The carriage finally entered the Forgotten Span Bridge. This bridge was massive, stretching 800 miles in length. A decade ago, it was the only route connecting East Draemora to West Draemora. However, after Ashweld Hollow was abandoned, the government constructed an alternative route on the other side of the city, bypassing Ashweld Hollow entirely. Though costly, there was no other option.
As they crossed the Forgotten Span Bridge, it felt as if they had stepped into another world. It was already midnight, yet years of abandonment had left the bridge eerily silent and unsettling. The decayed structures and faint mist hanging in the air only added to the unsettling atmosphere.
Adrian noticed that Jax had been unusually quiet during the journey, until now. The moment they reached the bridge, he seemed far more energetic and talkative.
Catching Adrian's gaze, Jax smirked and asked, "Have you ever been to Ashweld Hollow before?"
Adrian shook his head. "No, this is my first visit. Once, back in high school, my class took a trip to The Burnt Quarter. There was an artifact museum there, but I fell ill and missed the chance to visit."
What Adrian didn't mention was that after the visit, two students mysteriously disappeared, and the bus had an accident on the way back. No one died, but many were seriously injured.
Jax seemed eager to dig deeper, but Adrian turned his gaze to the window, unwilling to elaborate. It was Kael who stepped in with a grin.
"He's always like that, cautious and overdramatic. We've been on plenty of missions together, and I can tell you, he's a good guy. Friendly too, once you get to know him."
Jax chuckled. "Ohh, so that's how he is. I thought he just didn't like talking , like our Ice Princess."
At that, he glanced at Maria. Hearing his words, Maria didn't respond but simply pouted in mild annoyance.
Adrian observed them carefully. From their interactions, it was clear that Jax and Maria shared a close bond. They appeared to be just friends, but something in Jax's expression changed when he spoke about her.
Maria was likely around nineteen years old, and she was undeniably beautiful , someone people would develop a crush on at first sight.
She stood at approximately 173 cm, her tall and graceful figure exuding elegance. Her frame was slender yet poised, with long limbs and a posture that spoke of refinement and nobility.
Her facial features were sharp and angular, with high cheekbones and a narrow jawline, giving her a regal air. Her porcelain-like skin was flawless, further enhancing her cold and distant aura.
Her hair was long, straight, and black with a silvery sheen, flowing like silk. Her piercing gray eyes, with a faint hint of silver, seemed to catch the light, making them unreadable, cold and calculating, difficult for others to decipher.
As Adrian observed the girl, Maria seemed to sense it. She turned her head slightly, her piercing gray eyes glancing at him.
Adrian hadn't expected to be noticed. He felt the weight of her gaze, sharp and unreadable. He had to say something , anything before the moment became awkward.
"Miss Maria, could you tell me about the mission? I asked Kael, but he told me to ask you instead," he said, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.
Maria stared at him for a short moment before turning away without a word.
Adrian was momentarily stunned. Cold. That was the only word for her.
They were heading into a city abandoned for decades, rumored to be cursed. Who knew what awaited them in its ruins? Yet, she sat there, unbothered, not even taking precautions.
His voice grew firmer. "We're in this together. If you don't tell me anything, how am I supposed to cooperate with you? At least let me know what I need to do or are all Vale family members this unreasonable?"
He hadn't even finished speaking when, for the first time, Maria's voice cut through the air.
"I didn't invite you to come." Her tone was like ice. "Your thoughts don't matter to me. You're just a paid worker. You work for money. I paid a lot of it."
She lifted a small cloth bag and tossed it toward Adrian.
"Take this. Consider it payment to keep your mouth shut. If you can't even do that, then leave. There's no place in this carriage for someone who doesn't know his place."
Silence fell.
Not even the usually talkative Jax or the carriage driver fell silence. The only sounds were the whisper of leaves rustling in the wind and the distant, unfamiliar cries of creatures hidden in the ruins.
Adrian remained still, his expression unchanged. As if he hadn't heard her at all.
The silence stretched for nearly a 10 second before he finally spoke.
"Apologies, Miss Vale. I shouldn't have asked an inappropriate question. I hope you don't take offense." he apologies but his gaze said other things.
Before Maria could respond, Jax sighed and broke the tension.
"Sorry, bro. She's always been like this." His voice was softer now, almost apologetic. "I've known her since we were kids. She's a good person, but… she keeps people at a distance. She didn't mean what she said. She's just been upset lately. And… she doesn't like outsiders talking about her family."
Adrian glanced at him.
"It's nothing," he said smoothly. "In my line of work, I hear things like this all the time. It's practically background noise." He picked up the bag of coins and weighed it in his hand. "Still, thanks for the extra payment. I do appreciate it."
He let out a quiet chuckle.
"It's ironic, really. I think I'd like to take on more missions with you in the future. Getting paid to stay quiet is the easiest job in the world." His eyes flicked toward Kael for a brief moment before turning back to the window.
Jax turned to Maria, whispering something to her. His words were meant to comfort, but Maria remained as motionless as stone, her expression unreadable.
No matter what Jax said, she didn't react.
Adrian, however, felt more at ease in the silence.
No more pointless conversations. No need to engage. He simply stared out the window, keeping his focus on the world outside.
Something about this place didn't sit right with him.
And Adrian wasn't one to ignore a feeling like that
In a place like Ashweld Hollow abandoned for years . it was the perfect refuge for criminals, a hidden base for illegal operations. If they got trapped here, there would be no escape. No authorities to call, no witnesses to speak. If something happened to them, a killer wouldn't even need to hide their bodies. They would simply be left behind, swallowed by the ruins.
The unsettling thought sent a chill down Adrian's spine.
His unease deepened as he noticed the distant outlines of ruined houses. They were entering The Burnt Quarter.
Even from afar, the destruction was clear. The houses were charred beyond recognition, some reduced to nothing but skeletal frames. Many had partially collapsed even those made of cement, structures meant to withstand fire. Yet they had not.
Adrian's gaze lingered on the ruins, his thoughts growing heavy. Just how intense was the fire that tore through this place? Even anti-fire cement had been burned to its limit. How many people had perished here?
Burning to death… a slow, excruciating end. He could almost imagine the moment the crackling flames, the suffocating smoke, the final, desperate screams swallowed by the inferno.
This place was more than a ruin. It was a graveyard, a scarred land where memories of horror still lingered.
The carriage rolled forward, drawing closer. The road ran straight through the remains of the neighborhood, forcing them into its depths. The buildings towered around them most two stories high, some even three. Yet something about them felt off.
On the left side, despite the fire, hints of blue paint clung to the walls. On the right side, there were remnants of red. The contrast was strange, unnatural, as if it held meaning long forgotten.
The driver must have felt the weight of the place. His grip tightened on the reins. He was the first line of defense if something happened, and his duty was to ensure his passengers' safety especially his lady's. Without hesitation, he flicked the reins.
The carriage lurched forward, doubling in speed.
Everyone noticed, yet none spoke.
Adrian remained silent but alert. His instincts screamed at him , this place wasn't safe. The driver was trying to rush them through, but was that truly the best choice?
It was 1 p.m. the brightest hour of the day. Yet here, in this abandoned city, it felt as if the sun barely touched the ground. A place meant to be lifeless should not feel like it's watching.
If something did lurk in these ruins, speeding through blindly might be their greatest mistake.
What if something stepped into the road?
Would the driver control the situation?
Adrian pondered for a moment, then made his decision. "Stop the carriage," he commanded. His voice was stern, leaving no room for doubt. Even Kael, who had known Adrian for some time, was taken aback. This was the first time he had heard Adrian speak with such unwavering authority. It wasn't a request it was an order. Even the usually stoic Maria cast a fleeting glance in his direction.
No one spoke immediately, the tension thickening. Adrian repeated the command, this time with more certainty. The others, finally understanding the seriousness in his tone, realized he wasn't joking.
Jax, who had initially assumed Adrian's words were the result of Maria's rude behavior, now started to wonder if there was more to this. Kael, on the other hand, thought Adrian had lost his mind. Alone in a place like this? At night, it could be a nightmare. Was Adrian so provoked by the girl's arrogance, or was he truly this fearless to left the carriage and venture out alone? For Kael, this was a side of Adrian he hadn't seen before.
The driver, visibly uneasy, dared not stop the carriage in such an eerie, desolate place. If anyone had listened closely, they would have heard faint scratching and low growls that seemed to come from all directions. Once they entered this area, the driver had fallen unnervingly silent, something far different from his usual talkative self.
Adrian soon realized that until Maria ordered him, the driver wouldn't stop even if Adrian shouted at him. So, he didn't repeat his command but turned to the girl instead.
"Can you hear me?" Adrian's voice carried an unusual sharpness. ""I can't help but wonder if the air is different around here. It's as if each breath grows more difficult, and my eyes can't seem to focus properly. Perhaps a brief pause would do us all some good."?"
The girl's expression was unreadable, but Adrian saw her fingers tighten around the fabric of her clothes. A slight tremble in her lips barely noticeable told him more than her silence ever could. She spoke in a voice that was almost a hiss. "Stop the carriage."
When the driver heard her voice, he finally obeyed. The carriage came to an abrupt halt.
But then something strange happened. Adrian, who had been poised to exit, did not move to the door. Instead, he walked further into the carriage, he was sitting in the back, a vantage point where, in case of danger, he could easily jump and run.
Everyone watched in confusion. Adrian stopped in front of Maria, leaning slightly toward her. when there eye meet, She froze. wondering what he was about to do. "This strange guy," Maria thought to herself, "what's his game?" Her instincts had always warned her about him .his eerie eyes, that lingering sense of danger.
Adrian leaned closer, his voice dropping low, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "What do you think would happen if the carriage left and I wasn't on it? Can you imagine being left alone here, with no one around?" His gaze never left Maria as he spoke, as if testing her, pushing her to respond. "So I hope you'll pity this poor soul and come with me. You don't have to do anything. Just accompany me to the driver's seat. Then, even if the carriage drives away, at least we'll have each other."
The tension in the carriage shifted. Maria's eyes widened, and she glared at Adrian, her expression suddenly wild with anger, as though he had just threatened her in the most personal way.
Kael and Jax exchanged looks. Adrian had just turned a simple situation into something far more complex. Jax could tell that Maria would never submit to this manipulation, but Kael's mind raced with a different thought: What if she actually did? What if I was left here alone? That thought alone tightened his chest.
The air was thick with discomfort. Maria, however, was far more perceptive than Adrian had expected. She stood up swiftly, shoving Adrian aside with an impressive show of force. Without a word, she moved toward the back of the carriage. Jax blinked, stunned , Maria was actually doing it without any protest. The situation was spiraling in a way Jax had never anticipated.
Adrian stayed in his place, his gaze locked on Maria. As she reached the back door, she paused for a moment, turning to Adrian with a subtle, almost imperceptible nod. "Hurry up," she commanded coldly.
Adrian watched, his mind churning with thoughts. After she stepped out, he approached the door. He noticed the exact spot where her fingers had tapped twice before opening it. Curious, he tapped the same spot, twice, but nothing happened. Then, he tapped again, this time with more force, but still, no reaction.
He studied the spot, then shifted his gaze to Maria. She was looking out at the crumbling buildings beyond, a faraway look in her eyes.
"Interesting," Adrian thought, as a smile a subtle, almost unnoticeable smile played at the corners of his lips. It wasn't the smile of someone satisfied, but more of a hunter who had just marked his prey.
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Adrian raised his voice, shouting loudly toward the driver with a sharpness that cut through the air. "Driver, if you do anything funny, you're going to regret it!"
The driver, startled, almost lost control of the reins, his heart racing. He cursed Adrian silently was he mad? who in the world in his right mind shouted so loudly in a place like this? His voice trembled as he muttered under his breath, but when he saw Maria still outside, he hesitated, unwilling to act without her command. He had no choice but to open the door for Adrian to enter next to him.
Maria, now visibly irritated, cursed under her breath. This madman had pushed her to her limits. The urgency she felt about leaving this place quickly was now apparent to everyone. She had intel about this place that no one else knew, and the last thing she wanted was to be stranded in the middle of it.
She hurried back into the carriage, ordering the driver to move as quickly as possible. The change in the tone of her voice was immediate the situation had shifted dramatically in mere moments.
Adrian, watching all of this unfold, finally confirmed what he had suspected: Maria knew more than she let on about this place. She wasn't just here because of her wealth or family background. She had knowledge, and it was knowledge he intended to exploit. She was his key to understanding this cursed land.
He instinctively touched the ring on his finger, a sly, almost mysterious smile tugging at his lips. The game had just begun.