Page 19

Within moments, Rhia had disappeared into the thick foliage above. We waited in tense silence, straining our ears for any sign of danger. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the breeze.

“There,” Kai pointed, and we all looked up to see Rhia’s head poking out from the canopy. She scanned the horizon for a few seconds before descending with the same agility she’d shown going up.

“Selas is to the northeast,” she reported as her feet touched the ground. “About an hour’s walk I’d say. We veered further south than I thought during our escape. It’s maybe a mile and a half away through dense forest.”

I nodded, relief washing over me. We weren’t completely lost after all. “Good work, Rhia. Let’s get moving then.”

As we set off through the underbrush, I found myself walking beside Kai as always.

The forest was dense, the undergrowth thick and tangled.

We picked our way carefully, mindful of hidden roots and low-hanging branches.

The weight of the crystals in my pouch felt heavier with each step, a constant reminder of our discovery and the potential it held.

“You okay?” Kai asked softly, his brown eyes searching my face. “You’ve been quiet since we left the cave.”

I nodded, offering him a small smile. “Just thinking. About the crystals, about what this could mean for us.”

Finding those crystals changed everything.

We’d gone from destitute and on the edge of starvation to having years worth of daily expenses covered in a matter of seconds.

One moment we’d been fighting to survive and the next our survival was all but guaranteed.

That was a lot to wrap my head around. Without realizing it, I’d become used to living on the edge of oblivion.

But now we had choices. We could buy equipment, food…

spells . Our entire lives had been turned upside down.

And even though Sky wasn’t there during our discovery, I had to thank him for it.

If he hadn’t shown us what the mana crystals looked like or how to find them, we never would’ve known how important a few shiny sections of wall might be .

Kai hummed in agreement. “It’s a lot to process. But we’ll figure it out together, okay?”

His words warmed me, chasing away some of the lingering chill from the cave. I gave him a soft smile and a nod as we continued on.

“You did really good today,” he added. “Keeping everyone healed like that. You rushed right in to help Kuro even though you two almost never see eye to eye.” He glanced over at me, a look of pride on his face. “You’re really coming into your own out here.”

I felt myself blush, turning my gaze back to the ground. “It was nothing. I just… wanted to be useful I guess.”

“You are the reason one of us isn’t dead today, Oliver,” he said seriously. “That’s being far more than just useful.”

“Thanks.” I wasn’t sure what else to say.

“And your power is already growing.” He gave me a playful nudge. “Maybe the god of the Twilight has his eye on you.”

“Or maybe it’s because it took me seven days instead of three to learn how to cast a basic spell. I’m still way behind.”

“We’re all finding our way through Cindersea at our own pace,” he replied. “Just enjoy the small victories as they come.”

He was right, as always, and I was thankful for his wisdom.

Without Kai, none of us stood a chance in this world.

I was glad he’d decided to join us, that he’d picked a bunch of outcasts for his party instead of joining the other, stronger newbies.

He was an amazing leader and without him, none of it would’ve been possible.

As we trudged through the forest, the weight of our recent encounter and discovery hung heavy in the air.

The others walked ahead, with Rhia taking point and Kuro bringing up the rear, still a bit unsteady on his feet.

Mira stuck close to Rhia, her blue hair a stark contrast against the lush green foliage.

However, when it caught the sunlight, it seemed to almost turn silver, flashing in the dark of the forest.

“You know,” I said quietly to Kai, “I’ve been thinking about Sky.”

Kai’s eyebrows raised slightly. “Oh? What about him?”

I hesitated, unsure how to voice my thoughts. “It’s just... there’s something about him. Something I can’t quite place. The way he blew up on us was so unexpected… but the hurt in his eyes… I felt it.”

Kai nodded thoughtfully. “What does your gut tell you?”

“I think it’s saying I want to find out more about him. To get to know him and his struggles.” I glanced up at Kai, shaking my head. “That sounds stupid, doesn’t it?”

“It doesn’t to me,” he smiled. “In fact, I’m jealous. ”

“Jealous? Of what?”

He smiled knowingly. “The rest of us are just trying to survive out here. But you… well, it seems like you’re trying to live.”

I furrowed my brows in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

He just smiled. “You’ll figure it out. I have faith in you.”

As we continued our trek through the forest, the weight of Kai’s words hung heavy in my mind.

I found myself replaying our conversation, trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind his cryptic statement.

He was hinting at something, I was sure of it.

But for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what.

The forest around us gradually thinned as we travelled, allowing more sunlight to filter through the canopy and making our walk much easier.

“Look,” Mira’s soft voice broke through my reverie. “I can see the city walls.”

Sure enough, as we crested a small hill, the imposing stone walls of Selas came into view. The sight of our new home brought a wave of relief washing over me. We were almost safe.

“Thank the gods,” Kuro muttered, his usual bravado subdued by exhaustion. “I need a drink and a long nap.”

“We all do,” Rhia agreed, her stoic expression softening slightly. “But first, we need to decide what to do with these crystals,” Rhia finished, her dark eyes scanning our group.

I nodded in agreement. The nervous energy in my belly was getting more and more twisted up as I thought about it.

“We should sell them separately,” Kai suggested as we approached the gates. “Small amounts, to different merchants. It’ll be less suspicious that way. We’ll split up and then meet back at the barracks.”

“Good idea,” I said. “We can use the money to stock up on supplies. But what about the rest of it?”

Kuro perked up at that. “Dibs on the first big purchase,” he declared. “I need a new sword after that kobold nearly broke mine.”

His sword, from what I could see, was fine.

“We should really think about getting more skills for Mira and Oliver,” Kai offered.

“Keeping our newfound loot hidden and keeping us healed are the most important tasks we have. We still have to fight monsters to keep getting stronger. The crystals won’t mean anything if we die on the way to fetch them. ”

Kuro grumbled. “Fine. But I want a new sword eventually! If you want me to be your heroic protector, I need really… big equipment. ”

“We can definitely do that at some point,” Kai agreed, rolling his eyes. “We just have to go slow. Money could turn our heads fast if we let it.”

Kuro turned back to him, tugging on his shirt sleeve. “Can we at least get a nice dinner tonight? I’m dying for a good meal. I only got half of one last night.”

“If you promise not to get upset and run off this time,” Kai grinned. “Then yes. I think a good meal is something we can do.”

“Fuck yes!”

I just shook my head as the five of us exited the forest and joined the dusty road leading to Selas.

Kuro was acting like a little kid, thrilled to get his first allowance and wanting to spend it as fast as possible.

Kai was taking it all in stride and even the girls were laughing along.

I couldn’t help but feel like things were finally coming together.

Cindersea really was our home.