"No, Mok, no!" Paltio screamed as he watched his butler fall into the abyss. With his arm and leg injured, Paltio barely had time to react before a massive mouth emerged from the depths, devouring everything in its path.
Meanwhile, Paltio was yanked roughly by Aresus, who pulled him by the waist to drag him away from the danger. Higher up, Lukeandria lay unconscious on the side of the path. But what had happened?
It all began when Paltio, Mok, and Lukeandria followed Aresus to the place Paltio had mentioned: the so-called Hidden Cave Beneath the Firefall.
"That's the name of one of the most dangerous tunnels," Aresus explained in a somber tone. "No one dares to cross it because it's blocked by a waterfall of fire. Not even the bravest among the Black Shadows has dared to attempt it."
"It will be your undoing, boy," Aresus added, fixing Paltio with a piercing stare. "But don't say I didn't warn you later."
They left the house and climbed into their respective modes of transport. While Aresus mounted his dark horse, the others boarded Paltio's tank-like carriage.
"Follow me," Aresus commanded, spurring his horse forward.
The group advanced quickly, leaving behind landscapes that grew increasingly desolate. Entire districts of the realm appeared abandoned, as if they had never been inhabited. In others, only a few citizens hid as the carriage passed by. Each place they traversed was more dismal than the last, cloaked in an oppressive atmosphere of shadow and destruction.
Mok's face reflected deep concern. He had never imagined that the kingdom where he was born, his former home, would be plunged into such a state of ruin.
"Are you all right, Mok?" Paltio asked, noticing how his butler was lost in thought, his expression heavy with sadness.
"Yes, Master Paltio, I'm fine… It's just that… I never thought I'd return to my place of origin and find it like this—shrouded in darkness and destruction."
"I know, Mok," Paltio replied in a soft but firm voice. "But once we defeat all the shadows, we'll revive the realms and the world. I've realized now that it's not just us, the avocados—it's about all the living beings in this world."
"My, Master Paltio… I'm surprised at how much this journey has changed you," Mok said, managing a small smile as his expression brightened slightly. "Soon, all of this will come to an end."
Suddenly, Aresus halted his horse and raised a hand.
"Stop!" he ordered, approaching the carriage.
"What's wrong?" Pax asked, leaning forward to get a better look.
"It's here," the man in dark armor replied gravely.
They disembarked from the carriage, their eyes widening in astonishment as they beheld a massive chasm where a majestic mountain once stood.
"What happened to the Great Sage Mountain? And to the place where the hero of this realm was worshiped?" Mok asked, his voice tinged with anger as he gestured toward the ruins of what was once a sacred site.
"A hero and a sage?" Aresus let out a dry, mocking laugh. "Those things are useless. Besides, this place was found to contain a valuable mineral used to craft new weapons and traps. Foolish Reedalians lived here without knowing the precious resource they had beneath their feet. Now it belongs to us: the mighty Avoteno."
"The Avoteno? What is that?" Paltio asked, intrigued by the mention of the material.
"The Avoteno, boy, is an incredibly malleable yet resilient material. It's practically unbreakable and serves to create advanced weapons that the scientists of the Shadows utilize," Aresus explained, his voice tinged with pride and cynicism. "I've even heard stories—rumors, really—that claim it can trap a god. But well, those are just whispers soldiers mutter among themselves."
Pax and Paltio exchanged impressed glances, but Mok remained stoic, though inside, his anger simmered as he witnessed how this sacred site had been so grotesquely desecrated.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Move along," Aresus ordered, gesturing forward.
The four left behind the carriage and Aresus's horse, as bringing them further in could provide an escape route for the miners if discovered. Aresus ignited a flame of an intense purple hue and placed it on a torch, illuminating the dark path ahead.
As they advanced, they observed hundreds of people—children, youths, adults, and even elders—working tirelessly in the mines, overseen by towering soldiers with grotesque vizcacha-like features.
"Stay calm, don't look at them directly, and everything will be fine," Aresus warned, his tone dripping with indifference. "These… abominations are defects created by Lord Tejod. They were deformed, but they're strong, obedient, and very useful for guarding this place. We call them Vichus. As long as you're with me, there's no problem."
The monstrous figures watched them with bulging eyes that seemed ready to pop out of their sockets, their sharp fangs gleaming under the light of Aresus's torch.
"Good, follow me this way," Aresus said, pointing to a narrow path.
But Paltio stopped when he saw one of the villagers brutally beaten for being unable to continue digging. The young man was about to intervene, but Mok stopped him with a stern look that clearly said, "No." It seemed as though Aresus enjoyed watching Paltio's helplessness; his breathing subtly shifted as he exhaled through his helmet, as if stifling a contained laugh.
"I said we should proceed, boys," Aresus growled, turning toward them. "You can't do anything here. Remember, you're merely visitors. And feel grateful because, if not for needing to find the scepter, your fate would change drastically."
A taunting sound, almost like a wicked laugh, echoed from within Aresus's helmet.
"That damn bastard… I'd like to kill him," Paltio muttered through the mental link, but Mok and Golden quickly calmed him down.
"This way, if you please," Aresus instructed, ignoring the tension in the group.
They continued onward, and each step revealed more scenes of cruelty. More villagers were treated coldly, forced to work until exhaustion. However, Paltio and his group could do nothing; they were surrounded by too many enemies, and any attempt at rebellion would have been futile.
Finally, they reached the place they had been seeking.
"We've arrived. This is the place they call The Hidden Cave Beneath the Firefall."
At that moment, a curtain of fire descended before them like a burning river, scorching the ground and consuming everything in its path before vanishing downward.
"If you want to cross, you'd better do it quickly," Aresus warned from the other side. "Every ten seconds, the phenomenon you just witnessed repeats. You'll be melted if you're not careful. That's why this place is considered only for the brave and agile."
With a final laugh, Aresus crossed effortlessly as the firefall returned, blocking the entrance behind him once more.
"We should go," Paltio urged, his voice tense as he stared at the towering inferno before them.
Pax was the first to move. With an agile leap, he crossed just before the flames descended again, leaving a blazing trail in his wake. The others waited anxiously, holding their breath as the cycle of fire began anew.
When it was his turn, Paltio didn't hesitate. With determination, he calculated the exact moment and dashed through the wall of fire just before it roared down, consuming everything in its path.
Finally, it was Mok's turn. The butler moved carefully, but something unexpected happened. His foot slipped on a loose rock, causing him to fall to his knees. Before he could recover, the deafening roar of the firefall announced its imminent descent.
"No, Mok!" Paltio screamed in desperation, taking a step back as if to rush back, but he knew it was too late. The flames were already upon him, engulfing the spot where Mok had fallen in a blazing inferno.