Chandel_Neetu

The world ended in fire, tsunamis, and endless catastrophe. Just when humanity faced total annihilation, the last survivors were forcibly transported to isolated islands—each left alone, with nothing but a broken hut and a cryptic system demanding their survival.

Lena, cunning, ruthless, and unyielding, refuses to be controlled. She will carve her own path, build her own strength, and rise higher than anyone expects. But she soon realizes this world is far from empty.

Something stirs beneath the surface. Something watches from the shadows.

He is powerful. Intelligent. Dangerous. And unlike anything—or anyone—she has ever encountered.

He doesn’t belong to the shattered world she left behind. He doesn’t belong to humanity at all.

Their meeting is inevitable. Their fates tangled in ways neither of them understands.

But on an island where the system decides who survives and who perishes, some threats don’t come with claws and teeth. Some are far more seductive. And far deadlier.

Islands of the Forsaken

Lena moved carefully, stepping over uneven stone as she approached the faint glow in the distance.

The underground chamber stretched farther than she expected. Massive pillars loomed around her, disappearing into the shadows above. The walls were covered in more carvings—the same elongated figures with hollow eyes, reaching toward something unseen.

The whisper followed her, barely audible, like a voice just beyond her understanding.

(If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, shut up.)

A notification flickered in her vision.

[New System Update: Environmental Scan Unlocked]

You may now analyze surroundings for hidden structures and anomalies.

(Well, that would've been useful ten minutes ago.)

Lena focused, testing the new function. The moment she activated it, a faint grid-like pattern overlayed her vision. The chamber brightened slightly, revealing hidden cracks in the walls, faint energy signatures embedded in the stone.

It had been nearly invisible, blending seamlessly into the wall. But now, with the scan active, she saw it clearly.

A thin archway, pulsing faintly with a blue glow.

She stepped closer, raising a hand to the smooth surface. The moment her fingers touched it—

A deep, mechanical click echoed through the chamber.

A rush of air hit her, colder than the rest of the ruins. And beyond the doorway—stairs. Leading down.

Because why would things ever be easy?

Lena exhaled sharply. (Fine. Down it is.)

A figure stood at the edge of the collapsed ruins, dust settling around him.

He straightened from where he had landed, brushing a hand through his dark hair. His golden eyes flickered toward her, scanning the chamber before settling on the open doorway.

Lena lowered her knife. "You just jumped straight down, didn't you?"

A pause. Then—"Was I supposed to take the stairs?"

Then, after a long moment—she turned and walked into the doorway.

Riven followed without a word, but she could feel his smirk.

The stairs led deep beneath the ruins.

The further they went, the colder it became. The stone walls shifted from rough, hand-carved surfaces to something too smooth. Almost metallic.

They stepped into a vast underground chamber.

Smooth, silver, covered in more glowing carvings. Unlike the rest of the ruins, this wasn't old.

Objective Complete: Echoes of the Past

New Quest Unlocked: The First Vault

She turned to Riven. He wasn't looking at the door. He was looking at her.

Like he was waiting for her reaction.

Like he already knew what they had found.

Lena clenched her jaw. "Start talking."

Riven's golden eyes gleamed in the dim light.

"Are you sure you're ready for that?"

She tightened her grip on her knife.

Chapter 15: The Path Below