NOVPUB"Come on, let's continue moving," Drake said.
The others agreed silently and moved forward. From time to time, corrupted Scourge Dragons patrolled in slow, wide arcs.
Some crawled across the sides of ruined buildings, others soared above with elongated wings. Every few seconds, one would screech—and the sound rattled through their bones.
They crossed a narrow stone bridge that overlooked a deep canyon. At the bottom was a glowing pool of black sludge. No one dared to glance down.
At the bottom of the canyon, the black sludge shimmered like it was alive—bubbling, breathing. Even from above, the corrupted stench of the pit made their stomachs churn.
Lumi's expression darkened. She felt like throwing up.
When they finally reached the other side, they entered the building they had seen from the ridge. It was a crumbled, cathedral-like structure—partially intact. Surprisingly, despite the age and corruption, it was still sturdy enough to provide shelter.
Drake was the first to step inside. He paused briefly, scanning the interior—no signs of movement, no fresh footprints. He gave a silent nod, and the others followed one after the other.
Once inside, the temperature dropped slightly, and the air was less saturated with corrupted mana. It was almost... breathable.
Zara and Elise closed the entrance with a collapsed curtain of stone, just enough to mask them from view. Then they moved into the upper chambers of the structure, where broken windows gave them a view of the corrupted sky.
Celestis summoned a faint water veil to filter the air and stabilize the mana density. Meanwhile, Lumi conjured a light orb that hovered near the ceiling like a dim moon.
"Rest. Heal if you need to," Drake muttered as he walked toward one of the windows.
Everyone scattered slightly, slumping onto broken benches or leaning against shattered columns.
"Not exactly a palace, but it'll do," Raziel muttered, sitting against a cracked wall.
"Better than flying around dodging Scourge monsters," someone whispered.
"Shh," Elise hissed, pointing toward the window.
Everyone turned.
Outside, red lightning continued to streak through the clouds.
And in the distance...
"Is he still looking for us?" Lumi asked in a low voice.
There, gliding slowly through the ruined city, was the Scourge Commander. The masked humanoid moved with terrifying grace—wings tucked behind his back, arms folded. His presence alone shook the structures beneath him.
Every few seconds, his head turned sharply, scanning rooftops, alleyways, and collapsed towers.
The pressure was suffocating, even from afar.
"Looks like it," Drake muttered. "He's sweeping the area."
The masked humanoid hovered a while longer. Eventually, after what felt like hours, he stopped above a ruined courtyard, lingered there silently, and then vanished into a swirling rift of black mist.
Only when the last trace of his presence faded did the group exhale.
"That was too close," Zara said.
"We can't just sit here and wait for him to stumble on us," Drake said, turning toward the others. "We need to gather more information. This city holds too many secrets—and we still don't know what kind of power we're up against."
"What do you suggest?"
"We split up. We'll cover more ground that way. The longer we stay clustered, the easier it'll be to wipe us out in one move."
"Who's going?" Zara asked.
"Nyxirith and Raziel," Drake replied. "You two head east. Look for any usable relics or clues. Celestis and Valkor, take the west path. Zara and Elise, you'll go north."
"What about the rest of us?" the earth dragon prince asked with a frown. He felt like he'd been left out the entire time.
"We stay here. Guard this position. If anything happens, we fall back here. This is our anchor," Drake explained. "Besides, we'll need your earth manipulation—just in case."
Everyone nodded.
Without hesitation, Nyxirith stood and moved toward the exit.
Raziel followed, rolling his shoulders as electricity crackled faintly along his arm. "Finally, time for some action."
"We're only gathering information, not fighting," Nyxirith muttered, noting his eager expression.
"I know, shadow princess. But that doesn't mean we run away if it comes to a fight."
"Right. Run if you can. Only fight when it's absolutely necessary," Drake warned.
"Fair point." Raziel grinned, then disappeared into the ruins with Nyxirith.
Valkor stood next, brushing ash off his clothes. "Let's get this over with."
Celestis rose beside him. She didn't speak—just summoned a pale sphere of water that hovered above her palm, casting light.
The two left as well. Then Elise and Zara followed.
---
Drake sat near the cracked window, staring out at the dead city. The sky hadn't changed. Neither had the pressure.
But something felt different.
Like the city itself was waiting.
"What's going through your head?" Toren asked, taking a seat beside him.
Drake didn't answer immediately.
Then he looked at his friend.
"Do you think this place… was once beautiful?"
Toren blinked. "What?"
"This city. Before the corruption. Before the Scourge."
The large man looked out the window at the half-broken towers and moss-covered statues.
"…Maybe."
Drake nodded. "I keep thinking about what Celestis said. That the Ninth Element wasn't meant for dragons. That someone tried to make us remember something we were supposed to forget."
The earth prince wandered over as he overheard them.
Toren was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "You're thinking this is all our fault."
"I'm thinking we were never supposed to be here."
At that moment, Lumi approached, holding a thin shard of broken crystal.
"I found this," she said softly.
Drake took it and saw that symbols were scribbled across its surface. Unfortunately, Celestis—the only one in the group who could read the ancient language—had already left.
"Is it another one?" the earth prince asked.
Drake nodded slowly. "Looks like it."
He glanced back toward the doorway where the scouting teams had vanished and said softly.
"Let's hope they find something useful."
***
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