They had started walked deeper into Dellheim when suddenly Myrenne broke the silence first.

"Where exactly are we going?" she asked and looked at Aiden's back as he walked ahead. "If we're going to be in this party until the quest is finished, I should at least know what we're searching for."

Aiden didn't turn around. "It's none of your business," he said. "I didn't ask you to be here."

He stopped walking and turned to face Aeris who had been trailing behind the group.

"And you," he said. "Haven't you stayed long enough? For someone looking for freedom you sure have stuck around longer than normal."

Aeris's face shifted slightly and she looked down at her feet. "I'm not sure where to go," she admitted quietly. "Still haven't figured it out yet"

Aiden sighed and said nothing more before turning back to continue walking.

In the truest sense of it, this might have been his way of trying to protect them too.

By making them want to leave or atleast Aeris who wasn't obligated to follow. Moreover, the fewer people he had to look after, the faster he could move.

Myrenne stepped forward, now looking frustrated. "I'm a guide," she said firmly. "Part of that description comes with finding places or things. The earlier we all get to why we're here, the faster I can leave this vile place."

She really did hate being here, and hated that the goddess forced her to do this.

Aiden stopped again and stood still for a moment before letting out another long sigh. "Fine," he said and turned slightly to face her. "I'm looking for a dragon. I have it under good information that she could most likely be here."

Myrenne's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly in surprise. "A dragon?" she repeated. "Why would you be looking for a dragon?"

Aiden's expression hardened and he crossed his arms. "This is exactly why I wasn't forthcoming with talking," he muttered. "The follow-up questions always feel like a drag to explain."

Aeris stared at Aiden with astonishment written across her face.

Laela and Arianna both remained silent as they watched the conversation unfold.

———————

Right about that same time in the City of Gods, Lucina was standing beside Rhyos in his temple as they both watched the scene unfold through the gateway.

She turned to him and said with calm expression. "Check and find a dragon that may be in Dellheim,"

Rhyos stared at her for a moment. "Are you insane?" he asked, with disbelief on his face.

Lucina's eyes glowed golden instantly and her face contorted into a devious glare as she stepped closer to him. "This will be the last time I reprimand you of your place, Rhyos," she said coldly.

Rhyos quieted down immediately. His jaw clenched as he forced himself to look away from her. He knew etter than to start a scuffle with a high goddess.

"You forget," he said after a moment, keeping his tone steady, "that if there truly is another dragon in Dellheim, it would be risky for me to look at them through my gatepoint. If the dragon senses my gaze—"

"It was after all your whole idea of trying to be friends with this vessel of thyrak," Lucina interrupted . "By giving him a direction to where the dragon might be, it would further create that camaraderie you seek."

She paused and tilted her head slightly. "Moreover, you should start acting like a sensible god. Do you truly think that even if the dragon detects any unwanted sight, they would on such reason start making their way to Eden just to query you?"

Rhyos sighed heavily and shook his head. She made a point.

He turned back toward the gateway and extended his view across the continent while his eyes began to glow brightly as he searched.

It didn't take long until he found the Dragon of time. But then his eyes widened suddenly at the sight.

Lucina who had been watching as well widened her eyes at the same time. "Hm," she muttered.

Both gods stared through the gateway, and neither looked pleased with what they saw.

———-

Almost immediately after that, Myrenne's hand flew to her temple again and she stopped walking abruptly.

The goddess's voice delivered specific instructions about where they could find the dragon and what direction they needed to take.

When the voice faded Myrenne lowered her hand and turned to Aiden. "The goddess has told me how we find this Dragon" she said. "I know where we need to go now."

Aiden nodded once. "Then lead the way."

Myrenne turned and began walking in a slightly different direction while the rest of the party followed close behind.

———

Eventually, they came across a ruined city spread across rocky hills.

Most of the buildings were old and crumbling, with their walls blackened by fire, with broken towers and jagged rooftops stretching into the distance.

The whole place felt eerie and abandoned, like a once-great kingdom that had long fallen into decay and silence.

Aiden made a sudden stop and his supernatural senses kicked in as he tilted his head slightly and listened.

He could hear different sounds that stretched across several distances into the city and they made the same eerie groaning and hissing sounds as the corrupted humans they'd fought earlier while trying to reach Dellheim.

"This is a city filled with shadehusks," Aiden said. "But what I find confusing is that they call this place the forsaken continent yet humans would let themselves stay inside long enough until they somehow got corrupted by demonic energy."

Myrenne stepped forward, her expression turning serious as she looked over the ruins.. "A hundred years ago before this became an abandoned continent, this was a thriving place," she explained.

"Even though the gateway leading into the demon realm was also within their continent, it was never opened and demons never left their realm into the human realm."

She paused and gestured toward the city.

"That was until the Demon King struck, and then they did. The moment the gateway leading into the demon realm was opened, the energy seeping through from it was so large it infected the entirety of the continent. Plant life and everything else died and the humans who were reluctant to leave or who couldn't leave on time ended up getting corrupted."

She looked back at Aiden. "There are probably other abandoned kingdoms like this one scattered across different parts of the continent."

Arianna's eyes widened as she looked at Myrenne with surprise. "So they've been that way for a hundred years?"

Myrenne nodded.

"That is an awfully long time," Laela said.

Myrenne turned to Aiden and asked, "What do you want to do? Since the shadehusks in the ruined kingdom are not a bother, we can simply continue on our way."

Aiden fell silent for a moment, staring at the ruins before he spoke. "I wish it were otherwise, but these corrupted creatures have suffered far too long, longer than any human should, and not by their own fault."

He paused, then added, "The kindest thing I can do for them is to end their suffering."

With that, he suddenly shot into the sky, leaving behind a strong gust that kicked up dust around the party and sent it swirling in every direction.

He rose higher until he was floating slightly above the city and staring down at the ruins below.

The party from their distance watched him in astonishment and Myrenne asked, "What is he doing?" but she got no reply from anyone.

Aiden hovered in the air with his arms relaxed at his sides. Then, in a low voice that carried on the wind, he whispered, "Genesis… Zero."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.