They walked deeper into the ruins, passing through what remained of an ancient courtyard, its stone floor cracked and overgrown with strange, pale vines.
Despite their sharp focus on their surroundings, despite the eerie stillness of the air, despite their years of honed survival instincts…
They didn’t notice it.
Not until it tapped Argolaith on the shoulder.
The instant the touch landed, every nerve in Argolaith’s body screamed.
His hand shot to his sword hilt, and in one fluid motion, he spun around, blade flashing in the dim light.
Kaelred, reacting purely on instinct, drew his weapon as well, stepping back into a defensive stance.
But when Argolaith’s blade stopped mid-swing, his eyes widened.
It was the creature.
The same tan-furred being from before.
Its bulging eyes blinked up at him, its expression unreadable as it simply… stood there.
Kaelred’s grip on his sword tightened. "How… the hell did it get behind us?"
Argolaith’s breathing was steady, but his heart pounded. "I don’t know. We’ve been paying attention the whole time."
Kaelred swallowed. "Then how did it sneak up on us?"
Argolaith didn’t have an answer.
The creature tilted its head slightly, as if curious about their reaction.
It hadn’t moved aggressively. Hadn’t made a sound.
It had simply… tapped him.
Argolaith studied it carefully. Up close, its features were even stranger.
Its tan fur was thin and wiry, not thick like a beast’s.
Its large, human-like eyes didn’t reflect light like a predator’s, yet they held depth, intelligence—something eerily knowing.
Its mouth, lined with flat, human-like teeth, parted slightly, as if it were about to speak.
Then—It simply turned around and walked away.
Just like before, no rush. No fear. As if their weapons meant nothing, as if they meant nothing.
Kaelred slowly lowered his sword. "I officially hate this place."
Argolaith exhaled, his fingers still twitching from the shock. "You and me both."
They watched the creature disappear into the ruins once more, vanishing into the dim maze of broken stone and forgotten history.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Kaelred broke the silence. "So… what now?"
Argolaith sheathed his sword, his expression unreadable. "We follow it."
Kaelred stared at him. "Excuse me?"
Argolaith’s eyes hardened with determination. "We follow it. That thing… knows something. And if it wanted to attack us, it would’ve done it already."
Kaelred groaned, rubbing his temples. "You’re going to get us killed one day."
Argolaith grinned. "Then let’s make sure today isn’t that day."
With that, they moved forward, following the path the creature had taken.
From the shadows of a crumbling tower, Malakar watched.
Even he hadn’t noticed the creature’s approach.
His violet eyes narrowed, his skeletal fingers tapping slowly against his arm.
"How… peculiar," he murmured.
For the first time in centuries, he felt genuine intrigue—and perhaps, just the faintest tinge of unease.
What were these ruins hiding?
And more importantly…
What had just walked among them without a single soul noticing?
As Argolaith and Kaelred disappeared into the ruins, following the silent creature’s path, Malakar stepped forward from the shadows—still unseen, still waiting.
He would not interfere. But he would not take his eyes off them, not for a second.
The ruins loomed in eerie silence as Argolaith and Kaelred followed the strange creature’s path, moving carefully through the crumbling structures.
It walked with deliberate steps, neither hurried nor hesitant.
Despite its small stature and unsettling appearance, there was something unnervingly calm about it—like it knew exactly where it was going.
Kaelred muttered under his breath, "I swear, if this thing is leading us into a trap—"
Argolaith cut him off, his voice steady. "Then we deal with it."
Kaelred sighed. "Right. Great. Because everything we’ve ’dealt with’ so far has been so easy."
Argolaith didn’t respond. His eyes were locked on the creature ahead, watching for any sign of aggression.
And then—It entered a building.
The structure it walked into was more intact than the others, its stone walls weathered but standing, its entrance partially blocked by debris.
Argolaith and Kaelred exchanged a glance before stepping inside.
The inside was dark, cool, and eerily empty—no furniture, no markings, just bare stone walls.
Then, the creature stopped in the center of the room.
For a brief moment, it stood still, as if considering something, then it bent down and placed its long-fingered hand on a stone tile embedded in the floor.
Click.
The stone shifted, revealing a hidden stairway descending into darkness.
Argolaith and Kaelred stiffened, gripping their weapons as the creature stepped down without hesitation, vanishing below.
Kaelred exhaled. "Of course, there’s underground ruins. Why wouldn’t there be?"
Argolaith smirked. "Scared?"
Kaelred shot him a glare. "No. But you should be. Because I am absolutely blaming you when this goes horribly wrong."
Argolaith chuckled. "Noted."
The stairs stretched endlessly downward, winding through ancient stone corridors.
The air grew hotter with every step, the temperature rising as if they were walking into the heart of Morgoth itself.
Kaelred wiped sweat from his forehead. "How deep does this go?"
Argolaith shrugged. "No idea. But we’re not turning back now."
Kaelred scoffed. "Yeah, because that’s ever been an option with you."
The path was lit by strange glowing stones embedded in the walls, their golden light flickering faintly, casting long shadows as they descended.
Despite their focus, despite their heightened senses, neither of them realized.
They were not alone.
Far above, just outside the entrance to the hidden stairway, a figure emerged from the darkness.
Malakar, the Lich, stood at the threshold, his violet eyes flickering as he watched them disappear below.
His skeletal fingers tapped against his side, and a low chuckle escaped his lips.
"Oh, Argolaith… you do have a habit of finding interesting places."
With that, he stepped forward, vanishing into the darkness behind them.
After what felt like miles of descent, the stairs finally opened into a cavernous space.
The heat was intense, but it wasn’t the oppressive heat of fire or lava—instead, it was something else, something unnatural.
And before them—A vast underground city, both Argolaith and Kaelred froze.
Buildings of carved stone stretched into the distance, their structures intricate and ancient, standing in eerie silence beneath the weight of the earth.
But what stunned them most—
Were the hundreds of strange creatures like the one they had followed.
Some walked in small groups, others carried bundles of unknown materials, a few sat near glowing pools of water that pulsed with faint golden light.
The city was alive, not abandoned. Not ruined, but thriving.
Kaelred let out a slow breath. "You’ve got to be kidding me."
Argolaith’s grip on his sword tightened. "What… is this place?"
For the first time since their journey began—
Neither of them had an answer.
And from the shadows of the stairway, just out of sight—Malakar watched.
A smirk crossed his skeletal lips.
"This," he murmured, "is something worth observing."
The underground city hummed with quiet activity, the air thick with heat yet lacking the usual discomfort of fire or flame.
Argolaith and Kaelred stood at the edge of a stone walkway, their eyes scanning the strange settlement before them.
Hundreds of the tan-furred creatures moved through the city, their bulging eyes shifting occasionally but never looking directly at them.
They did not speak. They did not react, they did not acknowledge their existence at all.
Kaelred let out a breath, gripping his sword hilt. "Alright… this is starting to feel weird."
Argolaith nodded, his eyes narrowing. "It’s like we’re ghosts. Like they know we’re here but don’t care."
Kaelred frowned. "That, or they don’t see us as important enough to notice."
The creatures walked past them, around them, never stopping.
They carried strange materials, passed glowing pools, and moved with purpose, yet they showed no signs of curiosity or concern for the two outsiders in their midst.
Then—A figure approached.
It was one of them—but far older than the rest.
Its fur was lighter, nearly white, and its eyes were sunken but filled with something deeper—knowledge, perhaps, or understanding.
Unlike the others, it walked toward Argolaith and Kaelred with clear intent.
Kaelred tensed slightly. "Finally, one of them notices us."
Argolaith lowered his guard just a fraction, watching carefully as the old creature stopped a few feet away.
Then—It spoke, but it was not speech.
Not in the way humans spoke.
It was a series of layered, resonating sounds, clicks, and tones that didn’t form words but still carried meaning.
The sound reverberated in their chests, like it wasn’t meant to be understood through hearing alone.
Kaelred blinked. "I… I don’t understand. Do you?"
Argolaith shook his head. "No. But…"
Something about it felt like an offer.
The older creature tilted its head, waiting, then gestured with its long fingers—a slow, deliberate motion.
Then it turned and began walking away, Argolaith and Kaelred exchanged a glance.
Kaelred sighed. "We’re following it, aren’t we?"
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Argolaith smirked. "Wouldn’t be our worst idea."
The creature led them through the stone streets, past carved buildings that showed no signs of human influence.
Every structure seemed grown from the stone itself, smooth and seamless, as if the city had been born from Morgoth rather than built.
Still, the other creatures paid them no attention.
Finally, the old one stopped in front of a building near the edge of the city.
It was larger than the others, its arched doorway sealed with age, its stone steps worn down by time.
Argolaith and Kaelred stared at it, realizing that it hadn’t been opened in a very long time.
The creature turned to them, gestured once toward the entrance, then—It simply walked away.
No explanation, and no farewell.
Just gone, vanishing into the city as if it had never been there.
Argolaith called after it, "Uh… thanks?"
Kaelred rubbed his forehead. "I don’t know what’s stranger—the fact that they ignore us or the fact that one finally noticed us and still barely interacted."
Argolaith sighed, stepping up to the door. "Well, at least we have shelter."
Kaelred muttered, "Yeah. Shelter that hasn’t been opened in gods know how long."
But Argolaith was already pushing the heavy stone door, and with a deep, grinding sound, it slowly began to shift.
With a final glance back at the silent city, the two stepped inside.
And behind them, hidden in the shadows, Malakar watched.
His violet eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Fascinating," he murmured.
Then, just as silently as before, he followed them inside.