Kael’s heartbeat thundered in his ears.

  The Forgotten stood unmoving, their dark armor blending seamlessly with the shifting shadows of the ruins. The leader’s hollow voice echoed in the still air.

  “You tread upon cursed ground.”

  Phantom remained eerily calm. “We didn’t come here by choice.”

  The Forgotten’s leader tilted its head, as if considering his words. “That matters little. This place does not welcome the living.”

  Lyria tightened her grip on her daggers. “Yeah, well, neither did the Spire. Didn’t stop us from crashing that party.”

  A moment of silence stretched between them.

  Kael’s fingers hovered over the trigger of his pistol. He didn’t like this—these creatures weren’t moving to attack, but they radiated something wrong. It wasn’t just darkness; it was history, as if the weight of an ancient war clung to their very existence.

  Elysia took a slow step forward. “We need safe passage.”

  The leader’s glowing void-like eyes fixated on her. “You seek escape.”

  “Yes,” she answered. “We have no quarrel with you.”

  The Forgotten warrior let out a slow, rattling breath. “And yet you bring them here.”

  The ground beneath Kael trembled. A deep pulse, like a slow heartbeat, reverberated through the ruins. A cold chill ran down his spine.

  Then he understood.

  He turned his gaze back the way they had come.

  The rift.

  The demons.

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  The Forgotten weren’t just standing guard over an ancient ruin.

  They were containing something.

  And Kael had a sinking feeling that they had just thrown a match into a room full of explosives.

  A distant boom shattered the silence.

  Phantom’s posture stiffened. “That came from behind us.”

  Elysia cursed. “They followed us.”

  The Forgotten leader’s voice dropped into something cold. “Then the choice is made.”

  Shadows exploded from their ranks.

  The warriors blurred, moving with unnatural speed as they turned—not toward Kael and his group, but toward the distant echoes of demonic howls.

  For the first time, Kael saw it clearly.

  These weren’t just some lost remnants of an old war.

  They were still fighting it.

  Phantom grabbed Kael’s shoulder. “We’re moving. Now.”

  Lyria hesitated, watching as the Forgotten warriors rushed toward the encroaching demonic force. “Are we really just leaving them to—”

  “They don’t need our help,” Phantom said grimly. “They’ve been doing this a long time.”

  Elysia’s eyes lingered on the battlefield forming in the distance, then she turned and strode forward. “Let’s go.”

  Kael cast one last glance over his shoulder.

  The Forgotten were meeting the demons head-on, blades flashing, shadow against fire. The ruins trembled, ancient magic colliding with abyssal energy.

  A war that had never truly ended was beginning again.

  And Kael had no doubt it was only the beginning of something much, much worse.

  They ran.

  Through the ruins, past the dead city, up the winding trade route.

  It wasn’t long before the first signs of life emerged—faint lanterns glowing in the distance. A makeshift fortress, built from scavenged metal and reinforced stone, sat nestled against the cliffs.

  Phantom slowed. “We’re here.”

  Kael panted, hands on his knees. “Finally.”

  Lyria whistled. “Not the prettiest sight, but I’ll take it.”

  The outpost’s gates creaked open. A dozen wary eyes stared down at them from the barricades. Crossbows, rifles, and magic staves were trained on them, the guards clearly ready for trouble.

  A woman in tattered armor stepped forward, a long rifle slung over her back. Her gaze flickered over the group, assessing. “You’re either really lucky or really stupid.”

  Phantom smirked. “A bit of both.”

  The woman’s expression didn’t change. “You brought trouble with you.”

  Elysia wiped dust from her cheek. “That’s an understatement.”

  Kael straightened. “Look, we just need a place to catch our breath. You’re the only people standing between us and a hellstorm of demons back there.”

  The woman studied them for a long moment. Then she nodded to the guards.

  The crossbows lowered.

  The gates swung open.

  “Welcome to Outpost Blackthorn.”

  Kael stepped inside, unease still gnawing at his gut.

  The demons weren’t far behind.

  And neither were the Forgotten.