Secrets Carved in Stone      

"Where are you going?" Von called out, but Horizon didn't answer. His gaze was locked ahead as he made a beeline for Linji.

"What did you put in those injections?" Horizon's voice was sharp, his eyes narrowing as he confronted Linji.

Linji blinked in surprise, caught off guard. "Horizon, what are you talking about?"

Von glanced between them, confusion spreading across his face. "What's going on?"

"I saw him," Horizon said, his tone laced with accusation. "He put something strange in those injections he gave to Vodgo a while ago."

Linji's face hardened. "There's nothing unusual about it. I only administered the usual treatment to keep him alive as long as possible. The same medicine I've always used."

"Don't lie," Horizon snapped, stepping forward. "I saw you back there."

Von quickly intervened, stepping between them before things could escalate. "Horizon, there's no point in forcing this right now. Let's just walk away."

Horizon shot a fierce glare at Linji, while the healer returned the look, eyes cold and unreadable.

"I swear I saw what I saw," Horizon muttered to Von as they turned away.

"I'm not calling you a liar," Von replied, his voice calm. "I believe you. There's more to this than Linji's letting on, but I know he genuinely wants to heal Vodgo. I've been around long enough to trust that much."

"Then why did you stop me from pressing him for the truth?" Horizon asked, frustrated.

"Do you really think he would've told you anything?" Von countered, arching an eyebrow.

Horizon clenched his jaw, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Exactly," Von said, lowering his voice. "We'll find out more, but not like this. So, take a breath."

Horizon exhaled sharply, tension still radiating off him. He changed the subject, his tone simmering down. "Did you speak with Rysamora? Why did she leave us behind?"

Von nodded, his expression darkening. "You're not going to like it. She said it was either that or risk her people. She wasn't about to endanger her tribe for some recent arrivals, even if she's grateful for our help."

Horizon fell silent, his gut twisting. Something felt off about her explanation, as though there was more she wasn't saying. They were not the one who's slowing down the tribe. In fact, they were the one who's helping everyone from the Nix'Udjars attacks. But for now, all they had were fragments of truth and layers of lies.

"There's something we're missing," Horizon muttered, more to himself than to Von.

|| SPECIAL MISSION ||

Discover the truth behind why Rysamora abandoned you and what Linji injected into Vodgo.

REWARDS:

❶ Gold Chest x1

❷ Silver Chests x1

❸ 100 AP

❹ 1000 gil

|| E N D ||

Another gold chest? Horizon's lips curled into a grin despite their situation. The glint of gil at the side of his screen shimmered before his eyes, its shine pulling him in like a moth to flame. He couldn't tear his gaze away, utterly captivated by the glittering treasure.

If only the dragons had left something more than dust. No fangs, claws, or scales — nothing to loot in exchange for gil. Maybe he needed to take down a living, breathing beast and harvest its organs. That would do the trick.

After a few hours of observing, Horizon and Von confirmed what they suspected: the Nix'udjar feared the Husks. Even so, the dragons were gathering in ever-larger numbers around the Amberskins' camp, their army growing as they bided their time, waiting for a single mistake — or the slow death of starvation to set in.

The undead, after all, had all the time in the world.

Atyan's patience finally snapped, and her voice rang out across the camp. "What have you done, you useless elders?! You've led us into a deathtrap! We may be safe for now, but we'll die of hunger here! Slowly and painfully!"

Even Vodgo, usually so composed, lost his temper. "Silence!" His voice echoed, startling everyone, including Atyan, who stood frozen, shocked by the leader's outburst.

Vodgo sighed heavily, his frustration barely contained. "All will be clear. Just be patient."

Meanwhile, Rysamora, Linji, and the surviving scholars were fixated on a wall-like structure at the northwest end of the mounds. Horizon and Von approached, curious about what had them so engrossed. They soon saw why — the wall was etched with ancient draconic runes, glowing faintly with hidden power.

"These are activation runes," Von said, studying the symbols carefully. "They're meant to operate some kind of powerful artifact, but the method is unclear. Draconic magic doesn't follow the rules of typical arcane or divine magic."

Horizon glanced at him, impressed. "You sure know a lot."

Von smirked, lifting his chin slightly in pride. "Of course. I've studied enough to understand these things."

Cappy chimed in from behind with a cheeky grin. "You mean old enough to know these things."

"Shut up, you."

Horizon was tempted to ask Von his age but something more pressing gnawed at him. "An artifact, huh?" he muttered, his curiosity piqued. Something about the word sent a jolt through him, stirring a primal hunger deep inside. The craving for treasure surged within, an instinctive greed that baffled him.

"It must be why Vodgo led us here," Von speculated. "But banking everything on an artifact we can't access is a risky gamble. What's he playing at?"

Horizon's eyes flickered with interest, his instincts screaming that this artifact was more than just a gamble. Something deeper, something powerful, lay just beyond their reach — and it called to him to claim it.