Damn, everything hurts.
The morning sun crested the rolling hills, casting golden light across the abandoned farmstead where Lyra and Erel had sheltered for the past few weeks. With the kin finally dead and the immediate threat neutralized, it was time to resume their journey deeper into the breach zone.
Nearly a month had passed since they'd left the protective walls of Seoul, and the journey had been transformative. Erel had grown remarkably—his swordsmanship was sharper, his understanding of his abilities deeper, and his confidence in combat situations had solidified into something approaching competence.
"Come on, move your ass," Lyra called from the farmhouse doorway, already shouldering her pack. "The Concordat surveillance station is still a full day's walk. We need to reach it before sunset."
This woman, Erel thought grimly, gingerly testing the fresh bandages around his torso. She makes me fight entities a full tier above my level, then acts like a punctured abdomen is just an inconvenience.
According to Lyra, there was a Concordat outpost nestled deep in the breach zone that served multiple purposes—research station, safe haven for Anomalites venturing into the Imaginarium, and most importantly for their current needs, a job centre where hunters could find work suitable to their skill level.
"I'm injured, you know," Erel said, wincing as he pulled on his gear. "Yet you still woke me up at dawn for 'training' that consisted of you beating the hell out of me."
"No entity is going to care if you're injured," Lyra replied matter-of-factly. "You'll be their dinner all the same. So, hurry up."
Erel slung his backpack over his shoulder with a pained grunt and took one last look at the farmhouse that had been their temporary home. They were heading west now, deeper into territory where the entities would be stronger, faster, and more cunning. Despite his complaints, he found himself looking forward to whatever challenges lay ahead.
Venturing beyond Seoul's walls had been a revelation. After spending his entire life within those protective barriers, he'd never given much thought to the ruined world that existed outside. But experiencing it firsthand had shown him both how precious this broken world was and how devastating the Imaginarium's influence had been.
The weathered road rolled along the hillside, cutting through countryside that showed signs of both natural beauty and supernatural corruption. In the distance, a shallow forest marked their path toward the Concordat station.
"Lyra," Erel said as they settled into a steady walking pace, "what do you think about the Imaginarium? I mean, what it's done to the world?"
She glanced at him, her dark hair catching the morning sunlight. "Where's that coming from?"
"I mean, you might actually remember when the planes first started appearing. Seeing both sides of it firsthand..."
"You know I'm not that old, right?" Lyra said with a slight smile. "I could barely walk when the Imaginarium first manifested."
She slowed her pace slightly, her expression becoming thoughtful. "But growing up during the early phases was definitely something. People were still adjusting, the death count was astronomical in those first few years. It took time for humanity to adapt."
She paused, watching a flock of birds that seemed to shimmer as they passed overhead. "Seeing how it disrupted everything, how it changed the fundamental nature of reality itself, that's what made me want to become an Anomalite."
She extended her hand, materialising one of her signature obsidian feathers that seemed to absorb the light around it. "Who knew I'd actually end up synchronising with a myth?"
"What about you?" she asked, dismissing the feather. "Do you miss Seoul?"
Erel walked in comfortable silence for a moment, considering the question. The past month had been completely different from anything he'd known, sleeping in broken shelters, eating rations supplemented by whatever they could hunt, drinking from streams instead of filtered taps. It should have been miserable, but somehow...
"Lately, it feels like this kind of life is what I'm meant for," he said finally. "I don't think I could go back to living behind those walls and pretending everything is normal. Not after seeing this."
Lyra suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing across the countryside.
"What?"
"Like father, like son," she said, grinning at him. "I remember him saying almost exactly the same thing." Her expression softened with memory. "You know, Rae probably misses you terribly."
"She probably does," Erel admitted quietly.
Rae had been his closest friend since childhood—practically the only real friend he'd ever had. After losing his parents, her family had become his second home, the place where he'd learned what normalcy felt like.
"You have no idea, do you?" Lyra shook her head. "You're nineteen, for crying out loud."
"What do you mean?"
"She likes you, you dimwit. Isn't it obvious?"
"That's rich, coming from someone in her thirties who doesn't even have friends," Erel shot back.
Lyra stopped walking entirely.
Got her where it hurts.
"You goddamn brat..."
Erel continued walking, now in front of her.
"I know, though," Erel said more seriously. "I've known for a while."
Lyra's expression shifted to understanding. "So, it's like that...."
The truth was, Erel had been aware of Rae's feelings for some time. He'd seen it in the way she acted around him, the little gestures and glances that spoke louder than words. And every time he noticed, it pained him to know he couldn't return those feelings.
"I should have told her," he said. "It was wrong to keep her hanging like that."
She deserved better than that.
"But I don't know how. I can't imagine saying that to her, knowing how it would hurt, how it might destroy the only real friendship I've ever had."
"You try to put up a strong front all the time," Lyra observed, "but who knew you were so hopeless with women? Well, it's up to you how you handle it."
She paused, a subtle pained smile sitting on her lips, "though she deserves to know it."
The conversation lapsed into comfortable silence as they continued their journey. Hours passed uneventfully; they'd deliberately chosen a route that avoided known entity territories to prevent delays, since travelling after dark was exponentially more dangerous.
They stopped by a stream around midday, sharing the last of a deer they'd hunted that morning and refilling their water containers. The break gave Erel a chance to check his injuries and adjust his bandages, while Lyra scouted ahead to ensure their path remained clear.
"How much further?" Erel asked as they resumed walking.
"Maybe six hours if we maintain this pace," Lyra replied, consulting a hand-drawn map. "The station is built into an old mining complex, so it's well-fortified but hard to spot unless you know what to look for."
As they travelled deeper into the breach zone, the landscape began to change in subtle ways. The trees grew larger, and their leaves showed traces of unnatural colours; deep purples and electric blues that had no place in normal flora. The air itself felt different, charged with an energy that made Erel's skin tingle, and his mythic abilities respond with heightened sensitivity.
"The Imaginarium concentration is getting stronger," he observed.
"That's why the Concordat built their station here," Lyra explained. "Higher concentrations make it easier to detect new planes and monitor existing ones."
They encountered their first signs of human presence around late afternoon; cleared paths that showed recent maintenance, small markers that probably meant something to Concordat personnel, and eventually, concealed observation posts that tracked their movement.
"They know we're here," Lyra said casually as they passed what looked like a natural rock formation but was clearly an armed checkpoint.
"Should we be worried?"
"Not unless you're planning to cause trouble. The Concordat doesn't interfere with independent hunters as long as they don't interfere with Concordat operations."
The station itself was impressive once they finally reached it. Built into the side of a mountain and camouflaged to blend with natural rock formations, it would have been nearly invisible if Lyra hadn't known exactly where to look. The main entrance was a reinforced blast door that looked capable of withstanding a direct missile strike.
Two guards in Concordat uniforms checked their identification and weapons before allowing them inside. The interior was a stark contrast to the desolate landscape outside—clean corridors with proper lighting, the hum of advanced equipment, and the bustle of people who had important work to do.
"Welcome to Research Station Echo," one of the guards said. "Main briefing room is down the hall, second door on your left. Command wants to see any new arrivals."
The briefing room contained a mix of Concordat personnel, all gathered around a large holographic display showing what appeared to be a three-dimensional map of the surrounding area. Red markers indicated known entity concentrations, while blue markers showed recent plane activity.
A woman in her forties with colonel's insignia approached them. "You must be our new arrivals. I'm Colonel Martinez, station commander. We don't get many independent hunters this deep in the zone."
"Lyra Myre," Lyra introduced herself. "This is my partner, Erel. We're looking for work."
"Myre..." The colonel's expression shifted to recognition. "I've heard of you. High success rate, the one with the Morrigan Myth. Good timing; we just had something come up that might be perfect for your skill set."
She gestured toward the holographic display. "Three days ago, we detected a new breach forming about fifty kilometres northeast of here."
"Why not handle it with Concordat forces?" Lyra asked.
"Well, the entity disturbance has been increasing recently, so we are short on personnel. That is why we are relying on volunteers."
She turned to address them directly. "Standard rates apply, base fee plus bonuses for rapid resolution. Interested?"
Lyra looked at Erel, who nodded slightly.
Bluebeard was Tier 2 as well, and in the end, only I survived. But with Lyra, it should be a breeze. She is one whole tier above.
"We'll take it," Lyra said. "What kind of support can you provide?"
"Transport to the breach zone, basic equipment resupply, and emergency extraction if you survive," Martinez replied. "But once you're inside the plane, you're on your own."
They spent the next hour reviewing available intelligence, studying maps of the breach area, and coordinating with the station's logistics team. The breach had formed in what used to be a small town.
"Transport leaves at 0600 tomorrow," Martinez informed them as they concluded the briefing. "You'll have guest quarters tonight if you want to rest up before the mission."
The guest quarters were spartan but comfortable, two separate rooms with actual beds and actual running water. After weeks of roughing it in abandoned buildings, the luxury was almost overwhelming.
His mind still buzzing with premonition of what the plane could hold and subtle reluctance to enter one again, he made his way to search for Lyra.
He found her in the station's small cafeteria, nursing a cup of what passed for coffee.
"Second thoughts?" he asked, settling into the chair across from her.
"Don't be scared, your aunt will take care of anything if it goes wrong," she replied while puffing her chest out with exaggerated confidence.
"Sure, whatever makes you happy."
Lyra looked at him appraisingly, her smile turning into something more serious. "A month ago, I would have said no. But you've learned fast, honestly very fast, and your abilities are developing in ways that could be very useful inside a plane."
"Soon, I'll probably have nothing more to even teach you."
"Plus," she added with a slight smile, "I've been handling Tier 2 breaches since before you knew they existed. As long as you follow my lead and don't do anything spectacularly stupid, we should be fine."
"Also, you should be able to become an Adept after this plane."
The fact didn't really sit right with Erel. Knowing that he was going to ascend to the next tier, increasing his synchronisation with the serpent. Yet, he couldn't help but feel ecstatic about the prospect of strength that came along with it.
They finished their preparations and retired early, knowing that tomorrow would bring challenges unlike anything they'd faced before. As Erel lay in his assigned quarters, listening to the distant hum of the station's machinery, he found himself looking forward to the plane despite its dangers.
Just one month, and I'm going back in again.
Their deaths were still fresh in his mind. Grey and Adren, and what impacted him the most at times was the guilt that if he were to be put in the same position, he would most likely still follow the same course of actions, since it was the only way to survive after all.
The only way I can respect their deaths is to make the most out of their sacrifices.
A Tier 2 plane. A chance to test everything he'd learned against opponents that would push him to his limits. It was exactly what he needed to continue growing stronger.
Outside his window, the breach zone stretched toward the horizon under a star-filled sky that shimmered brightly, unlike anything he had ever seen in Seoul.
How beautiful.
For all its dangers, there was something undeniably magnificent about the world beyond the safe cities. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new dangers, and quite possibly new ways to die horribly. But tonight, lying in an actual bed with clean sheets and listening to the hum of advanced technology keeping the monsters at bay, Erel found himself oddly at peace.
He was exactly where he belonged.