Brana woke slowly, still feeling the weight of exhaustion in his muscles. He looked over at Luma, who was sleeping peacefully beside him, and a small smile crossed his face. Her soft breathing was a reminder that, despite everything, they were still together.
Carefully, he got up, trying not to disturb her. As he stepped out of their makeshift shelter, the light hit his face, and he raised a hand to shield himself. The light was a mix of gold and silver, emanating from both the strange sun and the three moons still visible on the horizon.
Brana spotted Kaldor further ahead, kneeling as if arranging something. He approached quietly, and as he got closer, he saw that the dark elf was packing his things into an improvised backpack.
"What are you doing?" Brana asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Preparing to move," Kaldor replied, not pausing his task. "This place is quiet, yes, but it lacks the essentials for survival. There isn't enough game here, and more importantly, no water source. Staying here for more days would be suicide."
Brana frowned, reflecting on Kaldor's words. He was right. Although they had only spent two days in this spot, the lack of water was already becoming a pressing issue. The boy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we need to move."
Kaldor observed him for a moment, as if assessing his determination, before returning to his task. "Wake your sister. We leave as soon as we're ready."
The first days of exploration were a constant test of survival. The forest felt alive, almost pulsating, but its mystery came with dangers. Without finding a reliable water source, Kaldor taught Brana and Luma alternative methods to stay hydrated, including drinking the blood of animals they hunted.
"That's disgusting!" Luma exclaimed, holding her nose as Kaldor drained blood from a Thryssos, an agile feline with teeth that gleamed like metal.
"Survival isn't pretty, girl," Kaldor replied in his practical, straightforward tone.
Though Brana also felt repulsed, he understood the need to learn. Kaldor not only taught them hunting and food preparation techniques but also basic self-defense methods. He improvised bows and arrows, along with daggers made from the bones of creatures like a giant bat with translucent wings that reflected the moonlight like stained glass.
Luma, despite her lack of physical strength to handle the bow, displayed a natural talent for observing her surroundings. During one of their expeditions, she found tracks that led the group to a nest of Kalvar, deer-like creatures with shimmering scales that changed color.
Kaldor, who until then had seemed distant, gave a slight nod of approval. "Good work."
During another expedition, the group encountered a peculiar creature. Perched on a stone, it was a Melodrake—a small winged dragon with silver scales and a long tail, the end of which was covered in blades that vibrated and emitted hypnotic sounds. It sat on a rock, swinging its tail in a rhythm that created a unique melody. The sound filled the air, vibrant and enchanting, like a natural symphony.
Brana felt something strange as he listened to the sound. The rhythm seemed to penetrate his mind, synchronizing with his thoughts and movements. He stepped forward but realized his body was reacting differently. Each step felt lighter, more coordinated, as if something within him was aligning with the melody.
As the Melodrake moved quickly, hopping from stone to stone, Brana noticed the world around him seemed to slow down. Leaves swayed more sluggishly, Kaldor's steps echoed in specific rhythms, and the melody's sound became the center of his perception. It was as if everything was in sync with him.
Brana adjusted his posture, taking a deep breath. He gripped the improvised bow firmly. The tension of the string seemed to vibrate in harmony with the melody around him. He released the arrow with precision, striking the creature on its wing. It let out a sharp cry but didn't flee; instead, it remained still, staring at Brana with a defiant glint in its eyes.
Kaldor approached quickly but stopped when he noticed the change in Brana's stance. "You seem... different," he remarked, raising an eyebrow.
Brana fired another arrow, hitting the exact spot he intended. The creature finally fell, still alive but immobilized. He lowered the bow, feeling his heart race as the world around him returned to normal.
"This..." Brana murmured, his eyes fixed on the creature. "I think I know what's happening."
He remembered the message he had received when the crystal entered his body: Bard's Blessing. Enhanced reflexes, synchronization with sounds and rhythms. He had ignored that ability before, perhaps for not understanding how to use it, but now it felt like a natural extension of himself.
Kaldor held the fallen Melodrake, observing it closely before turning to Brana. "Explain," he demanded in his calm but curious voice.
Brana explained the ability he remembered receiving upon arriving in Enkaryon. He described how the sound activated something within him, making him more agile, precise, and aware of everything around him.
Kaldor listened attentively but shook his head at the end. "Curious. When the crystal entered me, I didn't receive any ability. Just instructions about the fragment and its connection. It makes me wonder: Is this ability exclusive to you humans? Or is there another criterion we don't know about?"
Brana was silent for a moment, reflecting on Kaldor's words. He looked at Luma, who was watching him with curiosity. "Could it be something specific to our world, Earth?"
Kaldor frowned, pondering. "It's possible. In Nielv, mana is present in everything. We're used to living in harmony with it, so maybe the fragment didn't see the need to give us additional abilities. But for you, coming from a world without mana, perhaps it needed to provide something extra to balance things."
Brana nodded, thinking about the implications. "So... the fragment is shaping us to survive here."
"Possibly," Kaldor replied. "But whatever the reason, this ability could be the difference between life and death in this world. Don't ignore it."
As they reflected on the conversation, Luma approached the fallen Melodrake, looking at it with curiosity. "This little guy is so pretty... but it makes a funny sound."
Kaldor smiled faintly. "That 'funny sound' is what it uses to attract mates during mating season. In Nielv, they're known for hypnotizing predators and prey with that melody. It seems it had the opposite effect on you, boy."
Brana laughed, but something serious lingered in his mind. He knew the ability he had just rediscovered was a valuable asset. And in that moment, he decided he would take more time to fully understand it.
As days passed, the group frequently encountered ruins and remnants of the fused worlds. It was as if entire parts of civilizations had been ripped from their original places and scattered throughout the forest. The scenes were both fascinating and unsettling, filled with displaced objects and incomplete structures.
Brana stopped before a large crystalline pillar rising among the trees. The crystal seemed like an extension of the forest, but its irregular surface reflected a pale glow, like a memory of the power it once held. Kaldor approached, running a hand over its cold surface.
"This is definitely from Nielv," he murmured, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "These crystals supported great mana towers, providing energy and protection to villages and cities. Now... it seems like just a lost fragment, without purpose."
Further ahead, Luma stumbled upon something partially buried in the ground. With effort, she pulled out a blue stone the size of an apple, covered in faintly glowing golden veins. "Brana! Kaldor! Look what I found!" she exclaimed, holding the object carefully.
Kaldor took the stone from her hands, examining it with an analytical gaze. "A mana stone," he said, rotating it between his fingers. "Very common in Nielv. They were used to store and channel magical energy. They could enhance weapons, power machines, and even create controlled explosions of energy."
Luma's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Like a magic bomb?"
Kaldor let out an almost imperceptible smile. "Something like that. But..." He frowned, squeezing the stone slightly between his fingers. "This one is... empty."
"Empty?" Brana asked, leaning in for a closer look.
Kaldor nodded, returning the stone to Luma. "Yes. It seems to have lost most, if not all, of its energy. One day, it would have been a powerful source of mana, but now it's just a relic."
"Why?" Brana pressed, trying to understand. "If mana is so abundant in your world, why did these stones lose their energy?"
Kaldor was silent for a moment, staring at the stone in Luma's hands. "It might be because of the fusion," he finally said. "Nielv's balance was destroyed when the worlds merged. Mana no longer flows as it used to. It's fragmented, dispersed... like these ruins."
Luma looked at the stone with a mix of curiosity and pity. "So... it's useless now?"
"Not necessarily," Kaldor replied, taking the stone again. He turned it over, as if searching for something. "Even empty, it might still have some use. In Nielv, artisans used stones like this to create new mana channels. Maybe we can find some purpose for it later."
Brana sighed, surveying their surroundings. Beyond the pillar and the stone, there were other signs of lost civilizations: rusted cars, crooked lamp posts, and partially destroyed buildings, all entwined with the forest's vegetation. He approached a car, running his hand over its worn paint and feeling the rough texture of corroded metal.
"This is from Earth," he said, pointing to the vehicle. "These cars... they shouldn't be here. They belong to another place, another time."
"Like the ruins of Nielv," Kaldor added. "It seems this world is filled with pieces of the civilizations brought here. But at the same time, they no longer belong to anyone. They're dead."
The comment made Luma frown. "So... is all this useless?"
Brana shook his head, thoughtful. "No. It might seem useless now, but who knows? Maybe we can learn something from these things. Or use them somehow."
Kaldor nodded, looking around. "You're right. Even broken, these fragments might hold secrets about how to survive here."
As they continued exploring, they found other interesting remnants. In one spot, they discovered a small metal safe, partially buried. Brana and Kaldor opened it with effort, revealing a set of rusty tools and a strange artifact shaped like a clock, with runes etched along its edges.
"Is this familiar to you?" Brana asked Kaldor, handing him the clock.
Kaldor examined the object carefully before shaking his head. "No. It looks like something from Earth or a third world. But the runes... they have a pattern similar to some enchantments in Nielv. This object might have been influenced by more than one world."
Luma pulled out a small piece of cloth that was also inside the safe. It was worn, but it had intricate embroidery that resembled magical patterns. "This is pretty," she said, holding the fabric up to the light.
"Keep it," Kaldor said. "It might be useful later."
These moments of discovery mixed excitement with a constant reminder that they were living in a patched-up world, full of secrets and dangers. Each ruin they found seemed to tell a story, even if incomplete, about the worlds that now made up Enkaryon.
As they moved forward, Brana couldn't shake the feeling that, although these ruins were remnants of a destroyed past, they might hold vital clues for their future.