Chapter 10:No Way Home

Chapter 10:No Way Home

The specter remained silent for a long moment, lost in thought. Her face returned to its previous, emotionless state, yet her eyes betrayed a flicker of something deeper—contemplation, perhaps even a glimmer of hope.

Peter, meanwhile, was already preparing his next arguments in case she refused. But his worries proved unnecessary, as the woman finally spoke.

"You have a point. I'd rather take a risk than condemn myself to an eternity of wandering this world."

Her voice carried the exhaustion of one who had long since tired of existence among the living. To spend endless years doing nothing but drifting through a world that no longer holds any meaning... what a cruel fate. Peter sympathized with her.

Then, the specter asked, "So, what do you want to know? What information do you seek in exchange for my freedom? I warn you, though—it is unlikely to be good news."

A chill ran down Peter's spine. How bad could it be? Were they stranded in the far north, cut off from any citadel, surrounded by the powerful beings of Ether? He considered a dozen grim possibilities before finally voicing his first question.

"To start, I need to know where exactly we are within Ether. And more importantly, where is the nearest citadel that could take us back to the real world?"

The woman nodded, her expression solemn. "Then I must begin with the bad news. This part of Ether remains undiscovered by humans. It borders no known territories, nor does it connect to any mapped regions of civilization. As for citadels… I do not know of any that are intact or under human control. If such a place existed, the outside world would surely have known about it by now. There are, however, ruins of a fallen citadel to the south—but that is all that remains."

Peter stood frozen as the weight of her words settled in. His heart pounded, momentarily paralyzed by the implications. An uncharted region of Ether, no known territories, and no citadel to serve as a gateway home. He struggled to keep his face neutral, forcing himself to think rationally.

So, we are in a place that no one in the real world knows about. There's no clear direction leading to inhabited lands, no guaranteed path back. Even if I trained Selene to a decent level in swordsmanship, the chances of us conquering a wild citadel infested with monsters on our own are next to none.

Even before asking all his questions, Peter could already see how dire his situation was. Still, he clung to what little hope remained and pressed on.

"You mentioned the ruins of a citadel in the south. Is there anything else there besides rubble? Any settlements, any people?"

The specter hesitated for a moment before replying. "Yes. There is a town inhabited by people who, like you, are trapped in this forsaken place. Further south, there is also a small port."

Peter's heart stirred at the mention of the port. A port meant an ocean or a sea, and to the south of the known regions of Ether, such waters did exist. That could mean civilization lay somewhere to the east or west along the coastline. Perhaps a ship captain on an expedition once spotted the desert west of the ocean. Maybe, just maybe, someone could offer passage.

Clinging to this newfound hope, Peter asked another question. "This town you mentioned—how do I get there? And how many people live in it?"

The specter studied him closely, as if expecting to see despair in his eyes. But Peter remained composed, which seemed to surprise her. After a pause, she responded in her melodic voice.

"If you continue south along the path, you will reach it without issue. There is nowhere else for the road to lead. As for its population… judging by the number of buildings, I'd estimate around two and a half thousand in the town. The port likely houses another five hundred or so." She tilted her head slightly. "Do you have any other questions?"

Peter was taken aback by the sheer number of people stranded in this forgotten corner of Ether. But for him, the more survivors, the better. He considered his next question carefully. He had already gathered information about the creatures in the area during his journey through the clearing that night, and he doubted the specter knew much more about them.

With no better options, he asked his final question."One last thing. How long have you been wandering this world? And… how did you die?"