Julian activates the Aetherplate on his chest, and a feeble circle of light on the surface materializes into being. "Teleport sigil," he explains, stepping back so everyone may view it clearly. "We'll be using that to drop close to the area of operations."
Kevin raises an eyebrow. "Direct drop?"
Julian shakes his head. "Not exactly. The forgers have not completely mapped the zone that we are going toward entirely. It is outside of Altinium ground, so we can't pinpoint a teleportation to any specific location. This sigil will take us to a general area—close to, but maybe not exactly on top of the breach."
Liam clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Wow, this is totally comforting."
Julian's eyes sharpen. "Stay alert once we land. Assume hostile territory immediately."
He enters the circle and turns to look at the rest of us. "Ready, everyone?"
I hold the sword that Zach gave me a little tighter, the rune safe within my pouch. Chris cracks his knuckles next to me, Kevin and Liam mutter something to themselves, and we step into the radiant sigil as one.
A burst of light—a punch to the stomach—and the mission is underway.
With a flash of cold air, we reappear while our boots crunch against the uneven gravel. A dense fog forms a low canopy that obscures the jagged edge of distant trees and the silhouette of ruined buildings. The sky above displays a dull steel gray color that feels like it rests heavily upon everything below.
Julian swiftly scans the surrounding area with his keen eyes before stating that the breach point is closer than he expected and lies northeast, less than a mile away.
Our formation takes shape with Chris leading alongside Julian while Kevin and Liam remain together, both stays behind as we advance. I maintain my position just behind Chris and Julian while my eyes scan across the dark shapes emerging from the mist.
As time passes, an hour stretches before us while the fog grows dense enough to consume familiar landmarks and dim sounds. Julian studies his Aetherplate with a frown as he states under his breath that they should have reached the breach zone by now.
Julian says impatiently, "The maps might be incorrect."
Liam grunts. "We're wasting time."
A low growl emerges from the forward shadows before Julian responds, which grows into multiple circling sounds that approach quickly.
Julian's head snaps up. "Form up! We need to be in a defensive position!"
As we reach our positions, shadows move between the trees in quick bursts of light and dark before fading away. The fight position we're in is terrible, and Julian mutters a curse.
Chris directs our attention towards a dark shape that emerges in the fog—the remains of a building with open doors resembling a giant creature's open jaws.
"Fall back!" Julian orders. "We're taking cover!"
The sound of our boots pounding on cracked pavement fills the air as we rush toward our destination. The growling sounds intensify as the presence surrounds us more tightly. My heart pounds inside my chest while Julian slams the door to the ruined building behind us.
For a moment, nothing moves save the sound of our ragged breathing in the air.
Kevin pushes a broken wood piece out of his way with a glare. We are lost and trapped inside this abandoned building.
But something about the place feels… wrong. The interior air temperature drops below that of the exterior while faintly etched symbols cover the walls, appearing ancient and eerie as they gently shimmer in the weak illumination.
Julian surveys the area with his jaw clenched.
"We're not out of danger yet."
Silence fills the place except for the sound of our footsteps, which bounce off broken tiles while sagging beams support the roof. Moving deeper into this space produces increasingly unsettling sensations. The hallways fold back onto themselves before leading to nonsensical rooms such as an office filled with tipped-over desks, which opens onto a medical ward and a stairway that climbs while taking us deeper down.
"This place is messed up," Chris whispers, while his fingers firmly hold onto his weapon.
"None of this makes any sense."
Julian halts us at a branching corridor. Two identical forsaken paths extend before us.
Julian asserts with quiet resolve when he says, "I don't think it's smart to split up."
In contrary, Kevin says, "We'll cover more ground split—"
As he speaks, the building shakes while producing an unnatural sound that resembles the walls breathing. A gap opens beneath our feet, and debris erupts into the air due to the released shockwave.
"Julius!" Julian shouts as he extends his arms, but I stumble backward with Kevin and Liam as the ground opens up between us.
"Fall back!" Chris commands from the opposite side, although his voice blends with the increasing sound of the rumble. But it's too late. A massive wall falls into a chaotic heap of stone and metal, which traps us inside.
Silence follows, deafening.
I force myself to stand while coughing and blinking to clear the dust from my eyes. Kevin mutters profanities while pacing back and forth as Liam begins analyzing the wreckage with his eyes showing cold precision.
I wipe grit from my face and announce that we're trapped.
"No shit," Kevin snaps. "Great job, genius leader."
I clench my jaw, glancing around. The hallway behind us appears transformed into a longer and narrower space as weak flickering lights above produce distorted shadows that stretch across the ground.
Liam steps up, voice low. "The building... It's changing."
My pulse quickens. He's right. The corridor that used to be straight now twists with sharp turns, while strange markings like circles and intersecting lines, along with shimmering words that are barely comprehensible, are etched into the walls.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the corridor.
Chris and Julian stand together as they share a tense look.
"Damn it," Chris growls. "This whole place is alive."
Julian's face becomes stern as he scans their environment with narrowed eyes. "It's not alive," he murmurs. "It's designed. Someone—or something—wants us separated."
…
I tighten my grip on the blade.
"We must locate them quickly to prevent the situation from deteriorating."