As the group made their way back to the camp, some fatigue gradually began to fall on Alea's shoulders.
The weight of their recent battle still hung in the air, despite their victory.
[I could have performed a little bit better, surely. I need to re-examine the fight later.]
Mr. Harlan greeted them as they approached, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern.
"How did it go?" he inquired, his eyes shifting from Maria to Alea and Rin.
Maria took the lead in responding, her tone measured and composed.
"Overall, everything went smoothly," she stated, offering a diplomatic summary of their adventure. "We explored the ruins thoroughly and only encountered a few unexpected threats. Frankly, I was more worried you'd all gotten killed while we were away."
"Those shadows haven't shown up again," Harlan shook his head. "But, that's good," he murmured, his gaze lingering on each of them for a moment longer before he straightened up. "Anything unusual or noteworthy?"
Maria exchanged a brief glance with Alea and Rin, both of whom remained silent.
"No, nothing out of the ordinary," she replied smoothly, a practiced ease in her voice. "Outside of the various undead inhabitants, of course."
Despite the simplicity of her answer, Alea couldn't shake the unease that gnawed at her.
[Well, this book I took certainly isn't ordinary. But, well, it's likely not worth mentioning.]
Harlan seemed to accept Maria's assurance, nodding to himself before turning to address the group of workers and adventurers who had gathered nearby.
"Alright, everyone," he announced loudly, his voice carrying across the camp. "We'll be making the ruins our base for the time being. Once we get there, set up your tents and get comfortable."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the assembled group as they set about organizing their temporary living quarters amidst the ancient structures.
---
Under the soft glow of the moonlight, Alea ventured outside the confines of the ruins, seeking solace amidst the forest outside their temporary shelter.
Clutching the ancient tome she'd taken close to her chest, she found a secluded spot illuminated by the silver beams filtering through the canopy of trees above.
[Alright. So, what does this thing say?]
Opening the book revealed...
Gibberish.
[Yeah, I can't read any of this.]
And yet, she still tried.
There was something about the script in these pages that pulled her pupils toward them.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
It was as if every time her eyes fell upon one of these ancient symbols, some itch she wasn't aware of was scratched.
At times, it almost felt like the characters were shifting and rearranging themselves, teasing her with fleeting glimpses of understanding.
As she immersed herself deeper, a strange clarity began to dawn upon her.
The words, once foreign and unintelligible, now seemed to align and form coherent phrases in her mind.
[Hm... This book is like... like a manual of sorts.]
Alea's brows furrowed in concentration as she traced her finger along the lines, her lips moving silently to pronounce the unfamiliar syllables.
One particular passage, a sequence of seemingly nonsensical gibberish, caught her attention.
The words resonated with something within her.
She ended up saying:
"Ex mir, yesh torna mais nem."
In that moment, some shadows, previously indistinct and unremarkable, now manifested in the nighttime.
[W-What?]
Dozens, no, hundreds of figures were illuminated by bright, glowing outlines.
The nocturnal creatures materialized before her eyes like beacons in the night.
[What are these things? What am I looking at? Spirits? Souls?]
Alea's heart quickened as one specific possibility dawned upon her.
It was possible that these were the shadows in the night they'd fought the other day. That right now, she was seeing them, roaming around the forest aimlessly.
It was too much to bear. Her mind was on fire, and seeing these things was sending chills down her spine.
Alea looked back at the book.
[How do I turn this magic off!?]
Her eyes feverishly looked past the fragment she'd just read, searching for a way to undo the spell she'd just activated.
Eventually, she arrived at a phrase that read:
"Mir no, kil versa tuun."
And, the spell ceased.
Alea took a deep breath. The burning sensation that was driving her insane also ceased instantly.
She looked down at that book she'd taken.
[What in the world is this thing?]
---
In the depths of that night's dream, Alea's mind drifted into realms far removed from what she called her regular reality.
She found herself amidst a bustling cityscape unlike anything she had ever seen. A place where giant blimps traversed the skies, gleaming silver structures pierced the clouds, and people moved in attire that seemed unfamiliar.
As she wandered through this vivid dreamscape, Alea marveled at the technological wonders surrounding her.
Yet, a sense of foreboding crept into her vision as streaks of light cut across the night sky, resembling falling stars cascading towards the earth.
The sudden descent of these things jolted Alea from her dream world, her eyes fluttering open to the dim surroundings of their makeshift camp.
It was Rin's gentle tap on her shoulder that brought her fully back to reality.
"Uh... Are you good?" Rin's voice cut through the air.
It held a note of genuine concern, surprising Alea given their previous interactions.
Alea hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to share the strange experience that lingered vividly in her mind.
The weight of the book tucked safely among her belongings pressed against her thoughts, urging her to confide in someone.
Taking a deep breath, Alea decided that she needed to get this off her chest.
"I had this dream..." She began. "It was like looking at another world. There was a bunch of Old World tech, people wearing these really weird clothes, and... I don't know. It was just really confusing."
Then, Alea had an idea.
"Do you mind having your friend check me? She can sense dark magic or something, right?"
"Sure," Rin replied, tapping a little bag by her hip. "Xhez? Can you come out for one moment?"
As she opened the little flap holding it closed, Xhez leapt out, growing into human size within seconds.
Alea pulled back, but she tried to remain calm.
"Xhez," Rin said, "do you sense anything weird nearby?"
"Aside from the usual?" Xhez asked in turn, yawning. "Uh, no."
"Really?" Alea asked, eyes wide. "Nothing at all?"
"Nope," Xhez shook her head. "Just some stuff in the distance. That's all."
Alea blinked.
[But...]
"Hold on," Alea raised a hand. "Let me... Let me say something first."
Then, she reiterated those words from earlier.
"Ex mir, yesh torna mais nem."
Instantly, she saw those shadows in the distance again, even though she was still in the ruins, she could faintly see them, like paintings on the walls.
Xhez's eyes widened.
"H-HUH!?" She flinched. "You..."
"What is it?"
"You're glowing!"
Xhez's alarmed voice woke a couple of the others.
Alea looked down at herself.
[I'm... What did I do?]