The ruined citadel rose from the desert like a scar upon the world.
The moment Sylas saw it, unease crawled up his spine. The structure was ancient—too ancient. Its walls were fractured, its towers broken, yet it still stood, defying time and decay. The air around it felt heavy, oppressive, as if something within the stone itself was watching.
This place is wrong, Sylas thought.
But wrong or not, it was their only refuge.
They rushed toward the citadel as the monstrous presence behind them drew closer. The entrance was narrow—barely wide enough for a few people to pass through at once. Sylas noticed it instantly.
Narrow passages buy time, he calculated. Time is life.
Before anyone else realized it, a plan formed in his mind.
The captain entered first, carrying the princess, forcing his way through the tight passage. Sylas followed closely behind, his movements deliberate and precise. The two remaining knights hesitated for only a fraction of a second—then the ground shook.
The Tier Six monster arrived.
It tore into the knights like paper.
Claws shattered armor. Blood sprayed across stone. Screams were cut short as bodies were crushed and flung aside like broken dolls. The power difference was absolute.
Sylas did not look back.
The passage sealed behind them with rubble and stone as the monster struck the citadel's exterior. The impact sent a violent tremor through the structure.
The chill that followed was worse than the screams.
The captain set the princess down carefully. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes flicked toward Sylas—sharp, knowing.
He had seen it.
He knew Sylas had used the knights as shields.
Yet he said nothing.
He thinks he can still use me, Sylas realized calmly.
The princess, on the other hand, was shaking. Her breath came in short, panicked gasps as the reality of what had happened crashed down on her. Blood soaked into the stone floor behind them, the echo of death still ringing in her ears.
The citadel shuddered again.
Cracks spread along the walls like veins. Dust rained from the ceiling as the monster continued to smash itself against the structure.
"This place won't hold," the captain said grimly. "Find another exit. Now."
They moved.
The interior of the citadel was dark and suffocating. Broken pillars lay scattered across the floor. Shadows clung to every corner, thick and unnatural. The air smelled of decay and ancient dust.
They searched frantically.
No exits.
Only dead ends and collapsed corridors.
The citadel shook again—harder this time. Stone cracked loudly. Somewhere above, part of the structure collapsed.
We're running out of time, Sylas thought.
Then he felt it.
A strange pressure in the corner of the chamber—subtle, unnatural. Sylas turned toward it and found a gateway-like structure embedded in the wall. There was no door, no visible mechanism, but something about it felt… incomplete.
This isn't just stone, he realized. This is waiting.
The captain noticed Sylas had stopped moving. He approached, eyes narrowing as he felt the same sensation radiating from the structure.
"You feel it too," the captain said quietly.
Sylas nodded once.
Before either could act, the princess stumbled toward them, panic overtaking her composure. Another violent strike rocked the citadel, and the ground split beneath her feet.
She fell—collapsing against the base of the gateway.
The structure responded.
Stone shifted with a deep, ancient sound. Hidden mechanisms awakened. The wall slid open, revealing a massive underground passage, wide enough for dozens to walk through at once.
The citadel screamed.
The monster struck again.
"Move!" the captain shouted.
They didn't hesitate.
All three rushed into the tunnel as the citadel began to collapse behind them. Stone and debris thundered down, sealing the entrance in a storm of dust and destruction.
Darkness swallowed them.
The passage sloped downward into the depths of the earth, vast and unknown.
Behind them, the citadel fell.
Ahead—uncertainty.
Sylas steadied his breathing, his mind already adapting.