Echoes of Forgotten

Into the Heart of Torac

The tunnel stretched endlessly before them, each step echoing off the smooth, ancient walls. The air was thick and humid, carrying an unsettling silence, unlike the chaotic underground village or the dangerous cavern systems they had passed through earlier. This time, there were no monsters or traps-just an ominous stillness that accompanied their long walk.

As the group trudged forward, Kollr's voice broke the quiet. "You know, if this tunnel goes on much longer, we're going to need a change of footwear."

Penrod, already fidgety from boredom, groaned. "I'm starting to think we're walking straight through to the other side of the world."

"Would that really be so bad?" Dianaim asked, a slight grin forming on her lips. "Might be nice to take a break on the beach."

Fina chuckled softly, adjusting her grip on her gear. "A nice tropical island, maybe. I could get used to that."

Penrod sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes. "Except with our luck, it'll be an island full of giant, man-eating crabs. We'll end up fighting for our lives. Again."

Kollr laughed, clapping Penrod on the back. "What's the matter? Afraid of a few oversized crustaceans?"

Penrod shot him a sideways glance. "Oversized? More like colossal. Knowing our luck, it'll be a dragon crab that breathes fire."

Veoford, walking at the rear, remained silent as usual, his eyes distant. Dianaim had noticed his quiet demeanor more than anyone else, her curiosity about his mysterious nature gnawing at her. After hours of endless walking, she couldn't hold her questions back any longer.

She moved closer to him, nudging his shoulder. "Veoford," she started casually, trying to catch his attention, "about that rune magic you used back there. Care to explain?"

Veoford glanced at her briefly, his expression unreadable. "No."

"Come on," Dianaim pressed, her curiosity piqued. "Rune magic is ancient. There are no recorded instances of anyone using it in the past few centuries. Most people think it's just a myth, a lost art."

Veoford's gaze remained fixed ahead, his steps unwavering. "It doesn't matter."

Dianaim frowned, her patience wearing thin. "It matters to us. No one even knows if it's real. It's been theoretical for ages. And yet, you just used it like it was second nature. Doesn't that strike you as important?"

The rest of the group had started listening in, their own curiosity about Veoford's abilities growing. Penrod, always the jokester, couldn't help but add his own commentary. "Yeah, man. I mean, I get it-you're mysterious and all-but this is rune magic. You just flipped history on its head. You're practically a legend now."

Veoford sighed but didn't respond. His silence was enough for Dianaim to give up-for now.

"Fine, keep your secrets," she muttered. "But one day, we're going to need answers."

"Agreed," Penrod nodded. "And preferably sooner rather than later. I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of not knowing what we're up against."

With the conversation trailing off, Dianaim pulled the small diary from her pouch-the one she had taken from the blacksmith's house. She passed it to Veoford.

"Here," she said. "I've read most of it, but maybe you can make more sense of it."

Veoford took the diary and began leafing through its pages, his brow furrowing as he read the blacksmith's scribbles. "Most of this is just mundane day-to-day entries," he said after a while. "Routine work, orders, nothing special."

"Keep reading," Dianaim urged. "There's more."

Veoford continued, and after a few more pages, something caught his eye. "He mentions that the village wasn't just a village. It used to be part of a much larger city."