The three of them trudged forward in silence, the only sounds accompanying them being the rhythmic crunch of their footsteps against the cracked earth and the distant, hollow wail of the wind. The landscape was as bleak as ever—an expanse of barren, ash-streaked ground, littered with half-buried ruins and the skeletal remains of structures long swallowed by the ever-shifting land and cave mountains with statues.
Neither Nefer nor Massa spoke much, exchanging only the occasional warning or hushed reminder to remain cautious. They had learned quickly that words were wasted energy. In The Ashlands, even sound could be a liability.
Hope walked a few paces behind them, taking the moment of relative peace to check his essence.
2566/5000.
A wry smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Walking took a toll on them, no doubt. The endless march across this ever-changing landscape drained their strength in its own way, but it was still better than fighting for their lives.
Then, suddenly—
The earth shuddered.
A violent tremor rippled through the land, sending loose debris tumbling from nearby ruins. The ground beneath their feet shifted unpredictably, like a beast stirring in its slumber.
Hope's body tensed instinctively.
He had felt this before.
Without thinking, he planted his feet firmly, bracing against the tremor as the world around them began to change.
The sky twisted.
The shattered moon, which had hung in its familiar broken state moments ago, moved. Or rather, it was replaced.
A blinding flare of heat washed over them as the sun took its place, casting its harsh, merciless light across the land. The temperature rose instantly, the chill of the previous night vanishing as if it had never existed.
At the same time, the very ground before them shifted.
Hope turned his head just in time to see the distant cave formations—the very ones they had emerged from—begin to collapse.
Or rather, they were sinking back into the ground.
Massive chunks of stone groaned and crumbled, their jagged silhouettes disappearing into the gaping earth. It was a cycle they had witnessed before—one they had long since grown accustomed to.
The Veil played with time in unpredictable ways. Places that once stood could vanish in an instant. Safe havens could become death traps. There was no true stability in this place.
Hope sighed, watching the last remnants of the caves disappear beneath the barren ground.
He hated the sun these days.
The air became thick with heat, waves of it distorting the horizon. Even through his armor, he could feel the uncomfortable warmth pressing against his skin.
No point in standing around.
They continued walking, their pace steady despite the exhaustion clawing at their limbs.
It wasn't long before they stumbled upon a structure—one of the many ruins left behind in this forsaken wasteland.
Half of the building had been swallowed by the earth, its skeletal remains jutting out at an unnatural angle. Whatever purpose it once served was lost to time, but it was shelter nonetheless.
Wordlessly, they stepped inside.
Hope ran a hand along the crumbling wall, feeling the coarse, sunbaked surface beneath his fingers. It wouldn't hold long, but for now, it was better than nothing.
Massa didn't need to be told what to do.
Without hesitation, she raised a hand and summoned the Endless Spring.
A faint shimmer of light materialized in her grasp, and from it, a thin stream of water flowed into a waiting cup.
She drank deeply before passing it to Nefer, who took a few long gulps before handing it to Hope.
Hope didn't hesitate.
The moment the cup was in his hands, he tilted it back, letting the cool liquid flow down his throat. It was the first true relief he had felt in hours.
When he had drank to he's satisfaction, he handed it back to Massa, who dismissed the memory with a flick of her wrist.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then turned to Nefer.
"So," he said. "What's the plan?"
Nefer barely hesitated. "We keep heading east."
Hope raised a brow. "And you're sure there's a settlement that way?"
Nefer crossed her arms. "If my calculations are right, we should reach it in two days."
Hope nodded slowly. Two days.
It wasn't terrible.
But it was a problem.
"We're going to need food," he pointed out.
Nefer sighed. "I know."
Hope glanced at the others. Massa didn't look concerned, but Hope knew they were all thinking the same thing. Even if they avoided veil creatures, they would eventually be forced to hunt them for food.
That was the reality of The Ashlands.
Nefer met his gaze, her expression firm. "Which is why we need to improve our combat proficiency."
Hope felt his stomach twist.
He already knew where this was going.
"You're resuming your training."
Hope swallowed.
He didn't have a weapon. Not anymore. His makeshift daggers were ruined.
How was he supposed to train without—
"Oh," Nefer said suddenly, as if remembering something. "Right."
Hope watched as she raised her hand.
"When I killed one of the carapace scavengers, I gained a memory."
She extended her palm toward him.
"Hold out your hand."
Hope hesitated for only a second before mirroring the gesture.
A strange sensation passed between them.
It was different from when Kelvin had transferred his memory during the first trial, but the process was the same. A thread of power connected them, and then—
A sudden pulse of energy shot through his arm.
Words appeared before his vision.
Memory Type: Sword
Memory Rank: Awakened 3rd Tier
Memory Description: "I shall slay anyone in my path."
Hope stared at the information, then blinked as the weight of the new weapon settled into his grip.
A sword.
A real weapon.
Hope couldn't help but smile.
At last.