Ryo's eyes widened as characters hovered holographically above his left wrist, leaving him speechless.
The words
「Aspirant is almost ready for succession」
lingered in his mind, but he pushed the thought aside for later. As they prepared to leave the cave, the group took a brief respite before exiting into the dawn light.
The winter landscape, once shrouded in a gloomy, never-ending darkness, had transformed overnight. The brightness was jarring, and Ryo was shocked to find it was already past dawn.
They approached the terragrim, and with Koki's help, Ryo lifted Kenzo onto the creature's back. Kenzo's lifeless demeanor hinted at a resignation to his fate.
Tsukiko grasped the cu rope firmly, channeling kardia magia into the ancient artifact. The terragrim stirred, its massive body lurching forward as it resumed its steady pace.
Their journey continued toward Griown. However the desert within the vast expanse of Zhrak'nar. Though the monstrous entity that had brought winter's chill to the desert had departed, remnants of its presence lingered.
Scattered puddles of water, leftovers from the brief winter, dotted the landscape, evaporating steadily in the warm sunlight. The group exchanged weary glances, knowing the scorching sun would soon reclaim its dominance over the desert landscape.
.....
As the sun beat down upon their backs, the group stumbled upon an oasis, its beauty rivaling that of Aridia. Towering, iridescent spires of crystalline flora pierced the sky, their facets glimmering with an ethereal light.
Tendrils of glittering silver-green vines snaked around the spires, pulsing with a soft, luminescent glow. The air was filled with the sweet, heady scent of blooming astral flowers, their delicate petals shimmering like stardust in the sunlight.
Akari, Hitomi, and Koki stood transfixed, their eyes wide with wonder.
Mei, however, remained oblivious to the oasis's charm, her attention consumed by the worn, leather-bound book clutched in her delicate hands. Her pale, doll-like complexion seemed almost ethereal in the sunlight, while her faded, black onyx eyes remained fixed on the pages, drinking in the knowledge of the Mirror Realm's wildlife.
Occasionally, she'd absently adjust a stray strand of her long, dark hair, its faded black color seeming to absorb the light around it. Her expression remained a mask of detachment.
Ryo's gaze drifted toward Mei, his neutral expression belied by the turmoil brewing within. The familiarity he'd felt during their battle in Aridia continued to haunt him, refusing to be silenced. He found himself lost in the depths of Mei's eyes, searching for answers to the questions he dared not ask.
Mei's gaze snapped up, catching Ryo staring. A flicker of irritation danced across her face before she turned away.
Ryo's expression remained impassive, but a hint of amusement crept into his voice as he spoke, "Shy are we now?" His tone was laced with a subtle teasing.
Mei's shoulders stiffened, her voice low and even as she replied, "Mind your own business." Her words were a delicate warning, aimed at keeping Ryo at arm's length.
Ryo's eyes crinkled at the corners, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Just making conversation," he said, his voice neutral.
Mei didn't respond, her gaze fixed on the book in her hands. The silence between them grew, a subtle tension that neither seemed willing to break.
The silence between Ryo and Mei stretched out, a palpable tension that neither seemed willing to break. But Ryo's threat perception flared to life, a sudden tingle that warned him of impending danger.
His eyes narrowed, scanning their surroundings as he warned the others, "Something's coming. Be on guard."
As if on cue, the sandy ground beneath the terragrim began to vibrate, a subtle tremor that quickly intensified into a massive, earthquake-like rumble.
The group grasped the elevated edges of the seat-like structure on the terragrim's back, holding on for dear life.
Tsukiko's hands flew to the rope, her fingers weaving intricate patterns as she imbued her kardia magia into the ancient artifact. The rope pulsed with a soft, blue light, and the terragrim responded, its body tensing as if preparing for battle.
The towering, iridescent spires of crystalline flora that pierced the sky began to sway, their facets glimmering with an otherworldly light. But it wasn't the wind that stirred them – it was as if they were alive, reacting to Tsukiko's kardia magia.
The ground continued to rumble, the vibrations growing stronger until the entire oasis began to elevate, breaking free from the earth beneath it. The group stared in a mix of terror and awe as the oasis rose into the air, revealing its true nature: the shell of a massive, tortoise-like creature.
Mei's face wore a look of understanding and surprise, her eyes shining with a mixture of fascination and fear. She had come across this creature in the book – the Arkiea, a harmless type of kardia beast, similar to the terragrim they rode or the skarviks they often encountered.
As the Arkiea continued to rise, its massive shell glistening in the sunlight, the group couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and trepidation.
the group realized they needed to act quickly. The creature began to move, its slow and steady pace a stark contrast to the turmoil it had unleashed moments before.
"We need to get off, now!" Ryo warned, his eyes fixed on the path illuminated ahead. "It's moving away from Griown!"
Tsukiko sprang into action, her hands flying to the rope as she channeled her kardia magia into the ancient artifact. The rope pulsed with a soft, green light, and the terragrim responded, its body tensing as it prepared to jump.
With a burst of speed, the terragrim launched itself off the Arkiea's back, landing with a soft thud on the sandy ground below. The group breathed a collective sigh of relief as they settled back into their seats, their hearts still racing from the sudden departure.
As they continued on their journey, the Arkiea's massive form receded into the distance, its shell glinting like a beacon in the sunlight. The group fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts as they pondered the wonder they had just witnessed.
Their path lay ahead, illuminated by the soft, ethereal glow of the kardia magia. The journey to Griown would be long and arduous, but with the terragrim's steady pace and Tsukiko's skilled guidance, they pressed onward, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
As the hours ticked by, the group traversed the endless dunes of Zhrak'nar, the desert's unforgiving vastness stretching out before them like an eternal sea.
Occasionally, they'd catch glimpses of strange, Kardia beasts: a flock of iridescent birds with wings like stained glass, or a lumbering, armored beast that left a trail of glittering silver sand in its wake.
Despite the alien landscape, Kenzo remained unfazed, his expression a mask of detachment to everything. But for the others, the sheer strangeness of this world was beginning to sink in.
The dark forest had been eerie, but this desert was something else entirely – a realm of blinding sunlight, surreal creatures, and endless, shifting sands.
Finally, after an eternity of walking, the group crested a dune and saw it: the end of the desert. A range of towering mountains rose up before them, their peaks shrouded in mist. A soft, collective smile spread across the group's faces as they gazed upon this new landscape.
And then, Koki let out a triumphant whoop, pumping his fist in the air like a prisoner who'd just been set free. "We did it! We survived Zhrak'nar!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining with exhilaration.
The others laughed, sharing in Koki's jubilation. They'd made it through the desert, and now, a new world awaited them – full of mysteries, wonders, and untold dangers.
As they emerged from the mountain range, the group expected to see a breathtaking vista or a lush valley. Instead, they were met with a sight that made their blood run cold.
Before them lay a clearing, and beyond that, a foggy, bottomless abyss yawned open like a hungry mouth. The void was so profound that if someone were to fall, the sound of their body hitting the depths would be lost forever. It was as if the very fabric of reality ended at this point.
Ryo's voice was barely above a whisper as he gazed out at the nothingness. "How...how is this fair?" He felt a sense of despair wash over him, as if the universe was playing a cruel joke.
Akari's gentle touch on his arm broke the spell. "Look," she said, her voice full of wonder. "Look up."
The group followed her gaze, and their collective breath caught in their throats. Above them, a landmass hovered in mid-air, its beauty mesmerizing.
The town of Griown floated serenely, shrouded in a misty veil that hinted at secrets and mysteries. Strange kardia beasts flitted about the town's edges, their ethereal forms glowing softly in the fading light.
Mei's eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed up at Griown. "This must be it," she said, her voice measured. "The town of Griown."