The wilds beyond Star City were stranger than any dream Qiren ever had. Mossy logs curled across half-eaten stone paths, monster tracks stitched the mud, and somewhere above, soft light filtered through leaves fat with the memory of rain. Yan Yue walked ahead, her blue braid tucked into her jacket, one hand nervously tracing the silver relic the Crowned Shadow gave them. It flickered and buzzed in her palm like a stubborn compass—only this one guided by a legend, not a satellite.
Hydra Baby, the little three-headed hydra monster, was somewhere between pet and disaster-in-waiting, bounding ahead to sniff every flower and chase every beetle. The Rune Wisp floated above, keeping gentle pace with Qiren, trailing a glow that made everything feel less miserable, less scary, and—sometimes—a tiny bit magical.
Qiren, muddy to his ankles, glanced at Yan Yue. "You think this relic will keep us from getting lost or just lead us in a big circle?"
She smirked. "If it loops us back to the beginning, at least we'll know how to avoid the angry squirrel monsters next time."
The path wasn't kind. At one point, they had to clamber over a fallen tree with roots like claws, and Qiren promptly slipped, nearly dropping the pack with their only dry food. Hydra Baby, for once actually helpful, wedged under his elbow and braced him upright with all the determination of a pint-sized guardian. Qiren steadied himself, patting Hydra Baby's head. "Good save, friend. That's more than I can say for my balance."
Yan Yue turned to check on them, eyes shining with relief. "He's definitely the muscle of our operation."
They kept moving, winding deeper into the wilds, following the relic's occasional soft hums. Every time they veered off course, Yan Yue felt it pulse—the world's most nagging sense of direction. She grumbled at it, sometimes muttering, "Left? Are you sure? You have the personality of my least favorite professor, you know that?"
They stopped for a short break beneath an old archway, its stones covered in faded runes and curling moss. Qiren dropped his pack and glanced around, suddenly thoughtful. "We've been running since the night I grabbed that seed. Feels like forever."
Yan Yue sat beside him, tucking stray hair behind her ear. "We're not running now. We're… following." She held up the relic. "And whatever's at the end of this path, I think you're meant to find it."
Qiren looked at her—really looked—and, for a heartbeat, wished things were simple again. That they could just sit, talk, and not worry about monsters or Crowns or the weight of history.
But peace never lasted. In a patch of ferns, low growls rumbled—a trio of thorn wolves watched them, yellow eyes unsettling in the gloom. Qiren hoped to avoid a fight, but one lunged, drawn perhaps by Hydra Baby's cheeky display of teeth. Hydra Baby interposed himself, puffing up, wings flapping and heads hissing—all at once small, brave, and utterly ridiculous. The wolves flinched, more confused by the hydra's antics than truly threatened. Taking a chance, Qiren clapped his hands, banged a stick on a rock, and the pack—unwilling to test their luck against the wild team—slunk off into the trees.
Yan Yue's shoulders dropped in relief. "I think that counts as a win."
Qiren bent down to fuss over Hydra Baby, who had, in his excitement, gotten his middle head tangled in a patch of sticky burrs. It took both Qiren and Yan Yue's careful patience to free him, laughing every time the little creature tried to lick their hands in thanks.
As the day wore on, Yan Yue grew more determined to unlock the secret of the relic's guide—testing different words, patterns, even little questions. "If you can't give me a name, give me a hint!" she urged softly, holding it in both hands. The relic shimmered, but never quite spoke, just flashed a shimmer of symbols. Frustrated, Yan Yue let out a soft groan, though Qiren caught the edge of a smile tugging at her lips. "I'll get you to talk eventually," she threatened, as if the artifact was a stubborn child.
Meanwhile, Qiren tried to push his own limits, practicing with the Sinwave system. He tried calling on energy just enough to sense the forest before him, tried channeling what he'd felt during all those emergency escapes. Hydra Baby copied his squats and stares, only to get the hiccups and fall over. Yan Yue recorded a snippet on her relic tablet, promising to torment him with it later.
They walked for hours. Sometimes they argued about berries, sometimes they said nothing at all. Qiren noticed little things—a patch of sunlight, the way Yan Yue forgot her fear when trying to solve a problem, Hydra Baby nudging Yan Yue's knee every time she slowed.
At sunset, the land sloped down into a valley veiled in golden mist. There, a ruined building stood—half-swallowed by vines, with blue Gate-blossoms glowing at its threshold. The token buzzed urgently, Yan Yue's hand trembling in the growing twilight.
Qiren took her hand as they approached. His voice was quiet, soft enough to hide every worry: "This is it?"
Yan Yue nodded, squeezing back. "Let's see what waits for us inside."
They reached the doors, laughter fading as they faced the unknown together. Hydra Baby bounded ahead, Rune Wisp trailing stars, and for once, it felt like the world might accept them—not as outcasts, but as something new and brave.