Ruins appeared on horizon as ancient structures emerged from Southern landscape with stable zone's preserved architecture waiting.
Days of travel since deciding new approach as pack moved steadily with Velnar's massive bulk tireless, Sylvara's druid form gliding through terrain, Feyra keeping pace despite small size, Zor circling overhead.
Genesis Codex pulsed beside Draven as cosmic artifact's green-gold light stayed steady while Adhivar's presence anticipated investigation.
"We search for location data. Maps. Coordinates. Anything indicating where Pillars hidden."
Different objective than previous visits, not what but where.
Approaching entrance showed weathered stone with crystalline formations catching light as stable zone's protective magic maintained structure against corruption's decay.
Meanwhile, across Theia, three Overlords continued their own systematic searches with territories divided as alliance worked simultaneously, coordinated effort spanning continents and oceans.
All searching.
All determined.
Finding nothing yet.
***
Western mountains stretched endlessly as peaks reached toward heavy clouds, valleys carved by ancient glaciers with rocky terrain where Malvorn once suffered enslavement beneath Dominion's chains.
Now searching freely.
Earth communion extended across mountainous landscape as consciousness flowed through stone, sensing geological structures, detecting anomalies buried beneath millions of years accumulation.
Crystalline human form stood atop ridge with silver eyes distant as awareness spanned miles through planetary connection.
"Five human-sized objects. Glowing rods. Bevel patterns. Somewhere."
Searching underground caves as earth communion penetrated darkness, sensing cavern networks, detecting mineral deposits, ancient formations, nothing artificial.
Nothing cosmic.
Surveying valley floors as consciousness probed beneath soil, beneath bedrock, seeking wrongness, seeking foreign presence that didn't belong to Theia's natural geology.
Finding stone, finding earth, finding nothing else.
Earthquake tremor came, minor but present as ground shifted beneath feet while mountains groaned as mana depletion weakened tectonic stability.
Malvorn sensed wrongness intimately as planetary foundation failed, pressure systems depleted, geological infrastructure crumbled incrementally.
"Search becomes more difficult as Theia deteriorates. Earth communion detecting instability everywhere, interferes with artifact detection. Noise overwhelming signal."
Frustration carefully controlled.
Two weeks searching Western regions methodically with underground caverns explored, mountain peaks surveyed, valley networks investigated.
Zero Pillars discovered.
Vast territory with single searcher as sixty-five million years allowed geological processes to bury, shift, transform landscape beyond recognition.
But continuing.
No alternative.
Resuming earth communion as consciousness extended again, probing deeper, searching systematically despite planetary decay complicating every detection.
***
Seven-story serpentine form cut through abyssal darkness as Naelvorn's bioluminescent markings illuminated deep ocean trench with teal light casting eerie glow across rocky formations thousands of feet below surface.
Ocean domain awareness sensed through water with currents, pressure, marine life, geological structures beneath sediment.
"ALRIGHT, OCEAN FLOOR, WHERE ARE YOU HIDING COSMIC ARTIFACTS?!"
Boisterous voice echoed through water as humor maintained despite frustration while characteristic energy refused to dim.
Two weeks exploring trenches, reefs, underwater caves, continental shelf zones as seventy percent of Theia's surface meant ocean with enormous territory and single Overlord searching.
Finding coral, finding fish, finding ancient shipwrecks and geological formations.
Finding no Pillars.
Descending deeper into abyssal zone where sunlight never reached as pressure crushed, darkness absolute save for bioluminescent glow.
Currents shifted unnaturally as ocean network awareness detected wrongness while temperature gradients failed and marine ecosystem stressed.
Mana depletion affected oceans too as thermal regulation disrupted, ecological balance tilted, Naelvorn's domain suffered alongside rest of planet.
"Ocean's getting WEIRD, bros. Currents don't flow right anymore. Fish acting strange. Water temperature fluctuating. Theia's literally DYING and I'm swimming around playing COSMIC HIDE-AND-SEEK with artifacts that MIGHT NOT EVEN BE DOWN HERE—"
Pausing.
Exhaling bubbles.
"But GIVING UP? NAH. Not Naelvorn's style. Keep swimming. Keep searching. Find those Pillars or die trying. Preferably FIND THEM though because dying's boring."
Characteristic optimism, even forced, even struggling, refusing to surrender to despair.
Resuming search as serpentine form glided through darkness with bioluminescence scanning trench floor while ocean awareness probed sediment layers.
Determined.
Still searching.
***
Fifteen-story wyvern form soared above Northern Ice Field as sapphire scales glittered against pale sky with concentric ice-ring eyes surveying frozen landscape below while snow swirled perpetually around elegant presence.
Frostina's ice domain awareness spanned territory, sensing through frozen structures, glaciers, permafrost, detecting anomalies beneath millennia of accumulated ice.
Followers mobilized below as northern domain beasts searched systematically with coordinated effort while ice-affiliated creatures investigated caves, crevasses, glacier formations under Overlord's direction.
"Systematic coverage. Grid pattern. Each sector investigated thoroughly before progressing."
Composed strategy.
Two weeks searching Northern territories as frozen tundra was surveyed, ice caves explored, glacier interiors probed via ice domain sensing.
Gate still present on horizon as dimensional bridge swirled, draining mana while Frostina maintained dual responsibility: searching and monitoring.
Finding ice, finding snow, finding nothing else.
Sky darkened suddenly as unnatural eclipse began with celestial phenomenon wrong, sun disappearing behind shadow that shouldn't exist, atmospheric disruption caused by mana depletion's effects on planetary systems.
Magical disruption accompanied darkness as Bloomscript weakened, elemental connections flickered, ice domain awareness stuttered momentarily.
Frostina's composed exterior maintained despite concern.
"Celestial instability. Atmospheric magical disruption. Eclipse unnatural, caused by planetary mana depletion affecting even sun-moon relationship. Search efficiency reduced during darkness. Visibility compromised. Ice domain sensing impaired."
Eclipse passed after minutes only but concerning.
Theia deteriorating in ways beyond just earthquakes as sky itself was wrong.
But search continued as followers resumed coordinated survey while Frostina's ice domain awareness extended again despite weakened magical connection, systematic coverage progressed despite obstacles.
Determined.
Methodical.
Still finding nothing.
***
Volcanic crater region showed Ruins of Chain where Malvorn's enslavement ended, where liberation occurred, where fire domain reigned supreme.
Raziel moved through lava fields with form not fully described yet but presence unmistakable as fire Overlord navigated molten zones with immunity, heat that would incinerate others merely comfortable environment.
Fire domain awareness sensed through volcanic network with magma chambers, geothermal vents, underground lava flows, detecting structures buried beneath solidified rock layers.
"Volcanic regions searched thoroughly. Magma chambers probed. Lava tubes investigated. Underground thermal networks surveyed."
Characteristic efficiency as brief assessment and direct communication came even when alone while mind organized systematically.
Two weeks covering fire territories with active volcanic zones, dormant crater regions, geothermal areas as Ruins of Chain was explored extensively.
Finding lava, finding ash, finding obsidian formations.
Finding no Pillars.
Magma pressure destabilized as fire domain awareness detected critical instability while volcanic systems failed and eruption was imminent somewhere within territory.
Mana depletion affected volcanic regulation as natural pressure release mechanisms broke down, magma flows became unpredictable, planetary geological systems cascaded toward failure.
Danger extreme, even for Overlord.
But Raziel continuing.
"Volcanic instability acknowledged. Risk assessed. Search priority supersedes personal safety. Theia's survival requires Pillar discovery. Eruption threat insufficient reason to abandon assigned territory."
Grim determination.
Professional assessment of acceptable risk.
Fire Overlord resumed survey, navigating increasingly unstable volcanic landscape as fire domain awareness probed despite mounting danger while searching systematically regardless of threat.
All Overlords committed.
All territories covered.
All finding nothing.
***
Across Theia, five searchers worked five territories with unified purpose.
Draven entering ruins seeking location data.
Malvorn probing Western mountains via earth communion.
Naelvorn exploring oceanic trenches despite currents failing.
Frostina coordinating Northern ice domain survey through eclipse.
Raziel surveying volcanic regions despite eruption threats.
Alliance working.
Planet dying.
Two weeks searching.
Zero Pillars found.
But determination unwavering.
Five Anchors hidden somewhere across wounded world.
Five searchers refusing to surrender despite impossible odds.
Continue searching.
However long it took.
Whatever it cost.
---