The following morning, Caius and Sereth packed the last of their supplies. The scaled stag had provided them with enough meat to begin the journey, and the leather they had prepared was carefully folded and secured among their belongings. The remaining meat was divided between their storage rings and packs, while the useful bones, scales, and other materials were tucked away wherever they could fit.
Their temporary shelter had served its purpose. The ruined stone structure that had protected them from the cold would soon be left behind.
Caius stood at the edge of the valley for a moment, looking back at the ancient ruins. He had spent only a short time there, yet the place already carried memories that would remain with him. He had hunted his first scaled stag there, learned the Flow Step, discovered the strange nature of his black core, and survived the attack of the creature that had stalked them from the shadows.
Sereth adjusted his pack before looking toward the narrow passage leading out of the valley. "We should leave."
Caius nodded, and they began walking.
The valley gradually disappeared behind them as they followed the stream toward the passage leading deeper into the Abyss. The gray mist remained thick around the ancient ruins, making the distant structures seem almost unreal.
Caius continued walking beside Sereth when he suddenly heard something: a faint whisper, so quiet that he almost thought it had come from the wind.
Return.
Caius stopped and looked behind him, but the ruins remained silent. The ancient stones stood beneath the gray mist, exactly as they had when they arrived.
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Turning toward Sereth, Caius asked, "Did you say something?"
Sereth looked at him strangely. "No."
Caius glanced back toward the ruins and listened, but nothing followed. The whisper was gone.
"Never mind," Caius murmured, shrugging.
Sereth studied him for another moment before continuing forward, and Caius fell into step behind him. Neither of them noticed the faint movement deep among the ruined stones.
They continued through the narrow passage and gradually began climbing. The journey out of the Abyss was far more difficult than Caius had expected, the terrain steep and the ancient pathways broken in many places. They often had to scale exposed rock or navigate narrow, treacherous trails along the canyon walls.
They traveled carefully, neither wanting to attract the attention of another creature. The Abyss was vast, and Sereth had only explored a small portion of it during his years of wandering; even he did not know what lived in its deepest regions.
They continued their ascent for almost two days. By the time they finally reached the upper passages, the oppressive darkness above them had begun to change, replaced by a faint light appearing in the distance: daylight.
Caius stopped for a moment and looked upward. It had been so long since he had seen the open sky that the sight felt almost unfamiliar.
"We are close," Sereth said, continuing past him.
Caius followed as the passage gradually widened, until the two finally reached the edge of the Abyss.
Cold air swept across Caius's face as he stepped onto the rocky ground above. He turned and looked back at the massive opening stretching behind them, disappearing into shadow.
For a moment, Caius simply stood there. Then he looked down toward the distant ruins far below, and the faint whisper returned to his thoughts.
Return.
Caius stared into the darkness. "I will come back."
Sereth stopped and looked at him.
Caius kept his eyes fixed on the Abyss. "If I survive, I will return to those ruins."
Sereth gave a quiet laugh. "Focus on your training first. If you become strong enough, perhaps you can come back."
Caius gave one final glance toward the depths, then turned away.
The two began walking north. Beyond the mountains waited the frozen wasteland, and somewhere beyond those frozen lands waited the future Caius had chosen for himself.