Making his way through the streets, Solaire kept to the shadows, slipping between broken walls and shattered homes. The nightmare creatures wandered aimlessly, their twisted shapes brushing against the ruins, but none noticed him. He moved quickly, breath low, until he slipped back inside the building and headed for the basement stairs.
The stone steps were damp and uneven, carrying him down into the silent chamber. At its center stood the stele. The strange runes were still carved deep into its surface, though the faint glow they once held had long since faded.
Solaire reached out and placed his hand against the cold stone. Nothing happened. The silence pressed in on him, heavy and unmoving.
"…Guess nothing's going to happen."
But the pull inside him remained. It tugged faintly toward something beyond the Dark City. This time, however, it didn't make him restless. Following it felt… natural. As though a weight he hadn't even realized he was carrying had finally lifted.
Climbing back up, he pushed open the rotting door and stepped into the ruined hall. Moonlight streamed through cracks in the ceiling, catching the drifting dust in pale streaks. For a moment he glanced back at the basement entrance, then shook his head and moved on.
The streets stretched before him—quiet, broken, and endless. Collapsed houses leaned against each other like the bones of a dead giant. He stayed close to the walls, slipping through gaps and ruined archways. Each time a growl echoed through the night, he froze, hand tightening around the hilt of the Darksword. Yet no creatures came close. Tonight, the pull guided him more strongly than fear.
At last, the northern wall rose in front of him, towering and cracked, vines spreading across its scarred surface.
Solaire stopped at its base, pressing his palm against the cold stone. Once, this wall had been built to keep danger out. Now, it felt more like a cage meant to keep him inside.
Adjusting the bundle on his back, he checked the rope tied at his belt and began to climb.
The stone was brittle. His fingers dug into the cracks, boots scraping for purchase. Twice his footing slipped as loose rock broke away, sending stones tumbling into the darkness below. But he caught himself each time. His arms ached, his breath came heavy, yet the strange calm inside his chest never wavered.
Finally, he pulled himself up onto the top of the wall and rolled onto his back, panting. For a moment, he just lay there, staring at the pale stars. Then he stood, brushed off his hands, and turned north.
The world beyond the wall stretched vast and black. Burned trees twisted like skeletons across the land, and far in the distance, pillars of stone rose into the clouds, their tops lost from view.
Solaire swallowed hard. The thought of death still frightened him. Even if he couldn't die here—not in the way that truly mattered—he had no desire to find out what would happen if he did.
"…Can't back away now. I've got this. If I'm careful, and avoid the strong ones… it'll be fine."
Even as he said it, he knew it was wishful thinking. No one could stay alert forever. His Aspect wasn't nearly as useful as Sunny's.
With slow, careful movements, he climbed down the far side of the wall. His boots scraped against the stone until finally, his feet touched solid ground.
"Now… where exactly do I go?"
The pull inside him gave direction but no path. Fortunately, Teacher Julius had drilled star navigation into his head back in training.
"I really need to thank him for that…" Solaire muttered, glancing up at the sky.
The landscape stretched wide and strange. He walked for hours, the pillars always in the distance, their scale making him feel like an ant beneath the heavens. Nightmare creatures prowled here too, some more dangerous than any he had seen in the city. He stuck to cover, keeping his steps quiet and his eyes sharp.
By the time night fell, exhaustion weighed heavy on him.
"…I should probably set camp."
He found a low rock formation with a small cavity beneath it, just enough to serve as shelter. Crawling inside, he unrolled his square hide and set up a rough tent. Sitting down, he chewed slowly on a strip of jerky, his gaze fixed on the darkness of the Forgotten Shore.
"I should reach those rocky formations in a couple of days," he murmured.
The days ahead promised nothing but hardship. Yet as he lay back against the stone, watching the faint shimmer of stars above, Solaire felt the pull tug at him again, steady and constant.
"The next couple of days… are going to be torture."