Chapter 36: Questions and Questions and Questions and...

"Do you have any idea how we could get out of here?"

Safira asked with hopeful eyes, only to be shut down with a shake of the head.

"Unfortunately, no. But as I am sure you’ve noticed, the land of the East takes all Rukh, or at least it tries to. If you wish to survive longer, you should consider forcing the Rukh within you to strengthen the walls of your Souls, to protect what remains."

Huda’s eyes widened, and she immediately focused inward.

"You should have said that from the beginning!"

Safira followed suit more quietly, her gentle face smoothing into an expression of deep focus.

’I would have if I knew, dear sister.’

The truth was that he should have died instantly if he were a normal Class Eleven in this land. The draining effect of the East was designed to kill, to strip away Rukh until nothing remained.

But his power was not gone, only locked, and the chains that bound his Runes seemed to protect him from the worst of the drain.

In a way, he was entirely unaffected by the land’s hunger, unlike the two women before him.

The Entity had made a mistake.

If he were to ever die here, it would not be slow, but rather quite fast.

"Hah..."

Once Huda had finished protecting herself, she opened her eyes and turned back to Malik, her suspicion not entirely gone.

"You do not look all that strong. Just how did you survive this long?"

Malik had expected the question and had his answer ready.

"I’m not entirely sure. But perhaps because I’ve been stuck here for a while, my Soul might’ve just gotten used to the Corruption and started feeding off it instead. Who knows, those from the East could’ve gone through what I did."

The two women looked at each other, processing his words, and then sighed in unison.

Neither of them looked convinced, but neither had a better explanation to offer.

"Well, whatever the reason, it is good that you are fine."

Safira’s smile remained genuine.

"...how about we focus on how we can get out of here?"

Huda suggested, and the others nodded.

"Agreed."

Malik began looking around the hilltop, searching for anything that might offer a clue.

Almost immediately, something caught his attention.

The Tree of Life they stood beside had words etched into its trunk.

"Ladies, look over here."

He stepped closer, and the letters became clear.

"Someone has left us a message."

Following his finger, Huda and Safira quickly came.

"What? You’ve got to be lying!"

"Ah... truly, it seems."

There was no doubt about it.

Someone had been here before them.

How? Or rather, when? And who?

Unable to answer those questions, all three leaned in to read the carved words.

[Expedition Three: We came seeking the Source, as the First and Second Expeditions did before us.

We were fools.

Proud, desperate fools who believed our Runes and Will were strong enough to defy the land’s hunger.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG!

Coming here was a mistake.

There were seventeen of us. Now, as I carve these final words, I am the last.

My heart beats only because it has not yet remembered to stop.

If you are reading this... you are already dead.

Give up.

And no, it’s not because of the Aether drain, though that will claim you eventually.

You are dead because you are here, and here has already decided where you belong.

But if you truly wish to continue this lost cause, if you are as stubborn and blind as we were, just stick to the trees.

The trees will...]

The writing ended there, cut off as if the carver had been interrupted.

...as if the carver had died.

One who had no doubt gone insane.

’Hm. Drastic measures might be needed.’

Malik looked out at the impossible landscape.

At the snow-covered sand, the grown mountains, and the gargantuan Tree of Life looming in the distance.

He did not know how long he would be stuck here or what dangers lurked in this place, but he knew one thing for certain.

This land had already sunk its claws into him, filling him with dread.

"Three expeditions, huh? Just where did they come from? Judging by how they said Aether instead of Rukh, this expedition might have been decades old. But I doubt we’ve had such strong groups. Did they really not have anything better to do than to just throw their lives away here?"

Huda asked one question after another, her pink eyes narrowing at the carved words.

"What were they trying to extract from here that’s so important? From this ’Source?’"

She seemed quite annoyed.

"Another group that wants to steal from us; go figure."

"I wonder what killed them..."

Safira, meanwhile, seemed more contemplative.

"Was it the Rukh drain, or something much worse?"

Their questions reflected their personalities perfectly.

Again, one was the Sword, concerned with threats, while the other was the Home, focused on survival.

Malik listened to them both but said nothing, his wandering mind trying to identify the other danger, or dangers, that were sure to appear in a place like this.

The note had mentioned being careful and had warned that anyone reading it was already dead, but it had given no specifics.

No hint of what actually lurked in this Corrupted realm.

And so, once more, he was left stuck in a wondering loop with no answers and too many questions.

Truly, a most annoying Fate.

"Hey, you!"

At least, that was the case until Huda interrupted his thoughts.

"How is it that you’ve been here for so long, but it’s the first time you have read this note?"

That was actually a good question.

She was right to be suspicious, and Malik could not fault her for asking it.

Though he did not show a surprised reaction, it was still pretty apparent that it was the first time he had read such a message.

The way he had approached the trunk and informed them was enough evidence.

So...

How was he to respond?