Somewhere deep in the southern canyons, the land stretched out barren and unforgiving.
The sun hung low on the horizon, painting the jagged rock walls in deep hues of orange and blood red. The air was dry and thick with heat, shimmering faintly above the cracked earth like a fever dream.
Towering canyon walls cast long, jagged shadows that offered little true relief from the oppressive warmth. Dust hung lazily in the air, stirred by the occasional dry wind that carried the faint scent of baked stone, minerals, and distant decay. The silence was vast — broken only by the crunch of boots on gravel and the distant, lonely call of some hardy bird circling high above.
Two tiny figures moved slowly through the winding canyon path.
Jin walked with measured, steady steps. His black hair was slightly matted with sweat, and his silver eyes were half-lidded with clear fatigue. His tactical gear was covered in fine dust, his staff strapped securely to his back. Hanz trudged beside him, breathing heavily, his muscular frame glistening with sweat. His short black hair was plastered to his forehead, and his faint amber eyes looked utterly exhausted. Both carried heavy packs — supplies, weapons, water skins, and the bare essentials for a long journey west.
Hanz suddenly came to a stop.
He let out a loud groan and dropped heavily onto a flat rock, stretching his legs out with dramatic relief. He leaned back against the warm canyon wall, wiping sweat from his brow.
"I can't… I seriously can't go any further," he whined, voice hoarse. "We've been walking forever. My feet feel like they're about to fall off. How are you still standing?"
Jin slowed to a stop beside him. He didn't collapse, but he did sit down on a nearby boulder with a quiet exhale, resting his arms on his knees. A slight expression of fatigue crossed his face — not dramatic, but clear enough that the long trek was wearing on him too.
He pulled out a water skin, took a measured sip, then passed it to Hanz without a word.
"It's only been one day," Jin said calmly, though his voice carried a hint of tiredness. "We've covered decent ground, but… yeah. It feels longer."
Hanz took the waterskin gratefully and drank deeply, some spilling down his chin as he sighed in relief.
"One day? It feels like weeks. The sun's been beating down on us the whole time, and these canyons just keep going. No real shade, no fresh water, nothing. I thought being strong would make this easier."
Jin leaned back slightly, staring at the orange sky visible between the towering canyon walls. His mind wandered as he took another slow sip.
One day… and we're already this worn out. The Ashen Border is still far ahead. If we keep this pace, it'll take weeks to reach the western territories. But we don't have weeks. Whatever's coming… it won't wait for us.
He passed the water skin back, the liquid warm but welcome against the dry heat.
Hanz wiped his mouth and looked at him.
"You don't look as bad as me. How are you holding up?"
Jin gave a small, tired smile.
"I've had worse. But I won't lie — I'm feeling it. The heat, the dust… it all adds up."
The two sat in companionable silence for a moment. The dry wind whispered through the canyon, carrying the faint scent of baked rock and distant sand. The exhaustion was real, heavy in their bones, but so was the quiet determination between them.
The silence settled between them, broken only by the distant echoes of wind whispering through the canyon walls.
Hanz finally spoke, his tone low and thoughtful.
"Why are we doing this?"
Jin looked at him.
Hanz continued, leaning back slightly against the warm rock.
"I already know why we're doing this, but… what is the real purpose of all this?"
Jin replied calmly.
"Don't try to understand more than what you know. The truth is much bigger than what you could possibly think."
Hanz sighed, using his axe to prop himself up a bit as he wiped sweat from his brow.
"Well, that's a disappointment. But you know... I never thought I would even come this far. I spent all my life in Crimson Reach. There wasn't any real reason to leave. Nothing worth the interest… until this."
Jin sighed, the fatigue starting to ease slightly as he gazed at the towering canyon peaks bathed in the orange light of the setting sun.
"You really grew up in a bubble. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe you don't have to suffer like those outside."
Hanz sat upright, using his axe to lean on as he looked at Jin.
"Outside?"
He smiled faintly, though exhaustion still weighed on his voice.
"Sure, living in a bubble had its perks. But I always felt like something was missing, despite not having any real interest in leaving. I thought I was living a sweet life — taking on dungeons with groups, defeating strong monsters, joining a family and gaining wealth, climbing the Slayer ranks, getting the attention of the ladies. I thought it was all nice and sweet… until you came along."
He smiled wider.
"You... Something about you seemed off. You came into the guild, took out as many quests like a maniac, you took on raids that required a raid squad, not just one, but many, then you returned completed and bloodied, you were quiet, alone. We could all feel like you were the big deal, and eventually, you became famous amongst the rankers. So yeah... maybe I got drawn in by that... You could call it curiosity."
Jin looked away from him, gazing at the canyon peaks as the last light of the sunset painted them in deep red and gold.
Hanz continued.
"For a guy with such a reputation, how could I miss it? Everyone kept talking about you in the guild. I had to find out who you were. So I followed you around on certain missions… and eventually lost you as you always disappeared to… who knows where. It was difficult keeping track of you, until…"
Jin turned to him.
Hanz continued.
"Until you headed to the Eternal Scar. A place nobody goes to. Yet you rushed there like you knew exactly what that place held."
The silence returned, only the calm wind sweeping past them, carrying the dry scent of baked stone and distant sand.
Jin spoke quietly.
"So it was always you."
Hanz raised an eyebrow.
Jin continued, a small smile on his face.
"So it was always you who was following me. I had suspected. That's why I kept trying to lead away whoever that was."
Hanz laughed, the sound echoing lightly off the canyon walls.
Jin looked at him, then fully turned toward him.
"It was already strange that you were following me. But more importantly, you showing up in the Eternal Scar… I would have had a problem facing that mimic alone."
Hanz chuckled.
"Maybe fate sent me there. Just maybe."
Jin continued.
"But you tried to threaten me."
Hanz nodded.
"I was just trying to see what you were capable of."
Jin took a long sigh, then took a slow drink from his water skin.
Hanz studied him quietly. He had always done that. For someone like Jin, he didn't completely know him or his true intentions. Yet something about the man had drawn him in — that sudden drive, that quiet power, the way he moved through the world like he carried secrets too heavy for anyone else.
Hanz took a long breath, feeling the dry heat in the air. When he exhaled, he let out a low sound of relief as his body began to feel a little better.
"You know… I don't even know who you are."
Jin suddenly choked on his water, coughing hard as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Hanz continued, smiling faintly.
"It's true. I don't know who you are. Don't you think it's strange to be talking like this with a stranger?"
Jin wiped his mouth again, still coughing lightly.
How did I not think of that? I don't even know him at all, except for his name. And now I found out why he had been following me. And... how far we've gotten.
He coughed again.
Maybe being alone for so long has made me not realize how comfortable it is to talk casually with someone. Since my only friend was...
Hanz spoke.
"It's fine anyway. I won't try to pry into your personal life. But whatever you're up to just seems interesting. Something that kills boredom instantly."
Jin asked him.
"So you've been bored?"
Hanz replied.
"Not so bored. More like stuck in one place, always knowing what the next day would be. But after meeting you, the next day just seems new… dangerous in a way. It can make someone's blood boil, you know."
Jin's expression shifted — a mix of surprise and quiet seriousness.
"Look. I appreciate you helping me out in the past," he said, tone low and firm. "But this journey, this path… It does not involve fun; it is not an adventure."
He continued, voice steady.
"We're walking into something dangerous. Something that will make you regret ever following me."
He paused. The silence grew thick between them, the dry wind whispering through the canyon.
"I'm walking a path most cannot dare step on. Many will die if it means sacrifice."
He looked Hanz in the eye.
"I once again appreciate you coming, but it is also not too late to return to your life. You can grow up, become strong, create a family, and live your life knowing there are those who fight your battles."
Hanz's expression changed — a mix of surprise, thoughtfulness, and a faint smile.
He spoke.
"Sheesh!... You sound like an old man who has lived his life in regret."
Jin was puzzled, raising an eyebrow.
Hanz waved his hand lightly.
"I'll be fine. I'm still young, and this is what youth is supposed to be like… risky. But I get your point. I myself... can carry my own weight, so I've got this."
He told Jin.
"Relax. We just have to enter the west, see what's up, get out, and report. Easy."
Jin scoffed.
"Easy?… Sure. You asked for it."
Hanz giggled, then threw himself back down on the rock.
There was silence for a moment.
Then Hanz asked.
"Why are you so calm? You're always calm. It's like you're someone else. With the way you talk, the way you fight… it's like you're some kind of... what's the word?... Ah... Chosen one!"
Jin blinked.
"Chosen one?"
Hanz replied.
"Yes, chosen one."
He continued.
"You have the good looks, those damn silver eyes that would attract any girl, the attitude, the power… You survived the sky army's wrath, got healed up, and were recognized by Lady Phoenix herself… Lady Phoenix. I mean, come on, isn't that a little suspicious?"
Jin's expression shifted to one of mild surprise and quiet amusement.
Hanz continued, voice low.
"Sometimes, I feel like I'm in your story or... something like that. Like I get to witness something... or about to witness something!"
Jin was quiet for a moment.
"I… see."
Hanz took a deep breath, then finally stood up, pushing past his fatigue. He brushed dust off his clothes and told Jin.
"Well. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we should get back to walking. It's almost night time, and we haven't even reached any of the places Lady Phoenix warned us about."
Jin replied, standing up as well.
"It would still be risky staying out like this because we don't know yet what's really out here."
He took one more sip of water before placing the skin back, then turned to the canyon peaks.
"It would take time before the sun fully sets. We have enough time to climb to high ground."
Hanz gazed at the peaks, the towering rock walls rising hundreds of feet into the sky, jagged and imposing, their tops glowing with the last light of the setting sun.
"Hmm… climb, huh."
He kept looking upward.
Suddenly, his attention turned to what was above them.
Five figures — five winged beasts — hovered miles above them, circling slowly like predators. Their massive wings cast long shadows across the canyon walls as they descended in wide arcs, their forms growing larger and more menacing with each pass. The air filled with the sound of powerful wingbeats and low, guttural cries that echoed off the rock walls.
Hanz's eyes widened.
"Uhh… Jin. We might… have a problem."
Jin looked at him, then followed his gaze upward. He saw the winged beasts clearly now.
He told Hanz calmly.
"That solves dinner."
Hanz kept looking at them, a bright, excited smile spreading across his face.
"You know... I may just have an idea here. Risky, but worth a try."
Suddenly, the winged beasts all dove together.
They descended at terrifying speeds, wings folded tight against their bodies, talons extended, beaks open in silent roars. The air screamed around them as they plummeted like living missiles toward the two travelers.
Hanz grinned wider, gripping his axe tightly.
Jin's expression remained calm, but his hand moved to his staff.
The beasts landed with thunderous force, towering before them in a tight circle. The ground shook violently on impact, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the canyon floor. Dust and sand exploded upward in a thick cloud.
The five massive creatures — each easily twice the height of a man, with leathery wings, sharp beaks, and powerful talons — surrounded them, their eyes glowing with predatory hunger as they let out deep, rumbling cries that vibrated through the rock walls.