The horizon stretched wide, a blend of gold and grey as the caravan rumbled along the dirt road. Dust rose behind them in lazy spirals, and wind carried the scent of pine and smoke from distant villages.
For three days, Daniel , David and Mira had traveled with some merchants they met on the way— guarding, repairing, fighting off the occasional beast that strayed too close. The world outside the forests of Varyn Reach was raw, untamed, alive with essence that crackled faintly through the air.
Daniel sat at the edge of the wagon, cloak fluttering, his hand absently tracing lightning between his fingers. It glowed dimly — a habit he couldn't quite stop.
> "You'll burn through your essence before we even reach the city," Mira said from behind him, tossing him a waterskin.
He caught it, smiling. "Just keeping my control sharp."
She leaned against the side, eyes half-closed. "Sharp's fine. But try sleeping like a normal human."
He laughed softly, then turned his gaze toward the mountains ahead. Beyond those peaks lay Eldervale — the city of relics, built over an ancient battlefield said to hide the remains of forgotten glyphs.
They passed through forests shimmering with faint mist, crossed bridges guarded by spirit totems, and stopped at roadside inns that smelled of stew and smoke.
At one such inn — The Silver Antler, a half-broken establishment with a crooked sign — a group of local wanderers tried to size them up. Daniel felt the pressure before it even began.
Four men sat at a corner table, watching Mira a bit too long. One of them rose, mug in hand.
> "Hey, sweetheart," he said, voice slurred. "How 'bout you sit with us? Roads are long, nights are cold."
Mira didn't even turn. "Sit back down before I teach you how cold a dagger feels."
The man's smirk faded. "You've got a sharp tongue—"
Before he could finish, Daniel's hand moved — just a flicker. A thin spark of lightning leapt from his fingertip to the man's cup. The mug exploded in his hand, scattering ale and shards across the table.
The tavern went silent.
Daniel met his gaze calmly. "She said no."
The men stared, unsure, then muttered curses and backed off. The tension broke, replaced by murmurs. Mira smirked.
> "Show-off."
He shrugged. "You started it."
That night, as the fire crackled, Daniel lay awake. He felt it again — that faint pull deep in his chest. The Codex's hum had been growing stronger the closer they came to Eldervale.
> [Distance to resonance zone: 43 miles.]
He whispered to himself, "So it's true. Something ancient is buried there."
---
The next morning, mist rolled through the valley as they resumed their journey. Herds of spirit deer darted across the plains. The merchants whispered about strange sightings on the road — travelers vanishing near the stone ridges.
By evening, the sky opened up into a storm of color — red clouds streaked with golden lightning — and beneath it rose Eldervale, vast and walled, its towers glowing faintly with essence veins.
The city was alive.
Mira stared in awe. "It's bigger than I imagined."
Daniel nodded slowly. "And it's humming."
> "Humming?"
He gestured toward the walls. "Feel the ground. There's an array under the entire city."
The caravan leader called out. "Papers ready! We're at the gate!"