“You can. You’re strong, Cara. I have seen it in you. There is food, water, and I will not let the undead attack you again! A month? You could last that long. A month, two—”

He turned to her, desperately. And in his rush, betrayed himself. Cara inhaled.

“Two months?”

The ghost faltered.

“If—it is a long way to the surface. But we might have to dig if I breached the doors!”

Cara stared at the two slabs of stone. She knew he was right, but…

“Maybe. But there’s a chance there’s a path to the surface right beyond them, isn’t there? It’s far more likely we can get out right fucking now if we open the doors, isn’t it?”

The [Knight] hesitated.

“Yes. But two months—”

Cara cut him off. Her voice was shaking now. She gave up trying to pretend to be calm. She faced him, and let him see her finger shake as she pointed at the doors. She had to make him understand.

“Dalius. I cannot stay here forever. I have to leave. Not tomorrow. Today, if I can. I’ll go mad down here.

I can’t live…I can’t live here.”

She said it. The unspoken words hovered in the air between them. Ser Dalius froze. He looked down at her. His eyes focused on her dusty face. The way she kept staring at that line in the stone. There was a wild note in her voice he had only heard after the mouse attack. He spoke, slowly.

“I…know that. But surely it is not that desperate?”

His tone was hopeful, until he saw her reaction. Cara was shuddering. Shaking uncontrollably at the thought of remaining for thirty more days. Sixty.

She longed to see the light. It wasn’t just food and water—Dalius had made sure she had enough to eat.

But Cara needed to see the sun. And get a toothbrush.

“I—I don’t know if I can last in here, Dalius. Even with you for company—I need to breathe fresh air. Do you understand that?”

The ghost-knight nodded. But suddenly—he glanced at the doors, at Cara.

And Dalius looked terrified. He licked at his lips, eyes darting around suddenly. He flew a pace towards the doors—then instantly reversed and flew higher, searching the walls.

“Perhaps there are larger tunnels. What if I dug for a few days, saw how far I got? Just a few days—”

“Dalius.”

He halted. She was staring at him. At last, he hung his head.

“I know, Miss Cara. I know. I understand your point. It is just—now we stand here—I have sworn to defend this place. Is it worth breaking my oath for a single life?”

He regarded the doors to the tomb, uncertain. Cara stared at him.

“You promised to help me.”