Outside the storm, the chaos had not stopped. If anything, it had grown larger and more violent as though something had angered it.

Another attempt failed.

The backlash had broken through their formations, forcing healers to intervene as they stepped forward while the main fighters argued among themselves.

Patience had started to run thin with every failure.

"No, you are not listening ..."

"We need more power..."

"That’s what caused the last..."

"Then what, we just stand here?!"

The storm rared in response, lightning striking as if mocking them.

Near the edge of the gathering, stood Solaris, his personal guard beside him, slightly apart from the group.

He had gotten tired of all the arguing. It wasn’t like he was sent to enter; he was just to observe and, if possible, enter.

His gaze was on the shifting winds and water. He just couldn’t tell but he could feel that something was wrong.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Wait."

No one heard him over the shouting, arguments, and storms.

"Your highness?" The guard called.

Solaris pointed to the storm.

"I want you to look carefully through the storm. "

The guards nodded, their sharp gaze focusing on the place he had directed.

He leaned forward slightly, focusing on the inner part of the storm.

"Can you see it," Solaris asked.

He frowned, sweat dripping slightly. He couldn’t see anything.

"Look."

A brief flash of lightning tore across the storm. Two figures appeared, blurry but he could still make them out.

"What is what?.. No, who are those?"

They were gone just as quickly.

"Someone seemed to have slipped into a storm under everyone’s gaze."

The amusement couldn’t be hidden.

His breath caught, and the guards’ disbelieving gaze stayed on the storm.

Another flash, and the figures became more visible.

"Thats impossible, " he said loudly, despite himself.

This time, the others noticed.

"What is it?"

"Why are you staring...?"

"There!"

The moment the lightning flashed, someone shouted. More eyes focused on the storm. It didn’t part immediately but when it did, the figures became more visible but they still couldn’t identify who it was, it was just silhouettes.

Silence fell over the ocean as news spread like wildfire. The absurdity of it all had caught up to them.

Gradually, voices started, and then more people joined.

"How?"

"When did they?"

"No one crossed the boundary!"

"That’s impossible. "

Voices raised, confusion, envy, and something sharper. Anger.

Prince Solaris’ expression darkened slightly, eyes narrowing as realisation settled in.

"They didn’t go through it," he said, loud enough for nearby ships to hear.

They all turned to him.

"What?"

He didn’t answer immediately, his gaze never leaving the storm.

"They waited, " he said, almost to himself, " and slipped on while you all were busy failing. "

No one contested his assumptions because there was nothing to argue about.

Further back, Caius and Yander who had nearly made it stood side by side, both staring into the storm now.

Yander’s grip tightened slightly.

"They’re inside."

Caius looked at her, confusion in his gaze.

"Who?"

Yander exhaled softly, eyes sharp.

"Her majesty and his highness."

His eyes widened, the sword in his hand almost slipping.

"They... when? What if it’s another group"

He was left without words.

Her lips curved.

"They’re the only ones who would do something like this, " she quietly said," nothing can stop her."

.

.

.

Atheline walked slowly ahead, each step breaking the suffocating silence. The structure shifted with each step.

Patches of dry soil would crack even further while stones rolled away on their own.

Nothing was growing properly there. Thin strands of curled leaves,stood out from the ground their leaves an ash grey instead of green. A few stems stood out but their ends ended with blunt plants, no leaves in sight.

"This place is dead," he muttered, "I never knew ruins were like this."

"It’s not dead," she replied quietly.

He glanced back at her.

She was watching the ground, not the horizon.

"Then what?"

"It’s probably just drained of its energy by the storm," she said her tone carrying clarity," to keep a ruin like this moving must consume a lot of energy. "

His eyebrow raised, his steps slowing.

"How old do you think this ruin is?" He asked.

She glanced around then turned to her.

"I don’t know, probably more than ten thousand, " she guessed.

Atheline nodded lost in thought.

"How many ruins have you entered?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

He smiled.

"Just curious. "

Her gaze became distant.

"Twenty maybe, I’m not sure," she said," some of them I entered when I was young. They were the best place to train in though. "

He squeezed his hand, the feeling of yelling to God’s passing over him.

"You just found them?" He asked just to confirm.

"Yes."

From her tone, he knew she didn’t see it as impressive.

’Why didn’t I have her luck, I...’

"I almost died a few times," she said, as though remembering a fond memory, " that kind of high-pressure environment made everything easier and convenient. "

He didn’t ask anymore. The moment Lilith decided to open up to him was rare but every time it’s something surprising.

They didn’t speak anymore as their steps took them through the dry land.

He crouched briefly, dragging his finger across the ground. What was revealed left him a little confused and excited.

"Lily, look," he pointed at the clean part," it’s slabs of stone."

They were too organised and covered in fine dust.

"It seems we’re getting somewhere. "

He stood again, brushing his hand off lightly.

"This is strange, there are no signs of buildings even fallen, " he said.

"This might just be the road, or the building itself."

"So it’s been so long that they disintegrated into dust?" He wondered to himself.

"It might. "

They continued forward, not wanting to waste time on something useless.

The land sloped gently upwards ahead, the terrain changed from uneven ground into broader stretches of slabs of stone.

The surface of the stone was cut, into straight segmented lines forming squares.

He slowed.

"This must have taken a lot of work."

"Yes."

He stepped onto the stone slabs, testing them to see if they might shift but nothing. It remained firmly where it was.

His eyes traced the edges. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"It must have looked spectacular during that time."

Lilith didn’t respond. Her gaze was somewhere else, far away.

Atheline could feel her tense up, her tension transferring to him.

They moved forward carefully now. The more they continued the more everything felt wrong with the place.

Atheline exhaled softly.

"This is bigger than I had expected. "