The Cost of Loyalty      

"It looks like you'll have to venture into the final dungeon alone," she said, her voice oddly calm despite the chaos around them. A small, enigmatic smile played on her lips.

"Huh?" Xin was utterly baffled. "What are you talking about? You need to drink an HP potion; your HP is nearing 100. You can't let it drop below that, or she'll instantly kill you."

Midnight Duchess grinned, her eyes gleaming with a secret that only she knew. "That's precisely what I'm hoping for."

Xin's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

Before he could utter another word, Midnight Duchess swiftly drew a dagger, slicing her own wrist open. Her HP plummeted at an alarming speed, the red numbers indicating the rapid decline of her life force.

"W-what are you doing?" Xin's voice shook with alarm, his usual lethargic demeanor replaced by genuine concern.