The crystalline storm died as abruptly as it had begun, its howling winds fading to a whisper, then to nothing.
The air outside the cave was sharp with the scent of shattered crystalline and ozone, the ground littered with glinting shards that crunched underfoot like brittle glass.
The sky above was a pale, bruised gray, streaked with silver clouds that seemed to pulse faintly, as if mourning the storm's retreat. The group emerged cautiously, their eyes scanning the jagged landscape for threats. The sleeping beast in the cave hadn't stirred again, but its presence lingered in their minds.
Toren took the lead, his weathered face set in a grim line as he navigated the rocky slope. Lira followed close behind, her sharp eyes darting between the terrain and the horizon. Raven moved like a shadow, his steps silent, his posture alert for any sign of danger. Xin and Belial brought up the rear, the former's hands restless at his sides, the latter's expression unreadable, almost detached. The mountain loomed at their backs, its crystal-veined peaks glinting faintly, a cruel reminder of the gauntlet they'd already survived.
The path wound through a desolate field of stone and bone-like outcroppings, the weird blue moss from before pulsing faintly under their boots. No one spoke at first, the silence heavy with the weight of what they'd seen in the cave. Xin's mind churned, replaying Lira's question about the first stage, the screams of his fallen comrades, the Ruin Knight's merciless blade. He shook his head, forcing the memories down. There'd be time for that later—if they made it to the scouts' camp.
The first sign of trouble came an hour into their trek. A low, guttural chitter echoed from a cluster of jagged rocks ahead, followed by the skitter of claws on stone. Toren froze, raising a hand to halt the group. "Skin-crawlers," he muttered, his voice taut. "Stay sharp."
Lira drew a short blade from her belt—one of the few tools the Coalition's Act had allowed them to keep. Raven's hand hovered near his own makeshift weapon, a shard of obsidian wrapped in cloth. Xin stepped forward, ether sparking faintly at his fingertips, ready to assist. Belial, however, hung back, his arms crossed, his gaze distant. He made no move to help, no offer to join the fight. Xin shot him a glance, irritation flickering in his chest, but said nothing.
The skin-crawlers burst from the rocks—three of them, each the size of a dog, their segmented bodies glistening with a sickly sheen. Their legs clicked furiously, mandibles snapping as they lunged. Raven moved first, his reflexes a blur as he drove his obsidian shard into the nearest creature's flank. It screeched, a sound that clawed at their ears, and thrashed wildly. Lira darted in, her blade slashing at another's legs, severing one with a wet crunch. Toren grappled with the third, wrestling it to the ground, his face contorted with effort.
It wasn't clean. The scouts were skilled, but the creatures were relentless, their movements erratic. Lira took a glancing blow, a mandible grazing her arm and drawing blood. Toren grunted as his crawler snapped at his shoulder, narrowly missing flesh. Raven dispatched his with ruthless precision, but even he was breathing hard, sweat beading on his brow. Xin didn't hesitate—ether flared at his hands, and he sent a pulse of energy toward Lira, the shimmering tendrils knitting her wound closed before it could worsen. Another burst bolstered Toren's strength, giving him the edge to pin his crawler and crush its head against the stone.
The fight was over in minutes, but it felt longer. The crawlers lay dead, their bodies twitching faintly, leaking a viscous ooze that hissed against the ground. Lira wiped her blade clean, her breath ragged but her expression fierce. Toren flexed his shoulder, wincing, and gave Xin a nod of thanks. Raven said nothing, his eyes already scanning for the next threat.
Xin turned to Belial, his voice low but sharp. "You could've helped."
Belial met his gaze, unflinching. "They handled it," he said flatly. "No point wasting energy."
Xin's jaw tightened, but he didn't press it. There was no time—not with the sun creeping closer to the horizon, its first rays threatening to break through the clouds. They moved on, the tension between them a silent undercurrent.
The second attack came later, as they crossed a narrow ravine flanked by crystal spires. A pair of mind-bats swooped from above, their leathery wings silent until the last moment. Their shrieks hit like a physical force, burrowing into the mind, sowing doubt and disorientation. Lira staggered, clutching her head, while Toren gritted his teeth, his blade swinging wildly. Raven, somehow, stayed focused, his movements precise as he slashed at one bat's wing, grounding it. Xin poured ether into the group, a steady stream that dulled the bats' psychic assault and sharpened their reflexes. Lira recovered first, driving her blade into the grounded bat's skull, while Toren and Raven dispatched the other in a flurry of strikes.
Again, Belial did nothing, standing back with Xin as the others fought. Xin's hands glowed with ether, his focus split between healing Lira's fresh cuts and boosting Raven's speed, but his frustration grew. Belial's inaction wasn't just laziness—it was deliberate, a statement Xin didn't understand. He wanted to confront him, to demand answers, but the rising sun was a more immediate threat. They had to keep moving.
The sky lightened as they pushed forward, the clouds thinning to reveal the sun's deadly edge. Its rays were faint at first, but every minute brought them closer to exposure. Toren picked up the pace, leading them toward a series of low, rocky hills that promised cover. "We're almost there," he called back, his voice strained but resolute. "The base is just beyond the ridge."
They reached the outskirts as the sun crested fully, its light searing the ground where it touched. Toren didn't hesitate—he led them to a hidden crevice in the hillside, barely visible amid the stone. One by one, they squeezed through, descending into a network of underground tunnels. The air was cooler here, damp and heavy, but safer than the surface. The tunnels were familiar to the scouts, their steps more confident as they navigated the twisting passages. Xin felt a flicker of relief, though the weight of Belial's silence and the day's battles kept his nerves taut.
For another hour, they walked in near-silence, the only sounds their footsteps and the occasional drip of water echoing off the walls. The tunnels widened gradually, the stone giving way to smoother surfaces, as if carved by hands rather than nature. Crystal veins still glowed faintly, guiding their way, but the oppressive dread of the mountain was gone. They were close—Xin could feel it, a subtle shift in the air that spoke of refuge.
Finally, Toren slowed, raising a hand to signal their arrival. The tunnel opened into a broader chamber, its walls studded with glowing crystals that cast a soft, steady light. Beyond it, Xin glimpsed the outlines of structures—makeshift shelters, crates, and flickering lanterns. The cave camp. It was real, tangible, a haven after the horrors they'd faced.
Toren turned to them, a tired smile breaking through his exhaustion. "Welcome to base," he said. "You made it."
Lira exhaled, her shoulders sagging with relief. "Took long enough," she muttered, but there was no venom in it. Raven's expression didn't change, though his posture eased slightly, his eyes still scanning the shadows. Xin managed a nod, his own fatigue catching up to him, the ether he'd spent leaving him drained. Belial remained silent, his gaze fixed on the camp ahead, unreadable as ever.
They stepped forward, ready to cross the threshold, when a sound stopped them cold—a low, resonant hum, like the pulse of a distant heart.
It came from deeper within the camp, beyond the shelters, where the light didn't reach. The crystals along the walls flickered, their glow dimming for a heartbeat before stabilizing. Toren's smile faltered, his hand drifting to his blade. Lira's eyes widened, her earlier relief replaced by wariness.
"What was that?" Xin asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Raven's head tilted, his gaze locked on the darkness ahead. "Something's here," he said softly.