The tension from Aldric's words still hung in the air, a suffocating weight pressing against the group. Even with their bodies rejuvenated and their speed heightened, reality was beginning to settle in, they were somewhere entirely foreign, and their presence here was unnatural.
Aldric watched their reactions with keen interest. He had expected confusion, even fear, but not this level of raw uncertainty. They truly knew nothing. No deception, no feigned ignorance. These people were anomalies in every sense. He adjusted his stance, still keeping his hand near his weapon but loosening his grip slightly.
Mia was the first to break the silence. "You said this is Neria… but what does that mean? What kind of world is this?"
Aldric leaned against the damp cavern wall, arms crossed, watching them with calculating eyes. The blue glow from his artifact still faintly flickered against the dark stone. He wasn't ready to let his guard down completely, but after what he had seen-how they reacted, how they fought, how they ran-he was convinced they weren't lying.
"Hmm, it's strange to answer a question like this, I never thought I'd meet someone from another world, I thought these things existed only in stories and myths" he said. "To put it simply Neriais a world that exists in cycles of chaos and order. I don't know how your world is like but we only managed to establish order a few centuries ago" he paused for a little to cheek their reaction again then continued "but as you've probably guessed order doesn't last forever, perks of having more than one race I guess" he chuckled with a hint of altitude
"There are different races in here" Yusuf asked urgently.
And Chloe added "you called us and yourself Vaharians, is that like Humans?
Aldric thought about it for second and said "so I understand you're called Humans, there are no species called Humansin Neriaas far as I know, but since I thought you were Vaharianswhen we first meet I guess it's something similar"
"What about the others" asked Allen
"Neria has five races, Vahariansincluded, and they are: the Zha'ren, Oridath, Dracovyn and Naxaris.
"FIVE…" Jasmin said with a shock just like the rest.
"Is that too many, how many do you have in your world?" Aldric asked curiously. To which Chris responded with a straight face "One".
"Sounds lovely" the soldier said with a mused smile
The group fell silent, their thoughts racing. Their minds were still adjusting to the idea of being on another world, and now they had to process the idea of five different races.
Merry exhaled, folding her arms. "And you said something about stages. What did you mean?"
Aldric hesitated for a moment before answering. "Neriahas a power called Aether. The essence that flows through this world. It's in the air, in the ground, in all living things. But there are beings that are chosen by it as they get the chance to understand it and harness it, shaping themselves into something stronger." He gestured at them.
"You're changing. Faster healing, enhanced movement… I don't know if it's normal for you "Humans" but it didn't look normal for you either." He paused asking for confirmation and Lumien said "it's not; when we woke up here we could hardly stand straight, let alone run or heal"
Aldric continued "I don't understand Aethermuch-no one truly does. But each race manifests different abilities with it. If I had to guess, your Aetherarts seem to revolve around your bodies."
"There are stages to gain power, and paths of ascension to insure safety, because Aetheris highly unstable, and after centuries we could barely find safe ways to use it, so be careful, at least don't die on me or turn to some strange monster before we get out of here"
Isla horrified asked ""Wait… turning into a monster? Are you saying this Aetherthing could kill us?"
The weight of his words made everyone uneasy. None of them had asked for this, none of them understood it, and now they were being told that whatever was happening to their bodies could spiral out of control.
Jasmine rubbed her wrist where the shackles bound her. "So what? We're just supposed to figure this out on our own?"
Aldric's expression darkened. "Just don't try anything stupid and you might live and make it out of here to figure it out."
A distant sound echoed through the cavern-the low, guttural growls of something approaching.
The creatures were still searching.
Aldric straightened. "We need to move."
"Where?" Isla asked.
"There's another section of these caves. I remember passing through an old ruin. It might have another way out."
They didn't argue. With the creatures still hunting them, anywhere was better than here. Aldric kept them moving through the winding tunnels, guiding them through the darkness. The air grew colder, heavier, as the walls began to change. What was once rough stone became smoothed, worked by something-or someone-long ago.
Then, they saw it.
A massive, open chamber, its walls lined with strange carvings and symbols. The remains of a lost settlement. The ruin Aldric spoke of.
"Whoa…" Allen breathed, stepping inside.
Scattered remnants of what may have once been homes or meeting halls lay in disrepair. Faded murals lined the walls, depicting figures locked in battle against monstrous entities, symbols of power radiating from their forms.
Mia ran her fingers along one of the carvings. "What is all this?"
Aldric studied the markings before answering. "Probably records left behind by some survivors of the Lament centuries ago. This place may be a refuge for those who fled underground when the world was collapsing."
Yusuf frowned. "the Lament?"
Aldric answered "the catastrophic era that caused the fall of civilization, a lot of history of that era was lost or is kept hidden"
Aldric's lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm not an expert but I think they describe the rise of the Guide, and how he brought order back to Neria"
"Who's this Guide" Lumien voiced the group's curiosity
He let the words settle. "A figure who rose from the chaos and led the survivors back to the surface. He was the first to bring structure to Neriaafter the collapse."
"Some describe him as a historical figure who saved Neria, while others think of him as myth created to fill in the gaps in history"
Chris crossed his arms. "And where is this 'Guide' now?"
Aldric shook his head. "That's the thing. No one really knows. What we know of that time is… fractured. Most of it is hidden by the high-ranking figures of the world. Only those in power may know the full truth."
"What about the survivors who built this place" Ava asked
"They left after Order was restored."
Silence stretched between them. Whatever this world was, it was clear that much of its history was buried-both literally and figuratively.
A sudden stillness filled the ruins. The air turned thick, suffocating, as though the darkness itself was watching.
Then, a low growl echoed from the tunnel behind them.
They weren't alone.
Elijah who's silent all this time turned first, eyes sharp. "They found us."
A pair of cold, glowing blue eyes emerged from the darkness, followed by another. And another.
Aldric swore under his breath. "We don't have an exit."
Chloe pulled Yusuf back. "What do we do?"
Elijah exhaled and rolled his shoulders. "We fight."
The creatures stepped forward, their movements eerily synchronized. Their eyes-so full of despair-locked onto them. This wasn't just survival. It was extermination.
A final purge.
Aldric drew his sword. "If we're leaving this place, we do it now."
Elijah cracked his knuckles. "Then let's get out of the dark."
And with that, the battle began.