The ruins loomed in the distance, giving me a full view of its exterior. Hye-jin's presence remained where it was on the map flashing on the edge of my vision. I ground my teeth. This skill was one of the first ones I produced using the Key of Goran. I merged it with the one skill I learned from Hye-jin during the jjangkai mission, which happened to be Enhance.

One of the perks of being a valdyrsi was that I instinctively remember everything I copied, including Harnath from the Hunting Raids. And now that I have this skill made from Hye-jin's magical print, it's like a ticking homing device.

I marked the spot on the map based on my inner compass and had moved to tackle this on my own. That was, until the rest of them stopped me.

"It's a chance to see what that boy is up to," Cavya had said on our way out of Dragnasand the next day. "And how it all connects to the previous Monarch."

And that's how we ended up soaring through beasts summoned by Nazran and Revery, armed to the bone with the best skills, sharpened weapons, and beaming smiles. I tightened my hold around the reins of the beast I rode with. Unlike the bird, the ones Nazran summoned were already equipped with flying paraphernalia. I should do that if I needed to borrow a summoner's magic once more.

"The Temple of Anhui," Cavya breathed from the head of our flight formation. "Is that where your skill is pointing?"

"Yes," I answered, making sure my voice wasn't blown away by the roaring wind. "Let's descend and regroup. It's better to approach by foot."

Cavya didn't nod his agreement but stirred the reins of his beast to point its snout downward. Sensing his cue, we all maneuvered our rides and followed. Once we're through the lines of clouds and trees, various thuds of talons, hooves, and feet crunched against the grass. Clothes rustled and armor clinked on our way to dismount. Cavya, in his ever-stylish suit—it's green, like the first time we met—turned to us as Nazran and Revery recalled their summons. His hand played with the hilt of his rapier; his expression couldn't be more grim.

"I will never forget those ruins," Cavya said, striding towards the thick undergrowth and driving some vines and branches out of the way with a solid crunch. The whole valley plus the ruins spread out below us since we've landed on the steep incline further south. "This is where the Monarch made her last stand during the Crusade. Thousands of Solarlumean blood watered the very soil we're standing on."

A slight twinge arose in my gut. I pursed my lips and edged a step back from the drawn natural curtains. "Here's what we're going to do," Cavya let the branches snap back to their place and dusted his gloves. We gathered around him more by habit than instinct. "Kora will lead the extraction group and I will lead the one for distraction."

"I'm going to cause a disturbance to draw attention," he continued. "Kora will get Seline out of the ruins. Anyone with them has to cover all bases and come back alive. Got it?"

A resounding agreement rang from the gathered crew. Cavya started dividing us into our designated groups. In the end, I got Revery and Nazran, the only ones who looked anything like the townsfolk I saw in the forest that day. I didn't know about langkoors, but it seemed like Arzo wasn't fond of enslaving them. Trink and Heather would join Cavya and Ahrian would provide long-range support, as always.

Then, after giving each other well-wishes or luck and blessings, we were off. Sitting in my inventory were three kinds of flares. One was the one to signal Cavya that we have Hye-jin and were in the process of getting out. The second was for the need to start the diversion because we got caught. Lastly, the one to tell Cavya to retreat because one of us had been hurt. Or something worse.

I dug my teeth on my lips. I uttered a prayer to all the gods and divines I knew just so I wouldn't have to use the third flare. None of us needed to be dealing with another loss.

Today's going to be successful. It better be.

"Remember, keep your faces slack and move stiffly," I turned to Revery and Nazran who removed their armor and kept them stashed in my inventory. Now, they're dressed in simple clothes from the Western Tower. Just to make it convincing. "Here goes nothing."

I blew a breath and imagined Arzo's face. Then, I chanted, "Shift," I said. My bones ground against each other as they moved to accommodate the new form I took. My skin stretched and darkened a shade. Within seconds, his skills were embedded in my system.

"Wow. I wouldn't be able to tell you apart should you be in the same room," Revery blinked and elbowed Nazran who cocked an eyebrow at me. "Look at that."

Nazran cleared his throat and massaged his cheeks. His pink hair was instead tied at the base of his neck and not high up in his head. "Yes, I agree," he said. "The similarities are too immense."

"That's what I'm going for anyway," I jerked my chin towards the steep decline towards the ruins. "Let's go."

Cavya's group moved separately from us and have gone down ages ago to get into a comfortable position to launch their diversion. None of us knew how many people were inside the ruins, but we had to prepare for any and every situation. Did we expect there to be an infestation in this place after this? Hell, yeah.

We crossed the valley and approached the side of the ruins. If I would restructure it in my head to see what it might have looked like before, I'd imagine a grand pavilion complete with the huge domed roof with the pointed steeple. That was, if the pavilion was the side of a concert hall or a shopping district.

The way the ruins stretched onto forever now that we're down here was daunting. Would we be able to find Hye-jin and get out unscathed with this big space? Was the interior going to be a maze or would it be an empty expanse?

I better know. Hye-jin hated mazes.

Why would she even go to this obscure place? It couldn't be to retrieve some magic item. I've got no recollection of an event ever taking place in Anhui's Temple. I didn't even know there was such a thing, not until Cavya mentioned it. For a game called Legends of Solarlume, the game did ascertain to not touch every corner of it in the consumer builds, leaving pockets of space where players—and now, people trapped in it—to speculate about what might be there.

Which led me to the question—what's fueling these changes? Rather, who was dictating which would be changing and which would stay as was. It's intriguing. I should research that when I get back. That was...if I could even make it back.

A nagging thought knocked at the back of my head. Of course, there was a railroad I wouldn't want to go down into. It pertained to the eventuality that the reason why Hye-jin left was because she really didn't want to have anything to do with me or with the life I managed to build in this game. She made that clear before, how she wanted to be apart from me for as long as possible. It's likely. She wasn't one to look back once she moved forward.

If she really deserted me and lived her own life, if she truly went forth this journey alone...

It should be fine, right?

It was fine. I would be fine with whatever she chose. As long as she's happy.

We came into the only entrance I could spot for miles on end. Around us, what must have been the temple's open courtyard were overrun by blades of grass and shrubs blooming flowers of various shapes, sizes, and colors. Our soles scratched against what's left of the stone pavers covering the temple's outer circumference. This place must have been grand in its time.

A single armored guard stood beside a dark entryway void of a door. Literally anyone could decide through storm past, stab the guard, and infiltrate the building. But we're not going to do that. Well, not the first two. "Halt!" he screamed, leveling his spear at us. Knowing Nazran's raw strength, he could probably snap the head clean off without breaking a sweat. "Who goes there?"

I raised a hand, about to open my mouth. Blurt something Arzo-like when he's around here. Recognition dawned on the guard's face and he bowed deeply until his body from the waist up was parallel to the ground. "I'm sorry, sir!" he shouted, saving me the trouble of having to embarrass myself with an impression. "I didn't see you there."

I gave him a nod, keeping my face neutral. Judging from the way the guard's shoulders tense and the grip around his spear tighten, I did the right thing. Unlike the Arzo in the Crimson Knights, the Arzo these people knew was stern and as rigid as a board.

Without sparing the guard another glance, I forged forward, feeling Revery and Nazran's presence shadow me. Once we cleared the immediate corner, I braced the crumbly wall and gasped a breath. My chest heaved with the air I'd been holding in, my ribcage quivering with every drum of my heartbeat.

"Remind me why I'm not fond of doing that," I whispered, snapping my fingers. "Skill Release."

I breathed a sigh of relief when my body went back to its original condition. I pushed the hair off my sweaty forehead and almost wished I never let go of Arzo's form. He had amazing strands.

Sending a brief nod to my companions, we started tearing through the dim corridors. Only the light streaming from the holes made by the caving ceiling guided our way. I kept my eyes peeled, but my inner sense focused on Hye-jin. She's somewhere in this place.

My footsteps quickened as my senses sharpened and dulled. Something about this place gave me the creeps. The corridors we passed looked like the stately mansions I saw in museums built by famous people back home. Paintings featuring faded landscapes and obscure people lined the walls. Some were still hung on nails while most had crashed into splinters and dust with time. Through the meager light, I was sure we passed some piles of bones still dressed in the garb signifying their work in the Temple.

Nazran's cursing followed the stringent ring of a boot hitting something sharp and metallic, sending it skittering across the stone floor. Revery squeaked but I ground my teeth against each other. We couldn't afford more noise. Nazran probably kicked a sword or something. I wish we had some light in here.

The air was thick with something I could only attribute to as dust, turning it musty. The smell of decayed bodies, rust, and moist stone made up the atmosphere. But riding along the currents was the whiff of the flowery poison. It was unmistakable, despite how faint it was.

My skin prickled along with the strengthening sense of where Hye-jin was. I glanced behind me to glimpse of Revery and Nazran's silhouettes creeping in my wake. It's fine. We're fine.

By the time we reached a pair of ornate doors coming up from the curving corridor, Hye-jin's marker had flared into a dull thrum between my ears. I massaged the bridge of my nose and gulped. Bear the nausea. I could do this. Beyond these doors was Hye-jin.

They stood slightly ajar, with a soft, ethereal blue light streaming from the interior. What was that? Was Hye-jin throwing a party? Whose birthday was it? Wasn't mine. And she knew how much I hated celebrating birthdays.

I pressed my hand against the door. Voices floated out with the light. That's Hye-jin. And another person. Male.

Arzo.

The shadows dancing in the light moved. I stormed past the doors. A knife flashed blue as it went down. Towards a woman with long, silver hair.