After walking for nearly two days, with insufficient rest in between, their exhausted bodies finally reached the gates of a city starkly different from Somara. In front of them lay a sight that left them stunned—Amexan City.
Unlike the filthy and trash-ridden Somara, Amexan was a thriving city with clean streets, towering buildings, and bright, beautiful lights glowing in the night.
People moved about neatly, busy with their own activities. The air felt fresher, though faintly tinged with the smell of vehicle fuel.
"Are you sure this is the same world?" Marta asked, her eyes wide in amazement.
None of them had ever been to Amexan City before. They had only heard rumors about its cleanliness and advancements. Adults in Somara often argued about borrowing technology from here, but the cost was always deemed too high.
"It feels like a dream," Jomie murmured. "But it's real…"
Godan remained silent, focused on studying the map and matching it with the signs around them.
"This map led us here, to Amexan," he said, pointing at a small circle on the map. "But this part…" His finger hovered over the mark. "…we need more information."
Marta stepped closer, joining him in examining the map. Then she noticed a phrase written at that point: "Repair it."
* * * * *
The three of them entered Amexan cautiously. The city's residents glanced at them with a mix of pity and suspicion, while some looked visibly disgusted by their presence.
Their shabby clothes and dirty faces immediately marked them as outsiders. Their appearance stood in stark contrast to the grandeur of Amexan.
"We need to find a place to ask for directions," Godan said, trying to stay calm.
They realized it had been a mistake to walk into the city unprepared. Godan, Jomie, and Marta stood out too much, attracting unwanted attention.
Marta pointed to a small café at the corner of the street. "Over there! The people there look... friendlier."
But before they could take another step, a deep voice stopped them in their tracks.
"You're from Somara, aren't you?"
They turned to see an older man in simple but clean clothes standing before them. His hair was white, and his sharp eyes seemed to pierce right through them.
"..."
"I recognize your clothing," the man continued. "Somara folk rarely come to Amexan. What are you looking for here?"
Godan hesitated for a moment before answering. "We're just looking for directions, passing through. We're on an important journey."
The man stepped closer, his gaze locked onto Godan.
"Directions, you say? But I suspect your journey is much more than that," he said impatiently, his eyes drawn to the pouch at Godan's side, where the Star Key was hidden.
"That item— I can feel its aura. It's the Star Key, isn't it?" he pressed.
The three teens immediately tensed, feeling threatened.
"..." Jomie instinctively tightened his grip on the strap of his bag.
"Relax," the man said, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. "I'm not here to steal from you. On the contrary, I want to help. That item... it holds secrets far greater than you might realize."
The Amexan man motioned for them to step into an alley and enter a much smaller café, which Godan and his friends cautiously followed.
"How do you know about the Star Key?" Jomie asked suspiciously.
"Because I was one of its guardians, decades ago," the old man replied. "My name is Harlen. I used to live in Somara and worked at the Oran Tower, before everything fell apart."
Godan, Marta, and Jomie exchanged surprised glances.
* * * * *
They entered a shop with a sign that read 'Master Marhed's Tavern.' The scent of food wafted through the air as the door swung open. Only a few patrons were eating inside, it wasn't too crowded.
In the tidy little tavern, the atmosphere was tense. Harlen, the old man who claimed to recognize the Star Key, sat across from Godan, Marta, and Jomie.
His sharp eyes seemed to pierce into their souls, compelling the three to explain just how much they knew about the Water Goddess Stone and the Star Key.
At first, they hesitated. But after Harlen's probing questions, Godan finally gave in. Reluctantly, he recounted everything they had been through so far—from the discovery of the journal, the whispers, the ruins in Somara, the mysterious dark creature, to their battle against the bandits. Harlen listened intently, never interrupting.
Not long after, a waiter arrived, carrying three plates of smoked fish that Harlen had ordered upon entering the tavern. The enticing scent of the fish filled the room, making their empty stomachs rumble. Harlen urged them to eat while continuing their conversation.
"Children, you need to understand," Harlen began as they started eating.
"…"
"The Star Key is no ordinary object. It's an ancient artifact, one of the most powerful in the Amhail Continent. But you also need to know that the key is useless without the Water Goddess Stone, and vice versa. They complement each other."
Godan stopped chewing and looked at Harlen, puzzled. "You mean the Water Goddess Stone won't work without the Star Key?"
"Exactly. The stone is like a magical spring, but the Star Key is what activates it. They must be paired together. And… if the legends are true, together they don't just restore life—they bring immense power. That's why so many desire them, and not for noble reasons."
"You don't believe in the Water Goddess Stone's magic?" Godan probed further.
"To be honest, when I worked at Oran Tower—when the tower was still standing tall—Somara was already in bad shape. I never had the chance to see the legendary stone myself."
"What did people do in the tower?" Marta finally asked. Growing up, all she'd known about the place was that it was a cursed ruin.
"Besides housing the Water Goddess Stone, we safeguarded the Star Key, and the tower used to be a place of worship for the people of Somara." Harlen sighed deeply. "Then someone, or something, destroyed the tower overnight."
He continued, explaining how the sudden disaster had thrown the city into chaos. From that moment on, Somara had only worsened.
Marta, her curiosity outweighing her fear, interrupted. "But why does only Somara have the Water Goddess Stone? Why don't other cities have something like it?"
Harlen raised an eyebrow. "Who said Somara is the only city with 'wonders'? Every major city on the Amhail Continent has its own artifact."
Godan, Marta, and Jomie were visibly intrigued by this revelation. They listened intently, occasionally glancing around to ensure no one else was eavesdropping.
"Take Amexan, for instance," Harlen continued. "This city has the Crown of the Sun. That artifact gives Amexan the power to control weather and light. That's why Amexan is always prosperous and bright, even in the dead of night."
Marta and Jomie exchanged amazed looks, captivated by Harlen's story.
"But there's a price for everything," Harlen added. "These wonders bring blessings as well as curses. The Star Key, for example, emits an aura that can be sensed by certain beings—both human and otherwise. The closer you get to the Water Goddess Stone, the more will pursue you."
"Beings like the one we encountered in the ruins?" Godan asked softly.
Harlen nodded. "And worse than that. Bandits, artifact hunters, or greedy humans who care only about wealth. They'll all want what you have."