Above them, the airship continued its steady ascent through the skies of Arkvareth.
Inside the control deck, soft music still drifted faintly through the room, barely audible beneath the hum of mana-driven systems.
The pilot remained entirely focused on the controls, happily singing along as if the world itself had no urgency.
"WOAAAH~ I LOVE YOUUU~"
Mana-lit screens shifted and flickered across the deck as the vessel climbed higher, piercing through layers of cloud.
Nearby, Lyriana remained seated in quiet composure, the artifact resting securely beside her.
For a brief moment, her gaze drifted toward the pilot.
Still singing.
Still completely oblivious.
Then her eyes lowered once more, settling on the distant lands far below.
Silent as ever.
Far beneath the ascending airship, Lucien and the others stood watching as the massive vessel continued to shrink into the sky.
At first, none of them spoke.
The wind moved gently across the open land surrounding them, carrying with it a faint chill of uncertainty.
Then Lucien's sister finally broke the silence.
Her gaze never left the fading silhouette of the ship above.
"I won't forget this debt."
Her voice was calm—flat—but unwaveringly certain.
"If a chance ever comes…"
She paused briefly.
"I won't hesitate to repay him."
Lucien lowered his head in quiet acknowledgment.
Then he bowed toward the vanishing airship.
Tharic hesitated for only a moment before following suit.
Seryna did the same, her movement measured and silent.
Even Kaelira's absence, though not physically present, somehow felt noticeable in the space they left behind.
Above them, the ship continued to climb higher and higher, until it became little more than a distant shadow against the endless sky.
And still—
none of them moved.
For a while, none of them moved.
The skies of Arkvareth stretched endlessly overhead while the airship disappeared further into the distance.
Then Tharic finally broke the silence.
"So… what now?"
He rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled a long, weary breath.
"Because honestly—"
His stomach growled loudly enough to cut him off mid-sentence.
Tharic frowned slightly.
"…I'm starving."
Kaelira would've laughed immediately at that.
The thought surfaced in Lucien's mind before he could stop it.
Seryna stepped forward slightly, her expression composed despite the unfamiliar wilderness surrounding them.
"First, we need to determine where we are."
Her gaze swept across the distant terrain.
"A village, town, or city should exist somewhere nearby."
Lucien turned toward his sister almost immediately.
"Big sister, can you find one?"
She didn't answer right away.
Because she was already moving.
Mana began to gather softly around her body as faint currents of wind stirred across the ground at her feet, lifting strands of her hair into the air.
The others watched in quiet silence as the wind expanded outward across the open land.
Searching.
Listening.
Feeling.
Then, at last, she spoke.
"This way."
Simple.
Certain.
Without another word, she began walking forward.
The others followed immediately.
Tharic let out another exhausted sigh as they started moving.
"I really hope this place has food."
Lucien glanced sideways at him.
"Is that your biggest concern right now?"
"Absolutely."
Tharic answered without hesitation.
"We just got dropped into some unknown territory by a flying nightmare ship full of insane people."
He gestured vaguely toward the sky.
"I'm coping through food."
Seryna quietly raised a hand to her mouth, barely concealing a faint smile.
Lucien shook his head slightly, though there was no real disagreement in it.
Together, the four of them continued forward into the unfamiliar lands of Arkvareth.
---
Inside the airship, the atmosphere felt noticeably quieter after their departure.
The corridors stretched ahead under dim mana lighting as the vessel continued its steady climb through the skies of Arkvareth.
Draven walked at the front in complete silence.
Kaelira followed only a few steps behind him, looking entirely pleased with herself despite everything that had just occurred.
The cultist walked calmly nearby.
And Aldric—
Aldric still hadn't stopped talking.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
His crimson eyes stayed fixed on Kaelira as he walked.
"You had a perfectly good chance to leave."
Kaelira shrugged casually.
"And?"
"And you stayed."
Aldric pointed at her accusingly, bottle still in hand.
"Voluntarily."
Kaelira looked utterly unimpressed.
"Yeah. I remember."
Aldric stared at her in disbelief.
"No, seriously. Are you stupid?"
Kaelira grinned.
"Probably."
That answer somehow irritated him even more.
"You don't even know what kind of people you're staying with."
Kaelira glanced sideways at him.
"I know enough."
Aldric scoffed loudly.
"No, you don't."
"The captain barely speaks."
He pointed toward Draven's back.
"The damn cultist worships him like some divine being."
Then he pointed at himself.
"And I'm apparently the only sane person on this entire ship."
The cultist quietly turned her head toward him.
"That statement is highly questionable."
Aldric ignored her immediately.
Kaelira let out a soft laugh.
"See? This place is already entertaining."
Aldric dragged a hand down his face.
"She's hopeless."
Ahead of them, Draven continued walking without acknowledging any of it.
Then, unexpectedly—
Kaelira moved slightly closer to his side.
Her tail flicked once behind her.
"So, Master…"
Aldric immediately groaned.
"Stop calling him that."
Kaelira ignored him completely.
"Where am I sleeping?"
For the first time since they left the corridor, Draven slowed slightly.
Not stopping—as if to acknowledge the question.
The cultist glanced toward him quietly.
The corridor doors slid open as they re-entered the control deck.
Soft music still echoed through the room.
The pilot remained at the controls exactly as before, one hand lazily guiding the ship while he continued singing under his breath.