Kyren woke just as the sun broke the horizon, a shard of sunlight glinting into his eyes. He sat up slowly, glancing around at his friends. Both Runa and Lydel were beginning to stir, their heads pounding from the night before. Kyren didn't feel perfect, but at least he wasn't in pain.
He pulled out his canteen and drank a few gulps before handing it to Runa. She took it gratefully, the water soothing her dry throat, then passed it to Lydel.
"Thanks," she said, her voice rough. "I needed that."
"It's okay. You both need to drink up before we head out. We've still got at least seventy miles left and only about four days," Kyren said.
"We'll make it in time," Lydel muttered, head hanging low.
"We need to get there early, not in time," Kyren replied, voice flat.
"Okay, okay. We will. I'm sure," Lydel said, pushing to his feet. Runa stood as well, stretching, and the three of them began readying themselves.
Kyren walked over to Veldthar and pulled out the canteen again. "Okay, drink up, buddy," he said, pouring the water into the beast's mouth before strapping his pack to Veldthar's back. Runa and Lydel did the same, then they all headed back to the trail, leaving behind the massive stone hut.
The plains stretched for hours, endless and dry. They didn't find a single decent place to rest. The sun climbed higher as the hours dragged on, the miles piling beneath their feet. When they reached a small wooden church, they had made it within 55 miles of Zybana.
It was the first building they'd seen since leaving the hut that morning.
The church was a pre-power structure—just wood, nails, and a crooked cross above the front door. A well sat out front.
Kyren approached the well and hauled up a bucket, filling his canteen. Runa and Lydel followed suit. Then Kyren filled the bucket again and set it down for Veldthar to drink.
Lydel wandered into the church. A few minutes later, he walked out holding something small in his hand.
"Only thing I found in there was this. I think I'm gonna keep it," he said, holding up a metal bracelet with a cross on it. He clasped it on his wrist as they returned to the path.
Two more hours passed. They covered another ten miles when a small village came into view. Hope quickened their steps—maybe they could finally speak to someone, maybe even eat a decent meal.
But as they entered, the familiar silence hit them.
Another empty town.
"They must have been taken to Zybana," Runa said quietly.
"So what exactly is going to happen on the eclipse?" Lydel asked.
"In Wendy's journal, they used the nature mana from the event to convert ten people. They're probably trying for more this time," Kyren replied, his voice tight with fear and a simmering rage.
"I'm gonna go find us some rooms for tonight," Runa said, walking deeper into the town.
Kyren and Lydel followed behind.
"Bro, what did you get after leveling up last night?" Kyren asked.
"Stat points. And that bracelet," Lydel said, raising his wrist. "It came from the level-up."
"Did you get Runa's reward? System said you had to collect it," Lydel added.
"No, I didn't even check her," Kyren muttered, raising his palm to his face. "I'll get hers tonight. But I did get 150 stat points… and this."
Kyren summoned the spirit beast egg to his hand.
Lydel leaned in. "What the hell kind of egg is that?"
"Honestly? A flaming chicken laid it and disintegrated. System just called it a spirit beast egg," Kyren said, then put it back in his inventory. "But forget that—what does the bracelet do?"
"When I charge it with mana, my future sight becomes instinctual. I don't even have to move. When it's fully charged, it boosts my future sight to five seconds and slows everything I see. It's… intense," Lydel explained.
Kyren's face lit up with pride. "I'm happy for you, man."
The sound of their footsteps echoed against empty walls. Nothing stirred in the village but the wind—and a few torn posters on the buildings.
Runa stopped in front of a structure with a faded sign reading INN. She reached up and grabbed one of the posters. Her giggle turned into a full-on cackle.
"What's so funny? Why are you laughing at us?" Lydel snapped, annoyed.
Kyren grabbed the poster from her hands and looked at it. A crude drawing of what might have been Lydel stared back at him. It was awful. Barely recognizable, but just enough to make the connection.
Kyren burst out laughing too.
"Is this supposed to be me?!" Lydel groaned, dropping to his knees and tearing the poster to shreds.
Runa finally stopped laughing—when she noticed Kyren's face.
"Oh, don't laugh too hard. Yours is just as bad," she said, flipping the other poster around.
Kyren's expression fell. His poster read:
WANTED
Bring to Zybana: Dead or Alive for REWARD!!!
"They really gave us wanted posters?" Lydel said, laughing despite himself. "The damn cult must really hate us."
"Well, if they want us that bad," Kyren said, voice steady and confident, "we'll just deliver ourselves."
"We will. But not just yet," Runa said, stepping toward the inn door. "We rest tonight. We leave at first light."
The door creaked open, and they all made their way inside. They found rooms, tossed their gear onto beds, and started to settle in.
"Who wants to help me cook tonight?" Lydel called from the dining room.
"I'm down," Runa replied. "Kyren cooked the meat last night."
The two of them disappeared into the kitchen. Pots clanged, and the soft flicker of firelight began to glow. Kyren wandered down and sat at the table, waiting. Thirty minutes later, Runa and Lydel came out with plates in hand.
They ate, laughed, and talked—about what they missed, how they were feeling, and how far they'd come.
Later, Kyren sat on the edge of his bed, opening the system. A blinking notification pulsed in the corner of his vision. He tapped into it, hoping for another mission.
He wasn't disappointed.
Secret Mission: A King's Crown
Echoes of the past, visions of the future—find your forgotten legacy.
Accept? Yes/No
Kyren thought yes.
Wayfinder's Compass Updated
??? — 10 miles away.
He stood, silent. Then, without a word, he snuck out of the inn and summoned Veldthar. The beast shimmered into existence beneath the moonlight.
Kyren checked the compass again. It pointed toward the horizon—past the empty homes and into the wild plains beyond.
He climbed up onto Veldthar's back. "Let's go, buddy."
Veldthar took off, hooves sparking blue light with every step, vanishing into the tall grass.