Aurora was still a bit shaken. She was touching the wrist that was grabbed. Remy was scanning the surrondings way too often. Every now and then Remy glanced at all the members one by one. Hazel looked frustrated every time Remy did it. Remy's mind raced with thoughts of what the freeze could have costed.
Even distant movement could be heard clearly. The group was still in motion, breaking branches with their shoes as they walked further into the forest. Nobody could fully relax, even if most of the noise there was birds chirping or leaves falling from trees.
"We need to keep moving and stay alert," Remy insisted. Their memories of Aatos were screaming to continue the way to the ruins.
"Moving where? You don't even know this path," Hazel says, challenging Remy's knowledge.
Remy didn't respond. They shut down slightly, too uncertain to say anything. They tried to push forward and avoid admitting fear. Even if it was hard. Noticing how rigid Remy suddenly went, Hazel finally spoke.
"You're not him, Remy," she said. Even thought she was angry, it wasn't meant as an insult. More like her frustration breaking through. That was like a blow to Remy even if they were already aware of it. They tried to think of Aatos as little as possible, but now it was out for all their friends to hear.
No apology from Hazel or Remy followed. They continued walking in silence. None of them dared to speak, but the conflict hanged unsolved. Until Aurora, who had stayed silent the whole time, finally cut the tension with a sudden question.
"Are we going to be okay?" she asked, worried. It even snapped the oddly quiet Ocean out of his thoughts and got him to speak.
"We'll be fine if we stay hidden," he responded. But what was going on in his mind was much more complicated. It felt like something heavy was placed on his brain. For some unexplainable reason, he felt the need to turn to the left path. When he walked there alone, the group followed after him, confused about the sudden change of direction.
The group silently agreed to continue moving even when the forest got denser. The moment the path started getting less clear, Aurora panicked.
"Are you sure it's this way?" Aurora asked.
Nobody answered her. They just kept walking in silence. The truth was that none of them knew what they were going to face. None of them knew the path for sure, but the change in environment meant they weren't just wandering, but moving towards something. Survival mode became the most purposeful mode to be in.
Time passed on. Everyone was getting tired of walking, but the hunters were still fresh in their minds, making them stay alert. Aurora had mostly recovered, but was still anxious. As Remy pushed the pace, Hazel watched the surrondings for danger. Ocean was distracted again. Probably in his own little world as his body kept following the others. Because of thay, he had bumped into a tree once or twice on the way. The silence was broken by Hazel's loud whines.
"How much farther? My legs are going to burn down before we get there," Hazel whined.
Thump. Ocean ran into something even harder than wood; it was a broken wall covered in moss. It made Ocean intriqued, and even made Hazel stop whining. Hazel went near that wall like she knew the place way too well and touched it, making the top layer of it wither away. It uncovered strange symbols. Nothing like the Embercaller's symbol in the forest. Instead flames or eyes, the symbol was waves. Just waves carved into a stone wall.
"We're on the right path," Hazel confirmed when she saw the symbols.
Remy sighed in relief and the tension gone unnoticed even by themself in their shoulders loosened. Not because the group was safe, but because his introducions actually brought them somewhere. Aurora just looked at the symbol curiously, but it woke up something in Ocean. He felt strange again. The symbols felt so familiar to Ocean, but he had never seen them before as far as he could remember. He couldn't make them up.
"Well, how much farther is it, captain?" Hazel asked half-impressed, half salty it hasn't her who got credit for leading the group there. Maybe she was still a bit mad about the whole leadership thing.
The others kept quiet and walked where Remy lead them. Soon they found climbable rocks. The top didn't seem too high up and the wall was slightly tilted so it was easier to climb, so they all climbed up. What waited above was a set of huge stone pillars and ancient walls. The structures were swallowed by the forest, but still accessible. The ancient buildings were bigger than any of them could ever have dreamed.
The ruins were real.