Two days had passed since Moxie’s battle in the ancient temple. The blistering heat of the desert was now a distant memory, replaced by the cold, desolate ruins of a forgotten town. Moxie walked through the crumbling streets, the silence around him almost deafening. The once-thriving town now lay in shambles, with buildings reduced to skeletal remains and streets filled with debris.

Moxie stopped in front of what appeared to have been a central plaza, now overgrown with weeds and surrounded by broken statues. The air was thick with the scent of decay and the weight of memories long forgotten. As he stood there, he could almost hear the echoes of the lives that had once thrived in this place, their laughter and conversations now replaced by an oppressive silence.

He knelt beside a shattered fountain, running his fingers over the cold, cracked stone. "Another town, another tragedy," he murmured to himself, his voice barely more than a whisper. "How many more places like this will I find on my journey?"

The wind blew through the ruins, carrying with it a faint, haunting sound. Moxie tensed, his senses alert. He wasn’t alone.

From the shadows of a collapsed building, a figure emerged, cloaked in rags and limping heavily. The stranger’s face was obscured by a hood, but Moxie could see the weariness in their posture. The figure stopped a few paces away from Moxie, studying him with a pair of sharp, gleaming eyes.

"You're not from around here," the stranger said, their voice raspy and filled with suspicion. "What business do you have in these ruins?"

Moxie straightened up, meeting the stranger's gaze with calm determination. "I’m searching for answers," he replied, his voice steady. "This town… what happened here?"

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The stranger let out a bitter laugh, the sound echoing through the empty streets. "You won’t find much here except death and memories. The gods and their sins don’t care about towns like this. We’re just collateral damage in their endless war."

Moxie’s expression darkened. "So the gods were responsible for this?"

The stranger nodded slowly, lowering their hood to reveal a scarred face marked by time and suffering. "They came here looking for something, or maybe just to amuse themselves. Either way, it was the people who paid the price."

Moxie clenched his fists, a surge of anger rising within him. "And what about you? Why are you still here?"

The stranger’s eyes hardened, their voice filled with a mixture of defiance and resignation. "Because someone has to remember. Someone has to keep the memory of this place alive, even if it’s just a ghost town now."

Moxie nodded, understanding the weight of the stranger’s words. "I’m sorry for what you’ve lost," he said, his voice softening. "But I can’t stop here. I have to keep going."

The stranger studied Moxie for a long moment before sighing deeply. "Then go, but know this: the path you’re on will only lead to more places like this. More death, more destruction. Can you really bear that burden?"

Moxie looked around at the ruins, the remnants of lives destroyed by forces beyond their control. "I have to," he replied, his voice filled with quiet resolve. "If I don’t, who will?"

The stranger nodded, a look of reluctant respect in their eyes. "Then go, traveler. And may whatever gods are left have mercy on your soul."

Moxie turned away from the plaza, his heart heavy with the knowledge of what lay ahead. The ruins of the town faded into the distance as he continued his journey, the weight of Patience and his growing determination driving him forward.

As he left the town behind, Moxie knew that this was only the beginning. The gods and their sins had left a trail of destruction across the cosmos, and he was determined to bring an end to it, no matter the cost.