

My heart stumbles, caught between joy and disbelief.

"Eris?" I whisper, barely able to say her name.

The moment my voice reaches her, her eyes snap open.

In a blink, she bolts upright, leaning over me with wide, frantic eyes.

"Felicia! You're awake?! Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Her voice pours out in a rush, hands hovering frantically as if afraid to hurt me by touching.

But I cannot answer her.

I cannot speak.

Because at the sight of her—at the sight of Eris, alive and real and here—I completely break.

Tears well up without warning, blurring my vision.

My chest heaves, and a raw, broken sob tears itself free from the depths of my soul.

"Oaaahhh!" I wail, reaching out for her blindly. "Eris! ERISSSS!!!"

Without hesitation, Eris scoops me into her arms, pulling me against her chest.

Her embrace is fierce and protective, like a fortress built around me. Her warmth soaks into my shivering body.

And I just cling to her, burying my face into her, sobbing harder with every second.

Terror, grief, loneliness, sadness…all of it pours out at once. All the fear I held inside, all the despair I had forced myself to swallow in the dungeon's endless darkness.

I thought I was dead. freёweɓnovel.com

I thought I had failed Alter.

I thought I had failed Morvena.

I thought I would never see Eris again.

Never hear her voice.

Never feel her arms around me.

Never hold her like this.

But she is here, she is real.

And I am alive, breathing, feeling.

Eris responses by holding me tighter, one hand cradling the back of my head, the other rubbing slow, soothing circles along my trembling back.

"Hey… it's okay now," she murmurs softly, her voice brushing against my ear like a tender breeze. "I'm here. I'm right here."

Her touch is steady, her presence is unshakable.

And thanks to that, slowly, the storm inside me begins to subside. My sobs quiet into hiccups, my shoulders stop shaking so violently, each breath I pull into my lungs feels a little less ragged, a little less painful.

And so, minutes pass like that.

Eventually, I manage to lift my head, still sniffling a little. My cheeks are damp, my throat raw, but somehow, someway, I find the strength to smile. A small, broken, but genuine smile.

Eris smiles back, and for a moment, nothing else in the world matters.

"Hey, how are you feeling now?" she whispers, brushing a few stray strands of hair away from my forehead with a tenderness that makes my chest ache. "Do you still hurt anywhere?"

I shake my head weakly. "No… I'm okay. Really. I just… needed a moment."

Hearing that, relief floods her face. Her shoulders, tense until now, finally sag with a deep breath. She pulls away just slightly, enough to look me properly in the eyes.

"I'm glad," Eris says, her voice trembling faintly, barely holding steady. "You had me so worried, Felicia… when I found you, you were barely breathing, completely exhausted…"

A small, broken laugh escapes me, shaky and wet with leftover tears. "Huhu… yeah… it was horrible…"

She pulls me even closer, as if she is afraid I might slip away again.

"And to think," she adds, her voice tight with emotion, "you didn't even recognize me back then. You tried to push me away."

"Huh?" I blink, my mind foggy. "Push… you away?"

Because…. that event, I don't remember.

"Yeah!" Eris lets out a half-laugh, half-sigh. "You looked at me like I was an enemy. You tried to shove me off. It scared me, you know?"

Eh???

I'm now so confused.

"No, I didn't!" I protest immediately, my heart squeezing. "I mean, I did see you. But that was the illusion! The demonic corruption tried to use your image to trick me!"

Her lips part in a soft "oh," realization flickering across her face. "I see…"

But then—

Wait.

Something does not add up.

My breath hitches slightly as the memory pieces itself together in my mind.

When I collapsed… I had not even crossed the barrier yet.

I was still trapped inside the mist, deep inside the corrupted zone.

Then…

How?

How the hell am I here now?

Unless—

"NO WAY!" I gasp. "E-Eris? Was that really you? You… you crossed the barrier???"

Eris smiles, a little sheepishly, like it is no big deal.

"Oh. Yeah. I did."

My heart lurches.

"But… but you couldn't!" I stammer. "Only me and Alter could cross! She said you couldn't pass through!"

"Well…" she chuckles, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. "I thought so too. But I was so worried about you, I just… crossed it anyway. I didn't even think. And as soon as I crossed it, I saw you…"

Her words hit me like a hammer.

I stare at her.

Because if I remember right…

Alter told us that if Eris touched that barrier, it would burn her alive.

Only those tainted by demonic corruption or those blessed with divine blood could survive its passage.

And Eris… as far as I know… she has no corruption in her body. There is no mark of demonic curse.

Which means—

A chill races down my spine.

"Eris…" I whisper. "You… you might have divine blood?"

Eris tilts her head, giving me a puzzled look. "Divine blood? Nah, that's impossible."

She ruffles my hair affectionately, her smile warm and disarming. "Maybe the barrier was just weakened somehow?"

"Right…" I murmur, forcing a weak smile. "Maybe…"

But deep down, I know I will need to ask Alter about this later.

Something about this does not feel right.

Something about Eris has always been special. She was able to summon the divine sword Sheol, and Alter had also mentioned a possible connection between Eris and her teacher, Azraphael.

But for now… I let it go.

Alter is still asleep. She needs to rest for a long time before she can return. I do not know how long it will take, but I hope she recovers soon.

And for now, what matters most is this—

Eris and I, we are both safe and sound.

That is all that matters.

"STILL!" I suddenly yell, my voice rising without warning. "What were you thinking? It was dangerous to even touch the barrier!!!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry…" Eris says quickly, laughing nervously. "I promise I'll never do it again."

"Hmph!" I pout, crossing my arms with a dramatic little huff.

And then, softer, barely loud enough for her to hear—

"Thank you…"

Eris smiles gently, squeezing my hand.

"So…" she leans in a little closer. "What happened? How's Alter's wife?"

"Ah!" I blink, forcing myself to gather my scattered thoughts. "About that…"

And so, slowly, haltingly at first, I begin to tell her everything.

About Morvena's state and her long, desperate struggle.

About how she fights back against the corruption with everything she has.

About the endless battle against the Sentinels.

About how Alter and I fought side by side to protect her.

Eris listens without interrupting once, her vivid blue eyes never leaving mine, her fingers still intertwined with mine, grounding me.

She hangs onto every word, her expression shifting—sometimes to awe, sometimes to sorrow, sometimes to a fierce, burning pride.

Outside the window, the town of Misthaven hums with life.

The sun dips low into the horizon, casting long, golden beams across the rooftops.

A cool breeze sighs through the slightly open window, carrying the faint scents of flowers, woodsmoke, and evening rain.