"This is the place?" Aren asked.
Faye's lips tugged up into a smile, then she gave him a slight nod in response.
He narrowed his eyes, turning his head to see the place Faye brought him to find a new weapon.
It was no more than a ruined city abandoned by time. The only things Aren felt and saw from it were its grim and eerie presence, which it radiated under the grey sky.
Faye took the lead by stepping onto the concrete floor, "This was a city built by my people, the Veliones, in the Era of Gold where every city flourished."
'Era of Gold… How long ago was that again? I should've studied harder when I had the chance.'
Faye lingered in silence, her gaze drifting across the shattered facades as if something long buried had stirred. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet, almost reverent.
"I remember the name of this city. An ancient name, the meaning of which is only known to those of the last Era… Caelum Leonis."
In the distance, a flashing light appeared and disappeared, seemingly out of place, but it was obscured by the surrounding buildings.
Massive, towering buildings that reached into the sky but were largely destroyed, some even split in half.
'Helmond's walls could probably withstand hundreds of Wretched Gluttons all at the same time, so..'
"Who exactly caused this?" He asked, his curiosity gradually increasing.
Faye took a few moments to respond, thinking carefully about it.
"The real cause is unknown, but most say a horde of high-stage monsters of the Cycle of Starvation brought ruin to it. To this scale of devastation, it must've been Stage Six."
Aren's eyes widened, hearing the Stage of the monsters. Not many were able to reach such levels of power.
Faye, on the other hand, frowned. A sudden mix of nostalgia and sadness surfaced within her. "I must say, this takes me back to before I was banished from Velione. It makes me wish I hadn't done what I did."
Aren hadn't the slightest idea of what exactly Faye had done, yet something inside still urged him to respond, as he felt a bit of connection to what she said.
His expression serious, he replied, "We never truly value anything until it becomes a memory… Memories are painful, Faye. That's why it's wise not to think of the past, but only the future and present. It's what makes us human."
His lips slightly curled up, for once in a while. Even having said that, it made him feel bittersweet, knowing he was unsure what made humans... humans.
Faye giggled, "Maybe you're right."
"In any case, where and how are we supposed to find a weapon fit for me in a place like this?"
She raised her arm in the air, then pointed into the distance, "Right there."
Aren turned his gaze to the spot she indicated and was met with a remarkable sight. In the center of the ruined city lay a large needle etched into the ground, beneath a crescent moon that was practically embedded into it.
Other, smaller needles were engraved into the larger one, extending from the top to the bottom, giving it a unique yet oddly satisfying structure.
The tip of the needle emitted light for a second, then paused for another second. It continued this way, almost like a lighthouse in the ocean.
'A bit too bright for my eyes.'
Overall, it was a beautiful sight to behold under the grey sky. Aren was quite sure it would be easy.
Without saying a word, Faye walked ahead, and Aren followed her. It was finally time for him to acquire a new, stronger weapon. Even he felt a surge of excitement.
But, deep inside his heart, he felt guilty. He kept thinking that something, or someone, was missing.
Aren shook his head. 'No point in thinking about it.'
***
As they finally reached the building, Aren took a deep breath before entering the large needle through a wide open gap in it.
Having thought that, he let Faye take the lead once more. She slowly stepped up the staircase leading to the gap.
Having followed her, they both stopped at a stone tablet that was stuck on the ground next to the large building.
"Fate's threads are thin. Be cautious," Faye read aloud, as it was in the Veliones language, which she could only read.
Aren blinked, not quite understanding what it meant, but it didn't bother him much as he never believed in fate himself.
Faye shrugged, then signaled to go inside.
As they stepped through the doorway, Aren felt an uncanny sensation, as if the room were stretching and reshaping itself around them.
The walls seemed to pulse with an inviting warmth, despite being possibly thousands of years old. The air was rich with the scent of dust.
It was as if this space had a life of its own, pulling them into its embrace and leaving the stunning exterior behind.
A large concrete path lay ahead of them, with the sides mostly succumbed to darkness.
However, what they did not expect was the massive unlit torches that towered high above to start a fire out of thin air, revealing the dark part of the hall.
Aren instantly threw himself into a stance before Faye raised her palm, gesturing for him to wait.
The massive torches revealed large, lined statues of hooded figures with swords pointed downwards, but one statue at the top of the hall dwarfed them in size. It loomed over the hall like a silent judge.
"What is this?" Aren asked, his concern only growing.
Faye stared for a few moments, gathering her thoughts.
"Pathfinders of the Cycle. In other words, they were the valiant heroes of this ruined city. Make sure not to get too close to them, unless you wanna become mutated."
Aren nodded, knowing the risks of being mutated.
Having said that, his eyes instantly turned to the distance as a loud hiss was heard near the base of the statues, along with heavy footsteps that were echoing inside the large room.
One peeked, then another ran by him. They continued to head out from the base of the statue, their numbers only increasing.
Aren stepped back, disgusted by the view occurring in front of him.
Small humanoid figures clad in armor, possibly armored scouts, crept through the shadows with weapons in hand. Their glowing eyes reflected the dim light of the moon entering through cracks in the building.
Their appearance was unappealing, saliva leaked from their mouths, and their pointy ears were excessively prominent.
He looked at Faye and said in a serious tone, "Armored Scouts. I thought these only existed on the other continent, in Velione?"
Faye summoned her blue slate Spectral Rings, letting them circle her wrists.
"I thought so as well. It appears there is something we do not understand about this place."
The small Scouts ran toward them, their hissing echoing throughout the ancient room.