Chapter 4: The World Beyond the Music
Ren's legs felt like lead.
Every step was a struggle. His body still hadn't recovered from the sudden crash after his power faded.
Elias led the way through the tall grass, his pace steady, his movements effortless. His dark cloak barely rustled as he moved, as if he had walked these lands a thousand times before.
Ren, on the other hand, felt like he was dying.
His muscles ached. His breath was uneven. The adrenaline had long since faded, leaving behind an exhaustion that sank into his bones.
But he pushed forward.
He had no choice.
Elias hadn't spoken much since they started walking. He hadn't looked back, either—like he already knew Ren would follow.
And honestly? He wasn't wrong.
Ren glanced down at his phone, still clutched in his hand. The screen was dark now, but it wasn't dead.
Battery: 100%.
No Service. No Wi-Fi. No notifications. Nothing.
And yet… it still worked.
The moment he played music, something awoke inside him. Strength. Reflexes. Instinct.
But the second it stopped?
Everything collapsed.
Ren exhaled sharply, gripping the phone tighter.
He needed to figure out how this worked—fast.
The silence stretched on too long.
I finally forced out, "Where are we going?"
Elias didn't even glance back. "Shelter."
"…That's vague."
"Tough."
…Okay, so he wasn't the talkative type.
I adjusted my pace, moving closer so I wasn't just trailing behind like a lost kid. "Fine. Then at least tell me—where are we?"
Elias was quiet for a moment. Then he finally spoke.
"The Vallis Wilds."
I frowned. "That's supposed to mean something to me?"
Elias clicked his tongue. "No. But it should."
I narrowed my eyes. "Well, excuse me for not being a local."
At that, he finally stopped walking.
He turned to face me, crossing his arms, expression unreadable. "You're really not from here, are you?"
The air felt heavy.
I met his gaze, trying to keep my face neutral. "…No."
Elias didn't blink. He studied me carefully, like he was piecing together a puzzle.
Then, he exhaled through his nose. "Great."
He turned away, continuing forward. "That means you're more of a pain than I thought."
…Wow. Thanks.
Ren bit back a frustrated sigh but followed. He wasn't in a position to argue.
Still, something about Elias's reaction bothered him.
The guy wasn't shocked. Not even a little.
No 'What do you mean you're not from here?' No 'That doesn't make sense!'
Just mild irritation.
Like people showing up in this world out of nowhere wasn't unusual.
Ren's stomach twisted.
Just what kind of place had he ended up in?
The trees grew thicker as they entered the forest. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, casting shifting shadows on the ground. The sounds of distant wildlife filled the air—birds, rustling leaves, something far off growling.
Ren's shoulders tensed at that last one.
Elias, however, didn't even react.
"How far is this 'shelter' of yours?" Ren asked, voice low.
Elias glanced at him. "Tired already?"
Ren shot him a deadpan look. "I nearly got eaten five minutes ago. I think I deserve to be a little tired."
Elias smirked. "Fair."
They walked a few more steps before he added, "We're close. It's just up ahead."
Ren exhaled in relief.
Then—
The ground shifted beneath him.
A loud snap echoed through the air.
Ren barely had time to react before the earth beneath his foot collapsed.
Oh shit—
I plummeted downward, air rushing past me.
My stomach lurched as my body slammed into something rough. I tumbled—once, twice—before finally hitting the ground hard.
Pain exploded across my back. Dirt clouded my vision. My ears rang.
I groaned, rolling onto my side, disoriented as hell.
Then I heard Elias's voice above me.
"…You really just walked into a pit trap."
I blinked, still dazed. "The ground… freaking collapsed under me."
Elias crouched at the edge of the hole, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah. That's how traps work."
I groaned again, pressing a hand to my forehead. "For the record? This day sucks."
Elias smirked. "You're not dead yet. That's something."
I wanted to glare at him, but my body hurt too much to care.
Then his expression shifted.
His gaze flickered to something behind me.
"Uh… Ren?"
I stiffened.
That was not a good tone.
I swallowed hard and slowly turned my head.
And that's when I saw it.
A pair of glowing red eyes staring at me from the darkness.
…Oh, come on.
Ren's pulse spiked.
A low, guttural growl filled the pit.
The shadows shifted, revealing something large.
Something waiting.
And Ren was trapped.
His breath hitched. His music was off.
His body was weak.
And Elias?
Still standing above the pit.
"…You wanna maybe do that crossbow thing again?" Ren asked, voice tight.
Elias exhaled. "Yeah, yeah."
He reached for his weapon—
And then another growl came from the forest behind him.
Elias stilled.
Ren's stomach dropped.
There was more than one.