The vision from the key had been fragmented, but persistent. The ancient temple, hinted at in the surge of data, now formed a clear, if distant, destination in Caden's mind. It wasn't on any of Vex's existing, corrupted maps, nor did any of the city's desperate inhabitants whisper tales of its location. It was a secret, hidden even from the chaos of the Manifestation.
"It feels like it's outside the normal Aetherian zones," Caden explained to the group, tracing a path on a scavenged, crude map of the known city outskirts. "Not 'dead,' but just... cut off. Like a forgotten server instance. The key's energy signature almost pulls me towards it."
Vex studied his drawn map with intense focus. "If it's disconnected, it means it's likely more stable. Less affected by the Collective Overload. And less likely to have been overrun by player factions like The Apex." Her skepticism remained, but the allure of unknown, stable data was powerful. "It's a long shot, Caden. And it won't be easy getting there."
"Good," Gronk rumbled. "Easy means crowded. Crowded means trouble."
"Lily and Thomas can't come," Elara stated, her voice gentle but firm. "They wouldn't survive the journey. Not like this. We'll leave them here, with some supplies. There are others in the city who are also just surviving, not grinding. They'll be safer with them." It was a hard truth, but a necessary one. The group was shedding its weakest links, not out of cruelty, but out of necessity for survival.
Caden looked at the two young players, their eyes dull with resignation. He nodded, a pang of guilt hitting him. He promised them he'd come back, that he'd find a way, but the words felt hollow even to him.
The decision was made. Their objective shifted from the endless, soul-crushing gold grind to a concrete, dangerous quest: finding the Forgotten Temple. This wasn't about resources anymore; it was about answers. It was about following the thread of the first key, hoping it would lead them to another, and another, until they unraveled the true purpose of the vortex, and perhaps, a genuine escape.
Packing only essentials, their small, hardened group – Caden, Elias, Lyra, Vex, and Elara – slipped out of the ruined city under the desolate green sky, leaving behind the desperate masses and the grim echoes of the lost. The key pulsed warmer in Caden's hand now, a guide to a path unknown, but one that felt undeniably, irrevocably important.