Volume 2 – Chapter 16
The celebration had ended.
The fortress, once filled with music and laughter, had fallen into silence.
Moonlight spilled across the stone corridors as Raimer stood alone on the eastern watchtower, gazing toward the distant northern mountains.
Somewhere beyond those peaks lay Nocthollow… and whatever had spoken his title.
“The Heir…”
The words refused to leave his mind.
“Couldn’t sleep either?”
Raimer turned.
Alyra stepped onto the tower carrying two steaming mugs.
“I… borrowed these from the kitchen.”
Raimer accepted one with a smile.
“Thanks.”
“It’s herbal tea.”
“I was hoping for hot chocolate.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You sound disappointed.”
“I am.”
For the first time in days, Alyra laughed without trying to hide it.
“You’re impossible.”
“So I’ve been told.”
They stood side by side in comfortable silence.
“Do you ever think about what you’ll do after all this?” Raimer asked.
Alyra stared into the night.
“I used to.”
“And now?”
“Now I only think about surviving tomorrow.”
Raimer nodded.
“I’ll survive.”
She glanced at him.
“That’s confidence.”
“No.”
He smiled faintly.
“I’ve got four idiots who won’t let me die.”
Alyra couldn’t argue with that.
The next morning…
The Grand Hall buzzed with excitement.
Every squad that had returned from recent assignments gathered before Commander Varick.
A massive board stood behind him.
Across the top were the words:
SPECIAL OPERATIONS RANKINGS
Finn pushed through the crowd.
“We’re famous!”
“We’re probably in trouble,” Mira corrected.
Commander Varick cleared his throat.
“The rankings are based on teamwork, discipline, leadership, and mission performance.”
He began reading.
“Tenth Squad…”
“Ninth Squad…”
The names echoed through the hall.
Raimer remained calm.
Finn looked ready to explode.
“Come on…”
“Third Place…”
A different squad.
Finn groaned dramatically.
“We’ve been robbed!”
“Second Place…”
“Squad Twelve.”
Silence.
Then—
“First Place…”
“Squad Seven.”
The hall erupted into applause.
Finn blinked.
“…Wait.”
“THAT’S US!”
Without thinking, he jumped onto Kael’s back.
“We’re number one!”
Kael stumbled backward.
“GET OFF!”
Instead of helping…
Raimer and Mira laughed.
Even Commander Varick pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I expected nothing less.”
The celebration was interrupted by a loud crash outside.
A messenger rushed into the hall.
“Commander!”
“An emergency report from the northern border!”
The room instantly fell silent.
Varick unfolded the report.
His expression darkened.
“A patrol investigating the Ashveil Mountains has disappeared.”
He looked toward the gathered squads.
“The survivors reported seeing black pillars of light rising from an ancient ruin.”
One officer whispered,
“Impossible…”
“That ruin was sealed centuries ago.”
Varick nodded slowly.
“So we believed.”
That afternoon, Squad Seven received new orders.
Unlike their previous assignment, this mission wasn’t about exploring.
It was about investigation.
Commander Varick placed an old map on the table.
“This is the Ashveil Ruins.”
“It was once a fortress built during the reign of the First King.”
“No one has entered it in over three hundred years.”
He pointed to a faded symbol etched into the parchment.
“If the reports are true…”
“The seal protecting these ruins has been broken.”
Mira frowned.
Varick hesitated.
“…We don’t know.”
“The records were lost.”
Alyra folded her arms.
“Then we’re walking into the unknown.”
“Exactly.”
As the squad prepared to leave, Finn packed enough food for ten people.
Kael stared at the oversized backpack.
“Planning to feed the monsters?”
“I’m planning to survive.”
Mira pulled out an entire frying pan from Finn’s bag.
“…Why?”
“What if we find fish?”
“In ancient ruins?”
“You never know.”
Even Raimer laughed.
“You really think of everything.”
“I try.”
By sunset, the five stood before the towering cliffs of the Ashveil Mountains.
Ancient stone stairs climbed toward a massive gateway carved directly into the mountain.
Broken statues of forgotten kings lined the path.
Their faces had long since eroded away.
A cold wind howled through the valley.
Alyra stopped walking.
“Do you feel that?”
Raimer nodded.
“…Mana.”
“It feels…”
“Old.”
The closer they came, the heavier the air became.
Then…
A deep horn echoed from within the mountain.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The enormous stone gate slowly began to open.
Dust poured from the cracks.
Darkness waited beyond.
Finn swallowed.
“I’ve got a really bad feeling about this.”
Kael drew his sword.
“Good.”
“It means you’re finally using your brain.”
The five exchanged determined glances.
Without another word…
They crossed the ancient threshold together.
Behind them, the gate closed with a thunderous roar.
BOOOOM!
There was no turning back.
End of Chapter 16