The Duskveil Wasteland stretched endlessly, a barren expanse of cracked earth and jagged rocks. Scorched remnants of once-thriving trees jutted out like skeletal fingers, and a haze of dust hung in the air, casting an eerie, rust-colored glow over the desolation. The faint, distant howl of the wind carried with it the whispers of a forsaken land, and every step felt as though it echoed across a void untouched by life.
We had found a small hollow between two weathered boulders, far enough from the open plains to offer some semblance of shelter. With a thought, I summoned the contents of my Celestial Vault. Tents, bedrolls, and other camping essentials shimmered into existence, their sudden materialization drawing wide-eyed stares from my companions. No matter how many times they saw it, the magic still left them in awe.
"How do you do that?" Agnes asked, her voice low but tinged with wonder.
I tapped the ring on my finger with a small smile. "The Celestial Vault. It's a dimensional storage device—incredibly useful when you need to travel light."
Her curiosity remained, but before she could press further, I began summoning more items. Tables and chairs appeared, followed by a feast that filled the air with the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked bread, hearty soups, and spiced chicken. Renaud, Andre, and Agnes couldn't hide their amazement, though they tried to mask it behind casual nods.
"This is incredible," Renaud murmured, shaking his head in disbelief as he reached for a plate.
We settled around the table, the warmth of the food and the companionship temporarily pushing back the forest's haunting chill. As they ate, I slipped on my Arcane Spectacles, the lenses glowing faintly as they scanned the aether levels of my companions.
"Renaud, your aether capacity is 3856. Andre, 2564. Agnes, 2236," I reported. "How many aether cores have you formed?"
The trio exchanged glances before replying in unison, "One."
"Good," I said with a nod. "Your progress is steady."
Turning to Galen, I activated the spectacles again. "Galen, you're at 11,562 out of 15,999. Impressive. Keep this up, and you'll reach your full potential soon."
He grinned, flexing his arms theatrically. "I won't let you down, Your Highness."
After dinner, I unfurled a map onto the table, its worn edges marked with annotations and symbols. "We're close. If we maintain our pace, we should reach the ruins by tomorrow afternoon."
Satisfied with the plan, I instructed Andre and Agnes to get some rest while assigning Galen and Renaud to take turns on watch. "Renaud, you'll take the first shift."
He gave a sharp nod, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his sword. "Understood."
The camp soon fell quiet, save for the crackle of the fire and the occasional rustle of leaves. I lay in my tent, but sleep eluded me. My mind churned with thoughts of the battles behind us and the challenges waiting ahead. Yet beneath it all, a gnawing unease crept in, a primal instinct warning me of unseen danger.
The cold sensation struck like a jolt of ice water. My eyes snapped open, and my hand darted to the Aetherblade lying beside me. The tent's fabric rippled slightly, and then a shadow moved—too fast to be natural. Before I could fully rise, the glint of steel caught the faint moonlight as a dagger plunged toward me.
I rolled to the side, the blade slicing through empty air where I'd been moments before. In one fluid motion, I was on my feet, the Aetherblade igniting with a low hum as its ethereal light bathed the tent's interior. The attacker—a figure shrouded in black—slipped back into the shadows, his movements almost spectral.
"Who's there?" I demanded, my voice cutting through the silence like a blade.
No answer came. The figure darted again, his dagger flashing as he aimed for my flank. I parried the strike, the clash of metal reverberating in the confined space. Sparks flew, briefly illuminating the attacker's masked face, but it gave me no clues to his identity. He moved with a deadly grace, his silence more unsettling than any threat.
Whoever he was, he was skilled—trained for precision and lethality. Not a word escaped from him, only the occasional sharp breath as he tested my defenses. Each strike came faster than the last, his blade arcing like a viper's fangs.
I tightened my grip on the Aetherblade, my senses reaching out to track their movements. The faint disturbances in the mana around us betrayed his position, even as he tried to blend into the darkness. I swung wide, the blade grazing his arm. He hissed in pain, retreating momentarily into the safety of the shadows.
"You've gone through a lot of trouble to reach me," I said, my voice steady despite the tension thrumming through me. "But you'll need more than that dagger to finish the job."
Still, no response. The figure circled, his movements calculated, probing for weaknesses. I activated the Heart of Elysium, summoning Guardian's Embrace. A shimmering barrier enveloped me, its soft glow casting eerie reflections on the tent's walls. When the assassin lunged again, his blade glanced off the shield, the force of the blow absorbed and converted into healing energy that surged through me.
He hesitated for the first time, his head tilting slightly as if reevaluating his approach. I seized the moment, slashing the Aetherblade in a wide arc. The blade's glow carved through the shadows, illuminating his form for a split second before he twisted away. This time, the strike left a deeper mark—a crimson streak blooming across his side.
The assassin staggered but didn't fall. Instead, he dissolved into the darkness once more, his retreat marked by the faint sound of labored breathing. I remained poised, the tension in the air taut as a drawn bowstring. But the next attack never came. The night fell silent again, save for the distant hoot of an owl and the rustling leaves.
I lowered the Aetherblade, my senses still heightened. He was gone, at least for now. Whoever had sent him would be disappointed, but this encounter was more than just an attack—it was a message. Someone knew where we were and wanted to make sure we didn't reach our destination.
My grip on the Aetherblade tightened. The ruins lay ahead, and with them, answers to questions I had yet to ask. But if tonight was any indication, our path would only grow darker from here.
For now, the night was quiet again, but rest would not come easily. Tomorrow, I would make sure we were ready for whatever waited in the shadows.