The further down they descended, the more reality seemed to fade, like a thin veil distorting everything. The plasma burning in the void grew so bright it was blinding. Not even the flying leviathan dared come here.
"We should turn around. This place, something is wrong with it," Lumos said, observing the surroundings.
Elion had noticed it too—well, everyone had. It wasn't exactly subtle.
The young cook gritted his teeth.
"Alright…" he said. "We'll try our chances by the river."
The sorcerer nodded. The rest of the group seemed relieved. They turned around, ready to climb back up. But something was wrong. Behind them wasn't the jagged slope of the crater—it was… a mountain capped in snow.
The sky—no longer bright plasma flaring in a boundless void—was a simple blue, dotted with sparse clouds obscuring a burning sun. A massive floating island hovered in the distance, partially obscuring the light. Rings of ivory stone flew around it in a mesmerizing motion.
It looked almost close, but it was clear this place was many, many kilometers away, if it existed at all.
Elion turned toward where the center of the crater should have been, only to find a meadow in a valley. Trees with brown bark and vibrant green leaves were scattered around; they looked so… harmless. Beautiful even.
Ah, fuck.
The young cook cursed silently.
This was just like his dream. His breath grew ragged. His heart pounded.
"What the hell just happened?!" Eshrod asked, looking around frantically.
Everyone looked just as confused.
"Have we been… teleported?" Lumos muttered. "Fascinating."
Elion did not share his fascination. This was incredibly dangerous.
"We need to leave," the young cook said, urgency in his voice.
"You know where we are?" Talom asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I don't. But I know we're in grave danger."
That wasn't exactly convincing, but Elion was usually the one taking the lead—so he wasn't questioned.
"We'll climb the mountain. That's where the crater's edge was. If that doesn't work, at least we'll have a vantage point to decide what to do next," he proposed.
No one argued.
It was a rough climb. The cliff sides were steep. After a couple of hours, the sun began to dip below the horizon, bathing the world in a breathtaking orange glow. Just like in S33.
The group looked back at the valley. From there, Elion could make out the terrain more clearly.
To the left, there were tents laid out in what looked like a military camp. Some campfires billowed smoke—meaning there were people down there.
The news should have been incredible, and the group of Unlocked did look at the camp with hope—but not Elion. The memory of having his chest pierced by a black sword was still vividly etched into his mind.
Farha stared at it, tense.
"There's other people here?!" Eshrod said, surprised.
"We should go meet them," Joart added, a hunger flashing in his eyes.
That's disturbing…
Elion looked at the others. He was the only one who noticed.
"We should climb beyond the mountain first; we still don't know where we are. We can't act rashly," he said, more wary of the meadow than of the people.
"We finally found a semblance of civilization. They might know where we are. I say we go meet them first," Joart argued. He made a convincing point, but Elion could see an ulterior motive behind his words.
"Absolutely not. We're not going down there—not now," he pressed.
Joart's expression softened, but it was all an act.
"Come on, you're acting irrationally. We've got a long climb left for what might be no payoff."
"Yeah… I trust you, Eli, but he makes a point," Eshrod said.
Kellta, who hadn't spoken since they met Joart's group—likely to avoid being recognized as a Dweller of the Depths—pointed toward the top of the mountain. Lumos simply shrugged.
"We're not short on rations. I say we climb to the top. Then we decide," the sorcerer said.
Joart's face contorted ever so slightly—annoyance, barely hidden.
"Still, the longer we stay without understanding this place, the more danger we're in. I'm going down—even if I have to do it alone."
Elion sighed.
"Do what you want. I'm not going to stop you."
Joart scoffed.
"Alright then, who's with me?"
All of his original group joined him. And Eshrod…
Elion stared at her.
"What? If there's people, that's our best bet. You guys meet up with us after the climb."
Is she serious right now?
"You really shouldn't go down there…" he muttered.
"Why? Why are you so concerned?" Eshrod asked.
I can't tell her I saw it in a dream, can I?
"It's… part of my ability. Some kind of premonition," he lied. "All I know is that if we enter that meadow, we die. And it's never been wrong since I was bestowed the Voice of God."
Eshrod raised an eyebrow. She didn't look pleased.
"And you never told us?!" she said. "How many of these… premonitions have you had?"
"Four, counting this one."
She let out a sharp breath.
"Tell me truthfully—have you manipulated us into decisions that benefit you?" Her tone carried deep resentment.
Shit… maybe I shouldn't have lied about that… the worst that could've happened was her not believing me. But now…
"No… I didn't," he said, hoping she'd believe him.
"Of course you'd say that."
She stared into his eyes.
"I know you're not the most honest person, but I didn't mind. You were fun to be around. But now… if you did manipulate us…" she swallowed hard. "Trust me, I want to believe you, I really do. But there will always be doubt… unless you somehow find proof."
Elion looked to Lumos, Farha, and Kellta. The sorcerer didn't seem to care. Farha was unreadable, though a hint of hesitation showed. And Kellta… even with her mask, he could tell she was uneasy.
It made sense. She'd left a lot behind to come with them.
She gazed at him, studying his expression. After a moment, she sighed and joined Joart and Eshrod's group. She said nothing. That made it worse.
The young cook stared blankly.
"Well then… we'll be off. Hope you find what you're looking for," Joart said, trying to look sad about the split. But Elion saw through it—he was secretly pleased.
That bastard…
They left—three Unlocked remained on the mountain, while the others headed for the settlement.
Elion turned to Lumos and Farha.
Goddammit.
He gritted his teeth.
I knew trust was the enemy—and still, I got played like a fool.
All of you can go die, for all I care.
"Let's go," he said sharply.
Lumos studied his face for a moment before nodding. Farha… he couldn't read her anymore. But she followed silently.
The climb was rough. They carried some dried meat Elion had prepared—about three days' worth—and relied on Lumos's water-fountain service for hydration.
Without the rest of the group—especially Eshrod—it was a much quieter journey.
It grew colder. The light disappeared from the sky, leaving faint stars illuminating the night. It was the first time any of them had seen stars and it was… beautiful. It almost made Elion lament the fact the surface was uninhabitable.
"Let's rest for today. We'll make a fire."
Farha nodded, already gathering sticks from nearby bushes.
"Did you really manipulate them?" Lumos asked.
The young cook shook his head.
"No. What I saw was way too vague for any of that," he replied, his voice still sour from earlier.
"Huh… I always thought seers were noble bastards, pretending to know everything… but you—like she said—you're not honest, but I can tell you're as lost as the rest of us."
Elion stifled a bitter laugh.
"Thanks, I guess…"
"Always here to help," Lumos said, sarcasm lacing his tone.
Farha returned with a pile of sticks. Without Kellta, starting a fire was more difficult. The sorcerer approached, runes along his left hand glowing. A small spark erupted from his fingers.
With the dry bark and a little care, it caught.
"Runes that produce flames are incredibly taxing, that's why I don't use them unless I have a charge," he explained. "And I used all mine trying to get out of the well…"
Elion raised an eyebrow.
"Did you… blow yourself up trying to escape?"
Lumos chuckled.
"Yeah. Quite the experience. You should try it sometime."
Right… I forgot he was a madman. He looks so normal on the outside. Well, if you ignore the runes all over his skin.
Farha listened, mildly amused. She had summoned her sniper rifle, studying the only remaining tank, likely calculating how much charge she had left.
They shared some of the dried meat. It was… passable. But without salt during the curing process, it was incredibly bland.
Lumos returned to his amulet-making.
"What's that for?" Elion asked, finally finding the right time to ask.
The sorcerer looked at him, then at Farha.
He sighed.
"It's… something that might allow her to talk."
At those words, the mute girl's head snapped toward him. Her eyes sparkled with something Elion had never seen before.
"I said might. I'm still not sure I can make it work. That's why I didn't say anything—I didn't want to give false hope."
Is that even possible? Surely the Uru family tried to cure their daughter's condition already. Why would Lumos succeed?
"Why are you doing this?" Elion asked. "Don't get me wrong, it's great. I just don't get your motivation."
The sorcerer chuckled.
"Well, I have a penchant for tragic stories. When I realized we had a silent princess in our group, I had to try and play the hero."
Elion stared, unimpressed.
"And… it's good practice. I based the design on the Pale Witch's translation runes."
"Right. Makes sense."
Farha looked surprised. She traced three words into the dirt:
You know me?
Elion answered for the sorcerer.
"You think we haven't noticed? Your weapons—they bear the Uru family seal. And you look eerily like Shera of Uru. Let's not forget what you said about connections back in S33."
Her face paled a little—but behind her eyes, something like excitement flickered.
Even though it was dangerous, she was happy to finally be recognized.