The temple's central chamber lay in silent devastation, its contents scattered across the floor—not merely decayed, but calcified, as if time had abandoned this place to a slow, creeping death.
Black moss veiled the walls, its tendrils sprawling like skeletal fingers clawing from a mass grave. Strange symbols were faintly etched into the stone where the moss hadn’t claimed ground, hinting at ancient rites long forgotten.
Part of the roof had collapsed in the east-facing corner, leaving fragments of stone and shattered beams tangled in a chaotic web of vines.
As Jack and Kleo stepped inside, a sudden clamor erupted as startled birds took flight, filling the air with a flurry of feathers and shadows. Jack flinched, his grip on his knife tightening as his unease about the temple reignited.
He glanced over his shoulder, nerves prickling with each flickering shadow, imagining specters and ghouls lurking in the dark recesses. Every instinct urged him to turn back, to abandon this crumbling shrine to whatever dark forces haunted it. But with a resigned sigh, he reminded himself he’d have to endure it until dawn.
Kleo, however, seemed unperturbed. She moved swiftly but with careful precision, her steps assured as she navigated the treacherous floor. They pressed on, stepping into an adjacent chamber strewn with rubble and debris, forcing them to clamber over the remnants of a rotting beam.
The air was cool and thick as they entered the room, heavy with the scent of mold and damp stone. It wrapped around Jack like a shroud, weighing him down with a strange, suffocating sorrow, as if every corner of the room held memories of suffering and loss.
In the chamber’s center, an altar of translucent green stone rose from the floor, cracked and marred yet standing defiantly amid the ruin. It was a relic from another time, a lone sentinel in a place otherwise reduced to rubble.
Around it, fragments of statues lay shattered and forgotten, their details eroded into oblivion.
A dismembered head from one of these statues rested on the ground, its face twisted in a grotesque expression, hollow eyes gazing at Jack from the dust.
Somewhere in the shadows, water dripped steadily, the sound echoing through the silence like the heartbeat of a place otherwise lifeless.
Kleo moved to the wall behind the altar and struck it firmly with the hilt of her blade. The sound echoed, a low, grating rumble reverberating through the room as a section of the stone wall slid open, revealing a dark corridor beyond.
A rush of air whooshed into the chamber, but to Jack’s surprise, it didn’t carry the damp stench of decay he had expected. Instead, this air was warmer, carrying a faint scent he couldn't place—a fragrance that stirred a distant, half-formed memory, elusive and just out of reach.
Beyond, a faint glow flickered like a distant flame, casting ghostly shadows along the walls.
“This way,” Kleo murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jack hesitated, gripping his knife. The cool handle grounded him as he stepped forward, senses on edge for whatever might wait in the shadows beyond.
As they advanced, the door behind them swung shut with a grinding groan, sealing them in with a final, irrevocable crunch.
At the end of the passage, they found themselves in a room bathed in an eerie green glow, the light seeping from the walls and ceiling.
Jack’s eyes adjusted quickly, drawn to a large pool in the room’s center, filled with dense, clear water tinged a faint green. Wisps of steam curled upward from its surface, twisting and unfurling toward the rocky ceiling like smoke, lending the room an ethereal, dreamlike quality. The air was warm and humid, laden with the mineral scent of saltwater—the scent he had sensed earlier.
Despite the oppressive humidity, Jack felt unexpected comfort in the room’s enclosed warmth, as if the oppressive weight of the temple had finally lessened. Fatigue from the day’s grueling journey settled heavily upon him, his body aching for rest. For all its mysteries, this place felt safe enough for him to let his guard down—if only slightly.
Kleo led him to a clear spot on the far side of the room, gesturing for him to set down his packs. Removing the weight from his shoulders brought immediate relief, the lightness making him acutely aware of how tired he was.
“We’ll camp here,” she said, indicating four faint symbols marked on the floor. “These form a protective boundary, a ward against mischievous spirits lurking about.”
Jack looked at her skeptically but nodded, unable to hide his relief. “Good,” he said, almost to himself.
Kleo pointed toward the corner. “If you need to relieve yourself, there’s a drainage pipe over there. Move the white stone to open it, but put it back afterward.”
Jack couldn’t help but cringe at the thought. The lack of privacy would be inconvenient enough for basic needs, let alone anything more… substantial.
“Could you lay out the bedrolls?” Kleo asked as she began arranging their campfire. “I’ll start a small fire and prepare something to eat. Nothing special, but a warm meal will do us good.”
He spread the bedrolls, keeping a polite distance between them, but Kleo glanced over and raised an eyebrow. “Closer,” she instructed. He shuffled her bedroll nearer to his, hoping it was enough.
“Touching,” she clarified with a hint of exasperation.
Jack sighed, pushing them together until they formed a shared sleeping space.
Kleo opened one of her water bags and poured it onto the floor as he worked. To his astonishment, two large fish flopped out onto the stone. Jack blinked in surprise, but her deft hands moved before he could comment. She dispatched the fish with a small nail before preparing them for the fire. Her efficiency fascinated him, each movement precise and practiced.
Watching her, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Kleo than she revealed. Beneath her practical demeanor lay something hidden, something guarded, a concealed depth he sensed but couldn’t fully comprehend. He felt as though he were looking at a mask; one crafted to perfection yet with faint cracks that hinted at the person beneath. There was an aura to her—something that stirred both curiosity and wariness.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
For his part, Jack felt plain and unremarkable. He held no mysterious allure, no hidden strength that might captivate someone like her. And yet, he found himself longing to earn her trust, to understand what lay behind her composed exterior. He wondered if there was a way to break past her defenses, to learn more about the enigmatic woman beside him. Tonight, he resolved to find the right words to encourage her to share even a sliver of herself with him.
He felt a pang of sadness at the thought that their paths might diverge soon, yet the uncertainty of his future sparked an unexpected thrill. Beyond these crumbling ruins and shadowy passages stretched a world brimming with possibilities—one he yearned to discover. For the first time, a flicker of excitement ignited within him at the prospect of what lay ahead, even if he had to face it alone. The trick, he thought, would be to figure out how to stay alive.
As they ate their meal, the fish poached with a small amount of brackish water from the pool; Jack expressed his gratitude in a simple, earnest way that seemed to please her. Kleo offered a rare, genuine smile, and they settled into a comfortable silence. Jack tried for conversation, asking about her travels and experiences, but she responded as she always did—pleasant but reserved, never elaborating, keeping the exchange polite yet impersonal. Despite his efforts, she continued to hold herself at arm's length.
When their small meal was finished, Kleo rose to clear away the remnants.
Jack held up a hand. "You've done everything else. Let me clean this up. And maybe afterward, you’ll finally tell me about that strange figure we saw earlier? I nearly wet myself back there," he admitted with a half-smile.
She laughed—a sound that surprised him, a genuine, lilting laugh that softened her features.
"Many things in these lands can do that to you. You’d better carry a spare pair of trousers," she teased, chuckling again as she rose.
"I think I’ll enjoy the pool for a bit. I’m tired of smelling like fish."
Jack nodded, feeling slightly relieved to have something to focus on as he gathered up the remains of their meal. He carried the waste to the designated disposal area, lifting the stone cover to reveal a deep, funnel-shaped hole that exuded an acrid odor. He wrinkled his nose, but the smell dissipated quickly as he replaced the cover.
Turning back toward the pool, Jack's breath caught in his throat.
Kleo stood at the edge, her muscles moving slowly and deliberately as she lifted her shirt over her head. He was rooted to the spot, overcome with the feeling to look away. He couldn’t. He was captivated.
Her torso was long and elegant, her slender back curving gently toward her hips, where a soft hollow formed above her waist. He noticed the subtle roundness of her stomach, the natural beauty of her form both striking and, somehow, endearing.
Freeing her hair from its leather tie, she shook it loose, letting the golden-brown strands tumble down her shoulders and back like a cascade of sunlight on the water’s edge. The strands fell to the middle of her back, almost reaching the hollow above her hips. She took her time, seemingly unaware of his gaze, running her hands over her hair to shake free the bits of grass and debris gathered over the day’s journey.
Guilt prickled at his conscience, an internal voice reminding him to turn away. In his mind, he justified his gawking stare as mere curiosity, a fascination with the unguarded beauty she radiated. But his heart told him otherwise. He was enthralled as if caught in some spell woven by her presence.
She unclasped her pants, letting them fall to the ground with ease, then stepped gracefully out of them. There she stood, utterly natural and unapologetically bare, moving with a fluidity that spoke of someone deeply comfortable in her skin. She twisted her hair over one shoulder and ran her fingers through it, still unaware of his gaze or perhaps simply unbothered by it.
He barely dared to breathe, entranced but acutely aware of his body’s reaction. For a moment, he even wondered if she had slipped something into the fish to make him feel this way, so completely drawn to her. And yes, he was aroused; he could deny it to himself only for so long. Glancing away, he tried to compose himself, embarrassed that his desire might be visible.
When he looked back, she had moved toward the pool, descending the stone steps with measured grace until the water reached her waist. The soft sway of her hips, the curve of her back, and every movement were unhurried and unconcerned. She paused at the edge of the stairs, turning her gaze directly to him with an expression that seemed to say, Well?
The unspoken invitation hung in the air, and Jack hesitated, unsure of his footing. Something about Kleo always left him feeling slightly off-balance. Whenever he thought he understood her, she surprised him, disrupting his sense of her and tilting everything onto a strange, exhilarating axis.
Jack’s sense of propriety warred with his curiosity, but he wasn’t entirely innocent. He knew he was attractive enough—tall and lean, with the toned muscles of someone who worked hard and lived purposefully. His green eyes and easy smile had often caught women's attention in Cabal. And while he’d never considered himself vain, he was aware of his body, enough awareness to understand its effect on others. Yet with Kleo, he felt like an untested novice.
He moved toward the pool, quietly undressing. Kleo had wholly entered the water and was now floating on her back, arms stretched out, her body buoyant in the salty pool. She let her legs drift apart in an entirely unselfconscious way, and every so often, she dipped her head under the water, emerging slowly, her face glistening with droplets that shimmered in the faint glow.
Jack took a deep breath, finally releasing the last of his clothing. He felt her eyes upon him, a subtle but undeniable scrutiny. She nodded in approval, her lips curving slightly before she turned away, diving beneath the pool's surface.
He entered the water, letting its warmth envelop him. The sensation was unlike anything he had felt before. The salt-laden pool soothed his tired muscles, washing away the layers of dust and tension. Kleo floated near him, her damp hair clinging to her skin, her body bathed in iridescent drops that glistened like tiny gems.
“Try floating,” she suggested, glancing at him with a playful glint. “It’s easier than you think.”
He took her advice, tilting back slowly until he was entirely suspended in the warm embrace of the pool. His ears dipped below the water, muting the sounds around him and creating a strange, peaceful isolation. He felt weightless, disconnected from his worries, thoughts, and even his sense of self. For a moment, he was simply a body adrift in a saltwater womb, untouched by fear or desire. He floated there, blissfully unaware of the passage of time, savoring this rare, beautiful solitude.
Then he felt the water ripple beside him—a gentle touch as Kleo’s fingers trailed along his skin in passing, a fleeting, electric contact that sent a shiver up his spine. He looked over, catching her eyes as she rested against the pool wall, her gaze fixed on him, piercing in its intensity.
When he drew closer, stopping at a respectful distance, she tilted her head, her expression thoughtful.
“Are you ready to talk?” she asked, “Or would you rather soak a bit longer?”
Jack considered her question, his mind drifting back to reality. “We can get out,” he said, his voice soft. “The pool will be here later.”
She nodded and, without further ceremony, turned to the pool’s edge, pushing herself up from the water.
“Give me a hand,” she called, glancing back at him with a slight smirk.
With a hesitant laugh, he placed his hands firmly on her hips, giving her a gentle boost as she lifted herself from the water.
She murmured a soft thanks, reaching for her shirt to dry off before settling on the bedrolls.
Jack followed, lying beside her, feeling at ease in his skin for the first time since they’d met. Her calm presence guided him, anchoring his nerves and putting him at ease.
She lay beside him, resting her head on her arm, and they felt like companions for the first time.
He could sense her peacefulness, a feeling that didn’t need words.
Something had changed between them like light brushing away the shadows or warmth pushing away the cold. It was unexplainable; surreal.
Now they were two travelers on the same path, bound by circumstance but sharing something intangible—a rare, unspoken understanding that felt more real than anything he could name.
