The black mist was the first thing that greeted them as the Heart Ship neared the eastern shore. It moved like a living creature, stretching and retreating, shifting with a will of its own. A strange scent filled the air—a mixture of damp soil, decaying plants, and an unsettlingly sweet, mysterious fragrance.
"This place..." Limon began, his voice low with tension. "It gives off a bad feeling."
"These are the swamps," Saril said, his face pale despite his improved condition. "The Whispering Swamps encircle the Fifth City like a protective ring. They feed on the fears of anyone who crosses them."
The Heart Ship stopped before reaching the shore, as if it refused to approach the dark land any closer.
"It seems our sea journey ends here," said Aliana, standing at the edge of the ship, gazing at the swamps before them.
"The water is shallow here," Saril said, pointing to the water that barely reached knee height. "We can walk to the shore."
They disembarked cautiously, the dark water cold and thick around their feet. As soon as they stepped onto the shore, the Heart Ship began to retreat and fade into the sea mist, as if fleeing the swamps.
"There," Nayari pointed to something resembling a path between the pale trees. "A trail... I think."
The path was narrow, winding, and covered in moss and pale grass. On either side, twisted trees rose toward a sky obscured by thick fog. Between the trees, patches of stagnant black water occasionally bubbled, releasing wet, unpleasant popping sounds.
"Stay on the path," Saril warned them. "The swamps are dangerous, filled with quicksand and hidden deep pits."
The group advanced along the trail, Aliana leading with her blue crystal emitting a faint light that barely pierced the fog. Nayari followed her, then Saril, who had regained much of his strength thanks to Selene's touch. Limon brought up the rear, watching behind them anxiously.
As they ventured deeper into the swamps, strange sounds began to reach their ears: faint whispers, distant calls, low moans echoing between the trees. Occasionally, there was the rustle of movement in the underbrush, as if something was following them among the trees.
"Do you hear that?" Limon asked nervously.
"The voices of the swamps," Nayari replied, her orange crystal glowing brighter. "They're trying to... read our fears."
"How do you know that?" Saril asked.
"The crystal," she pointed to her forehead. "It shows me the truth of dreams and illusions. These sounds aren't real... they're a reflection of our inner fears."
"Real or not, we need to get through this place as quickly as possible," Aliana said. "Selene said the path to the Fifth City is through the swamps, but she didn't say how long the journey would take."
As they moved forward, the fog thickened, and the trees grew closer together, until the path seemed to close in around them. The whispers grew clearer, now forming distinct words:
"Aliana... you will fail... just like Cairn did..."
"Nayari... your dreams will destroy those you love..."
"Saril... the pain will return... they will find you..."
"Limon... alone... always alone..."
"Ignore the voices," Aliana urged, though her voice trembled slightly. "They're trying to slow us down, to distract us."
She suddenly stopped, raising her hand. "Wait. There's someone on the path ahead."
Indeed, through the fog, a human figure appeared standing in the middle of the trail—a thin woman with long, tangled white hair, wearing tattered rags. Her face was pale as death, her eyes sunken and dark.
"Welcome to the Whispering Swamps," the woman said in a raspy voice, as if unused for years. "Bearers of the Crystals... and the Dreaming Guide."
"Who are you?" Aliana asked cautiously, her hand on her crystal.
"I am Marissa, the Guardian of the Swamps," the woman stepped closer. "I guard the way to the Fifth City."
"We need to cross the swamps," Nayari said. "To reach the Fifth City, to meet the Fifth Guardian."
Marissa smiled a strange smile, revealing yellow, decayed teeth. "Crossing is not easy. The swamps test all who wish to reach the City of Fear. If you are afraid of mere whispers, how will you face your true fears there?"
"We'll face whatever we must," Aliana said firmly. "The Eighth City is more important than our fears."
Marissa looked deeply into Aliana's eyes. "Really? Even your fear of failure, Keeper of Memories? Your fear that you are not enough for a task you didn't choose?"
She turned to Nayari. "And your fear of losing control of your dreams, of hurting those you love?"
Then to Saril. "And you, Keeper of Pain, do you not fear that the pain you endured for so long has changed you forever, made you incapable of true healing?"
Finally, she looked at Limon. "And the guide who fears he is merely a spectator in a story far greater than himself, unable to truly contribute?"
An awkward silence fell over the group, each wrestling with the truth in Marissa's words.
"Yes, we are afraid," Aliana finally admitted, her voice quiet but steady. "But we will move forward despite the fear. That's what it means to be a Keeper."
Marissa smiled, this time with more warmth. "Then perhaps you are worthy of crossing."
She stepped aside, gesturing to the path, which had become wider and clearer behind her. "But the road is still long, and the swamps are unforgiving. Remember: staying on the path is your only salvation. No matter what you see, no matter what you hear, do not leave the path."
"How will we know we're going in the right direction?" Saril asked.
"The crystals will guide you," Marissa said, pointing to their glowing crystals. "They are already connected to the Fifth Crystal."
With those words, she turned and stepped into the fog, vanishing as though she had never been there.
"Was she real?" Limon wondered aloud.
"In a place like this, reality is a flexible concept," Nayari said. "But her advice is real. We must stay on the path."
The group continued their journey, the trail winding as they ventured deeper into the swamps. The fog grew so dense that they could barely see a few meters ahead. The voices grew louder, the whispers becoming clear words, sometimes in familiar tones, summoning memories, disappointments, and pains from the past.
Saril suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed on something between the trees. "Look there."
Through the fog, about ten meters away, a faint orange light appeared, like a torch or a small fire.
"Is that... someone else in the swamps?" Limon asked.
"It's not on the path," Aliana noted. "It might be a trap."
"Or bait," Saril warned.
"Saril..." came a soft, feminine voice from the direction of the light. "Saril, help me... they're here..."
Saril's face froze in shock. "Maria!" he whispered.
"Maria?" Aliana asked. "Who is Maria?"
"My sister," Saril said, his voice hoarse. "She was with me in the Third City... before they took me to the temple. But that's impossible, Maria... she's dead."
"Saril, I'm not dead... they imprisoned me here... please help me..."
Saril hesitated, taking a step toward the light, moving away from the path. "Saril, no!" Nayari grabbed his arm. "Remember what Marissa said. Don't leave the path, no matter what happens."
"But she's my sister!" Saril exclaimed emotionally. "I can't abandon her again!"
"She's not your sister," Nayari said firmly. "The crystal shows me the truth. It's an illusion, Saril. A reflection of your deepest fears and regrets."
"Saril... you abandoned me once... will you do it again?"
Saril wrestled with himself for a moment, tears welling up in his eyes. Then he squeezed his eyes shut, turned his back to the light, and said in a trembling voice, "She's not Maria. Maria is gone. And she would never blame me."
The orange light flickered, then faded, disappearing entirely. The feminine voice dissolved into a sinister laugh before vanishing completely.
"Well done," Aliana whispered, placing a compassionate hand on Saril's shoulder.
They continued their journey, more cautious now. But the swamps were not done testing them. More lights appeared, more voices echoed, each designed to target their personal fears and lure them off the path.
Nayari heard screams and crashing sounds, as if something from her nightmares had come to life. Limon saw the Fifth City burning, its inhabitants blaming him for failing to protect them. Aliana faced a ghostly figure resembling Kyren, telling her she was unworthy of the mission, that she would let everyone down.
But they held firm, supporting one another when someone faltered, reminding each other of the truth when the illusions began to take hold. The three crystals glowed brighter with each challenge they overcame, as if drawing strength from their resilience.
After hours of walking through this psychological torment, the fog began to lift, the path widened, and the trees thinned. At last, they found themselves at the edge of the swamps, standing before dry land that gradually rose into dark rocky hills.
On those hills stood sharp black structures, like giant teeth piercing the sky. A massive central tower loomed among them, emitting a faint yellow light, with dark fumes rising from vents along its sides.
"The Fifth City," Limon announced in a low voice. "The City of Fear."
"Why did you really come with us, Limon?" Aliana suddenly asked, turning toward him. "You're from the Fifth City, yet you're risking your life to help us."
Limon looked surprised by the direct question. "I... at first, I was just curious. But now..." He glanced at the distant Fifth City, then at the glowing crystals. "I think I want to be part of something bigger than myself, for the first time in my life."
"You will be," Nayari said confidently. "Each of us has a role in this story, even if we aren't Guardians."
Saril looked up at the sky, where evening was approaching, and the sun and moon were closer than ever. "The eclipse is near. We only have a few days left to gather the remaining crystals."
"Then no more delays," Aliana said, stepping forward toward the Fifth City, the blue crystal glowing on her forehead. "Let's find the Fifth Guardian."
But they did not know they were already being watched. From a high watchtower in the Fifth City, two sharp eyes observed them—one natural, the other mechanical, rotating and glowing yellow. The owner of the eyes, a thin man dressed in black clothing adorned with wires and metallic gears, smiled coldly.
"They've arrived," he said into a small communicator on his wrist. "The crystal bearers have reached the City of Fear."
He paused, listening to the response. "Yes, sir. We'll be ready. The Eighth City will remain nothing more than a myth."
On the other end of the line, in a distant dark room, sat the White Axis. His white mask reflected the light of multiple screens before him, and his pale gray eyes tracked the movements of the crystal bearers.
"At last," he whispered to himself. "The trap is set. The end is near."
He stood and approached a large map on the wall, showing the seven cities. At the center, there was an empty void pulsating with strange light, as though waiting for something to fill it. The missing Eighth City.
"Five hundred years of work," the White Axis said. "It won't be undone by Kyren of the Shadows and his Guardians. Oblivion will prevail, as it always has."
As darkness fell, Kyren, Nayari, Saril, and Limon approached the gates of the Fifth City, unaware of the trap awaiting them inside and the battle that would decide the fate of the entire world.