Bringing a hand to his head, Grey let his fingers tangle in his hair as he watched the horizon, whispering to himself.
"Damn it… We're on the other side of human territories."
He looked once more into the distance, where the landscape darkened with every passing second.
"A damned death zone."
Grey turned his gaze toward Sara, noticing that her eyes, usually filled with determination, now seemed dimmer.
"Grey... we're…" she began to say, but he interrupted her.
"On the other side of human territories, yes. Beyond the mountains lies the Citadel of Valor, in the Chained Isles."
He sat near the edge of the platform, staring into the distance as his thoughts wandered through the possibilities. Sara, silently, watched him and the towering mountains that rose like an impenetrable barrier.
A few minutes passed in that heavy silence, until Grey broke it, turning to look at his companion.
"We came all this way for nothing. It'd be madness to try and cross the mountains, it's a death zone," he said firmly.
Sara fixed her gaze on the tall peaks, understanding the truth in his words.
"Then we have to find another way. If there's no way out to the south, we'll try the east, west, or even north."
Grey's voice grew more resolute, though still carrying the same tenacity that had guided him so far. Perhaps they had made a mistake by coming south, but that didn't mean they were going to give up. He wouldn't. Not while there was still hope of returning to the real world, no matter the cost.
"We'll go northeast. Going back the way we came would be pointless; we already know there's nothing to the north, not even after two months of traveling. Heading east alone would be too dangerous... the mountains are too close, and we might run into an abomination that escaped from there."
"That's why we'll head diagonally, northeast. It's the best option."
Sara looked him straight in the eye, noticing the silver glint flashing in the depths of his gaze.
"Then it's settled. We'll go northeast," she said firmly, sealing their agreement.
...
The sun had already set, leaving the world shrouded in thick darkness. Shadows enveloped everything, and the two sleepers found themselves in the center of the platform that overlooked the black sea.
One of them slept peacefully, while the other remained awake, watching the churning waves. Sara, who was on watch, glanced at Grey from time to time. Knowing that she was with him in this hell gave her a sense of reassurance.
She was sure that, if it was with him, they would escape this place, no matter what obstacles they faced. She trusted in that and would support her friend in all his decisions.
Of course, she wouldn't do it blindly. If Grey ever didn't have enough reasons to make a decision, she would make sure he reconsidered.
'Anyway, there's no one waiting for me on Earth. Here, at least, I have someone I care about,' she thought as she kept watch on the horizon.
'Now that I think about it, I never imagined I'd become so close to that boy I saw in the library. Who would've thought that in just a few months, he'd become so important to me?'
The night passed without incident, as usual. They took turns keeping watch, in case bad luck ever decided to smile on them and they were attacked.
At dawn, Grey took charge of cooking the monster meat they had stored. As soon as they finished eating, they resumed their journey northeast.
Their goal remained the same as it had been for the past two months: survive, find food, find a place to sleep, and repeat the cycle the next day.
With their current abilities, those goals seemed achievable, as both had become a formidable force among the dreamers. Their aspects gave them a notable advantage, making them stronger, faster, and better prepared for combat than most.
Though the bitter taste of having wasted two months on a pointless path lingered in their minds, they didn't let that feeling grow. They knew that, to escape this place, they would have to explore tirelessly. Finding a gateway wasn't easy, and while there was a belief that the spell sent dreamers to zones with a citadel to claim, no one could confirm that theory.
If the spell had ever transported a group of dreamers to an area of the Dream Realm without a portal, no one knew. And if it did, no one would ever know.
It was a terrifying thought. Being sent to a place without a portal meant they would be mere dreamers until some beast devoured them or they met an even worse fate.
The Dream Realm was unforgiving, and the spell wasn't much different, throwing children into bloody nightmares and a god-cursed realm.
If there was no citadel in the Crimson Labyrinth, then the two of them would travel to the very edge of the world to find a way out.
And if even then they couldn't escape, at least they would have each other.
Weeks later, Grey was chewing on a piece of meat obtained from a rather peculiar awakened beast.
In the past few weeks, they had faced a variety of creatures, each more monstrous than the last. They had even fought two other awakened monsters, though it wasn't as complicated as the first time.
However, the creature they had just hunted had unique qualities and a surprisingly beautiful appearance for a corrupted beast.
It was a kind of bird, similar to an eagle from the times before the spell. Its wings were enormous, spanning several meters, and its body was covered in golden feathers that emitted a blinding glow.
Its beak, perfect in its curves, was deadly to anyone who dared face it. Its eyes, those of a natural hunter, could spot the smallest prey, even hidden in the mud.
Besides its wings, it only had two other limbs: its legs, which ended in three pairs of sharp, pointed claws. Those same claws had nearly torn off Grey's head during the battle.
The fight had been the hardest they'd faced in a long time. The combat strategy of this beast turned out to be far more troublesome than that of other creatures. They even began to think it had more intelligence than its corrupted counterparts.
The profane bird soared through the skies, positioning itself just below the sun, where its radiance made it nearly impossible to see. Those who tried to observe it were blinded by the light, while those who didn't were quickly massacred by its dive from the heights.
It attacked like a devastating bolt of lightning, with its claws ready to split its victims in two. If it missed, it tried again and again.
Grey only managed to wound it out of sheer luck, or at least, partially. He used his spear, Odyssey, to try and reach the creature every time it flew toward the sky.
Sara stood between him and the bird, enduring its attacks with her superhuman strength. In one of those attacks, Sara stumbled, and the creature's claws nearly sliced Grey's head off.
Fortunately, his enhanced senses allowed him to dodge the lethal blow at the last moment. Immediately afterward, Grey seized the opportunity and hurled his spear directly at one of the bird's wings.
Odyssey shone as brightly as the beast itself as it flew toward it. The impact was strong enough to destabilize it, giving Sara the chance to slice the creature in two.
The battle had been fierce, but once again, the duo of dreamers emerged victorious.
According to Sara, the name the spell had given the creature was quite peculiar: Shining Flash.
A unique and strange name, compared to all the creatures they had faced so far.
'Its meat isn't bad,' Grey thought as he chewed. 'It's even tastier than that of other beasts. It would be better if we had spices or a proper kitchen.'
He lamented wasting such good meat, but quickly brushed it off.
Grey turned his gaze toward Sara, who was studying the beast's core in her hands, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"Is it that rare?" Grey asked, taking another look at the golden core.
Sara lifted her gaze, her tone serious yet tinged with excitement.
"Of course it is. I've never heard of a soul core that glows in this golden hue. This creature we killed was truly unique."
"It'd be a shame to waste such a rare core," she continued, gazing at the golden glow. "Besides, its owner fought in a different way. I never expected a beast to fight with such intelligence."
Grey nodded. "You're right. But if you keep carrying it, you won't be able to take it to the real world anyway. You'd better absorb it now."
As he took another bite of the meat he had cooked, he added with a hint of annoyance in his voice, "That thing fought too well. Almost frustrating."
Sara sighed before speaking. "Yeah, I guess I shouldn't keep it." And, with a slight hint of regret, she crushed the core between her hands, watching as it dissolved into gray dust.
"Anything special?" Grey asked, watching the remaining dust float in the air.
Sara glanced around for a moment before lowering her gaze with a disappointed expression. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
Suddenly, the usual spark returned to her eyes, and a smile appeared on her face. She approached Grey with calculated steps, her tone cheerful.
"Guess what."
Grey raised an eyebrow, keeping his gaze on her for a few seconds before replying, "Did it give you a memory of that thing?"
Sara nodded enthusiastically. "But that's not all!" Her voice filled with excitement as she got even closer. "I finally reached 200 soul fragments! My core is filling up much faster now!"
Grey smiled, noticing the joy on Sara's face, but a mischievous thought crossed his mind.
"Oh, congratulations. But..." He paused dramatically. "I've already passed 630 fragments. In total, I have 638."
Sara's smile vanished instantly. She pulled away slightly and, with a tone of mock annoyance, responded in a low voice, "You could have kept quiet. There was no need to show off, dummy."
The day passed calmly after that exchange, giving way to the night, and in the blink of an eye, to a new dawn.
---
Note: Wooo, I really enjoyed writing this chapter, you can probably tell by how long it is hahaha
Tell me, what do you think of the fic so far? I've really been working hard to improve the quality with each chapter, and I'll also try to make the chapters longer in the future.
Give me power stones and add it to your collection!
P.S.: Remember this beast, it'll be important later 🤭