Back From the Ruins – After Erasmus'' Test


    The three of them stepped out of the ruins, their bodies still tense from the encounter below. The chilling voice of Erasmus echoed in Zoren''s mind.


    "Fractured vessel."


    Zoren exhaled sharply, pushing the memory aside. His Titan Core still buzzed, unstable from the battle. The Duskbound''s test wasn''t just a fight—it had been something else. A warning? A prophecy? Or just a twisted game?


    Beside him, Nyssa walked with an easy stride, but Zoren could see it—the slight stiffness in her shoulders, the way her hand hovered just a little too close to her daggers.


    Talis, on the other hand, had no such composure. He stretched with a loud groan, cracking his back. "Alright! That was terrible! Can we all agree that was terrible?"


    Nyssa smirked. "You were the one who almost got killed "


    "Almost!" Talis huffed. "But I didn''t! Which means I won."


    "You were screaming."


    "It was a battle cry!"


    Zoren ignored them both, adjusting the straps on his cloak as they stepped into the open streets of Verthin.


    The city had shifted.


    It wasn''t just the usual bustle of trade and crime. The air had changed. People whispered in hushed voices, eyes darting between wanted posters freshly nailed to the walls.


    The sight of his own face, sketched in rough ink, made Zoren''s stomach tighten.


    Talis froze mid-step. "Oooookay. So. This is beautiful."


    Nyssa didn''t stop walking. "Keep moving. Don''t look at it."


    "But I want to look at it."


    "Then I''ll gouge your eyes out. Problem solved."


    Talis made a choking noise but followed.


    Zoren''s mind raced. Erasmus had tested them, but he hadn''t tried to kill them. The Federation, however, might be another story.


    He exhaled through his nose.


    "We need to lay low."


    They slipped through side alleys, avoiding the main roads until they reached their rundown inn.


    The door creaked as they stepped inside.


    And then they stopped.


    Linda was waiting for them.


    She sat at their usual table, arms crossed, expression unreadable. A half-empty cup of something strong sat in front of her, the scent burning even from a distance.


    For a second, nobody spoke.


    Then Linda leaned back, raising an eyebrow. "Took you long enough."


    Talis grinned. "Linda! You''re alive!"


    Nyssa slid into a chair. "Good to see you too."


    Zoren sat across from Linda, his eyes searching her face. "How was it ?"


    Linda exhaled, tilting her cup. "There are some news ."


    Zoren frowned. "From who?"


    Linda smirked. "Does it matter?"


    Silence.


    Then Nyssa grinned. "I like this side of you."


    Talis dropped into a seat, resting his chin on the table. "So what''s the plan now?"


    Zoren glanced at Linda, then at the others.


    The Duskbound had tested them.


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    The Federation had marked them.


    And the real trouble was just beginning


    Linda look at each of them but her eyes were sharp, scanning them one by one. They lingered on Zoren''s bruises, on the flickering instability of his Core.


    "Tell me you didn''t go near the Titan ruins."


    Talis blinked. "The what?"


    Linda''s gaze snapped to him. "The ruins beneath the city. The ones the council has been trying to keep sealed for years."


    Zoren frowned. "You make it sound like there''s something dangerous down there."


    Linda didn''t even hesitate.


    "Because there is."


    ---


    Talis rubbed the back of his neck. "Hold on. The Veyrith ruins are just old ruins, right? A graveyard for Titans? There''s nothing down there but bones and broken statues."


    Linda scoffed. "That''s what they want you to think."


    She stepped closer, reaching into her cloak. "There''s a reason the Titan council keeps those tunnels locked away. The deeper levels aren''t just tombs. They''re…" She hesitated, then pulled out a torn fragment of a map.


    Zoren took it, his fingers running over the faded ink. The markings were old, but one thing was clear—an entrance, hidden beneath the city.


    "There are doors down there," Linda said. "Ones that only open to those with Titan Cores."


    Silence.


    Nyssa frowned. "You think Erasmus came from there?"


    Linda didn''t answer. Instead, she looked Zoren in the eye.


    "More importantly…" Her voice was quiet but firm. "I think that''s where you''re supposed to go next."


    --


    The inn was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of cheap ale and burnt meat. Outside, Veyrith churned with unease—Federation soldiers patrolling, fresh bounties plastered on walls, and whispers of something shifting beneath the city''s surface.


    But inside?


    Inside, Zoren sat with his arms crossed, his mind elsewhere.


    Linda, leaning forward with her usual smirk, broke the silence. "I know where you need to go next."


    Zoren barely reacted. Nyssa, however, arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And where would that be?"


    Linda''s grin widened. "The dungeon of Veyrith."


    Talis, half-asleep in his chair, immediately sat up. "The dungeon? You mean the place where some people go in and never come out?"


    Linda shrugged. "That''s the one."


    Nyssa''s expression darkened. "And what exactly are we supposed to find down there?"


    Linda exhaled, tapping her fingers against the table. "Not we—him." She nodded at Zoren.


    Everyone turned to look at him.


    Zoren frowned. "What?"


    Linda leaned in. "Your Core, Zoren. It''s unstable. And I think the dungeon might have the answer you need."


    Zoren tensed. His Titan Core had been pulsing erratically ever since the fights. The more he tried to control it, the more it fought back—like a wild beast refusing to be tamed.


    Talis scratched his head. "Okay, but why the dungeon? What''s down there that could help?"


    Linda''s expression grew serious. "Ever heard of the Hermes the titan of illusion?"


    Silence.


    Nyssa''s smirk faded. Talis blinked. Even Zoren felt a slight chill at the name.


    A Titan warrior, said to have disappeared centuries ago, leaving behind power no one had been able to claim. Some called it a myth, others a curse.


    But one thing was certain.


    Anyone who went looking for it—never came back.


    Linda''s gaze sharpened. "If anyone left something behind that could stabilize a Titan Core… it''s him."


    Zoren clenched his fists. The memory of his out-of-control power flashed in his mind. That surge back in the ruins—raw, chaotic, untamed. He had nearly lost himself to it.


    If there was even a chance—even the slightest possibility—that the dungeon held the key to understanding his Core…


    He had to take it.


    Nyssa folded her arms. "And you''re saying he has to go alone?"


    Linda nodded. "If all of us go, we''ll attract too much attention. Besides…" She met Zoren''s gaze. "This is his fight."


    Talis groaned. "I hate this plan."


    Zoren exhaled, then stood up.


    "Doesn''t matter. I''m going."


    Nyssa watched him carefully. Then, after a long pause, she smirked. "Well. Don''t die, then."


    Linda grinned. "That''s the spirit."


    Talis sighed. "This group is the worst."


    Zoren look towards the door. His Core pulsed again, whispering at the edges of his mind.


    Answers waited in the darkness below.


    And he was going to find them.


    Linda added " According to the rumors the dungeon have been acting weird giving a weird energy and showimg sign of been about to open so a lot of titan users will be there.


    ---


    deep in the city''s upper districts, a group of figures sat in silence.


    They were seated around a circular table, the stone polished to a mirror sheen. The only light came from a dim, flickering flame at the center.


    This was the Titan Council. The ones who controlled the move of titan related activities and research .


    A man with a weathered face, Councilor Gaius, folded his hands together. His golden Core shimmered faintly against his chestplate. "Erasmus failed."


    A woman in a sleek black robe, Councilor Selene, let out a slow breath. "No," she murmured. "He learned what he needed."


    She glanced toward the flame, watching it ripple unnaturally.


    "The boy is unstable."


    A third voice, low and calculating—Councilor Rook. His fingers tapped against the table. "Which means we have a choice."


    Selene nodded. "We let him go to the dungeon… or we erase him before he reaches the doors."


    A long pause.


    Then Gaius spoke.


    "Send the Titan hunters . Before reaching the dungeon first… we kill him."


    ---


    Back in the inn, Zoren clenched his fists.


    Every instinct told him to stop, to step back, to breathe. His Core was unstable. His body still ached from its surge.


    But if the council was moving… if they got there first…


    He turned to the others.


    "Then we move."


    Talis groaned. "You mean we''re actually going into the creepy, cursed Titan ruins? Fantastic."


    Nyssa shot him a look. "You can stay behind."


    "Hell no." He sighed. "If you die, I die."


    Linda folded her arms. "We have less time than we thought. The council doesn''t just guard the dungeon, They try to protect it .Her eyes darkened.


    Zoren looked at the map again.


    The entrance wasn''t far. But the closer they got… the more he felt it.


    A pulse.


    Like something beneath the city was awake.


    Waiting.


    ---


    Deep beneath the city, in the oldest part of the ruins, a pair of ancient stone doors trembled.


    A presence stirred inside.


    It had been asleep for centuries.


    But now—


    Cores had resonated.


    And the whispers beneath the city were finally waking up.


    ---


    To be continued