They followed Kael through a narrow pathway ,yet the walls were shattered but they were enough for shelter . The air was thick, heavy, as though grief itself clung to the stones.
Survivors watched them, among the ruins, eyes sharp and hollow. Some whispered as the strangers passed:
"Outsiders."
"Too clean. Too steady."
"They won't last here."
Lyra and kairis could feel the pressure of their stares.
And then, just as he had appeared, Kael stepped ahead into shadow, leaving Lyra and Kairis in the restless crowd.
Kairis's jaw tightened, her hand brushing her sword. "That bastard left us here on purpose"
Lyra's voice was calm, but she didn't let her guard down . "Then we'll just have to keep moving."
They could still hear the whispers of survivors as they walked deeper in the safe square,but then she heard someone's crying
Ahead, a boy was thrown into the dirt, holding a stale piece of bread to his chest,
"Thief!" a man shouted, kicking him hard enough to kill him almost.
The boy's ribs showed through his shirt, but he clung to the bread like it was his last breath.
Lyra walked ahead and stepped forward. "Enough."
Kairis golden eyes watched Lyra what are you doing!!
The men turned, taunting her . "He stole what was ours And what are you gonna do girl?"
The other means laughed
He slowly walked towards Lyra, before Kairis could act, Lyra moved.
The air shifted ,heavy, suffocating. A silence fell across the square as an unseen weight pressed down. Knees buckled. The men gasped , their arrogance crushed in seconds by something they couldn't see.
Lyra knelt low, green eyes steady. Not cruel only pity. Her hand opened. Black and white flame flickered faintly in her palm.
Her voice was a whisper. "Which one will you choose? White… or black?"
She leaned a little closer "if you have power dont abuse it on the weak"
Then the fire vanished in her palms
The boy ran away , clutching the bread like treasure. When Lyra stood, the weight of her presence lifted, leaving the men shaking in the dirt.
Kairis exhaled sharply. "You've just made us a new target."
"Maybe," Lyra answered softly, her gaze still on the broken men. "But I couldn't just stand there,watching."
From the shadow of a crumbled wall, Kael had been observing them . He saw the way the air bent around her, the way she stood unbroken where mostly people are scared.
His smirk returned. "She's not like the rest. She's searching… just like me."
Later, Lyra and Kairis found a quiet corner beneath the skeleton of an old stall. Dust hung heavy in the beams of broken light.
"You didn't have to step in," Kairis muttered, restless. "This place will eat us alive if we keep drawing attention."
Lyra's voice was calm. "And if we don't… then we're no different from them."
Kairis groaned, dragging a hand through her hair. "Stubborn woman…" But pride flickered in her eyes, even as she said it.
A voice cut through the stillness. "You two are loud, even when you whisper."
Kael reappeared, leaning against a cracked wall, smirk sharp as ever.
"Not strays," he said, eyes narrowing as if weighing them. "You carry yourselves too well. Too… purposeful." His gaze lingered on Lyra. "Tell me what are you after?"
Lyra's eyes narrowed. "and why should I tell you?"
His smirk widened. "because maybe I know someone that knows it,someone in the north. Dangerous road. Dangerous man. But he guards things even ruin can't erase."
Silence . Lyra looked at Kairis. Trust, hesitation, and quiet defiance passed in their eyes.
Then she only sighed and Lyra said, "We'll give you our answer by tomorrow."
Kael's grin deepened. "Tomorrow, then." And he melted back into the shadows.
Lyra glanced at kairis "we don't have a choice it seems"
Kairis didn't say more but slowly nodded "tomorrow if you say"
Morning came pale and cold. Lyra and Kairis stood at the edge of the ruins, ready.
Kael appeared as if from nowhere, grin already waiting. "So, you've decided."
Lyra gave a steady nod.
Kairis muttered almost to herself, "I'll kill him someday…"
Kael only chuckled. "Good, Then we head north."
Slowly they followed Kael,who walked ahead them kairis only looked at him with no kind expressions.
The ruins of Eryndor faded behind them. Ahead stretched hollow valleys where even the wind whispered secrets. Somewhere within lay the first clue to what they sought.
But the road was not silent for long.
The ground trembled.
Something vast stirred in the distance, as if the land itself had just opened its eyes.
There were monsters ahead roaming around
Kael stopped and narrowed his eyes "careful from now on "
And they slowly followed him trying to avoid the monsters gazes.
But suddenly a monster saw them and roared towards them alerting other monsters aswell
Then kairis made a radiant pathway for them."go I will distract them for a while"
Lyra and kael made a small node
Lyra whispered to her "be careful"
Before sprinting on the radiant path the path was long enough for them to reach the ridge
Kairis forward her hand towards the growling monsters And a light broke out blinding the monsters and kairis got her chance and ran away
Phew that was close, I almost got caught.
She exhaled her breath that she had been holding
She slowly dismissed the radiant path behind her while walking.Kael and Lyra were already waiting for her at the end of the path which was almost near the ridge.
Lyra waved at her and spoke"Good job!"
She grinned
Patting her on the shoulder
Kael made a disgusting face and spoke"we should not waste time
Kairis only glance at him and turning her head away
Lyra nodded"yeah, we should keep moving"
Kael started to walk once again Lyra and kairis followed him
Kairis whispered to Lyra"I don't like him"
Lyra looked at her and made a faint smile
"But we don't really have a choice, don't we?"