Veil Of Stars.

The orb floated ahead, moving slowly as if guiding them. The group exchanged wary glances but followed, their steps careful as they navigated the uneven terrain.

As they walked, the initial awkwardness began to fade. Livia chatted casually with Zane, asking about his archaeological work, while Zander remained silent, his gaze scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger. Aron walked slightly behind, his mind racing with questions.

"What do you think that voice meant by saviors?" Livia asked, glancing over her shoulder at Aron.

He shrugged. "If I had to guess, it's related to whatever happened to the world—why it's divided into these regions. Maybe we're supposed to fix it somehow."

"Sounds like a lot of responsibility," Zane said, his tone light but thoughtful.

"It also sounds dangerous," Zander added, his voice firm. "If this is a test, we need to be prepared for anything."

The orb led them to the edge of a dense forest. The trees loomed high, their branches intertwining to create a canopy that filtered the sunlight into dappled patterns on the ground.

As they stepped into the shadows, the air grew cooler, and the faint sounds of wildlife reached their ears. The group moved cautiously, the orb's glow lighting their path.

Aron couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. His eyes darted to the shadows, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Do you feel that?" he asked quietly.

Livia nodded, her expression tense. "Yeah. It's like... we're not alone."

Suddenly, the orb stopped, its glow intensifying. A low growl echoed through the forest, and a pair of glowing eyes emerged from the shadows.

"Stay back," Zander ordered, stepping in front of the group. He drew a blade from his side—Aron hadn't even noticed he was armed—and held it at the ready.

The creature stepped into the light, revealing a wolf-like beast with matted fur and unnaturally sharp teeth. It growled again, its gaze fixed on the group.

Aron's heart pounded as Zander moved forward, his movements deliberate and controlled.

"This isn't a fight we can avoid," Zander said, glancing at the others. "Stay behind me."

The encounter was brief but intense, with Zander leading the charge. Livia proved unexpectedly agile, using a small knife to defend herself, while Zane provided support by distracting the creature with thrown objects.

Aron, unused to combat, found himself frozen at first. But when the creature lunged toward Zane, he grabbed a branch and swung it with all his might, managing to knock the beast off course.

When the battle ended, the creature lay motionless, and the group stood catching their breath.

"Well," Livia said, wiping sweat from her brow. "That was fun."

Zander sheathed his blade, his expression unreadable. "We need to keep moving."

Aron nodded, his grip tightening on the branch he still held. "Agreed. Let's not wait to see if it had friends."

The orb resumed its movement, leading them deeper into the forest.

The soft glow of the orb illuminated the dense forest path, leading Aron, Zander, Livia, and Zane through the Moon Vale. The forest canopy was thick, allowing only fragments of moonlight to pierce through the leaves. The air was still, carrying the faint scent of moss and damp earth. None of them spoke much, the tension from their earlier encounter with the beast lingering in the air.

The orb floated silently ahead, pulsing with a rhythmic light as if it were alive. Aron couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him. Everything about this place felt… off. The landscape, the silence, even the stars above seemed unfamiliar. He cast a sidelong glance at Zander, who walked with steady steps, his scarlet eyes scanning their surroundings for threats.

"How much farther do you think this orb is taking us?" Livia asked, breaking the silence. Her voice, though light, carried an edge of wariness.

"Not sure," Zane replied, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. "But judging by the ruins we passed earlier, we're headed somewhere significant."

Aron furrowed his brow. "Significant doesn't always mean safe."

They pressed on, following the orb's glow until the dense forest gave way to a clearing. In the center stood an ancient temple, its silhouette bathed in silver moonlight.

The temple looked both majestic and mournful, as if it had once been a place of great importance but had since been abandoned to the passage of time. Vines crept along its crumbling stone walls, and its towering pillars were etched with symbols and carvings too worn to decipher. A faint energy seemed to emanate from the structure, tugging at their senses.

The orb stopped at the temple's entrance, hovering just above the ground. It pulsed brightly, then spoke.

"This is the first region—The Moon Vale."

The group exchanged glances, startled by the orb's sudden voice. It was smooth and ethereal, resonating as though it came from both the air around them and deep within their minds.

"This temple," the orb continued, "once stood as a sanctuary for the hero who saved the world. His deeds were so great that he was revered as a god, and his name echoed across the nine regions."

Aron's gaze swept over the temple, its grandeur dulled by time. "A hero worshipped as a god…" he murmured, trying to imagine what kind of person could achieve such a legacy.

"But the memory of even the greatest heroes fades," the orb went on, its light dimming slightly. "Though the people worshipped him, the hero never returned to this temple after the first few years. In time, they grew weary of waiting. They believed him dead, his story forgotten by generations."

"Why didn't he return?" Livia asked, tilting her head.

The orb hesitated, as if struggling to speak. "I can only tell you this much. My time… is running low. To leave this region, you must find the Blessed Item of the hero. Only then will I appear again to guide you further."

The orb's light flickered, its glow weakening with each word.

"Blessed Item?" Zander asked, his tone sharp.

Before the orb could elaborate, its light pulsed once more and then extinguished. It vanished into thin air, leaving the group standing in the moonlit clearing.

They stood in silence for a long moment, the weight of the orb's words settling over them. Aron stared at the empty space where the orb had been, his thoughts swirling.

"So… we're saviors," Livia said finally, breaking the quiet. "And to get out of this region, we need to find this Blessed Item. Easy enough, right?"

"'Easy' isn't the word I'd use," Zane replied with a wry smile, stepping closer to the temple. "Still, it's the only lead we've got."

Zander crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping over their surroundings. "We shouldn't linger out here. The wilderness isn't safe. The temple will offer more shelter than the open field."

Aron nodded, his golden eyes thoughtful. "I agree. And if the orb was telling the truth, finding that item is the only way home. Even if there's only a one-in-a-hundred chance it's lying, we can't afford to ignore it."

Livia glanced at the temple's dark entrance and shivered slightly. "I hope it's safe in there. It looks... creepy."

"Most old temples do," Zane said lightly, moving toward the entrance.

The group stepped into the temple cautiously, their footsteps echoing against the ancient stone floor. The air inside was cool and still, carrying the faint scent of dust and earth. Moonlight streamed through cracks in the ceiling, casting pale beams that illuminated parts of the interior.

The walls were adorned with carvings, depicting scenes of battle, triumph, and a lone figure standing against the forces of chaos. The details were worn, but the artistry was undeniable.

"This place is… incredible," Zane murmured, his archaeologist instincts kicking in. He ran his fingers lightly over one of the carvings. "These etchings must be centuries old. Maybe millennia."

Livia wandered further in, stopping at a large wall near the center of the temple. Her bright pink hair shimmered in the moonlight as she examined the markings on the stone.

"There's something written here," she called out.

The group gathered around her, their gazes fixed on the inscriptions. At first, the language was incomprehensible—curved symbols and intricate patterns that seemed almost alien.

"I can't read this," Livia admitted, frowning.

Aron was about to agree when a strange sensation washed over him. It was as if something in the air shifted, an invisible force brushing against his mind. Suddenly, the symbols on the wall began to make sense.

"It's changing," he said, his voice hushed.

The others stared at the wall in surprise as the symbols resolved into a language they could understand. It wasn't that the carvings themselves had changed, but rather, their minds had been altered to comprehend them.

"Must've been the orb's doing," Zander said, his scarlet eyes narrowing. "Even if it's gone, its influence hasn't completely faded."

Zane stepped closer, squinting at the text. "It's a story," he said, his voice tinged with wonder.

The inscription told the tale of the hero worshipped in the temple:

"He was a man of unmatched courage, who stood against the great darkness when all others had fallen. His light was a beacon, guiding the lost and weary. For his deeds, the people named him their savior, their protector, their god. Yet he never returned, and in time, the people abandoned their faith. His name was forgotten, his temple left to ruin. Only the Blessed Item remains, a fragment of his legacy, awaiting the one who would bring his story to life once more."

The group stood in silence after reading the inscription.

"So," Livia said slowly, "this hero saved the world, got worshipped, and then just… disappeared?"

"It doesn't add up," Zander said, his tone thoughtful. "Why would he save the world and then vanish?"

Aron shook his head. "Maybe he didn't have a choice. Or maybe... he didn't want to be worshipped."

"Or," Zane added, "there's more to the story than what this tells us."

Everyone looked at Zane who sighed and told them, "Most of the times the legends, or the stories we find are lies woven by people who want to hide the real truth that they may be guilty of."

Livia raised her eyes to look at the inscription and asked, "So maybe the hero left because of his people?"

Aron glanced at Zander who also glanced at him, both of them shook their heads. Because if the truth was so simple that even them who know nothing about this world can deduce then that orb just wasted it's breath to summon them.

Zander glanced around the temple, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows. "We'll get more answers in the morning. For now, we need rest. This place is as secure as we'll get."

Livia hesitated. "You really think it's safe here?"

"It's safer than out there," Zander said bluntly, nodding toward the forest beyond the temple's entrance.

Aron agreed. "We need to conserve our energy if we're going to figure this out. Whatever this Blessed Item is, it won't be easy to find."

Reluctantly, Livia nodded. "Fine. But if something creepy crawls out of the shadows, I'm blaming you."

The group set up a small resting area near the center of the temple, using their bags and supplies as makeshift pillows. The moonlight streaming through the cracks above provided just enough illumination to keep the darkness at bay.

As they settled in, Aron couldn't shake the feeling that the temple was watching them, its ancient walls holding secrets they had yet to uncover.

He glanced at the others. Zane was already dozing off, his face relaxed. Livia was fiddling with a small pendant around her neck, her expression pensive. Zander sat apart from the group, his back against a pillar, his eyes scanning the shadows.

Aron's gaze lingered on Zander.

Anway what else can happen in this situation?