The passing days inside the relic blurred together without the sun or moon to mark the passage of ti. It was an endless cycle of searching, fighting, and scavenging.
With each new cavern they explored, the three gradually fell into a rhythm—Kain leading the way since he was an irresistible target to any abominations remaining, Serena was right behind him to support when he was inevitably attacked, and Malzahir left scratches on the walls like a trail of breadcrumbs to ensure they weren't going around in circles.
The relic was vast, far more intricate than they had initially assud. They had already gone through dozens of chambers and a countless number of pathways.
They moved carefully, thodically, mapping their path as they went. Every new cavern was a potential treasure trove—or a death trap.
Their primary goal remained the relic cores, old docunts, and artifacts, and along the way their wealth quickly grew—old weapons, strange tos, tallic plates inscribed with runes long lost to ti…and the occasional core fragnt (which Kain now knew contained what was called Source energy).
So objects were completely useless in their current state, rusted beyond recognition, while others held a trace of dormant energy, waiting to be awakened. They took what they could carry, prioritizing items with potential value over sheer curiosity.
And, of course, they prioritized the rare core fragnts containing Source energy.
Whenever they encountered one, Kain would collect it and pass it to Serena without a second thought. At first, she had been skeptical, waiting for the mont he would attempt to absorb the energy for himself. But he never did. He simply handed them over and moved on, as if the act carried no weight. As though he had no lingering draw to the violet fragnts.
The first few tis, Serena had watched him like a hawk, her fingers twitching toward her dagger. But as the days wore on and Kain held true to his word, her suspicion eased—if only slightly.
Over ti, even Malzahir's paranoia began to wane, his shoulders no longer tensing every ti Kain so much as exhaled too loudly.
But Kain was far from idle. While the core fragnts were off-limits, Serena and Malzahir weren't aware of the faint traces of Source energy lingering in so of the relics they uncovered.
The ancient tals, the shattered remnants of weapons, the rusted-looking auxiliary tools—they carried miniscule amounts of Source energy, and the System allowed for Kain to discreetly siphon it without drawing attention. It wasn't much, nowhere near what he needed to restore the System's full functions, but it was sothing.
Without the core fragnts, the progress was agonizingly slow. The System remained crippled, its abilities locked behind an insurmountable wall. No matter how much energy he stole from the relic's remnants or the abominations, it was a drop in the ocean compared to what he truly needed.
But it was all he could do under Serena's watchful gaze.
The abominations, at least, provided a more substantial source.
The twisted creatures—remnants of the relic's experints—still lurked in the shadows, their hatred for Kain seeming to have grown even stronger.
Whenever they attacked, Kain made sure to land the killing blow, discretely absorbing what energy he could with the help of the System.
One evening—or what passed for the evening in the tiless dark—they settled in a cavern larger than most, its ceiling arched high enough that their firelight didn't reach the top.
Serena sat cross-legged near the fire, thodically sharpening her dagger, sword, and nurous arrowheads.
Malzahir was already asleep, his breathing slow and even, his back turned to Kain as usual.
Kain poked at the fire with a stick, watching the embers dance. "We've been in here a long ti," he murmured.
Serena didn't look up. "Yes."
"You know," he mused, glancing toward Serena, "we're probably going to hold the record for the largest drop in ranking in Dark Moon College history."
Her hands stilled for a fraction of a second before resuming their work. "Probably."
"I an," Kain continued, smirking faintly, "we started this expedition as Rank 1. And at this rate? We'll be dead last by the ti we get back to the college. Heck, it may have even been long enough that the National Competition is already over."
A heavy silence settled over them. The National Competition was one of the most significant events for college students, an opportunity to prove themselves on a national scale. Although their participation seems trivial in the grand sche of things, and the life-threatening attacks by the Abyss made daily. But it was still unfortunate…
Kain exhaled through his nose, eyes flickering toward the shadowed cavern ceiling. "I promised my siblings that I would compete again this year—and even lead the college to victory so they could brag to everyone about their brother." His voice was quieter now. "And now, because of this damn relic, I'm stuck here, unable to keep that promise."
Serena was silent for a long mont. Then, to his surprise, she said, "We'll get out eventually."
Kain blinked. "That's unusually optimistic for you."
She shot him a dry look. "Not optimism. Fact. The relic core has to be here sowhere. And when we find it, we're leaving."
Kain chuckled, and his expression beca much more relaxed.
The fire crackled between them, casting flickering shadows across the cavern walls. For the first ti in days, the tension between them felt almost... normal.
Then Serena's expression shifted, her gaze sharpening as she looked past him. "Did you hear that?"
Kain stilled, listening. At first, there was nothing. Then—
A faint, skittering sound. Like claws on stone.
Sothing was moving in the dark.
Malzahir stirred, his battle-honed instincts rousing him instantly. His hand went to his knife as he sat up, his dark eyes were instantly alert, as though he'd never been asleep, scanning the shadows.
Kain rose slowly, his muscles tensing. The sound grew louder, closer—not just one set of footsteps, but many.
Serena was already on her feet, her dagger drawn. "We're not alone."
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