Prince of The Ruined Kingdom

I slowly opened my eyes, greeted by an overwhelming darkness. The cold air brushed against my skin, and the only light came from an eerie glow scattered across parts of the cave, casting long shadows along the stone walls. My head felt heavy, but the first thought that crossed my mind wasn't pain—it was regret, hitting my heart like a tidal wave.

"Mira…" I whispered, my voice barely audible. My chest tightened painfully.

I had just... said such cruel things to her, and now I was trapped in this strange place. I didn't even know where Mira was. The image of her, shattered and crying alone, tore through me relentlessly. My eyes burned, but the tears refused to fall. I was too angry with myself to cry.

Beside me, Jack stood, his posture steady and serious, though I could see the effort he was making to stay composed. His tall, strong figure seemed to anchor him in the darkness, his sharp eyes scanning the cave with caution. Lilith should've been here too—or at least her drone—but the drone… it wasn't functioning.

"The drone's down," Jack said, not turning to look at me. "Things are getting worse."

I nodded, though my mind was consumed by guilt. How could I have said something so heartless to Mira? The weight of my regret was far heavier than the fear of this unfamiliar place.

Jack sighed softly. "Abigail," he called my name with a calm but firm voice, "listen, I know you're worried about Mira. But we can't afford to dwell on that right now."

I looked up at him, my vision still slightly blurred. Worried? It was so much more than that. My heart was breaking. I couldn't stop replaying the moment her face crumbled when I told her I hated her. The tears streaming down her face, the emptiness in her eyes, the way her body trembled...

"I... I have to find her, Jack," my voice cracked, barely holding back a sob. "I need to apologize. I can't leave her like this, not after... after I said those awful things." My words faltered, caught in the storm of my emotions.

Jack's gaze softened, but he remained calm. "I understand. And I'll take responsibility for all of this—what happened to Mira, everything. But right now, we don't have the luxury of breaking down. Our focus has to be on one thing: finding Arche and Mira, then getting out of here alive."

His words made sense, but my mind was still too tangled to fully grasp them. How could I think about my own survival when Mira might be stuck in this same place, completely broken because of me?

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Focus, Abigail. That's what Jack always told me. I closed my eyes for a moment, attempting to push the image of Mira's tear-streaked face from my mind—though it was futile.

"I just… I just want her to know I didn't mean it. I don't hate her," I murmured, almost to myself. "I got carried away in the moment. I… I regret it so much."

Jack looked at me deeply, and for a brief moment, silence enveloped us. Then he spoke. "I understand. You'll get your chance to make it right, Abigail. But first, we have to move."

I knew he was right. This wasn't the time to be paralyzed by guilt. I had to find Mira, I had to fix this. But… how? This cave was like a never-ending maze, and without Lilith or her drone, we were stumbling blindly.

Jack pulled up a small holographic map from his wrist device. "It looks like we've been transported to some kind of alternate dimension," he said, frowning as he studied the display. "This place isn't normal. No signals, no clear data. But from what I can gather, this cave is vast. Extremely vast."

"Any sign of where Arche or Mira could be?" I asked, my voice tight with both hope and dread.

Jack shook his head. "No signal from either of them. But we have to keep moving."

I nodded, though my worry for Mira only grew heavier. "Jack…" I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Mira... she only wanted to protect me, you know? Everything she did, even though it was reckless, even though it was dangerous... she did it for me."

Jack nodded thoughtfully. "I know. But Mira's… complicated, Abigail. She's fractured. A lot has happened to her, and you've seen some of it. But that doesn't change the fact that she's dangerous."

I bit my lip. Dangerous? Yes, Mira was dangerous. But it felt like I was the one who had truly hurt her this time. And the worst part was, I couldn't make things right until I found her.

We started walking through the damp, narrow tunnels of the cave, following the map displayed on Jack's device. Each step felt heavy, and every flickering shadow on the cave walls reminded me of Mira's broken, despairing figure.

"I shouldn't have said it, Jack," I muttered, more to myself than to him. "I should've known better."

"What you said wasn't easy, Abigail. But maybe it was what she needed to hear. If she keeps going like this… she'll destroy herself. You didn't want that."

I fell silent, absorbing Jack's words. He might be right, but the guilt wouldn't leave me. I was terrified that my words had cut Mira deeper than any apology could heal.

We walked on in the suffocating quiet, our footsteps echoing off the cave's stone walls. There were no signs of life, no signs of Arche or Mira. I was sinking deeper into my own thoughts with each passing moment.

"Lilith would've been able to help us if she were here," Jack said suddenly, breaking the silence. "But her drone is down. Something in this dimension must be interfering with our technology."

I gave a small nod, still lost in thoughts of Mira. "I just want… a second chance. To fix everything."

Jack looked at me, his gaze gentler this time. "You'll get it, Abigail. But first, we need to find them."

I nodded again, though my heart was still tangled in anxiety. Mira, wait for me. I'll find you, and I'll make things right. I promise.

The cold air of the cave seemed to seep into my bones, and our footsteps echoed against the damp stone walls. That eerie light, coming from nowhere yet everywhere, followed us as we moved. Jack led the way, calm as ever, though I knew he must have been feeling the weight of this situation just as much as I was.

My mind kept spiraling, trapped in a cycle of guilt and worry. Mira. What have I done? I have to find her, I have to apologize. But here, in this place, everything felt infinitely more difficult. The cave was like an endless labyrinth. We kept walking, but there was no sign of where Arche and Mira might be, or any clue on how to escape.

I took a deep breath, trying to push my thoughts aside. "Jack," I called softly.

He turned briefly, his eyes still alert but his gaze gentle. "Yes?"

"I remembered something," I continued. "Before we were transported here, you mentioned a sorcerer. Who is he?"

Jack's expression hardened a bit. "Zeratile," he answered shortly. "His name is Zeratile. One of the most ruthless sorcerers ever known in Cestisia."

I swallowed, feeling a growing weight in my chest. Zeratile… The name sounded unfamiliar yet terrifying at the same time. "What do you know about him?" I pressed, eager for more answers. If this sorcerer had brought us here, we needed to know just how dangerous he was.

Jack paused his steps for a moment, staring straight ahead before speaking. "Zeratile is a sorcerer with a notorious reputation. There are many rumors about him—some say he's strayed far beyond what is humanly moral. There are whispers of horrific experiments, methods too cruel to be accepted by any law or morality. But one thing's certain—his power as a sorcerer is immense."

I felt my heartbeat quicken. A ruthless sorcerer with extraordinary power? That sounded like an enemy far beyond what we could handle. "If he's that strong, why did we get involved with him?" I asked, trying to understand the situation.

Jack resumed walking, and I followed closely behind. "We didn't intend to get too involved. The main reason we tracked him was because of Mira. From the moment Zeratile set foot in Nexus Port City, Mira took an interest in him."

I frowned, confused. "Mira? Why was she interested in Zeratile?"

Jack sighed softly, as if the question itself was heavy. "I'm not entirely sure. Mira never shared much about her motivations, but I can guess. Zeratile is the kind of sorcerer that Mira, with all her personal demons, might see as either a threat... or perhaps someone who could understand her."

Understand her? I felt a wave of discomfort at the thought. I had always known Mira had her own struggles, but seeing someone like Zeratile as either an ally or an enemy she needed to confront? That made me anxious. "So we were tracking Zeratile to stop Mira from doing something reckless?" I asked.

Jack nodded. "That was part of it. The other reason was Prince Archemidas. As you know, the prince has deep ties with the royal magic families, and we couldn't risk him crossing paths with Zeratile."

I looked at Jack, puzzled. "But why would a sorcerer like Zeratile be interested in Prince Archemidas? What's the connection?"

Jack stopped again, this time his expression more serious. "That's still a mystery. Zeratile seems to have a particular interest in the magic controlled by the royal families. Whether he wants to take control of it or destroy it, we don't know. But his movements in Nexus Port City suggest there's something bigger at play."

I tried to absorb everything Jack was saying. Zeratile wasn't just a cruel sorcerer with immense power—he had some unknown motive involving Prince Archemidas and the royal magic. And now, we were stuck in this strange dimension because of him.

"So... why us?" I asked, still confused. "Why did Zeratile transport us here?"

Jack glanced around the dark, seemingly endless cave. "Maybe to stop us. Or maybe... to toy with us. Zeratile never acts without purpose, but he also enjoys playing games with his victims. This could be part of his game."

A chill ran down my spine. If this was all just a game to Zeratile, what could we possibly do to get out of here?

"Is there a way out?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Jack paused for a moment, then spoke firmly. "There's always a way out. We just have to find it."

I exhaled slowly, trying to steady my nerves. "And Mira... she'll be okay, right?" I couldn't help but ask. The guilt still weighed heavily on me with every step.

"Mira's tougher than you think, Abigail," Jack replied. "She's been through a lot, but she's not weak."

I nodded slightly, though my heart was still filled with doubt. "I just... I feel awful, Jack. I said things I shouldn't have. I let my emotions take over, and... I hurt Mira more than I ever intended."

Jack looked at me, his gaze both soft and resolute. "You care about her, that much is clear. But you also know that Mira isn't like most people. She's been through things we can't fully understand. You might think you hurt her, but sometimes tough words are exactly what she needs to hear to push through."

I sighed again, feeling a small sense of relief from Jack's words. But even so, I couldn't shake the need to find Mira and see for myself that she was okay.

We kept walking, and slowly, the dark cave started to feel somewhat familiar. Yet, fear and uncertainty about what we might encounter next still loomed over our every step. I could only hope that we would find Arche and Mira before something worse happened.

We continued to move forward, talking about Zeratile and the likelihood that he was behind all of this. But suddenly, I felt something—a presence. Something was moving fast, closing in on us.

I stopped in my tracks and stretched out my hand, signaling for Jack to halt as well. "Wait... there's something," I whispered, trying to pinpoint the source of the feeling.

Jack glanced around, his expression turning sharp. "You feel it too?"

I nodded, my heartbeat quickening. We weren't alone. And whatever it was, it was coming toward us fast.

Out of the darkness of the cave, mechanical wolves emerged—not just one, but five, six… even more. Some had firearms embedded in their backs. Their eyes glowed red, and the sound of their metal feet echoed off the cave walls.

"Watch out!" I shouted, jumping backward and drawing my dagger.

Before I could say anything else, one of the wolves lunged at me with surprising speed. I quickly dodged and twisted, slashing its neck with my dagger. Sparks flew from its inner mechanisms, but I ducked as another wolf fired its weapon from behind.

"Jack! They've got guns!" I yelled, positioning myself behind a large rock for cover. Bullets pinged off the cave walls, sending small explosions of debris and stone flying around us.

"Good," Jack replied calmly, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. He extended his hand, and green ice began forming around his combat gloves. "More targets for me to smash."

Despite the chaos, I couldn't help but smile a little. Jack always had a way of making even the most dangerous situations seem simpler than they were.

I jumped out from behind my cover and cast a speed spell on myself, feeling the surge of magic course through my body. The world seemed to slow down as I darted toward the next mechanical wolf. With one swift motion, I slashed its glowing red eye, disabling its sensor. Another wolf down, but I had no time to celebrate—another was already charging.

"Jack, to your right!" I warned as a wolf leapt toward him.

Jack turned swiftly, his right hand glowing with sharp green ice, and struck the wolf square in the jaw. The force of the blow sent it flying several meters, crashing into the cave wall with a loud clang. Moments later, its internal components exploded.

I caught a glimpse of Jack's brief smile before he refocused on the other wolves coming at him. His left hand also lit up with icy magic, and with a flurry of quick, powerful punches, he shattered the wolves one by one.

But more kept coming. They poured in from the shadows, and the sound of their metallic footsteps filled the cave. I fired blasts of magic at them, sending small explosions that knocked some of the wolves back, but they just kept advancing.

"This isn't good, Abigail!" Jack shouted over the noise of gunfire and the clashing of metal. "They're not stopping. We need to get out of here, now!"

I nodded in agreement, but the relentless assault made it hard to find an opening to escape. I sprinted toward him, the wolves quickly closing in on me. In one swift motion, I pulled out my advanced firearm and fired at the wolves, taking down several as they neared.

"There are too many," I muttered, glancing anxiously at Jack.

Jack stretched out his hands again, this time releasing a stronger flow of green ice, creating a protective barrier around us. "We can't keep fighting here. We need to find a safe spot."

I fired a few more rounds, then sprinted alongside Jack as he led the way. Neumann, who usually provided visual guidance in our heads, was oddly silent. I could feel the absence of his directions, forcing us to rely more on instinct.

"We need to get out of here before more show up," Jack urged as we continued to push through the waves of wolves.

I nodded, casting spells and firing bullets to hold them off. But the longer we fought, the clearer it became that this wasn't a battle we could win. They just kept coming, and while we destroyed many, my supply of ammo and magic was running low.

At last, we spotted a narrow crack in the cave wall, leading to what seemed like a safer area. I glanced at Jack, who nodded toward the opening.

"Go in there!" Jack ordered, holding his ground while striking down a few more wolves with his ice magic.

I quickly leapt into the crack, and Jack followed moments later, using a final punch of ice to collapse the entrance behind us, sealing the wolves outside.

We were panting, exhausted and bruised, but at least we were safe... for now.

"This is insane," I said, trying to catch my breath. "Why do these mechanical wolves keep coming?"

Jack sat on the cave floor, staring at the blocked entrance. "Zeratile... he must have a bigger plan. And we've only seen a small part of it."

I fell silent, thinking about everything that had happened. The worry about Mira and Arche weighed heavily on my heart, but we had to keep moving forward.

"I hope Mira and Arche are okay," I murmured softly, my fear starting to creep into my voice.

Jack looked at me, his tone reassuring. "They're tough, Abigail. Just like us. We'll find them, and we'll make it out of here. Alive."

I could only hope Jack was right.

***