The winds across the Ash Plains were harsh, laden with fine black particles that scratched the skin and stung the eyes. The sky here was never blue, but a sickly yellow-gray, as if afflicted by an incurable, chronic illness.
Amidst this barren land, a black metallic carriage emerged from a cloud of ash, carving its way across cracked terrain. Its engines emitted a low growl that pierced the silence of the plains. On either side of the carriage, a familiar white-painted symbol stood out: an open eye within a circle.
Inside the carriage sat a man dressed entirely in white, his face fully concealed by a smooth white mask devoid of features, save for two vertical slits for the eyes. Behind the mask, his pale gray eyes were lifeless, without pupils, without reflection.
"There's been a second contact, sir," the driver said, his voice muffled by his simpler mask. "Confirmation from the explorers of the Fifth City. Two crystals have reacted."
The masked man—known as the White Axis to the few remnants of the former Keepers' Order—remained motionless for a moment, like a statue. Then, in a deep, monotonous voice that seemed to emerge from the depths of a well, he spoke:
"How long until the eclipse?"
"Twenty-eight days, sir."
"And how many crystals have been collected so far?"
"Two confirmed. We're monitoring five other sites for the remaining crystals."
The White Axis pulled a small white glass orb from his pocket, within which a dense gray cloud swirled. "Five hundred years of work... everything cannot be undone by Cairn's plan and his shadow."
"Will we reach the Third City before they do, sir?"
"Yes. We have the advantage there. The Third City remains loyal to the old covenant."
The carriage continued its journey across the plains, leaving behind a trail of ash as it headed toward a distant line of towering black mountains, where the Third City—City of Pain—awaited.
At the same time, the Dawn Ship sailed through the skies beneath glowing golden clouds, carrying Aliana and Naiari away from the Fifth City of Dreams. Naiari stood at the bow of the ship, her black hair flowing in the wind, the orange crystal embedded in her forehead glowing with a steady rhythm. She seemed different now, more confident and present, as if she had awakened from a long dream.
"Can you feel it?" Aliana asked, joining her at the bow. "The movement in the void?"
Naiari nodded. "The Eighth City is trying to take form. In my dreams, I see it gathering like scattered fragments in the void, drawn toward one another. But it needs power... the power of the seven crystals."
Aliana gazed toward the horizon, where a range of black mountains loomed like dark shadows. "The Third City will be more challenging."
"The City of Pain," Naiari murmured uneasily. "I've seen it in my dreams. A place that preserves suffering, reveres it, uses it."
Aliana's crystal pulsed faster, as if anxious. "Serena warned me about the inhabitants of the Third City. They are fanatical about their philosophy of pain as a path to purification. They will not give up their Keeper's crystal easily."
"There's something else," Naiari said, her voice lowering. "In my dream... I saw a man with a white mask. He's heading to the Third City before us."
"The White Axis," Aliana said with a frown. "He'll try to reach the crystal before we do."
The Dawn Ship descended slightly, moving under a cover of clouds to avoid detection. The ship's captain, an old man from the Fifth City's dreamers, motioned for them to approach.
"We'll be entering the Third City's airspace soon," he said in a rough voice. "We can't get any closer to their borders. You'll have to continue the journey on foot."
"Can we land in the Gray Neutral Zone?" Aliana asked.
The old man nodded. "It's possible, but it's a dangerous area. It's teeming with refugees and outcasts, and there are rumors of strange creatures that have appeared there since the Great Memory."
"We don't have another choice," Aliana said. "If we land directly in the Third City's territory, they'll arrest us immediately."
"I'll accompany you from there," a voice said from behind them.
They turned to find Limon standing there, now dressed in more practical travel attire: a black leather jacket, dark trousers, and sturdy walking boots.
"I've been to the Third City before," he continued. "I know their secret paths, and I speak their dialect."
"But it's dangerous," Aliana objected. "You weren't expected to accompany us beyond the Fifth City."
Limon smiled, his eyes shifting from green to gold. "A guide doesn't abandon his guests halfway through the journey. That's the Fifth City's law."
Aliana glanced at Naiari, who shrugged. "He insists on coming in my dreams too. He might be useful."
An hour later, the Dawn Ship landed in a narrow valley surrounded by jagged black rocks. The Gray Neutral Zone began here—a strip of land under no city's control, not even the new Unified Council's.
"We'll reach the Third City's borders by tomorrow if we walk through the night," Limon said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "We'd better start now. These areas grow more dangerous after dark."
The small group began their trek across the harsh terrain. The valley gradually narrowed until it became a passageway flanked by towering rock walls that blocked sunlight except for a few hours each day.
As they progressed, they noticed strange carvings on the rocky walls: interlocking circular symbols, shapes resembling closed eyes, and inscriptions in an ancient language.
"Third City markings," Limon explained. "They place them on their borders as warnings. They say, 'In pain, there is truth. In suffering, there is purification.'"
Naiari touched one of the carvings, then quickly withdrew her hand. "It gives off... a strange feeling. Like sadness, but deeper."
"That's the Third City's magic," Aliana said. "They use pain as a source of power, collecting it, storing it, transforming it into energy."
"Is that what the Third Crystal does?" Naiari asked.
"I don't know," Aliana admitted. "But if it's similar to the other crystals, it might have the ability to transform pain into something else... something useful."
They continued walking until sunset, when they found a small cave on the side of the valley. They decided to rest there before facing the difficult journey ahead.
Inside the cave, Limon lit a small fire and pulled food from his bag. As they ate, Aliana noticed Naiari sitting apart, gazing into the distance, her crystal pulsing faintly.
"What do you see?" Aliana asked gently.
"I'm dreaming while awake," Naiari whispered. "Since we left the Fifth City, the crystal has been showing me visions... of the Third City."
"And what do you see there?"
"I see... a large temple made of black stone, with towering columns and many people wearing masks that cover half their faces. In the temple, in a deep underground chamber, there's... a device." Naiari shivered. "A massive device, with rotating circular crystals, and at its center... a person."
"The Third Keeper," Aliana said, her crystal pulsing in harmony with Naiari's. "Yes, but he isn't as free as we are." Nayari looked at Aliana with concern. "They are using him as a source of energy. The crystal in his head… it's different. Red, pulsing with the rhythm of pain."
Lemon, who had been silently listening, furrowed his brow. "That aligns with the rumors I've heard about the Third City. It's said they use a 'source' to power their machines and temples."
"If they're holding the Third Guardian and using his crystal, it explains why they are rooted in the past and resistant to change," Aliana mused aloud. "The crystal should be meant to transform pain, to convert it into healing and purification. But they're keeping it in a state of constant agony."
Nayari closed her eyes. "And there's something else... I see the White Pivot. He's negotiating with them, offering them a deal."
"What do you mean?" Lemon asked anxiously.
"He's offering them something… knowledge, ancient technology from the Keeper System. In exchange… in exchange for the Guardian and the crystal." Nayari shivered. "He knows we're coming."
Aliana stood up, resolute. "This changes our plans. We can't wait until morning. We must reach the Third City tonight."
"But traveling through the Neutral Zone at night is dangerous," Lemon warned.
"Less dangerous than losing the Third Crystal to the White Pivot," Aliana replied firmly. "Nayari, can you show me exactly where you saw the Guardian in your dreams?"
Nayari nodded. "The Great Temple of Pain, at the heart of the city. And there's a hidden path leading to it through the old quarries."
Lemon looked at them in astonishment. "How can you know these details so precisely?"
"The crystals," Aliana answered. "They grow stronger when they're near each other. Nayari's crystal grants her clearer visions of the future and distant places, while mine helps me remember things I've never personally experienced."
"My guiding companion." Aliana placed a hand on Lemon's shoulder. "The mission is about to become even more dangerous. If you wish to turn back—"
Lemon interrupted her: "I've come this far with you. I'll see it through."
They quickly packed their belongings and set off again into the darkness, using the light of the two crystals to guide their way. The path grew rougher now, climbing steadily, winding between sharp rocks and deep pits.
After hours of grueling travel, they reached the edge of a high plateau. From there, they saw the Third City for the first time.
It was both majestic and terrifying: a city carved into the mountain itself, with tiered layers of black buildings connected by sturdy bridges and long staircases. Red and orange lights flickered within, like glowing embers. At the center rose a massive temple, its summit shaped like an inverted pyramid, so black it seemed like a tear in the fabric of the night.
"The Great Temple of Pain," Nayari whispered.
"The Third City," Lemon added. "Or as its inhabitants call it: Axarium – the Home of Purification."
As they observed the city, they noticed movement at the main gate: a black carriage entering, escorted by guards clad in dark red armor.
"The White Pivot," Aliana said firmly. "He's arrived before us."
"How do we get in now?" Lemon asked. "The gates will be heavily guarded."
Nayari looked at the mountain surrounding the city and pointed to a barely visible dark opening in its side. "There. The old quarries. I saw them in my dream—they lead directly beneath the temple."
"Are you sure it's safe?" Lemon asked skeptically.
Nayari smiled faintly. "I didn't say it's safe. I said it leads to the temple."
Aliana glanced at the sky, where the moon and sun were slowly converging, forming the early stages of the Great Eclipse. Time was running out, and the stakes were rising.
"Let's go," she said decisively. "The Third Guardian is waiting."
As they descended the plateau toward the quarry entrance, they failed to notice the small figure emerging from behind the rocks, watching them with glowing eyes in the darkness, before it scurried back toward the city.
In the Third City, news was spreading: strangers were approaching, carrying glowing crystals.
Deep within the temple, in a fortified secret chamber, the White Pivot stood before a tall man dressed in dark red robes, wearing a half-mask that concealed the upper part of his face.
"Repeat your offer, Pivot," the masked man said, his voice deep and resonant in the vast room.
"The complete knowledge of the ancient Forgetting System," the White Pivot replied calmly. "The ability to control both memories and pain. In exchange for the red crystal and the Guardian."
"And what will you do with it?"
"I will prevent the Eighth City from emerging," the White Pivot said. "I will preserve the old order—the order that granted your city the right to wield pain as power and authority."
The masked man pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Let me show you something first. Let me show you how we've used the Guardian and the crystal."
He gestured with his hand, and a hidden door opened in the floor, revealing a spiral staircase descending deep into the mountain.
"Follow me to the Heart Chamber, where we keep our source… the Third Guardian."
The White Pivot followed the man downward, and in his pale gray eyes, a glint of triumph flickered. But he didn't know that his awaited visitors were closer than he thought, and that the fate of the Eighth City might not be in his hands after all.