The assignment was given without delay after the Knight Selection concluded.
Kael broke the silence first as they were escorted out of the capital gates: "Right after recognition, they send us straight into a ruin—no rest, no ceremony, just straight into death's doorstep."
Lio responded calmly without turning his head: "If it is a royal order, it is not optional."
Seris remained silent, observing the escort formation ahead, while Taren adjusted his stance, uneasy but attentive. Renn said nothing.
A Review:
General Vaelric addressed the selected squad: "Your first assignment as an official unit is not a battle, but an expedition; you will proceed to the Ebonveil Ruins located in Grayspire Hollow, retrieve an ancient scroll confirmed to be sealed within its inner chamber, and return without delay."
Kael narrowed his eyes: "An ancient scroll buried in a ruin that no one has touched for centuries… are they expecting it to still be intact?"
Lio answered without hesitation: "That is not our concern; our duty is retrieval, not interpretation."
A review:
Vaelric then continued, "...you will travel for one day to reach the site; once inside, you will not deviate from objective parameters. The ruin is unstable, and extended presence is not permitted."
By nightfall of the following day, the landscape changed.
The terrain of Grayspire Hollow was broken and silent, where stone rose like shattered teeth from the earth. A cold mist lingered even without wind, and the sky above appeared dimmer than the rest of Aurelian, as if light itself weakened near the site.
At the center stood the Ebonveil Ruins.
It was not a structure that remained whole. It was a collapsed sanctum of black stone, layered with ancient markings that no longer matched any known Aether script. Massive arches stood half-destroyed, forming a circular boundary like a sealed wound in the land. Chains of stone extended into the ground, as if something beneath had once been bound rather than built.
The entrance was visible only when the squad approached close enough for the mist to part briefly, revealing a stairway descending into darkness.
Kael spoke under his breath: "This isn't just a ruin… it's a sealed mouth."
Lio observed carefully: "The architecture does not match Aurelian design."
Seris' voice followed, calm and precise: "Something is still active beneath this structure."
Taren stepped back slightly: "We're really going in there?"
Renn remained silent, eyes fixed on the entrance.
A Review:
General Vaelric gave the final order: "You enter at dawn. Retrieve the scroll. Do not engage anything unless absolutely necessary. If the ruin responds—withdraw immediately."
The squad stood before the ruins in silence, as the entrance waited below, like something already aware of their arrival.
They descended into the Ebonveil Ruins without a word.
The stairway led into a vast interior chamber far larger than the outer structure suggested. The air was dry, ancient, and unmoving. Scattered across the stone floor were dried bones.
Kael spoke first, low: "This isn't just a ruin… it's a grave that never finished burying its dead."
Lio scanned the chamber edges: "The layout suggests containment, not habitation."
Seris Valenne moved slightly ahead, eyes narrowing: "There is a sealed point deeper inside."
The corridors on the descent were narrow and unstable. Taren had noticed loose stone scraping against exposed metal. He feared that his spear would catch, jolt loose, or even trigger a mechanism during their careful entry so he put his spear outside. A tactical decision—temporary disarmament to ensure silent movement and avoid accidental activation.
At the far end of the chamber, they found it.
A massive stone door embedded into the inner wall, covered in ancient markings that no longer matched any known Aurelian script. The surface was split with circular engravings, forming a locking mechanism that had not been touched in centuries.
Renn stepped forward first and placed his hand against the seam. No reaction.
Kael exhaled: "So much for warnings."
Together, they pushed.
The door gave way with a heavy groan of stone grinding against stone, revealing a central chamber beyond.
Inside stood a single elevated stone platform. At its center lay an ancient sealed wooden box, reinforced with faded metallic bands and engraved protection marks. The box was not damaged, not opened, not disturbed.
Lio Vance spoke quietly: "It was preserved intentionally."
Seris Valenne replied: "Or imprisoned."
Renn opened the box.
Inside rested a tightly sealed scroll, bound with darkened thread and a faint residual Aether imprint that flickered weakly like dying embers.
As Kael stepped back, Taren shifted near the edge of the chamber.
His foot pressed down.
A sharp mechanical click echoed through the ruin.
Everything froze.
For a split second, the entire structure responded.
Stone mechanisms beneath the floor awakened with a deep grinding sound. The entrance corridor behind them began to shift—stone plates sliding, sealing, closing like a jaw slowly shutting.
Kael snapped his head back: "TRAP—MOVE!"
The squad broke into motion immediately, rushing toward the exit as the corridor narrowed.
Renn held the scroll tightly as they ran.
But Taren stopped halfway.
His eyes dropped toward a cracked stone ledge near the wall.
His spear lay there.
He turned back.
Kael shouted: "DON'T—WE'RE OUT OF TIME!"
Taren ran to it anyway, grabbing his spear.
The exit was already collapsing.
Stone slabs descended from above and rose from below, leaving only a narrowing gap of light.
Taren sprinted. He reached the threshold as it shrank to a slit.
"MOVE!" Kael roared.
Taren lunged. For a brief moment, he was in the gap—half inside, half outside.
Renn moved without hesitation. He grabbed Taren's arm and pulled hard. Taren crossed the threshold— but the force of the collapsing mechanism shifted their positions.
Renn's grip slipped. The stone sealed shut. And Renn Valehart remained inside the Ebonveil Ruins.