Edan

The next morning, the camp is restless.

There is no panic, no outright fear, but something heavier—anticipation, unease. The kind of tension that comes when people know something is wrong, but not exactly why.

Elias and I stand near the camp's central fire, watching as scouts move quickly between tents, whispering in hushed tones.

Something has changed overnight.

And we are about to find out what.

——

The war council is called again—this time, with more urgency.

When we step into the command tent, Captain Cliff is already speaking to a new figure—a man with sand-coloured robes, a hood pulled back to reveal sharp features, and eyes that hold too much knowledge.

He looks out of place among the heavily armoured officers.

And yet, there is something commanding about his presence.

Elias leans toward me, muttering under his breath. "Who's the new guy?"

I shake my head. "No idea."

We take our seats at the edge of the gathering, listening as the conversation unfolds.

"The relic was real," the man says, his voice smooth but weighted with something unreadable. "And it was active."

The room stills.

Cliff's expression darkens. "You're sure?"

The man—Edan (Archaeologist, Ancient Ruins Researcher)—nods.

"I've been tracking the ruins scattered across Balenos and Serendia for years," he continues. "Most are long abandoned. But this one? This one was different."

Elias sits up slightly, his interest piqued. "How different are we talking?"

Edan finally acknowledges us, his gaze flicking toward Elias first, then me.

"You must be the mercenaries I heard about," he muses.

Elias grins. "The legends themselves."

Cliff exhales sharply. "Ignore him."

Edan smirks but does not press the matter. Instead, he returns to the subject at hand.

"The ruin I investigated wasn't just active," he says. "It was pulsing."

Elias tilts his head. "Pulsing?"

Edan nods. "Something within it was… awake. A remnant of something ancient. And it wasn't just affecting the ruins—it was affecting everything around it."

He turns to Cliff. "The Imps? Their aggression, their organization—it coincides exactly with my findings."

Silence.

It is not random.

Not just a coincidence.

Something buried beneath this land is stirring.

And it is affecting the creatures above it.

——

Elias exhales. "Alright. So let's break this down."

He lifts a hand, counting on his fingers.

"One: You're saying ancient ruins are acting weird."

"Correct," Edan confirms.

"Two: The Imps just happen to be acting weird at the same time."

"Yes."

"And three: You think these two things are connected?"

Edan's gaze sharpens. "I don't just think so. I know so."

Elias leans back, running a hand through his hair. "Alright. So what exactly is inside these ruins?"

Edan's expression shifts—just slightly.

"Something tied to the origins of the Black Spirits."

The air in the tent changes.

Cold.

Still.

Wrong.

——

I stiffen.

Elias freezes beside me.

I do not need to look at him to know what he is thinking.

The Black Spirit—his Black Spirit—has been changing.

And now?

Now we are being told that the same force may be behind the Imps' unnatural behavior.

Cliff crosses his arms. "Explain."

Edan exhales. "Black Spirits have always been… enigmatic. No one knows where they truly come from, only that they have existed for centuries, tied to the essence of corruption and power."

He gestures to the map.

"But this ruin? It is the first I have found that contains direct inscriptions of the Black Spirits' origin."

My pulse quickens.

Edan continues, his voice lowering slightly. "And if I'm right… then we may have just uncovered something that was meant to stay buried."

Elias lets out a low whistle. "Sounds promising."

Edan does not smile.

"It isn't."

——

The Imp army, the ruins, the Black Spirit—

They are all connected.

And now, we have a choice to make.

Do we continue as mercenaries, taking orders as they come?

Or do we begin to chase the truth?

I glance at Elias.

And for the first time, I see it—

The spark of realization, the weight of something bigger settling over him.

This is no longer just about survival.

This is about understanding what is happening to him.

And maybe…

To the world itself.