The air inside the temple was thick with dust and time. The faint glow of their torches flickered across ancient walls, casting shadows that stretched like ghosts from a forgotten age.
Aelric moved with precision, his sharp eyes scanning every corner, every uneven stone beneath their feet. He had done this before.
His steps were careful, calculated. Even without knowing the full history of this place, he knew what to look for. Patterns in the architecture, subtle shifts in the stonework, hidden mechanisms designed to punish intruders.
Veyne followed close behind, watching him intently.
“You’ve done this before,” Veyne muttered.
“Many times,” Aelric replied without looking back. “Not this exact temple, but ruins like it. They always have something in common. Traps. Secrets. Leftovers of a past the Order tried to bury.”
Veyne hesitated, then asked, “But you don’t know what this place was?”
Aelric shook his head. “No. Not yet. But I search anyway. Because somewhere in these ruins, in one of the many temples I’ve come across, there will be something worth finding. And when I find it, I’ll know.”
Veyne absorbed his words, then glanced around at the ancient carvings and towering walls. He had never thought about things like this before. Never considered the past beyond what was forced upon him. But Aelric searched for answers that no one else even thought to ask.
Aelric suddenly stopped, his hand shooting out to block Veyne’s path.
Veyne tensed. “What?”
Aelric knelt down, inspecting a small groove in the floor. “Pressure trap. Step on it, and we’ll either be skewered, crushed, or set on fire.”
Veyne swallowed.
Aelric stood, smirking slightly. “You’d be dead already if you came here alone.”
Veyne exhaled. He had thought his strength alone would be enough for survival, but now, watching Aelric navigate this place like it was second nature, he understood.
Knowledge mattered.
For the first time, he felt truly grateful that he had left the village. That he had chosen to follow this man.
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As they continued, Aelric suddenly reached into his coat, pulling something from inside.
A small, hidden short blade.
He flipped it in his fingers before tossing it to Veyne. “Here.”
Veyne caught it, frowning. “What’s this?”
“A weapon,” Aelric said dryly. “You’ve never used one before, have you?”
Veyne shook his head. “Never had a reason to.”
Aelric smirked. “I have a good eye for people. You’ll grow stronger once you learn to use it.”
Veyne studied the blade for a moment before gripping it.
“Swing it.”
Veyne blinked. “What?”
Aelric gestured. “Just swing it.”
Veyne hesitated, then stepped back and swung the blade through the air.
Aelric watched, analyzing his movement. No finesse. No technique. But his form was natural, his body instinctively adjusting for the weight of the weapon.
Aelric nodded. “Not just brute strength… you have potential with the sword too.”
Veyne glanced at the blade in his hands. “You can tell that from one swing?”
Aelric smirked. “I told you. I have a good eye for people.”
They moved deeper inside.
That was when the trap was triggered.
The walls rumbled. A series of loud clicks echoed through the chamber, followed by the unmistakable sound of something moving.
Then, from the darkness, they came.
Low, snarling creatures, their misshapen forms barely humanoid, crawled forth from hidden alcoves. Goblins. Small, filthy monsters, scavengers of old ruins.
Veyne immediately raised his blade. His instincts screamed at him to charge.
But he stopped himself.
Instead, he asked, “What’s the order?”
Aelric’s smirk widened slightly. He’s learning.
“Keep your stance low,” Aelric instructed, stepping to the side, scanning the battlefield. “They’re weak, but they swarm. Overwhelm them before they overwhelm us.”
Veyne nodded. “Understood.”
The goblins lunged.
Veyne moved.
He wasn’t experienced. He wasn’t trained. But his raw strength made up for it.
The first goblin lunged at him with a rusted dagger. Veyne reacted—not perfectly, but effectively. He swung his blade downward, cleaving through the goblin’s arm and sending it sprawling to the floor.
Aelric, meanwhile, had already positioned himself near a crumbling pillar. He reached out, pushed against a loose brick, and sent a chunk of debris crashing down on two goblins at once.
Knowledge and strength—working together.
Veyne, seeing Aelric’s movements, adjusted his own. He fought not just with instinct, but with awareness. Covering Aelric’s blind spots, following his movements, attacking only when necessary.
The last goblin snarled and leapt at Aelric’s back.
Veyne reacted.
His body moved before his mind could catch up, his sword flashing through the air.
The goblin fell, its throat slit.
Veyne stood over the body, breathing heavily.
The fight was over.
Aelric stretched his arms. “Well. That wasn’t terrible.”
Veyne let out a breath, looking down at his blade. His first real fight.
Aelric stepped beside him. “Now, imagine if you actually knew how to fight.”
Veyne gave him a tired look. “I’ll get there.”
Aelric smirked. “I know.”
They continued onward.
But they didn’t get far.
Aelric suddenly stopped.
Veyne immediately noticed his shift in posture. “What is it?”
Aelric’s gaze sharpened. Something was wrong.
Then, he saw it—the faintest glimmer of light reflecting off metal.
A squad of trackers.
The Order was already here.
Veyne tensed. “What do we do?”
Aelric’s mind raced. The Order had explored this temple before. They knew it well. If Aelric and Veyne tried to run, they would be found. If they tried to fight, they would die.
Their only chance was to find something the Order didn’t know about.
Aelric turned sharply. “There has to be a hidden passage.”
Veyne blinked. “What?”
“It’s our only chance,” Aelric said, already moving. “The Order knows these ruins too well. If we don’t find a hidden route—we’re caught.”
Veyne looked at him. Aelric’s expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned with certainty.
For the first time, Veyne didn’t question him.
He followed.
End of Chapter 5