Ortinus (raising the collar of his new Ziolan cloak to shield his neck from the raindrops):
"Tell me, Nirar—does rain in your world always fall with such weight? I feel as though every drop landing on my shoulders weighs a pound. In Acadia, rain cleanses the soul. Here… it feels like it's trying to drown us in despair."
Nirar (walking with steady steps that leave no trace in the mud):
"This is Stagnant Crystal Rain. The air here is saturated with Siwar's commercial energy, so the droplets carry metallic residue. Don't worry about their weight—worry about what hides behind their fog. Do you hear that?"
Pikos (blowing into his hands to warm them):
"I hear my stomach playing a funeral march! Ortinus, we won in the arena, we have a hundred crystals—so why are we trudging under this purple rain hunting a 'Black Bird'? Didn't the merchant say it was just a phantom? Maybe he imagined it!"
Darius:
"The arena champion is afraid of a bird? Pikos, the merchant didn't say it was an ordinary bird. He said it was 'the Shadows of Dusk,' taking the form of a giant raven or a flying specter. And if we don't find it, we might be the next victims. Would you prefer to be drained of life and left as a pale corpse?"
Pikos (shivering):
"Alright, alright… the tower it is. But I'm telling you, that tower doesn't look like a place meant for any living creature. Look at it—like a giant, burned finger pointing at the sky."
The clock tower loomed on the horizon, rising above Siwar's rooftops like an abandoned giant. The rain grew heavier, making visibility difficult even for Blater, who led the way while adjusting the lenses of his sniper staff.
Blater:
"Stop here. Ortinus, look at the top of the tower—do you see that unnatural stillness? The clock isn't moving, and the black raven reported by witnesses was seen landing there moments ago."
Ortinus:
"I see it… it's not a bird, but a fragment of night torn away from the sky."
Nikos (gripping his staff):
"Whatever it is doesn't matter. What matters is how we bring it down from there. Blater, can your staff reach the summit?"
Blater:
"The rain disrupts the crystal beam, and the distance is too great. We'll have to enter and climb. But beware—the tower is surrounded by a Temporal Suppression Field. You may feel your movements slow, or suffer sudden headaches."
Darius:
"Wonderful! A time anomaly, a flying killer, and now temporal suppression. Any other surprises before we reach the top? Maybe a small dragon welcoming us with tea?"
Nirar (with a cold smile):
"Your sarcasm won't help you inside, Darius. Ortinus—the feather… has it begun to react?"
Ortinus (pulling the blue feather from his pocket, now glowing with a pulsing light):
"It's igniting… but the feeling is strange. As if it's trying to scream. The closer we get to the tower, the stronger its pulse. This Black Bird… it's drawn to it—or the feather is drawn to it."
Pikos:
"Wait! If it's drawn to it, that means we're walking into a trap! Ortinus, put it in a metal box—hide it!"
Ortinus:
"No, Pikos. I won't hide. This bird is our key to understanding what Leus did. If it is the 'Echo,' as Nirar said, then it may tell us how to reopen the gate without waiting to reach Achil."
Romilius:
"Courageous wisdom—but fraught with danger. Remember, we are in a land centuries ahead of us, governed by laws that do not submit to our logic."
They reached the tower's massive gate. It was coated in the same black, viscous substance they had seen in the alley. Rain struck it with a sound like hissing.
Nikos:
"The smell here… like dead fish left for weeks. This creature corrupts everything it touches."
Blater:
"I'll open the gate with a magnetic shot. Be ready—once we enter, the tower will seal us in under the energy field. There's no turning back."
Pikos:
"Can I stay here to guard the… rain?"
Darius (grabbing him by the collar):
"You're coming with us, Pikos. You're our human shield—and your belly might protect us from shadow shots."
Ortinus (raising his sword, now absorbing the feather's light):
"Blater, open the door. I'll go first. I want to face this Black Bird head-on."
Blater:
"By the blessing of the crystal… prepare yourselves!"
Blater fired a powerful charge from his staff. The gate shuddered and was torn from its frame, revealing pitch-black darkness from which came the thunderous sound of beating wings—and a cold that froze the raindrops in midair.
Ortinus:
"Inside! Don't let the darkness swallow you one by one!"