Chapter 7
The ground finally stopped shaking, long enough for me to hate walking again. Every step up the tunnel felt like dragging my spine through gravel and regret.
Rena walked ahead, her torchlight flickering against the damp walls. The ruins behind us were not collapsing, they were fading. The stone dissolved into faint light as if the place had never existed at all. The air hummed like a sigh after a long argument.
"You sure this is the right way?" I asked, mostly because silence made the climb worse.
"Up is always the right way," she said, not looking back.
"Unless the ceiling decides otherwise."
She ignored that, as usual. Progress.
By the time we reached the upper chamber, sunlight leaked through the cracks above. I squinted. The world outside looked too bright, too normal, like we had not just been nearly murdered by runes and stupidity.
Rena climbed out first, then turned and offered her hand.
"I can manage," I said.
"You said that before falling through a floor."
"That floor attacked me."
She did not argue, just waited. I sighed and took her hand. The warmth was irritatingly steady.
Once outside, I collapsed on the grass, spread-eagle, and stared at the sky. Clouds drifted lazily by. Birds chirped. My brain refused to process that life was still happening up here.
"We made it," Rena said softly.
"Define made it. I feel like my soul got wrung out."
She laughed under her breath, a rare sound. I decided not to ruin it with another complaint.
The hilltop overlooked the valley where the ruins had been. The entrance was gone, swallowed by the earth. Just an empty patch of grass, as if nothing had ever existed there.
"That is… unnerving," I muttered.
Rena nodded. "It means the seal worked. The ruins have gone dormant again."
"So the good news is we did not die. The bad news is nobody will believe us."
She gave me a small smile. "We can report to the guild. They will take your word for it."
"That is adorable. You think the guild believes anyone."
We started walking down the slope toward the dirt road. My legs hated me, but the air tasted clean. Every breath felt like a small apology from the universe.
For a while, neither of us spoke. The quiet was not awkward, it was the kind that only comes after surviving something you did not deserve to survive.
Halfway down, Rena said, "You did well down there."
I blinked. "Is that praise?"
"Observation."
"Close enough. I will take it."
She looked at me, her expression calm but curious. "Do you understand what you did? That command you shouted, the seal reacted to your voice."
"I barely understand what I ate for breakfast."
"The crown responded to you directly. It should not be possible without a link."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning the crown is changing. Or you are."
"Fantastic. That is exactly the kind of cryptic nonsense I needed today."
She smiled faintly again, then turned toward the path ahead. "Let us reach town before nightfall. The guild needs to know what we found."
"Right. The guild. Full of people who definitely will not laugh at us for saying demons are mining magic under ancient ruins."
She ignored me again, but the corner of her mouth twitched.
The road stretched ahead, long and uneven. Behind us, the wind carried a faint sound, like whispers fading into the trees. Maybe the ruins saying goodbye. Or laughing. Hard to tell the difference anymore.
I adjusted the crown, muttering, "If you ever decide to whisper in my head again, at least bring snacks."
No response, thank all the gods.
The town waited beyond the horizon, roofs catching the sunlight, smoke rising lazily from chimneys. Civilization. Noise. More paperwork. Probably questions I did not want to answer.
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By the time we reached town, the sun was already bleeding into the horizon. The road twisted down the hill, and every step made my legs question their loyalty.
Morinvale wasn't impressive. It was a border town with wooden walls that leaned like tired guards and streets that smelled like smoke and soup. A handful of merchants were packing up their stalls, shouting last-minute prices that even desperation wouldn't pay.
Rena slowed near the gate. The guards recognized her immediately because of course they did. A noble trying to blend in still looked like one, even with travel dust on her boots.
"Lady Rena? You've returned," one of them said, eyes flicking between us. "Where were you? The southern ruins have been glowing since dawn."
"Glowing," I repeated. "Nice choice of word. You left out the part where they tried to eat us."
Rena gave me a look that said please shut up for ten seconds. "We investigated. It's sealed now. You should tell your captain to restrict the area."
The guards exchanged confused looks but nodded anyway. The one on the left kept staring at me like I was a walking hazard report.
Inside the walls, the streets were louder. Adventurers moved between inns, smithies, and the small hall near the plaza the guild. Its wooden sign creaked in the wind, paint peeling around the emblem of a sword and quill.
Rena hesitated at the door. "We didn't register that expedition," she said quietly.
I shrugged. "So we'll just tell them we nearly died for free. People love honesty."
She sighed. "Try not to speak first."
"No promises."
The moment we entered, noise hit us like a storm. Tables full of half-armored idiots laughing too loud, the smell of beer, the sound of coins clinking, someone losing an argument over whose sword was bigger.
The receptionist a woman with red hair tied back in a way that said I haven't slept since the last monster attack looked up from her ledger.
"New registration?" she asked, scanning us lazily.
"Not exactly," Rena said. "We came to report an incident. The ruins south of town have collapsed."
That got her attention. "Collapsed?"
"They were active," I added helpfully. "We may have shouted at some magic, and it got tired of existing."
Rena pinched the bridge of her nose. "What he means is there was demonic activity. We contained it. The site should be avoided."
A few adventurers nearby stopped talking.
"Demonic activity?" one said. "That's not on the board."
"Yeah," another added, "if there were demons, the guild would've sent a full team."
Rena folded her arms. "We didn't have time to file paperwork."
The red-haired woman's eyes narrowed. "So you're saying you discovered a live ruin, engaged hostile entities, and sealed it without guild authorization?"
I nodded. "Yep. You're welcome."
The silence was long enough to count heartbeats. Then a snort of laughter came from the back table.
"Sure you did," someone said. "And I bet you slayed a dragon on your way back too."
"Only a small one," I said. "Politely."
More laughter followed. Rena's jaw tightened. She wasn't the type to like being doubted, but I'd seen that expression before she was deciding whether to argue or just leave.
The receptionist finally said, "I'll file your claim, but don't expect it to be accepted without proof. Ruin reports require verification."
"Fine by me," I said. "We've got plenty of proof. I call it trauma."
Rena elbowed me hard. I took the hit with grace.
She bowed slightly. "Thank you for your time. If your Guildmaster needs confirmation, he can find us at the inn."
The receptionist just nodded, still suspicious.
As we stepped back into the evening air, I exhaled. "That went well. Nobody threw rocks at us."
"Lairn," she said tiredly, "you realize they think we're lying."
"Of course. It's the only reasonable reaction to the truth."
Rena looked at the fading sky, the light catching her eyes. "They'll send someone to investigate. When they do, and the ruin's gone, they'll believe us."
"Or they'll accuse us of blowing it up. Either way, I'm famous."
She actually smiled at that, faint and unguarded. "Infamous, maybe."
"I'll take what I can get."
The streets were quieter now. A few torches flickered as the night settled in. The air smelled like rain waiting for permission.
Rena turned toward the inn. "Come on. You need rest."
"I need a drink, a nap, and someone to tell me this wasn't divine hazing."
"Two out of three is possible."
"That'll do."
We walked toward the lights of the inn, the sounds of the guild fading behind us. The crown was silent again, almost too quiet. Like it was thinking.
And that was never a good sign.
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The air outside the guild was colder now. Torches flickered in their sconces, throwing soft gold across the cobblestones. The laughter from inside bled faintly through the door, muffled but still obnoxious.
I pulled at my cloak, trying to ignore the ache crawling through my legs. "Well, that was humiliating in a strangely familiar way."
Rena glanced over. "You should be used to that feeling by now."
"I am. Doesn't mean I enjoy collecting it."
She didn't reply, just started walking. The streets were quieter than usual. A couple of merchants were still cleaning up their stalls, muttering about the rain. The inn stood a few blocks away, light spilling through its windows, warm and soft like it was mocking how miserable I felt.
I caught Rena slowing her steps. Her eyes flicked toward the far corner of the street.
"You see that?" she asked under her breath.
I squinted. Someone stood near the water trough by the corner building. Hooded, motionless. Probably a traveler but they were facing us.
"Probably someone deciding whether to rob us or convert us," I said. "Either way, flattering."
Rena kept her hand near her sword hilt. "Keep walking."
I smirked. "Oh, trust me, I'm not stopping for ominous fashion statements."
The stranger didn't move. Even as we passed under the inn's porch light, I could still feel their eyes. Rena waited a moment before pushing open the door.
The inn's warmth hit like a blessing and a curse. The smell of stew and firewood almost made me forget that I wanted to die on a bed somewhere.
The innkeeper looked up from behind the counter, an older man with a beard that had clearly fought and lost against time.
"Two rooms?" he asked.
"One," Rena said automatically. Then she realized and coughed lightly. "I mean, two."
I raised an eyebrow. "A tragic Freudian slip, my lady."
She ignored me completely.
The man chuckled as he slid over two keys. "Payment's simple. No noise after midnight, no blood on the floor, no weird glowing relics at the table."
I frowned. "You've had enough of those to make it a rule?"
"More than you'd think."
I handed over a few coins, my fingers trembling slightly. Not fear just exhaustion disguised as humor. "We're professionals. The least suspicious kind of people, I promise."
He didn't look convinced, but he took the money.
We found our rooms on the upper floor, side by side. The hallway creaked with every step. The floorboards had probably been old when the kingdom was new.
Rena stopped by her door. "I'll check our supplies tomorrow. We still have enough for a few days' travel."
"Perfect. I'll check my mental health tomorrow too, just to see if it respawned."
She smiled faintly. "You handled yourself well back there. Even if no one believes us."
"Yeah, well, I'm used to being unbelievable. It's basically my job description now."
Her smile softened. "Goodnight, Lairn."
"Night. Try not to get haunted."
"Try not to wake the entire inn."
I saluted lazily and stepped into my room.
The door clicked shut behind me. It was small, with a single bed, a cracked window, and a candle burning low. I dropped my bag, sat on the edge of the mattress, and stared at the crown sitting on the table.
It glowed faintly, a dim pulse that matched my heartbeat.
"You're awfully quiet tonight," I muttered. "Usually, this is where you whisper something creepy."
The crown didn't respond.
I lay back on the bed, eyes on the ceiling. The sound of footsteps moved faintly in the hallway slow, careful. Too careful.
I sat up, every sense sharpening. The candle flickered.
Someone stopped right outside my door.
For a moment, the silence pressed so heavy it felt solid. Then, soft as breath, came a single knock.
Not loud. Not urgent. Just one knock.
I didn't move.
Then the footsteps faded away.
I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Nope. Not dealing with that. That's tomorrow's problem."
I blew out the candle. Darkness settled like a blanket, and somewhere outside, thunder rolled low across the hills.
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The thunder didn't stop. It rolled and grumbled like the sky was having a bad dream.
I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that faint red light again, the one from the ruins, crawling up my arms and vanishing before I could breathe.
The crown pulsed faintly on the table, the glow too steady to be comforting.
I sat up and rubbed my face. "You planning to start glowing louder or just creep me out quietly?"
Still nothing.
Rain started tapping against the window. The sound should've been peaceful. It wasn't. It had rhythm deliberate, almost like footsteps.
I stood slowly, crossed the room, and peeked outside. The street below was mostly empty, puddles reflecting the lamplight. But someone stood near the well again, hood up, same as before. Watching.
I closed the curtain halfway, heart beating faster than I'd admit. "Rena's going to love this," I muttered.
Then the crown spoke.
"The watcher bears the mark."
I froze. "What mark?"
"The scent of the fallen flame. The servant of the Demon Lord walks unseen."
"Oh, fantastic. We're doing riddles again."
The glow sharpened for a moment, then dimmed, like it had said enough.
I grabbed my cloak, shoved the crown into my pack, and stepped out into the hallway. The floorboards complained under my feet. Rena's room was just across. I knocked twice, low and steady.
She opened the door almost instantly, sword already in hand, eyes alert. "What is it?"
"Your favorite topic," I said. "Creepy stalkers in the rain."
That woke her up faster. "Where?"
"Outside. Near the well. Probably not here for the weather."
She frowned, listening. "I'll check from the back window. You stay here."
"Wow, gender equality at its finest."
She ignored me and moved past, light on her feet. I waited a few seconds before following because ignoring warnings is apparently my specialty.
The back hallway window looked over the same street. The figure was still there still unmoving. Rain slid off their hood, but they didn't shiver, didn't flinch. Just stared.
Then, without warning, their head turned directly toward us.
Rena cursed under her breath. "They saw us."
"Great. Now what?"
Before she could answer, the lamps on the street flickered out one by one.
The world went dark.
A low sound followed, like the rumble of a growl but stretched through metal.
Rena backed away from the window, sword raised. "That's not human."
I swallowed. "You think?"
The next flash of lightning lit the street again empty. The figure was gone.
I turned. "Please tell me this town has guards who work night shifts."
"Two," Rena said, her tone grim. "And they sleep through most alarms."
Something hit the inn wall. Hard. The whole room shook, dust raining from the ceiling. A second later, the sound came again scraping, like claws on wood.
Rena grabbed my shoulder. "Stay behind me."
"Believe me, that's my natural position in life."
The wall groaned. Then it burst inward.
A shape came through too fast to see clearly, a blur of wet cloth and shadow. Its claws tore through the wood, catching the candlelight. It hissed, a sound that made the air itself recoil.
Rena swung her blade, sparks flying. The creature dodged unnaturally fast, darting between the broken planks.
I stumbled back, grabbed the nearest thing I could the half-broken chair by the table and threw it. It hit the wall beside the creature, knocking down part of the window frame.
The thing turned its head toward me. Its face was pale, eyes black with veins crawling outward. Demon-possessed.
"Hey," I said, because fear makes me stupid, "no refunds on ruined inns, all right?"
It lunged.
Rena stepped in front, her sword flashing. The strike connected, slicing through its arm. Instead of blood, red mist poured out, burning holes into the wood where it landed.
The creature screamed and leapt backward, crashing through the opposite wall and vanishing into the storm outside.
Rena lowered her sword slowly, chest heaving. "It was scouting us."
"For what, interior design tips?"
She gave me that look again, the one that said I am considering violence but will settle for patience. "We need to move. Now."
"What about the innkeeper?"
"He'll live. He's survived worse."
"Worse than this?"
She didn't answer, already packing her things.
The crown's glow bled faintly through the bag, dim but steady, like a heartbeat I didn't want to understand.
As we stepped into the rain, I looked back once. The hole in the wall still smoked from where the creature's blood had touched it.
"The watcher bears the mark," I whispered.
Rena glanced at me. "What?"
"Nothing. Just wish I liked being right."
Thunder rolled again, closer this time. Somewhere in the distance, a bell started ringing not alarm, not warning, but the deep toll that meant only one thing in Morinvale.
A corpse had been found.
Chapter Ends