Lucian stormed through the ruins, his patience wearing thin with every passing second. His boots echoed off the ancient stone as his gaze flickered across the crumbling walls, searching for any trace of Adam. The treasure—his treasure—was gone, slipping through his fingers like sand. And he would not tolerate failure.
The remnants of Garrett's blood still stained his blade, but the thrill of the kill had long since faded. Garrett had been an obstacle, a thorn in his side that needed to be removed. But Adam—Adam was different. That boy had stolen from him, humiliated him, and now was lost somewhere in the depths of the ruin.
Lucian exhaled sharply, his eyes narrowing. The ruins were vast, a maze of corridors, collapsed hallways, and hidden chambers. If Adam had run blindly, he might already be dead, swallowed by a forgotten trap or devoured by the creatures lurking within. The thought provided little satisfaction. If Adam were dead, Lucian would retrieve the treasure from his corpse. If he was alive…
Then Lucian would make him regret every step he had taken.
He pressed forward, his frustration mounting. His boots crushed shattered bones, remnants of those who had perished in the past. The eerie silence of the ruins gnawed at his mind, broken only by the occasional distant groan of shifting stone or the whisper of something unseen slithering through the dark.
"Adam!" Lucian's voice cut through the silence, sharp as a blade. It was not a call of concern—it was a warning. A promise of what would come when he found him.
Nothing. No response. No sound of movement.
Lucian clenched his jaw. The boy was clever, but cleverness would only delay the inevitable. His Insight ability made him observant, but it would not save him forever. Sooner or later, he would slip. And when he did, Lucian would be there.
Minutes turned to hours. The deeper Lucian went, the more the ruins began to close in around him. The architecture shifted—walls became damp, covered in luminescent moss, the air thick with an unnatural stillness. He knew he was heading deeper into the ruins, into the unexplored regions that even seasoned adventurers feared.
Adam wouldn't have come this far. He couldn't have. Could he?
Lucian's grip tightened around his blade. The ruins were ancient, full of secrets beyond his understanding. Even he wasn't arrogant enough to believe he could navigate them forever without consequence.
A guttural growl rumbled through the cavern ahead.
Lucian halted, his muscles coiling with tension. He had encountered enough creatures in his lifetime to recognize the sound of a predator. Something was near.
Then he saw them—glowing golden eyes in the darkness.
A guardian beast.
Lucian cursed under his breath. If Adam had gone in that direction, he was as good as dead. The guardian beasts did not tolerate intruders. But if the boy had somehow survived…
Lucian's frustration boiled over. He had wasted enough time. If Adam had managed to slip past the guardian, then fate was on his side. For now. But Lucian would not continue chasing a ghost in these forsaken ruins.
Turning on his heel, he made his way back toward the altar chamber, his mind seething with fury.
The ruins felt different as he retraced his steps. The chamber where the sacrifice had taken place was still thick with the stench of burnt flesh and death. The altar stood untouched, its blood-red runes dimmed, their power spent.
Lucian exhaled, gripping the edges of the altar until his knuckles turned white. This was not how it was supposed to go. He was meant to emerge victorious, treasure in hand, stepping out of this ruin as the one who controlled its secrets.
Instead, he was empty-handed.
The mission had failed.
With a roar of frustration, Lucian swung his blade, cleaving through one of the stone statues that lined the chamber walls. The impact sent cracks spiderwebbing through the ancient stone before it shattered into pieces. Dust swirled in the air, illuminated by the dying embers of the torchlight.
He breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling as he forced himself to regain control. Losing his temper wouldn't change what had happened. He had lost the treasure, lost the team, and Adam had slipped through his grasp.
But this was not the end.
Lucian turned away from the shattered remains of the chamber and strode toward the exit of the ruins. The ruins had taken much from him today, but there would be another opportunity. There always was. And next time, Adam would not be so lucky.
Stepping beyond the threshold of the ruins, Lucian emerged into the dying light of the evening sky. The gate leading back to the outside world shimmered before him, an eerie reminder of the realms that lay beyond. With one last glance back at the cursed ruins, he stepped forward and vanished through the gate.
The world beyond the gate greeted Lucian with the scent of earth and the distant glow of lanterns from a nearby outpost. He had returned, but not as he had planned. He had expected to emerge victorious, but instead, he carried nothing but frustration and anger.
The mercenaries waiting at the outpost noticed his return, their expressions shifting to confusion as they saw him alone. One of them, a man clad in dark leather armor, approached. "Where's the team? And the treasure?"
Lucian's gaze was cold. "Dead. All of them. Because of Adam."
Murmurs broke out among the mercenaries. Lucian let the silence stretch before speaking again, his voice measured and full of venom. "The boy betrayed us. Led us into a trap, stole the treasure, and vanished into the ruins. He's a thief and a murderer."
The weight of his words settled over the group. Some looked skeptical, but Lucian's reputation carried weight. Lies, when spoken with conviction, became truth.
"Spread the word," Lucian commanded. "There's a bounty on Adam's head. Anyone who brings him to me—dead or alive—will be handsomely rewarded."
A bounty. A death sentence disguised as justice.
Lucian turned his gaze to the horizon, his fists clenched at his sides. Adam thought he had escaped, but he had only delayed the inevitable. The hunt was far from over.
It had only just begun.