Two weeks had passed since the battle at the Grave of Chains.
The world felt quieter.
Almost too quiet.
The group had set up camp near the edge of the Northern Plains. The sun was sinking beyond the horizon, painting the grass in warm shades of gold while distant clouds gathered over the mountains.
Alex sat beside the campfire, watching the flames.
"Two weeks."
Kira looked over.
"And?"
"No new relics."
Vile sat nearby, surrounded by pieces of equipment and several small devices.
"That's because the next one isn't giving me a clear signal."
Liam looked up.
"What does that mean?"
Vile turned one of the devices around.
"The readings keep changing."
Ethan leaned against a tree nearby.
The Scythe of Chains rested beside him.
"Changing how?"
"Moving."
Liam blinked.
"Moving?"
Vile nodded.
"One moment the signal is here."
He tapped the device.
"Then it appears hundreds of kilometers away."
Mya frowned.
"So someone is moving the relic?"
"Maybe."
Kira crossed her arms.
"Or the relic itself is moving."
Everyone went quiet.
Ethan glanced at the Scythe beside him.
He still hadn't figured out what it could truly do.
He could swing it.
He could feel its energy.
And the chains seemed to react to his thoughts sometimes.
But that was it.
He hadn't mastered anything.
He wasn't even sure he understood the weapon yet.
Ethan sighed.
"If someone else has the next weapon, we'd better reach them first."
Mya looked at him.
"You think someone can just pick up one of these things?"
Ethan shrugged.
"I don't know."
Lyra looked toward the horizon.
"Power has a way of finding people."
Kaelor nodded.
"And sometimes it finds the wrong ones."
Alex stood.
"Then we find it first."
Vile looked down at his device.
"There's one problem."
Alex looked at him.
"What's that?"
Vile hesitated.
"The signal isn't coming from one location."
Kira raised an eyebrow.
"Then where?"
Vile activated the device.
A map appeared above it.
Three points of blue light appeared across the northern territories.
"Three regions."
Liam stared at the map.
"Three?"
Vile nodded.
"The same energy signature is appearing in all three."
Mya stepped closer.
"So which one is real?"
Vile shook his head.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out."
Ethan stood and picked up the Scythe.
The weapon gave a faint metallic hum.
Everyone looked at it.
Ethan stared down.
For a brief moment, one of the chains wrapped around the weapon moved on its own.
Then it stopped.
Ethan frowned.
"Still doing that."
Vile smiled.
"Maybe you're getting closer to understanding it."
"Maybe."
Ethan rested the Scythe against his shoulder.
"Or maybe it's just messing with me."
Mya smirked.
"Wouldn't surprise me."
Ethan looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because you two are probably the same amount of annoying."
"Hey!"
Mya laughed.
Alex shook his head.
"We leave at dawn."
He looked at the map.
"We'll investigate the closest location first."
Vile nodded.
"I'll keep tracking the signal."
Liam looked toward the three glowing points.
"I wonder what the next weapon is."
Nobody answered.
The camp slowly grew quiet.
One by one, they settled down for the night.
Ethan remained awake for a little longer.
He looked at the Scythe.
Then at his hands.
He had obtained it.
But he knew the truth.
Getting the weapon had been the easy part.
Learning how to use it would be much harder.
And somewhere far beyond the Northern Plains...
A faint pulse of energy appeared.
Then another.
And another.
Three distant signals.
Three possible paths.
And one of them was about to lead the group toward their next trial.
The journey continued.