The next morning Elias and Lira awoke. He had many questions but it seemed that he would find no answers.
Leaving the thought behind him, Elias sat up as best as he could without waking up Lira.
Looking around Elias felt something strange, it was like he was being watched.
Judged.
He didn't know if it was something having to do with the crows. From the one revelation he had, he was sure that something had been done to his mark and his connection to the trials.
Elias wasn't sure what had changed other than the obvious two things in his status.
Lira started to stir, slowly glancing at him, "How do you feel?"
"Perfect," he attempted to laugh a little but felt a sharp pain in his side causing him to wince.
Lira rolled her eyes, "Idiot."
Elias and Lira stayed quiet for a bit.
The silence was something they were both used to so it was rather comfortable.
Eventually Elias finally spoke, "How long have we been here?"
Lira shifted where she sat, "…about two days already - we are almost entirely out of water and we haven't been able to harvest the meat of the rat."
Elias simply nodded, "Alright let's do that now then, if we can find my bag too that would be nice. I've got water and a few changes of clothes in there."
Lira nodded solemnly, it wasn't much but atleast they had a plan.
As awakened healed much faster than normal humans, the blonde girls bruises had faded almost completely. Her ribs still ached and her ankle was still hurt though, albeit not as bad.
As for Elias the bleeding had long stopped he just had to be careful not to reopen the wounds. Luckily Lira did a good job of patching him up.
Reluctantly she helped him to his feet. It was hard but atleast he wasn't completely dead weight anymore.
He could walk just fine, it was a risky balance though. Elias created a small ball of light so Lira could see. Making sure to warn her to close her eyes so they could adjust to the sudden change.
He opened his palm and a soft white ball floated above it.
Moving back to the large cavern they had fought the large rat. Thinking about it Elias remembered he hadn't checked the notification from the kill yet.
If he had obtained an item he would have to accept it or deny it.
Denying it would turn it into extra mana to nourish his soul.
Sighing, he focused on his mark pulling up his status. Moving his vision to the top right where a small blinking light was.
A notification opened showing 2 messages.
***
[You have slain a Rank 1 Quill-Rat.
The audience looks in your direction.]
Holding his breath Elias trembled a bit in the darkness of the cavern.
'What the hell is going on?'
He looked at the second notification, deciding not to worry about it. His spine shivered as if a hundred eyes were on him.
***
[Item Receive: Cloak of the Desert
Item Tier: I
Item Type: Apparel
Description: The dark tunnels of the Obsidian Desert trembles from the war above. The cloak hides its wearer from the harshness of the sun. The move unto the tunnels, slaughtered by the monsters in the dark.
Ability: [Shroud: covers the wearer in coolness.]
Will you accept?]
Elias stared at the notification dumbfounded, he had really received an item. A useful one at that.
He accepted the item and a bright white cloak manifested out of thin air.
Lira looked at him quietly before asking, "did you get that from the rat?"
He looked at the short girl, her blonde hair covered in dust and blood shining deeply under the light he had procured.
"Yeah," Elias finally responded still looking at her.
"What?"
Elias smirked, "Have you looked down?"
The girl looked at him confused for a minute before looking down, hir shirt was shredded between the fight and using its tatters to cover their wounds.
Yelping Lira hurriedly turned around, you could almost see everything, stomach scraped from the battle, other more delicate parts partially in view.
She turned and glared at Elias.
"I didn't see anything," he shrugged and walked away tossing the cloak on top of her head.
Over the next few hours they harvested the meet they could from the monster, luckily it was cool and damp in the tunnels.
They hadn't even seen any water during their wandering.
Deciding to check above ground and find his bag before camping for one final night and eating their prey. They would set out the next day.
Elias retraced his steps from when he first saw the monster to when they ran.
Luckily he found it and nothing else did.
They walked back to the cave and sat up camp. It was already getting dark and he figured that's when the monsters would come out.
While Lira cooked the meat over the fire using one of the oversized quills - Elias went through their inventory, he had 3 water bottles left after he and the quiet girl splurged and had already drank the fourth he had.
They couldn't afford to do that again.
He changed into his other set of clothes, a dark shirt and a pair of shorts.
Those weren't the reasons he wanted the bag so bad though.
Opening the front pocket Elias reached in and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
Inside it said:
[Im Sorry.
-Micah]
The only thing he had from when his brother disappeared. He needed to know if he was alive or dead.
"The food is done," Lira said from the side of the alcove the decided to camp in.
Putting the paper back in his bag Elias walked over and sat next to the girl. Wearing the white cloak she looked at him.
"…Thank you for the cloak," Lira said after handing him the food.
Both were starving - neither of them felt like eating.
"Don't worry about it," Elias said looking away.
They sat in silence as they solemnly ate their meals. Elias couldn't even be sarcastic with everything going on.
As they sat next to eachother, having finished their meal, Elias stared at the ceiling quietly. Then he heard her voice.
"Do you think we'll die alone?" Lira asked her voice silent.
"Of course not, who do you take us for?" Elias said. "I'll take first watch so you get some sleep.
He sat up and leaned against the wall, Lira turned the light off knowing he could see in the dark. Elias closed his eyes and laid his head back thinking about everything that had happened, hearing a shuffle nearby he assumed she was getting comfortable.
She could use the cloak as a blanket atleast. Then something touched his shoulder, it was Lira - her head resting next to his.
He didn't move her, he could feel it whether he wanted to or not.
How scared she was.
Whether he liked it or not they had to help eachother, neither could make it alone.
He sat there listening to her soft breathing before eventually falling asleep himself.
The next morning they ventured out, wandering in a random direction.
Hoping to find something, anything.
Nothing.
Rocks and sun.
The world had forgotten this place.
Even the sun seemed to hang grudgingly overhead — a dying thing, its light harsh and bitter, painting the world in shades of ash and bone.
Elias stumbled forward, every step a battle against the dragging weight of exhaustion. His bandages itched against his skin, half-sticking with dried blood. His breaths came short and sharp through cracked lips.
Beside him, Lira pressed on in silence.
They had been searching for 3 days. At night everything came out. They had seen multiple abominations.
The night sky continuously empty and vast. No stars. No moon.
They made it by finding the rat nests before night fell and killing the sleeping beast inside.
After the first try it went smother, equipped with the beasts own deadly quills he had killed 4, Lira normally stayed quiet and kept a look out.
He would sneak up then pierce their hollow useless eyes.
He hadn't received another item. The cryptic notification always followed however and with each kill he felt the indeed eyes grow in number.
Lira had kept him sane, they barely talked, however, she was like an anchor even in silence.
Keeping him sane at all costs.
He hadn't told her about the dream or anything.
Though she could feel his anxiousness, she hadn't asked about it luckily.
Her spare clothes had been torn even more to bind small wounds from the scuffle he had been in.
They continued - searching endlessly.
Her hair, usually neat, hung in dusty strands against her face. Sweat stained the collar of her battered shirt, but her golden eyes — tired, wary — stayed sharp, scanning the horizon with each dragging step.
Neither spoke. There was no point. In this wasteland of black sand and shattered stone, words felt like a waste of breath.
They hadn't seen shelter in hours.
Nothing but the endless desert. Nothing but the sky, cracked and bleeding light from a sickly sun.
And always — always — the feeling of being watched.
Elias felt it crawl under his skin, like strings tugging gently at his mind, pulling at memories best left buried.
His chest burned beneath the ripped fabric of his shirt — an invisible weight.
Broken King. Drifting Puppet. Fool of the Forgotten Theater.
The words whispered at the edges of his thoughts, unwanted companions.
Lira slowed slightly, her hand drifting to the knife tucked into her belt.
"You feel that?" she asked finally, voice low.
Elias nodded stiffly.
He felt it.
A presence.
Not the rat-beast's mindless hunger — no. Not the unseen gazes either. This was different. Colder. Sharper. Like something clever was watching from behind the dunes.
A second wind pushed through Elias — not strength exactly, but necessity. He straightened, grimacing against the screaming protest of his muscles.
"If something jumps us," he rasped, "I'm too broken to carry you this time."
Lira huffed a sound that might have been a laugh if it hadn't been so exhausted.
"I'd drag your corpse before letting you slow me down," she shot back.
Their banter was hollow, brittle — a shield against the fear gnawing at their bones.
A shadow moved on the horizon.
Too tall. Too wrong.
Elias tensed.
But then — a flicker of movement. Not hostile. Just… tired.
Two figures, stumbling toward them.
Not monsters.
People.
Real people.
Elias and Lira both slowed, instincts pulling them back into caution.
The newcomers were as ragged as they were — clothes torn, faces sunburned and dirt-streaked. One leaned heavily on a broken spear for support; the other, a smaller figure, carried what looked like a half-shattered shield strapped across their back.
They saw each other at the same time.
For a heartbeat, the desert seemed to hold its breath.
Four strangers — broken, battered, barely alive — staring across a sea of ash and death.
And then, slowly, the spear-bearer lifted a hand in greeting. Not high. Not with any strength. Just a simple, exhausted acknowledgment.
Elias felt something strange stir in his chest.
Hope.
A dangerous, fragile thing.
He didn't move. Not yet. His fingers curled, feeling the lingering tremble of invisible strings under his skin.
Lira glanced sideways at him.
"Friends?" she asked dryly.
"Don't know yet," Elias murmured. "But… better than being alone."
He took a step forward.
The desert shifted again — and far above, unseen behind the glare of the dying sun, black feathers drifted down like forgotten dreams.
The stage was being set.
The cast was gathering.
And far away, in the hollow places where forgotten gods wept, the Theater of Broken Thrones stirred, delighted.
The Dance of the Broken Puppet had begun.