In the heavy silence of his cell, Rian sat in the corner of his dilapidated prison. The cold floor beneath his sweaty feet reminded him of his harsh fate. The prison walls creaked under the weight of time, covered in deep cracks, while droplets of water dripped from the decaying ceiling, intensifying his sense of isolation and fear. In his mind, he replayed the tape of his life; how he had gone from a powerful heir to a broken captive. Each scar on his body carried with it a memory of the humiliation he had endured, and every wound was a mark of the suppressed anger within him.

Outside, the guards exchanged quiet conversations, but Rian's mind was preoccupied with Oliver's words, words that held within them the key to Ethan's death, his father. He remembered that fateful night when Ethan had decided to go to the ruins with Oliver and Asher; anxiety had been evident on his face, yet he was determined to find the nucleus injection, which could save them from the unknown fate.

His father had told him that night: "They are coming. They are watching us from their new world. They want to eliminate all survivors. I must be stronger." Those words had come before everything had irrevocably deteriorated. The memories might be hazy, but Rian knew full well that Oliver and Asher had betrayed his father.

The next day, the tribe began packing their tents, heading toward the Eganor Mountains. Moving was inevitable, and the conversations among the tribe members continued in low voices about the difficult journey ahead.

"The main tent is ready, and the cart is prepared. Are you ready?" Asher asked as he approached Oliver, who was standing by the well, lost in thought.

Oliver replied hesitantly, staring into the deep water, "I didn't want things to go this way. That person... he might kill us if we find the place."

Asher shrugged and answered, his voice initially filled with regret before becoming more confident in his final words: "Our lives have always been at his mercy. We sacrificed Ethan to buy time, and I've uncovered some hidden secrets."

Oliver paused, his brows furrowed with concern: "Do you really think there's a chance for survival? Remember, he has my nucleus injection and has expanded his powers."

Asher smirked sarcastically and said, "Zane? He's strong enough to destroy the Northern Arcadia Kingdom. It took twenty legions and kings Gregor and Dainus to kill him. Do you think the place he's lived in for a year will be an ordinary one?"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Oliver felt astonished: "Zane fought with King Dainus? ... This is really bad."

Asher nodded slowly and continued, "Yes, and that's why we must be on high alert during our upcoming journey."

Asher led Oliver toward the main vehicle, which was made of corroded ancient metals, assembled from wreckage taken from lost cities. The vehicle's structure was dilapidated, yet it was capable of moving thanks to the primitive technology salvaged from extinct eras. The two climbed aboard, and it began to emit loud sounds and puff smoke as if it were a beast gasping for breath, then started moving slowly across the scorching sands and high dunes.

The entire tribe was moving behind them; carts of various sizes emitted intermittent smoke and sounds, cutting through the complete silence of the desert, with massive bulls lowing as they pulled heavy cargo. Everyone wore wide robes and cloth masks to protect them from the radioactive sand. The scene was enveloped in cautious silence.

A short distance from the back of the caravan, an old cage cart pulled by a massive bull carried Rian, surrounded by mixed looks from the guards around him, some holding contempt, while others expressed sympathy.

Not far from them, a tall, strong-looking man walked. Despite being forced to submit to Oliver, he remained loyal to Ethan, who had saved him, hiding this loyalty well, waiting for the right moment to act and rescue his son to repay his debt to Rian's father.

"Kieran, by sunset, we will have reached the Dead Lakes area. Though it is completely quiet during the day, it transforms entirely at night. That's when the opportunity to free Rian will come," said the one-eyed elder Sun as he approached the strong man and spoke quietly before leaving.

After a long day of traveling through the desert, they reached a desolate wasteland, as if it were part of the end of the world. Scattered at intervals were deep lakes filled with greenish water that emitted a foul odor. Each lake measured at least 100 meters in diameter. The caravan continued to move, dispersed through the narrow spaces between the lakes without stopping, everyone's eyes on the distant horizon.

The sun in the sky had turned into a red disc sinking on the horizon, and strange sounds began to emanate from the lakes, prompting the caravan to continue without taking a break.

As they advanced, there were occasional screams from unlucky individuals who fell into one of the small lakes and began to dissolve.

"Help me, save me! I'm...!" one person shouted, reaching out to those around him, but before anyone could react, his face had already melted away.

"Damn, another one has gone! How many have we lost now?" muttered one of those nearby in a loud voice for those around him to hear.

"Hey, it's his fault for not being careful in this place," replied one of those nearby.

"Hey, look, someone pull his hand before it melts! We need dinner!" shouted a nearby guard loudly, making them all panic before starting to try to pull the hand.

At the front of the caravan, one of the men rode a bull and noticed a towering mountain peak appearing from nowhere in the middle of the barren desert.

"There's a peak ahead! We're getting close!" the man shouted quickly, announcing the news.

Oliver felt excitement rising within him as he saw the mountain. Perhaps, finally, there might be hope for survival.

"Tell everyone we'll camp here for the night. After that, we'll decide our next move," Oliver said excitedly, looking toward the mysterious future, unaware of what tomorrow might bring.