As we stepped through the portal, the world shifted violently. My breath caught in my throat as the air grew warmer, heavier. The ground beneath us was no longer cracked stone but smooth, polished marble.
The air was thick with the scent of incense and fire. My eyes darted around, taking in the towering columns, the intricately carved buildings, and the people who moved with purpose through the bustling streets.
This wasn't the desolate city we had left behind. This was something entirely different.
"This… this is the past," Seonwoo muttered, his voice low, filled with disbelief. "The city before it fell."
The people around us, dressed in flowing tunics and robes, glanced our way, their eyes narrowing in suspicion. We were strangers here, and it was clear that they weren't used to seeing outsiders.
They whispered among themselves, their gazes lingering on us like we were an anomaly.
"We're out of place," Kaelen muttered, his voice filled with unease. He stood a little straighter, instinctively scanning the crowd. "We need to be careful."
I nodded. The weight of the moment pressed down on me. We were in a time we didn't understand, surrounded by people who didn't welcome outsiders, and our only option was to survive—and learn—by blending in.
But how could we blend in when everything about us screamed that we were not from here?
"We need to find answers," Seonwoo said, his voice steady. "We can't stay on the outskirts. Let's keep moving."
We tried to remain unnoticed as we moved through the streets, but it wasn't long before the people around us started to notice. Their gazes followed us, harsh and judgmental.
A woman glanced up from a market stall, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. A man muttered something under his breath as we passed by.
I felt a tight knot of unease form in my stomach. The tension in the air was palpable.
"They don't like us being here," I whispered to Kaelen, trying to keep my voice calm. "We don't belong."
He didn't reply, but his eyes flicked nervously to the people around us. "No one here seems friendly," he muttered back, his hand tightening on the strap of his bag.
As we continued down the main street, trying to appear inconspicuous, a group of men approached us. They were tall, their muscular builds matching the intimidating looks on their faces. Their eyes were cold, assessing us with a mixture of curiosity and hostility.
One of them, a man with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward, blocking our path.
"Outsiders," he growled, his voice rough. "We don't take kindly to strangers here. What's your business in our city?"
My heart raced as I exchanged a glance with Seonwoo. The man's tone wasn't friendly. We didn't belong here. How could we explain that we didn't mean any harm when they clearly saw us as a threat?
"We're travelers," Seonwoo said, his voice smooth but firm. "We came seeking refuge, nothing more."
The man's eyes narrowed. "Refuge?" he repeated, his voice dripping with disbelief. "I don't trust your kind. You've got that look about you—like you're here for something more than shelter."
Before Seonwoo could respond, the man raised his hand, signaling to the others. "I suggest you leave. Now."
I felt the tension crackle in the air. This wasn't going to be easy. We were strangers in a strange land, and the people here were not welcoming us with open arms. It felt like the weight of a thousand eyes was on us, waiting for the slightest misstep.
"We don't want trouble," I said quickly, stepping forward. "We just need to find a way to survive here. We're not looking for conflict."
The man sneered but didn't back down. "Survive, huh? That's not up to you."
Before I could respond, another voice cut through the tension. "Enough, Baros."
A woman stepped forward, her expression stern, though not as hostile as the man's. She was older, with sharp, calculating eyes and dark hair pulled back into a tight braid. She glanced at us, then at the group of men.
"You'd do well to show respect, Baros. They're not from here. And I've seen what's written in the scrolls—there's more to them than meets the eye."
Baros hesitated, his scowl deepening, but he stepped back slightly. The woman didn't let the silence stretch too long.
"You've made a mistake. These strangers are not enemies. Let them be."
She turned back to us, her gaze lingering on us for a moment before she spoke again. "You are far from home. But perhaps we can help you… at least, for now. Come with me."
I exchanged a quick glance with Seonwoo. This was our chance. We couldn't stay in the streets, where every passerby seemed to look at us with suspicion. We followed the woman, keeping our distance from Baros and his men.
The woman led us through the bustling streets, weaving between crowds of people who still glanced at us with wary eyes.
We arrived at a stone building at the edge of the city, a place that seemed a little less grand than the rest of the city but still imposing. The woman pushed open the heavy doors, motioning for us to enter.
"You'll stay here for now," she said. "We will discuss what you're really here for. But for the time being, stay out of sight."
I nodded silently, unsure of what to expect next. The door creaked closed behind us, and I felt the weight of this new world bearing down on us.
"What now?" Kaelen whispered, his voice tense.
"We wait," Seonwoo said quietly, his gaze fixed on the woman who had led us here. "And figure out what we need to do next."
But before we could settle into the safety of the building, the doors suddenly swung open. Baros and his men were standing there, this time with more forceful presence.
"These outsiders are to be stripped of their belongings," Baros commanded. "They are a threat, and we cannot risk them having any weapons or tools."
In an instant, they advanced on us. We had no choice but to comply as they rifled through our packs, taking everything we carried. The key, our provisions, weapons, everything of value was stripped from us. The weight of the situation settled heavily on my shoulders as I stood there, feeling the cold loss of our most important possessions.
The moment they grabbed my bag, I felt a sudden weight shift. My belongings fell one by one onto the cold stone floor, but something strange happened.
The book.
It wasn't in my bag, yet I knew it had fallen. As the men moved to take more of our things, I saw it—the book, now lying there on the floor, half-hidden behind the scattered items. No one else seemed to notice it, not even Baros or his men. Their eyes passed over it like it wasn't there, but I could feel its presence, like a pull in my chest.
My heart raced as I quickly stepped forward, trying to remain as calm as possible. I bent down to grab it, careful not to attract attention. When my fingers brushed against the cover, a strange sense of reassurance settled over me, as if the book itself were reminding me that it was still there, that it was still important.
"What's this?" Baros grunted as he pulled another item from my bag, but he didn't even glance at the book.
"It doesn't matter," the woman who had led us here said, her tone sharp. She motioned for Baros to leave it. "She'll keep it. The rest will be disposed of."
No one knew what the book was—just me. And for now, that would have to be enough.
"You'll regret this," Seonwoo said, his voice icy.
Baros only smirked, his men holding us in place. "We'll see about that, outsider."