The further east they traveled, the less the land felt like part of the world.
But Kain moved with purpose, his silver-blue eyes scanning the terrain like a bloodhound with a grudge.
"We're close," he said.
"How close?" Marcus asked, wiping monster goo off his crossbow.
Kain pointed toward the jagged hills rising in the distance. "Days. Maybe less."
And so they pressed on—fighting as they went.
The monsters here weren't just bigger—they were smarter.
One night, they were ambushed by shadow panthers with shifting forms and glowing fangs. Another day, they were stalked by a four-eyed stone serpent that could disappear between blinks.
But the Mercenaries of Mayhem were different now.
Derek's blade sang, cleaving with precision and growing confidence. Bob tanked blows that would've killed three men at once. Bam's fire cut in sweeping arcs of heat, guiding and shielding with newfound control. Marcus's bolts nailed weak points mid-charge, keeping beasts off-balance. And Kain—even injured—was deadly, freezing monsters mid-step and shattering them with a flick of his hand.
One night by the fire, they finally made a deal.
Derek stared into the flames. "You'll return the Eye when the temple's found."
Kain didn't hesitate. "I swear it. Once we're inside, the Eye is yours."
"Good," Derek said. "Because if you try to run again—"
"I won't," Kain said quietly.
Two days later, it happened.
As they passed a desolate ridge, Kain suddenly stopped, clutching the side of his head.
The Arcane Eye, embedded in his right socket, began to glow faint blue, like it had caught the scent of something ancient.
The ground beneath their feet pulsed faintly with magic.
"It's here," he whispered.
"Where?" Bob asked, spinning in a circle. "I don't see anything."
"It's hidden," Kain muttered. "Illusion magic… heavy stuff… hold on."
He stepped forward and raised his staff. The rune at its head pulsed in rhythm with the glow in his eye. He muttered something under his breath—words that felt too old to exist.
The air in front of them rippled, like heat rising off stone.
Then the illusion broke.
A massive stone archway shimmered into view, overgrown with vines and carved with runes older than any of them could read.
Beneath the arch, a swirling portal shimmered like starlight trapped underwater.
"No way," Marcus breathed.
Kain turned, almost smiling. "Way."
"Any traps?" Bam asked.
"Probably," Kain said, stepping in first.
The others followed—and stepped through.
They emerged in silence.
The temperature dropped instantly. The air smelled of dust and something colder—old magic, waiting patiently.
Before them stood the Temple of the Old Era.
It was massive, carved into the side of a mountain that didn't appear on any map. Its walls were lined with glowing runes that shifted when you stared too long. Giant statues of figures long forgotten flanked the entrance—robed beings with alien features and distant expressions, each holding a different magical relic in stone hands.
"Those… gods?" Bob asked.
"No," Kain said softly. "Older."
Derek stepped forward. "Let's find out what they were protecting."
And together, they entered the temple.