Kale raised Aeloria's Promise in front of Brakkan. "I will get results. With this."

Brakkan's posture shifted slightly. Surprise? Amusement? It was hard to tell.

"Hmm. Aeloria's Promise. The last person to wield it… She must have special plans for you."

Slowly, he lifted his hand, fingers fanning out, the polished daggers catching the fire's glow. For a moment, he seemed to study Kale's reflection in the blades, his expression still as stone.

Then something changed. A flicker of realization. His stare darkened.

"I've seen enough."

He stepped back. "There's something inside you, locked away. A fire chained in darkness, waiting, hungry." His eyes bore into Kale, as if searching for an answer that hadn't yet been written.

"Will it lead you to glory?" A pause. A shadow of something almost like doubt. "Or will it burn through you… and reduce us all to ash?"

Something inside him? A fire waiting, hungry?

Kale looked at Brakkan's outstretched hand, to the daggers that had caught his reflection only moments before. Had he seen something? Some flicker of truth Kale couldn't grasp?

Aeloria had chosen him. That much he knew. But why? Did Brakkan know?

"What did you see?"

Brakkan didn't answer. His daggers clicked together softly as he lowered his hand. Then he turned, as if ready to leave, but paused. "Before I go… there's something you can do for me."

Kale's jaw tightened. "What is it?"

"I sent some scouts to Khor'vel. A city not too far from Khor'dun, but they haven't returned. I want you to find them, see if they're still alive. If you're as capable as you claim, this should be trivial."

Kale's gut twisted. He hadn't expected to be given a mission so soon after their encounter. "And what if it's not?"

Brakkan's laugh was short, humorless. "Then you die, and you'll be forgotten. We'll fight this war without you."

He didn't wait for a response. "You'll find Khor'vel to the south. A day's travel, if you move quickly. Once you've dealt with this matter, come find me in Khor'dun. You'll need more than promises and ambition where we're headed." He gave a final look, his fingers flexing before he turned and began to walk away.

"Real friendly, that one." Rika said.

Liliana floated closer, her eyes narrowed. "He's testing you, Kale."

Kale let out a slow breath, knowing Liliana was right. "It doesn't matter. I don't have a choice."

"None of us do, Kale," Sylorin said. "But Khor'vel… it's not the easiest place to tread. Be prepared for more than just missing scouts."

"What are we dealing with?"

"We've been getting reports… strange reports. They say Khor'vel's been touched by darkness. No one knows exactly what that means, but I can tell you this—nothing good. And that's all we know for sure since the scouts never made it back."

"Great."

Sylorin gave him a grim look. "You've come this far, Kale. Just remember, the hardest part is still ahead. Keep your focus."

Kale nodded. "We'll be ready."

"You've been through worse," Liliana said. "Just don't go crumbling under the pressure again. We can't afford it."

Rika stepped in and put her hand on Kale's shoulder. "Relax, Lili. Kale's got this." She gave him a wink. "You've got that look, you know, the one that says, 'I'm definitely not going to mess this up.'"

Liliana gave a soft, almost dismissive laugh. "Let's hope that's true."

"I won't let you down," Kale said.

Liliana's lips curved into the faintest smile. "Good."

"All right, first light, then," Rika said. "Let's get some rest while we still can."

***

Rika climbed onto the driver's seat, stretching with a dramatic yawn. "You know, Kaley, I should start charging for all the things I do for you. Driver, trap-spotter, monster-smasher—I'm doing all the work here."

Kale rolled his eyes as he loaded the last pack. "I thought Varrick paid you already? Besides, I'm pretty sure I do my part, Rika. You just like to talk louder about yours."

Rika grinned. "Loud's what gets results. Speaking of which—don't die today, okay? Makes my job harder."

Liliana floated nearby. "I'd appreciate it if we all avoided dying, actually. It's hard to find competent traveling companions these days."

Kale raised an eyebrow. "Was that a compliment?"

Liliana's lips twitched in what could almost be called a smile. "No. It was an observation."

As the wagon rumbled forward, the rocky mountain terrain gradually gave way to a more barren and desolate landscape. The jagged rocks that had once towered over them were thinning out, replaced by cracked ground and scraggly plants. The road ahead was rough, and the wheels of the wagon creaked as they bounced over the uneven surface.

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Kale looked over the lifeless expanse. "Well, if the landscape's trying to make a point, I'd say it's nailed 'bleak and uninviting.'"

Rika grinned as she snapped the reins lightly. "I don't know, looks like a great place for a vacation to me."

"Only you would think that," Kale replied, shaking his head with a chuckle.

The sun climbed higher in the sky, its light stretching across the rocky outcroppings that broke the barren horizon. Though the mountains were far behind them, the landscape remained unwelcoming—sharp rocks jutted from the earth like the jagged teeth of some long-dead beast. The air was dry and carried an eerie stillness, broken only by the steady crunch of the wagon wheels against the dusty path.

After a while, Rika broke the silence, her tone teasing. "So, what do you think? Brakkan said this would be 'trivial' for you. Feeling confident?"

Kale shot her a sideways glance. "Confident? No. But determined? Yeah."

Liliana let out a low hum. "Determined, huh, sounds like Aeloria really inspired you."

Kale nodded. "You think we'll see anything before we reach Khor'vel?"

"We'll definitely see something," Liliana said. "Whether we want to or not."

The path ahead became rougher as they traveled deeper into the lowlands. The once sparse plants that clung to life in the rocky terrain had wilted, turning a sickly shade of brown. In the distance, a group of small creatures moved across the landscape—animals, barely visible through the heat haze.

At first, Kale didn't think much of them. They looked like harmless rabbits, hopping along the ground. But as the wagon rolled closer, he realized something was wrong.

The rabbits weren't hopping. They were lunging, viciously attacking a small creature that looked like some kind of lizard, their teeth bared, blood already staining their fur. It was a scene of pure savagery.

"Whoa, what the hell?" Kale said.

Rika frowned as she steered the wagon closer. "Rabbits don't do that."

Liliana floated a little higher to get a better view. "Something's not right here. They've been corrupted."

As the wagon rolled past the brutal scene, the animals tore into their victim with a savage ferocity, their movements erratic and frenzied. Blood splattered the cracked earth beneath them, staining the ground in dark streaks. It was a disturbing sight—creatures that should have been harmless driven to an unnatural violence.

Rika shook her head. "Looks like Brakkan wasn't kidding. Something's seriously wrong out here."

"Let's just hope that's the worst of it," Kale said.

Liliana rolled her eyes. "Kale, you've been doing this long enough to know this is absolutely not the worst of it."

Kale shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for hoping."

"Can blame a guy for being an idiot." Liliana shot back.

The barren landscape stretched out endlessly before them, a desolation that seemed to cling to the land like a shadow. The corruption wasn't just in the animals, it lingered in the earth itself, an intangible presence that felt wrong, as if the world had been touched by something ancient and malevolent.

Kale glanced at his companions, feeling the unease settling into his bones. This mission was starting to feel far less "trivial" than Brakkan had made it sound. "Guys… I think Brakkan may have been kidding when he said it would be trivial."

Rika snorted. "You think? Brakkan doesn't exactly seem like a kidder."

Liliana's head tilted slightly. "He probably thought this would be a good warm-up for you, Kale. You know, throwing you into something life-threatening just to see if you've got what it takes."

Kale rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension creeping into his muscles. "I don't know about you, but this feels like more than just a warm-up."

Rika laughed, "Are you scared of a couple of little bunnies?"

They passed another group of rabbits viciously attacking something unrecognizable beneath the frenzy of snapping teeth and claws.

Kale stared at the carnage. "First it's bunnies, next thing you know, it's vorrak."

Rika flicked the reins, urging the wagon forward slowly. "We're not turning back now. But whatever's causing this… we need to be ready."

Liliana floated closer to Kale. "You feel that, don't you? The way the air feels… wrong."

Kale nodded. "Oh, I feel it alright."

The landscape ahead shimmered with an unnatural heat, the ground seeming to ripple as though disturbed by an unseen force. Whatever darkness had touched these creatures was spreading, its presence palpable in every twisted shadow. And Khor'vel, with its missing scouts and growing corruption, lay just ahead.

"Trivial," Kale muttered to himself, shaking his head. "Brakkan has a pretty twisted sense of humor."

***

They crossed the threshold into Khor'vel, the silence pressing down on them. The streets were empty, lined with buildings sagging under years of neglect—an impossibility, given the city's supposedly vibrant state just months ago. Despite the decay, it was clear this place had once thrived, full of life. Now, it was little more than a hollow shell, and whatever had drained it was still here, lurking in the shadows.

The air was thick, suffocating, as if it carried the essence of rot. The stench clawed at their throats, and Rika, with her typical bluntness, muttered, "Man, it smells like shit in here."

Kale's eyes darted across the deserted streets. "Stay sharp," he said quietly. Something was off—an unnatural stillness hung over the city, as if it were watching, waiting. As though the rot was biding its time, ready to claim them at any moment.

Liliana floated just ahead as they passed by buildings marked with strange symbols. "This place... it's worse than Orestios's temple."

A distant creaking sound echoed through the empty streets, setting everyone on edge. Kale examined the shadows, his senses on high alert. "Let's move. The sooner we find those scouts, the sooner we can leave this place."

***

As they moved deeper into the city, the symbols on the walls seemed to multiply as they progressed, twisting and curling around the buildings.

"This place feels… cursed," Rika muttered, her eyes darting from one shadowy corner to the next. "I'd rather be anywhere but here."

Kale kept his hand over Aeloria's Promise. The further they walked, the thicker the air seemed to get, as though the rot was closing in around them. Liliana floated beside him, her gaze sharp and unblinking, searching their surroundings with a practiced eye.

"This isn't just decay," she whispered. "It's something worse. I can feel it."

The creaking sound from earlier returned, louder now, reverberating through the empty streets. It echoed unnervingly off the dilapidated buildings, making it impossible to tell where it came from. Every corner they turned felt like a step deeper into some twisted, rotting labyrinth.

Kale stopped. His instincts told him to listen, to pay attention. The air shifted, cooler now, but that wasn't what concerned him. Ahead, the shadows moved unnaturally. His hand went up, motioning for the others to stop.

"What is it?" Rika whispered.

Kale said nothing at first, his eyes fixed on the spot where he'd seen movement. Then, out of the gloom, a figure emerged.

It moved slowly, its posture hunched. Kale's stomach tightened as it stepped into the faint light. The figure was armored, though much of the metal was corroded and tarnished, its surface covered in patches of rust and decay. Once likely strong and imposing, the figure's body was now a grotesque mockery of life. Flesh hung loosely from its bones, rotting in places, with black veins spreading beneath the skin.

"What the hells is that?" Rika whispered.

Kale didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the figure. It was moving, but not like a living being, it was unnatural, jerky, as though every step took immense effort. The figure's head turned toward them, revealing a face half-consumed by decay, with one eye completely hollow, the other glowing faintly with an eerie light.

"Move back, Kale," Liliana said.

As the warrior took another step forward, its rusted sword dragging along the ground behind it, it suddenly stopped, tilting its head slightly as though listening to something only it could hear.

Kale felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He gripped Aeloria's Promise, stepping forward cautiously. "Who are you?"

The figure's decayed eyes fixed on them, its voice a hollow whisper. "You shouldn't have come here."

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