The coral grew thicker as we descended. At first it only crawled along walls, but soon it had consumed entire streets — twisting pillars of red, violet, and pale blue, threading through collapsed buildings and weaving patterns across the ground. Some structures looked like they had grown instead of being built: windows shaped like eye sockets, doors that curved inward like mouths. It was all just my imagination, but that didn't make it any less creep Between them, faint whispers echoed — the sound of air moving through coral tubes, producing ghostly music.
The sky above the Labyrinth shimmered oddly, a mirage of fractured colors. Somewhere beyond those shifting hues lay the endless maze that shared its name — the Coral Labyrinth, the region we spawned in. We weren't going back just yet, but even the edge was dangerous enough.
"This place looks alive," Sasrir said quietly.
"Everything here is," I said. "That's the problem."
We made camp briefly at an old watchtower that had half-sunk into the coral. The stones there were warm to the touch, the black absorbing the heat and light. We had avoided fighting on the way here, conserving our strength, so as we munched down on monster jerky, I lazily laid with my head back. Sasrir was keeping watch even as he ate, and for a moment I felt like Sunny-watching your shadows work while you do nothing.
It felt good.
When we set out again, the ground had changed texture. Coral gave way to earth, soft and dark, threaded with pale roots. The air thickened, carrying the smell of sap and wet wood. The coral veins ended abruptly at a line of trees that rose like spears against the horizon. Beyond that line, the ruins disappeared entirely.
"That'll be it," I said, adjusting the strap of my pack. "The grove."
Sasrir glanced at the faintly glowing treeline. "Looks harmless."
"So did you, once."
He smiled slightly. "I'll have you know I don't try and put on airs, people just get scared of me all by themselves. Still, I'm not complaining for the free entertainment."
"Well, now I can see where Amon learnt to get His kicks from terrifying others-He inherited it from His 'mother.'"
I dodged a sudden kick from Sasrir, well expecting it by this point.
"Smart ass."
We stepped off the coral road and into the roots. The shift was immediate — the air muffled, the light golden and soft, as if filtered through honey. The City's endless hum faded behind us, replaced by the slow creak of trees and the whisper of sap sliding through bark.
I had never seen a place like this in the Forgotten Shore-it felt more like the Chained Isles or Burned Forest. I briefly wondered if this place was the result of a Corrupted Rank, as they tended to create domains suited to themselves. Nothing of the sort had been reported from what I'd heard though, and even the Crimson Terror itself was only Fallen. Still, the thought put meon edge.
The eastern ruins were quieter than I expected. I had pictured a haunted jungle of twisted trees and screaming roots, but in truth, it was almost peaceful. Pale sunlight filtered through the skeletal remains of towers, the air thick with the sweet smell of resin. The only real sound was the faint buzz of insects — or the Dream Realm's approximation of them — drifting in lazy spirals above our heads.
Sasrir sniffed the air and frowned. "Smells like honey. That means trouble."
"Not everything sweet wants to kill you," I rebuted. Then, after a long pause, "Though in fairness, here it usually does."
We moved carefully through the rubble. The Dream City gave way here to something older and softer. Cobblestone paths vanished under moss, and tree roots had broken through the pavement like bones pushing out of old skin. The grove wasn't vast, but it had a kind of stillness that made every sound — every crunch of gravel or rustle of fabric — feel intrusive.
"Do you sense anything?" Sasrir asked.
I adjusted the Weaver's Mask. It didn't obscure my vision, and since I went throughso much trouble to get it, I was determined to get my effort's worth. Hence why I was wearing it now. As I focused on a nearby vine, it pulsed gently, like a heartbeat at rest. "There's movement ahead," I said with a frown. "Nothing massive from the sounds of it. Be careful for an ambush, we're in their territory right now."
"Never though I would be killing trees" Sasrir mutterred. "What would Mr Beast think?"
That nearly made me laugh out loud, but I managed to stiffle it. "Nows not the time for that type of thinking Sasrir, just focus on the task at hand."
He gave me a look. "Really? You're the one telling me that?."
"Fuck you too."
We followed the faint pulse until the ruins opened into a clearing. At the center stood what might once have been a fountain. Now, it was a mass of amber and roots, the basin filled with thick golden sap that glowed faintly from within. Around it, four trees stood at uneven angles, their bark dark and glossy, their branches twitching slightly even though there was no wind.
Sasrir exhaled. "There's our friends."