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Chapter 22 - Rendezvous Point

Within the earthy confines, there lay a certain void of inky, pitch black. It reeked of moldy must and sickly pungency like an overwhelming, festering odium. Thick droplets of mold spore lined its uneven floors like tiny pinpricks of rotting flesh. Slime-like residue creeping down its darkened corners. An abyss of decay was one way to describe it.

Dilapidated remains of moss clung weakly to the groves, their remnants fraying with each footfall. On the eerie quiet, echoes resonated faintly throughout the cavern, signaling a death knell. "God-forsaken Rift!" Kai shrieked aloud in unadulterated rage. His fist crushed deep into its rugged terrain. Wounds littered his body, gushing in abundance despite Zeke's healing properties. But it was apparent he couldn't maintain his rate of recovery much longer.

Two months. Two months of purgatory. Two months of aimless wandering. Two months of acclimating themselves to the peculiar laws of this world. They should be grateful that this eldritch land was helping them evolve so quickly, especially after having found themselves at death's door several times. But at this stage, no such emotions could surface in their current situation.

"Blood... blood... Fighting," Kai's mind murmured drowsily, almost delirious. "Where... Is it a foe?" he stumbled around, vision blurry, eyes bloodshot red.

Zeke stood up, panting heavily as the glint of light reflected upon his sweaty forehead. Despite the ambient heat, he shivered uncontrollably; it felt so cold against his damp, flushed skin. His injuries weren't severe, yet they seemed to slow down his mana flow. "There is definitely something—someone somewhere, looking for us. Be careful; I can't see or tell from the aura since it's not active or aware."

Kai scowled as he sneered, turning towards Zeke. "What is that supposed to mean? Why can't we sense it?" His brows furrowed deeply in thought, lips contorting to one side. "Someone could be watching us right now? Is there an invisible enemy?"

"It may not always show up," replied Zeke. He rubbed the blood away from his forehead, shaking the red off his fingers. "We should retreat. Forget about food for now and focus on finding somewhere safe," he ordered with a strained yet authoritative voice. His eyelids twitched frantically from fatigue and dehydration.

"Should we split up?" Eira suggested. "I'm honestly good to continue for a while. You guys should go back to where we were, and we might find some food. Or anything edible."

The answer came almost immediately. "No."

Zeke gestured with his left palm in a particular direction. "Never split up in a foreign space. There is no guarantee it's safe back there. We got ambushed right after settling for the night; things are already tough as is." His gaze trailed the dead grass before nodding curtly. "Yes, it'll be dangerous, but we'll manage. If you still have energy, we'll take turns guarding and resting. I have a bad feeling. Besides, I'd feel safer with everybody together," he proclaimed as his eyes landed on their murky shadows.

At first glance, Eira seemed no different from usual. Her movements, however, betrayed the same tiredness they displayed—her feet shuffled awkwardly, stumbling a bit from time to time, and her arms sagged low. She wasn't feeling too well despite doing her best to appear so. "If that's the case..." she hesitated momentarily. "I'm... I was honestly getting exhausted, and it seems you two aren't any better. We should—" Eira's stomach growled audibly, causing her to pause briefly. "Aghh, but I'm so hungry!" She blurted. "And thirsty too!!"

Their bodies were already drenched in sweat, and any moisture lingering on their lips evaporated before their tongues even touched it. There wasn't much point worrying about the hunger anymore as Eira's mind went haywire, trying desperately to remember what drinking water tasted like. They were severely lacking in everything; their minds and stomachs could not cope.

Kai bit down on his lips. "Hey, what about that water magic? I don't care if you say it's undrinkable. I just need—"

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"Shh!" Interrupted Elora. Her finger lay on her lip, signaling silence as her head inclined to the left. Her expression turned grave, face turning dark while beads of the little sweat she had left dripped along her chin. "I hear something. Listen carefully; there is something."

Kai and Eira looked at her skeptically, neither daring to move nor speak. Soon after, Zeke perked his ear, trying to hear what was occurring around them. A soft, melodic tone resonated in their ears. It came from nearby. It didn't seem hostile or angry, unlike all the other monsters they fought with so far, nor did the creature's aura contain any malicious intent. In fact, it sounded rather inviting, a lullaby or song being hummed.

"A melody? It's soothing somehow." Kai raised a brow, suspicious of the siren's calling. Yet, a bizarre feeling spread through him, and he allowed his curiosity to take control. Inhaling slowly, he nodded calmly. "Is it imitating a human? Did any of us hum a melody, by any chance?"

Zeke's face contorted slightly as his body tensed up at Kai's words. "Hmm, not sure. I doubt we had the energy to play around."

"It isn't us," agreed Eira. "But hey, let's sing back!"

Kai whacked her head. "Idiot. Don't." Deep in contemplation, his palm cupped his cheeks before approaching Zeke with apprehension. "How long has it been, Zeke? Your ability to detect mana is better than ours; we should rely on you."

A worried look crossed his face. "It's odd. I know there is something, but it doesn't appear to possess much mana, let alone emit its aura. Yet, somehow, I feel that whatever's making the sound isn't... normal," Zeke finished lamely. "No, it definitely possesses mana, but I can't quite wrap my mind around it. It's different from us or any other creature so far."

"Didn't you say that the Riftborn used a different type of magic that didn't rely on mana?" Elora commented, rubbing her temples.

Zeke turned his head and nodded. "It's only a theory. As I said, it wouldn't make sense for a creature to have a near-infinite source of energy, which the Riftborn appear to have. It can't be mana." He hesitated a moment, peering deeply at her before replying. "But whatever lies beyond that wall emits a messy jumble of both. Maybe even something third."

His hand held onto his chin, pondering their situation for a second before eventually addressing his party, "Well, should we inspect the entity? Maybe if we eliminate whatever this disturbance is, our chances might change in the long run. Still, I have a hunch." His knuckles cracked as he flexed them repeatedly. "Be ready."

Footsteps padded along the rugged, uneven ground, soft and slow, nearly inaudible. Yet, even among the dust and rubble, the strange rhythm caught their senses; the steady beat of the unknown resonated within their skulls. "Hey, it's coming toward us," Eira whispered, pointing ahead.

She kept close to a wall and shielded Zeke by her left shoulder. As she remained crouched, she held her bowstring, prepared to launch projectiles should an enemy reveal itself. Her sight shifted. Eyes darted forward, examining her surroundings anxiously.

The sensation subsided for a few seconds, replaced instead by a tense calmness in which none of them dared move. It remained quiet enough for their breaths to resound clearly amid the heavy atmosphere surrounding them, almost blaring.

Elora gulped down hard. Sweat trickled through the gaps between her fingers, staining her palms moist and slippery. The smell of anxiety and fear wafted from her rigid shoulders, stiffened muscles, and creaking bones. At the base of her spikey ears, an uncomfortable sense crept and coiled around her body, a sinister chill invading deep within. But even amid such a position, her mind refused to slow, instead calculating each possible response.

The humming approached steadily. The monster, or whatever was hiding, grew nearer. With the stalemate between all five individuals, nothing appeared. They stayed motionless, afraid that even the slightest of noises could cause some disaster. There was a lurking danger in the darkness, waiting patiently for the right moment to strike. But not for long. Just when they thought they could stand the suspense no longer, a figure emerged from the shadows, stepping into the dim light with an air of nonchalance.

A boy. He looked normal for the most part. With his hands leaning behind his head, he strolled along the cavern's edge, seemingly lost in his own world. There was nothing remarkable about him. Well, nothing outside of the regular, at least. As soon as their eyes locked with his, his mouth hung agape, staring wide-eyed.

"Pe... People?! I finally found someone?" The boy jumped into the air before bounding straight to them. "I've been looking for you guys for so long! Ah! And woah, you ladies are pretty! You all look exhausted, man!"

Eira stared dumbfounded, eyeing around to catch the reactions of her party members. Each of them stood quiet, either bewildered or amused at the sudden encounter with a strange young boy. "What... Uh? How, uhh... Hmm..." she mumbled, fumbling over her words. "Uhh... Who are you?"

He sat down and propped one leg up lazily, a toothy grin plastering across his face. "Kyrios. My name is Kyrios Lamina! Nice to meet you!"

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