The sun filtered through the massive leaves of the jungle trees, creating dancing patterns of light on the damp, leaf strewn ground.

  The group moved along the path from the map Fir had given them, a winding trail that delved deeper and deeper into the wilderness. They had been forced to leave the horses and the carriage back in the village.

  Kai led the way, with Lyla walking calmly behind him, never taking her eyes off him. On the other side, Allice brought up the rear, her eyes scanning their six, while Roshia moved in the center, her steps irregular and hurried.

  Roshia walked with evident agitation, her breath hitched not only from the oppressive jungle heat but from the anxiety consuming her. Her hands trembled slightly as she pushed aside vines and low branches, as if every obstacle were an unbearable delay.

  "Roshia, slow down," Kai said, turning slightly without stopping.

  Roshia nodded, but her pace didn't quite slacken. She stepped onto the soft ground with urgency. Seeing this, Lyla approached her, placing a gentle hand on her arm to guide her.

  "Stay calm, Roshia. I know you’re worried, but exhausting yourself won't help anyone. Tell us more about your daughter. What’s her name? Maybe talking about her will help you settle down a bit."

  Roshia looked up, blinking to clear her eyes. She hesitated for a moment, but the warmth in Lyla’s voice encouraged her.

  "Her name is Elara," she whispered, her voice trembling at first but gaining strength as she continued. "She is such a lively girl, with curious eyes that are always exploring everything. She loved collecting flowers in the village, making crowns with them to give to the neighbors."

  Allice smiled softly and joined the conversation. "She sounds like a little adventurer. What does she like doing with you the most? Do you have a favorite game or something like that?"

  Roshia let out a faint laugh, a sound that broke some of the tension in her face. "She loves it when I tell her stories before bed. Stories about ancient elves who lived in harmony with nature, controlling ice to protect their homes from storms. Sometimes, I practice small spells with her, like freezing a drop of water to make a crystal that glows under the moon. She laughs so much when she sees it..."

  Her voice broke slightly, but she pressed on. "And she always asks me about her father, who died in a raid years ago. I tell her he watches over us from the stars."

  Kai looked back. "Elara sounds like a strong girl, just like her mother," Kai said sincerely. "When we find her, I’ll tell her how her mom guided us through this hellish jungle. That’ll make her laugh."

  Roshia flashed a genuine smile for the first time in hours, though her eyes still reflected her worry. The group continued walking, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the spongy ground. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and wild flowers.

  Several more hours passed, Roshia seemed a bit calmer thanks to the conversation, but fatigue was starting to show on everyone.

  "Let’s take a break here," Kai suggested, stopping by a small stream.

  The group stopped with relief. Allice and Roshia drifted toward the stream, distracted by the cristal clear water. Allice knelt to fill a waterskin, commenting on the aquatic plants growing along the banks, while Roshia leaned down to splash her face, her eyes lost in the reflection, likely thinking of Elara.

  On the other side, Kai and Lyla sat on a flat rock near the carriage, sharing a waterskin. The silence between them was comfortable, yet there was something more in the air. Kai looked at Lyla and felt a familiar tug in his chest. He didn't know what it was, but something inside him was slowly beginning to return to his memory.

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  "Thanks for calming Roshia down earlier," he said quietly, his eyes locked onto hers. "You have a way of speaking that makes everything seem... manageable."

  Lyla smiled softly, her hand brushing his in a way that was casual yet intentional. "It’s what I do, sweetheart."

  This time, Kai didn’t blush. He let their fingers intertwine slightly. He felt a subtle warmth spread up his arm, his heart beating fast but with a certain gentleness.

  After a few minutes, Allice and Roshia returned, breaking the moment. The group quickly ate their dry rations and continued on their way. The path grew increasingly narrow, forcing them to walk in single file at certain points. Roshia still walked with some agitation, but the distractions had helped, she was now humming a melody under her breath.

  At sunset, the map led them to the outskirts of the ancient ruins mentioned by the village elder. The Sleeping Volcano could be seen in the distance, its imposing silhouette set against the orange sky, dormant like a sleeping giant.

  The ruins emerged, stone structures covered in vines, crumbling columns, and what appeared to have been a temple or fortress in ages past. The air here was heavier, with a subtle scent of sulfur from the nearby volcano.

  They approached with caution, Kai unsheathing his daggers. But the silence was deafening, there was no bustle of a camp, no voices, no crying of captives. Only the wind whispering through the cracked stones.

  "This isn't right," Allice murmured, her hand on the hilt of her daggers.

  Roshia quickened her pace, ignoring the warnings, and ran toward the center of the ruins. The group followed, but upon arriving, the scene hit them hard, everything was empty. There were broken, rusted cages, but no one inside. Fires had been extinguished in recent pits, but there were no guards.

  Seeing the scene, Roshia fell to her knees in the center, her hands digging into the damp earth. Several sobs escaped her lips. Her shoulders shook violently, tears falling like rain onto the ground. The pain was palpable, the despair of a mother who feels she has lost everything filled the air.

  "No! Elara!" she screamed, her voice breaking. "My baby! Where are they? They had to be here! Please, no... they can't be gone!"

  Kai knelt beside her, placing a hand on her back, but she flinched away, striking the ground with her fists.

  "We’re too late... late! What will they do to my daughter? I can't... I can't lose her!"

  Lyla and Allice exchanged empathetic glances, but before they could comfort her, a roar echoed from the shadows of the ruins. From between the crumbled columns, several traffickers emerged, about eight men armed with curved swords and bows, their faces scarred and their eyes cold.

  [ SYSTEM MESSAGE ]

  ENEMY DETECTED

  Type: Human.

  Threat Level: Rank C.

  Distance: 20 meters and closing.

  "Intruders!" a burly man shouted. "Kill them all and don't let any escape. The boss said to finish off everyone nearby!"

  There was no moment for doubt. Kai was the first to lunge at them without a second thought, daggers ready to kill. He dodged an arrow and drove one of his daggers into an archer's right arm, sending him screaming to the ground. Taking advantage of the opening, Allice pierced the chest of another, blood splattering against the stones.

  Roshia, consumed by grief and rage, stood up and extended her hands.

  "Absolute Freeze!" she recited, freezing the legs of two traffickers who were trying to attack the group from behind.

  Lyla created a gust of wind that deflected more arrows, while Kai absorbed a water spell cast by one of them.

  "Absorption!" he shouted, making the massive jet of water vanish.

  One of the traffickers, a mage with a staff, tried to cast a spell, but Kai expelled the previously absorbed magic to counter him. The jet of water slammed into the mage, knocking him off balance. Allice seized the moment to finish him off while simultaneously killing another with a clean cut to the throat. Meanwhile, Roshia froze a swordsman’s arm, forcing him to drop his weapon.

  After a hard fought battle, they finally took down nearly everyone. Only one remained alive, a thin man with eyes full of terror, kneeling and pleading.

  "Don't kill me... please...I'll do whatever you ask, but don't kill me please"

  Kai grabbed him by the collar with brutal force, pressing a dagger against his throat.

  "Where did they go? Where did they take the prisoners?"

  The man swallowed hard, trembling. "Recently... we moved to another base to the east. Near the Mase River, in some hidden caves. Our boss said the ruins weren't safe anymore... Please, let me go!"

  Kai looked at the others. Roshia nodded, her eyes red from crying.

  "We'll tie him up and he'll lead us," Kai decided, using ropes from the ruins to secure him. "If you lie, you'll die a worse death than your friends."

  [ SYSTEM MESSAGE ]

  All enemies defeated.

  +40 XP

  LEVEL UP!

  Level: 16 (20/100)

  You have 2 points to distribute among your statistics.