"Huh?"
Kael's head whipped around. His eyes darted across the empty street. Shadows stretched long between crumbling buildings. Nothing moved. Nothing stirred. His frown deepened.
Max let out a shaky breath and rolled his shoulders.
"Damn… That was close. Too close."
He wiped his forehead, sweat streaking the dirt on his skin.
"We almost got torn apart."
Kael scoffed and shook off the tension, his boots grinding against the cracked ground. He crossed his arms and threw a look at Ash.
"Tch. I didn't need your help."
Ash met his eyes, calm and blunt.
"Yeah, sure."
He stepped forward.
The street swallowed his footsteps. Wind dragged thin waves of sand across broken stones and half-collapsed stalls. The silence pressed down, thick enough to taste. The air buzzed with something unseen.
Max rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowing.
"Those sandworms stopped at the edge. No way that was natural. Someone strong must be here."
Kael shot him a sideways glance.
"Strong? At grandmaster level? That's a stretch."
Max didn't flinch. His voice stayed sharp.
"Then explain it. Those things were all Rank 4. A normal Veinflow user wouldn't scare them off."
Kael's mouth tightened. No answer came.
Ash barely heard them. His gaze moved through the street, sharp and restless. The buildings sagged with age. Wooden signs hung limp from rusty chains. Not a single door creaked open. No footsteps. No whispers. Nothing.
Then—a flicker.
A window.
A figure.
A woman.
For a split second, their eyes locked. Dull curtains snapped shut a heartbeat later.
Cold crawled up Ash's spine.
"Guys," he said under his breath, the weight of it grounding him.
"Something's wrong."
Max and Kael turned toward him, their faces hardening.
The air thickened.
Kael shifted his stance, fingers twitching like they wanted to catch something unseen.
"yeah, is there really no one's here?"
Ash kept his eyes on the window. His voice didn't waver.
"They are."
He pointed, slow and steady.
"Someone was just watching us."
Max's eyes shadowed. His voice dropped low.
"yeah Something is definitely wrong here. Let's find a place to rest, then use their communicator to contact the base for help."
Kael scoffed, arms crossing tight over his chest.
"Help at the base?"
Max's smirk flickered, thin and forced.
"Oh yeah, forgot to mention… We've got a fourth member."
Ash and Kael traded quick looks, unspoken questions flashing between them.
Max waved them off.
"You'll meet them soon. For now, let's find an inn. A long break sounds perfect."
The words hung dead in the air. No one believed them.
Ash stepped forward, his boots scraping against dry stone. Max and Kael fell in beside him, their eyes sharp, scanning the empty streets.
The settlement rose around them, carved straight from the desert. Walls leaned against each other like tired giants, scarred and pitted by years of wind. Swirling marks, rough and worn, crawled along some of the stone—ancient beasts with hollow eyes staring into nothing.
Flat roofs stacked high, thick slabs packed together like bones. Narrow alleys cracked through the town, the sun barely reaching inside. Some doorways hung open, draped in heavy cloth that twitched with the breeze. Others hid behind thick, battered doors.
Windows stared out—some shuttered, some yawning empty. Wooden balconies sagged under their own weight. Rusted iron hooks clung to the corners, holding broken lanterns that hadn't glowed in years.
It was a town built to survive. But not to welcome strangers.
Ash caught movement at the edge of his sight—a curtain snapping closed, a figure ducking into a doorway. Every step they took, the town swallowed its people deeper.
His hand curled into a fist.
'Something is wrong here. Why are they avoiding us?'
Kael's fists tightened, veins rising under his skin.
"What the hell is going on? Can't someone just talk to us?"
Max's head tilted forward, eyes locked ahead.
"Wait. Someone's there."
Kael didn't wait. His body moved before thought could catch him, boots hammering the stone.
"Kael, wait! Don't hurt anyone!" Max's shout cracked through the silence, but Kael was already there.
He caught the woman by the wrist.
She yelped, clutching a small child tighter against her chest.
"Got you," Kael said, breathing hard.
She flinched like he had struck her. Her whole body trembled, her arms wrapping around the child as if shielding against a blow.
"P-please… I'm sorry… it's not my fault. Forgive me. She's all I have."
Kael's hand fell away, his face twisting in confusion.
"What?"
Max caught up, grabbing Kael's shoulder with a firm squeeze.
"Let go."
Kael hesitated, jaw tight, then dropped his hand.
The woman didn't run. She just stood there, frozen, the child clinging to her like a shadow. Her fingers dug deep into the child's shoulders, holding on like the earth might tear them apart if she let go.
Ash's eyes swept the street. Curtains shifted. Doors cracked open, just enough for a flash of eyes to peek through before vanishing again.
The whole town watched from the dark.
A chill slid under his skin.
Max forced a grin, lifting his hands.
"Sorry about that. My brother's an idiot."
The woman didn't answer. Her lips parted, like she wanted to speak, but nothing came. Her knuckles pressed white around the child's shoulders.
Max's grin faded. His voice softened.
"Are you okay?"
Color drained from her face.
"I'm really sorry."
Without another word, she turned and disappeared into the nearest building. The door slammed shut behind her.
Kael let out a breath, slow and tight.
"That was weird."
"Yeah," Max muttered, eyes still on the door.
A rasping voice cut through the street.
"What's weird?"
They spun around, hands twitching toward their weapons.
An old man stood there, hunched over a thick wooden cane. His skin looked like cracked leather, stretched tight over sharp bones. A smile pulled at his mouth, but it didn't touch his eyes.
Ash's chest tightened.
'I didn't even hear him approaching us.'
Kael shifted a step back, hands half-raised.
"The hell?! How did I not see you coming?"
Max's gaze sharpened.
"Who are you? And what's going on here?"
The old man chuckled low, the sound dry and thin like dead leaves scratching stone.
"The name's Marcus, but folks here call me Old Man Mark."
His smile stayed, thin and hollow.
"Welcome to Dunehaven."
Max's brow pulled tight.
"Dunehaven?"
Ash crossed his arms, his voice steady.
"So… you don't know this place?"
Max shook his head once.
"No. It's not on any map."
The old man dipped his chin, slow and knowing.
"That's because no one's been able to leave. You know… the sandworms."
Kael scoffed under his breath.
"Yeah, no kidding."
Max dragged a hand down his jaw, thinking. His eyes narrowed.
"I've got a question."
The old man tilted his head.
"Go ahead."
"Is there anyone here with a powerful Veinflow? Someone at least above the Master stage?"
The old man shrugged, the movement creaking through his bones.
"Apart from me? Most here are novices or adepts. No masters."
Kael's stare sharpened, a thin line of suspicion in his voice.
"Then what are you?"
"Expert."
The word slipped out flat, like he was reciting an old fact he barely cared about.
Max frowned, his mouth tight.
"Then why aren't the sandworms attacking this place?"
The old man's face stayed the same. "Don't know. It was like this when we found it."
Ash narrowed his eyes, the thought creeping up before he could stop it.
'Huh. How did they even find it in the first place?'
Max opened his mouth to push for more answers, but the old man waved him off with a lazy flick of his hand.
"You boys look tired. It's almost night. Stay for the night. First meal's free. After that? Nothing's cheap."
Max stretched, arms lifting over his head.
"Fine by me. My legs are killing me after all that walking."
A smirk pulled at the old man's mouth.
"Then follow me."