The ground shook beneath Caden as the low rumble intensified, rolling through the crumbling temple like the pulse of a sleeping beast. Dust fell from the broken stone archways above, and Caden stumbled back, his eyes fixed on the widening crack at his feet.
The words still hung in the air, faint but insistent.
[Objective: Retrieve the First Fragment of the Echo System.]
His mind raced, heart hammering as he tried to understand what was happening. The crystal in his hand was warm, buzzing with an energy that felt alive. The pull he had felt before—the strange, magnetic tug—had grown stronger, anchoring him, pointing him toward something beyond the temple ruins.
He took a deep breath, clutching the crystal tighter. Whatever this was, it was real. He could feel it in his bones.
"What are you?" he whispered to the crystal, the words barely audible.
But no answer came. The crystal pulsed in response, the light within it flaring briefly, like a heartbeat. And just as quickly as it had flared, it dimmed, leaving only a faint golden glow.
[You are User 01. First activation confirmed.]
The voice echoed in his mind, a strange mix of warmth and emptiness, and he felt a jolt of something unfamiliar—recognition? He didn't know what this "system" was or why it had chosen him, but there was something undeniable, something ancient, in the voice's tone. It felt like an echo from a time long forgotten.
The words shifted, flickering in his vision.
[First Quest Unlocked: Journey to the Lost City of Ithar.]
Caden's breath caught. Ithar. He'd heard of it only in stories, a city swallowed by the earth when the Shattering occurred. It was said that the ruins lay somewhere deep in the northern wastelands, cursed and abandoned.
But what did the system want with a dead city?
The ground stilled, and the air returned to its tense silence. Caden looked around, half-expecting something else to happen, but the temple remained as it was—silent, lifeless, only the faint smell of decay lingering. The light within the crystal dimmed again, growing dormant.
He exhaled slowly, trying to steady his mind.
[Go north, User. Your first fragment awaits.]
The voice sounded almost... eager, though he couldn't understand how something so detached could convey any emotion at all. With nothing left to do here, he pocketed the crystal and turned toward the temple's exit.
As he stepped through the cracked stone arch, the full weight of his decision settled over him. He would have to leave Tarrow's Hollow, possibly for good. Ithar lay in the heart of the wastelands, a journey that would take days—maybe even weeks—on foot. His mother would worry, and the townspeople would call him a fool, just another dreamer chasing empty legends.
But if there was even a chance that the system could be restored...
He looked down at his hand, remembering the feeling of the crystal, the hum of its power. He couldn't walk away from this. Not now.
The sky was still a pale gray, the horizon tinged with the dark shadows of distant storms as he made his way down the hill. Tarrow's Hollow lay below, small and worn, its thatched rooftops and dirt streets bathed in the dim light of the overcast afternoon. He could see the townspeople going about their routines, oblivious to the ancient relic he carried in his pocket.
But as he descended, Caden noticed something strange—a man watching him from the edge of the town square, his gaze sharp and unblinking. The man was wrapped in a dark cloak, his face obscured by the hood, but Caden felt the weight of his stare, as if the stranger could see the crystal's glow through his clothing.
Caden's steps slowed, unease prickling his skin. The stranger tilted his head slightly, and though his face remained hidden, a glint of recognition flashed from beneath the hood. Whoever he was, he knew something.
Caden swallowed, forcing himself to keep walking, but his mind was racing. Had someone else known about the crystal all along? Was he being followed?
As he passed the stranger, he felt the man's gaze follow him, burning into his back. Caden resisted the urge to turn, to confront him, and quickened his pace until he reached the edge of town.
Beyond Tarrow's Hollow, the land stretched out in rocky plains and dense forests. To reach Ithar, he'd need supplies, but he'd kept a small pack hidden just outside the town limits, where he sometimes stashed things he found in the ruins. He could restock there.
Reaching the spot, he crouched down, brushing aside leaves and dirt to uncover the weathered pack. Inside were a few scraps of food, a waterskin, and a knife—nothing impressive, but enough to start. He was about to close the pack when a glimmer caught his eye, faint but distinct. It was another small crystal, one he'd found weeks ago and dismissed as junk.
But now, something about it seemed... different. It pulsed in sync with the crystal he'd found in the temple, faint and subtle, as if responding to it.
A strange chill washed over him. Had he stumbled upon fragments of the system before, unknowingly? If this crystal was connected, even in some small way, what else might be hidden around Tarrow's Hollow?
Pocketing the crystal, Caden shouldered his pack, one last glance toward the distant figure he could barely see now, still watching from the edge of town.
With a steadying breath, he took his first steps into the unknown, the words of the system echoing in his mind.
[Journey to the Lost City of Ithar.]
The path ahead was uncertain, his destination a ruin swallowed by the earth. But something within him, perhaps the faint hum of the crystal, urged him forward.
Whatever lay ahead, he had chosen this path. And now, there was no turning back.