The innkeeper continued, his voice lower now.
"The ones who caused trouble for you last night – they weren't ordinary travelers. They're part of a band of thieves. And not just them. Most of the people staying here… they're outlaws, mercenaries, or worse. This place sits on the border of the Dark Zone. It's a rest stop for those who seek blood and chaos."
His gaze sharpened.
"But you and that girl, you two are different. You're real guests. That alone sets you apart."
Xin remained quiet. He could sense the weight behind the man's words.
"So… are you warning me?"
The innkeeper gently set his teacup down. His eyes turned icy.
"You two are after the Tear of Sadani, aren't you?"
Xin froze. He hadn't expected the man to guess their objective so precisely.
"How do you know?"
The innkeeper gave a quiet laugh before replying.
"The Dark Zone between Seraing and Nabylos is infamous for its five towers – each sealed by the mage Goldust. They were created to lure monsters away from human settlements. Over centuries, the strongest five species made those towers their nests, amassing power and dark energy, guarding treasures beyond belief. Four of them have already been conquered. Only Sadani's tower remains."
Xin listening intently. The innkeeper lowered his voice.
"They say... it's the easiest tower to conquer. And also the hardest."
Xin furrowed his brow. "If people talk about it, doesn't that mean someone made it out?"
"You're not wrong. But here's the thing – each tower is sealed by a gate. And that gate only opens when a man and a woman work together. Goldust believed in the balance of all things – yin and yang, male and female. His design made sure that those who failed… would never return. Two go in. Two stay."
He paused, voice growing colder.
"But there were a few who came back. The ones who betrayed their partner."
He took another sip of tea. His eyes drifted to Xin – calm, unreadable, but with something heavy behind them. It felt like the man had seen this story play out before.
The air turned still.
Just then, a staff member hurried over and whispered something into the innkeeper's ear. The man frowned briefly, then regained his calm demeanor.
"I need to attend to something. But remember this: sometimes… your companion can be more dangerous than your enemy."
He gave a polite nod before walking away, leaving Xin with a mind weighed down by doubt.
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It was nearly noon by the time Gloria finally woke up. Most of the traveling groups had already checked out. She stretched leisurely, fixed her hair, and slipped into a pale blue dress – elegant, with white bows tied along the back, hugging her figure with noble grace.
When she came downstairs, she spotted Xin sitting silently near the window. She strolled over and flicked his ear.
"Ah—ouch!" Xin flinched.
"I told you to keep watch. Why are you down here?" Gloria pouted.
Xin rubbed his ear and gave her a tired look.
"I'm not your bodyguard."
Gloria shrugged and sat across from him.
"Forget it. Let's eat first."
She waved over a server.
A moment later, a basket of hot buns and a plate of fresh fruit arrived. From her bag, Gloria pulled out a small pouch of powder. She poured it into a cup and slid it over to Xin.
"You need to take this three times. I'll give you the last dose once we get there."
Xin looked at the tea, clearly unamused, but drank it anyway. Satisfied, Gloria picked up a bun and dropped it into his hand.
"Eat. I don't want to waste time."
Xin only gave a half-hearted nod. His mind was still echoing with the innkeeper's final words.
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The border between light and darkness was nearly impossible to detect.
Xin, sharp-eyed as he was, couldn't say when exactly they crossed it. Only when the sky dimmed and a pale, eerie glow replaced the sun did he realize they had entered the Dark Zone – the unwelcoming domain of monstrous things.
The land here was a dead desert, dunes stretching endlessly in all directions. Occasionally, flashes of light tore through the clouds, crashing to the ground in bursts of fire. It was a place stripped of warmth and riddled with danger.
Xin and Gloria continued onward. But as the hours passed, it became clear something was wrong.
Sand. Only sand. No landmarks, no roads, no end in sight.
Xin glanced at her.
"Are we even going the right way?"
Gloria didn't respond. She stopped, opened her pack, and pulled out a bundle of folded papers. One by one, she scattered them onto the sand. As they touched the ground, the papers shimmered, stood upright, and transformed into small paper dolls.
They tugged at her dress and began to march forward, leading the way.
"You're… an illusionist? You really plan on fighting monsters with these?" Xin asked.
Gloria said nothing, simply following the dolls with quiet confidence. She didn't even glance back.
A while later, a massive silhouette began to rise before them – an ancient tower, weathered by time, standing tall among the dunes.
Dead trees lay collapsed at the base of the structure. The air was thick, oppressive. The tower's crimson stone glowed faintly, as if soaked in dried blood.
Xin hesitated. "This is the place?"
Gloria nodded. She stood there for a while, then finally said: "Yes. And now that we're here, I won't force you to go in. Drop your pack, and you're free to leave."
Xin raised an eyebrow. Something felt… off.
"You really don't need me anymore?" he asked. "The innkeeper told me only a man and a woman together could open the gate."
Gloria tilted her head, a soft smirk playing on her lips.
"Oh? So he knows that much, huh? Well, he's not wrong. I do need you. More precisely…"
She pointed toward a stone pedestal near the gate.
"I need your hand."
Xin blinked.
"My… hand?"
She nodded, completely calm.
"We need to place our hands there together to open the gate. If you don't want to go in… then just leave your hand with me. I'll give you the antidote in return."
"You want… my hand!?"
His voice cracked. Sweat started to form on his forehead.
Gloria said nothing.
She just stared – still, cold, as if what she was asking was the most natural thing in the world.