They didn't stop moving after the escape.
Jonathan's team trudged through ash plains and fractured monoliths for hours, guided only by flickering HUD indicators and the ever-throbbing presence of the Grand Emerald in his chest. Every so often, the green gem pulsed faintly—like it could sense something ahead.
> New Zone Entered: Thorn Verge
Vikka pulled her hood tighter. "This place is dead. Nothing's moved in miles."
"Not dead," Shé murmured. "Silent. Big difference."
Jonathan scanned the map. No clear paths, no motion signals. The Verge was unclaimed territory—neutral, quiet, and mostly avoided. Which made it perfect for what they needed: rest, recovery, and a clue.
Teshaal dropped to one knee, drawing a crude map in the dust with a blade tip. "If the tower's fall scattered GP and visibility, then everyone'll be headed west to the Fractured Flats. But we came east. That gives us one clean day."
"To find what?" Liari asked. "We still only have one Grand Emerald."
Jonathan's gaze turned distant. "Not for long."
---
At nightfall, they made camp beneath a twisted overhang of black rock. A fireless heatpack kept them warm. No light. No smoke. No sound.
Shé tossed a data chip into the circle.
"This came from one of the Red Grin runners. Cracked it last hour."
Jonathan picked it up. The cracked screen blinked once—then projected a hologram.
A jagged outline of a subterranean vault appeared, buried deep beneath Thorn Verge. On the edge, a marker blinked:
"Gemnexus: Status Unknown"
Liari leaned forward. "That symbol—it's a Grand Emerald lock. No one without one can open it."
Jonathan's chest pulsed again. The gem was responding. "Then let's find it."
---
> Quest Alert: [The Whispered Vault]
Objective: Discover the sealed bunker hidden beneath Thorn Verge
Requirement: Player must possess 1+ Grand Emerald(s)
Rewards: Unknown
Risk: High
Penalty for Failure: Randomized Inventory Loss
Participation: Optional
Time Limit: 2 hours
---
The descent was brutal.
They found the vault beneath an ancient train yard—rails twisted like vines, engines half-eaten by time. After thirty minutes of excavation and cutting through rusted panels, the ground gave way beneath them.
They dropped into a cavern of metallic roots.
Everything was silent.
Too silent.
A voice—mechanical, genderless—spoke as they stepped through the first threshold.
> "Welcome to the Whispered Vault. All who enter must forfeit silence."
Teshaal gripped his blade. "I don't like riddles."
"Neither do vaults," Jonathan said. "Stay sharp."
---
Inside, the vault was a multi-layered gauntlet. Puzzle rooms stacked over combat corridors. No maps. No guides.
Each chamber forced them to act as a team, and each success triggered a painful cost:
—In the first room, they had to answer personal questions aloud or lose GP.
—In the second, Vikka had to blindfire through darkness to hit targets only Jonathan could see.
—In the third, Shé was forced to duel a phantom version of himself—alone.
The vault watched. It remembered. And it punished hesitation.
Finally, after a harrowing climb up a vertical shaft where floor spikes chased them upward, they reached the final door.
It bore twelve circular depressions. Only one glowed green.
Jonathan stepped forward. The gem in his chest throbbed—and the door split open.
Inside was a room filled with eerie green mist, like the breath of some dying god.
A pedestal stood at the center.
And atop it—resting without guard—was a second Grand Emerald.
---
Liari blinked. "No traps?"
Vikka scanned. "No signals. Not even power lines."
Jonathan approached cautiously. No resistance.
He reached out.
As soon as his fingers touched the gem, a timer blinked into existence above it:
> [90 Seconds: Lock-In]
Claiming Player: Jonathan Virell
Locking in attribute tether…
Suddenly, something shifted behind them.
A voice—elegant, amused—floated through the air.
"Well now," it said, "aren't we a bit greedy?"
They turned fast.
A tall figure in crimson armor stood at the entrance. Sleek. Powerful. A thin emerald line down the center of their helmet.
> Player: Cyron Vale
GP: Unknown
Grand Emeralds: 1
Status: High-Value Elimination Target
Team: Crownless
Jonathan narrowed his eyes.
"Guess we've got ninety seconds to kill."