The sun broke over the ridges like a blade of light, slicing through the fading mist. The battlefield was quiet now, the echoes of last night's storm replaced by the low hum of morning insects and the distant caw of crows.
Alex stood at the edge of the ruins, arms crossed, watching the horizon. The air smelled faintly of rust and dew. Behind him, the others were slowly stirring back to life.
Vile was the first to speak. "So," he said, rubbing his temples, "no one else heard the chains rattling at three in the morning, right? Just me losing my sanity again?"
Mya groaned from beside the campfire. "Vile, you lost your sanity weeks ago. The chains are just catching up."
"That's comforting," Vile muttered, glaring over his steaming mug of coffee.
Ethan stretched, his usual grin returning as the sunlight hit his face. "Well, at least we survived again. That's a record for us, isn't it? Two ancient death traps in a row and no one got turned into ash?"
Liam, half-awake, mumbled, "Don't jinx it…" before rolling over and pulling the blanket over his head.
Lyra chuckled softly, her voice light. "You should all be thankful. We made it through because we worked together."
"Yeah, teamwork," Mya said, tying her hair up and giving Vile a look. "Which reminds me next time something starts shaking, maybe don't poke it with a stick."
"It was for science," Vile said defensively. "You wouldn't understand."
"Science doesn't mean touching haunted chains!" Mya shot back.
"Technically," Kira said quietly, brushing dust from her cloak, "they weren't haunted. Just… restless."
Alex finally turned, his calm gaze cutting through the chatter. "Restless or not, we move in an hour. The Scythe's energy was strong here too strong to linger near. The staff's signature may have already started reacting to it."
That quieted them. Even Mya's smirk faded.
Vile adjusted his glasses, serious now. "You think the Weapons are connected?"
"I think," Alex said, glancing toward the rising sun, "that when one awakens, the others begin to stir. The balance shifts."
Ethan stood beside him, spinning a coin between his fingers. "Then let's find this next one before someone else does. If there's treasure involved, I call dibs on polishing rights."
"Treasure?" Mya scoffed. "You think a weapon built to end wars is going to sparkle?"
Ethan grinned. "Everything sparkles if you believe hard enough."
Liam peeked out from his blanket. "That's… that's not how physics works."
Vile sighed. "Thank you, Liam. Finally, someone with sense."
Kira looked up at the faint clouds, her tone soft but sharp. "The storms are moving east. Fast. The Staff might be somewhere within that range."
Alex nodded. "Then that's our direction."
Lyra packed her bag quietly, glancing at the faint marks left in the dirt where the chains had thrashed. "Whatever was bound here… it's not gone. It's watching."
Everyone paused.
Even the wind seemed to stop for a moment, as if listening.
Then Ethan chuckled, breaking the silence. "Well, if it's watching, I hope it enjoys the view. We're not stopping now."
Alex gave a small, rare smile. "Good. Because this was just the beginning."
The group gathered their things, the morning light stretching their shadows across the broken ground. As they walked east, the faint hum of energy rippled beneath their feet subtle, rhythmic, almost like a pulse.
The earth itself seemed to whisper with every step.
Something old was stirring again.