One piece: Without a system, I have to survive!

The wind carried the last remnants of dust across the battlefield, whispering through the ruins like ghostly voices from the past. The figure that had been watching us was gone, but the sensation of being observed still lingered, crawling beneath my skin like an unshakable presence.

Shira tightened her grip on her dagger. "That wasn't just some bystander," she muttered. "They were waiting for something."

Vex let out a frustrated sigh. "Great. As if fighting an undead king wasn't enough, now we have mysterious stalkers watching from the shadows."

I stayed quiet, my mind replaying the brief glimpse of that figure. The way they stood, perfectly still yet exuding an aura of controlled power—it reminded me of something. Or someone.

"We should move," I said finally, my voice firm. "Standing here makes us easy targets."

Shira nodded, and Vex rolled his eyes but didn't argue. As we made our way through the ruins, the weight of exhaustion began settling into my bones. Every muscle ached, but I forced myself to keep going. We needed answers.

The deeper we ventured into the crumbling remains of what had once been an ancient stronghold, the heavier the air became. It was almost suffocating, like we had stepped into a place where time itself had been distorted.

Then I saw it.

A symbol carved into the stone wall ahead.

It was old—so ancient that the edges of the carving had been worn down by centuries of wind and decay. But despite the erosion, I recognized the shape instantly.

A spiral, coiling inward like an abyss.

My breath caught in my throat. I had seen this symbol before—in the forbidden texts, in the nightmares of those who had glimpsed too far beyond the veil of reality.

Shira took a cautious step closer. "What… is this?"

I swallowed hard. "It's a mark of the Forgotten Ones."

Vex frowned. "And that means…?"

"It means," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "that the Forsaken King was never the real threat."

A heavy silence settled between us.

Then, from somewhere deep within the ruins, a sound echoed. A slow, rhythmic thud.

Footsteps.

Coming straight toward us.