"Volume I: The Hollowed Eyes."
Omen realized that the title was written inside the book but couldn't get into reading anything more because of the lack of almost any source of light around then.
The boy tried to adjust his bodysuit as his black robes fluttered.
He had realized he was wearing this skin-tight armor which perfectly hugged his entire body while a black cloak covered him from his head to toes when he had first come here.
'Lilith…huh, where did she go?' Right when
Omen blinked, he realised that the girl had disappeared from behind him.
The place where she had stood before, right beside the throne…was empty?
"Lilith?" Omen waited, calling her again, only the echo of his voice bouncing off the stone pillars.
His chest tightened as he stepped down from the throne's stairs, his shoes crunching softly on the cracked marble as the boy made his way outside, hoping she'd be there.
"Lilith!" he called again, louder this time. "Where are you?"
The sound of his voice felt too small for the world around him. He walked past fallen debris, inside the hall, until he reached the doors that he realized one of them was already half open.
Getting the chance to finally get out of here, Omen skidded past the twisted remains of statues that once might've been gods or kings as he finally exited the place,
Every step made him more uneasy until finally, he saw her.
Near one of the outer pillars, meters away from the throne hall, standing in the sunlight.
Her figure was thin but tall, her fair skin almost glowing under the sun's light.
Her hair, black as night flowed down her back, contrasting sharply against her skin.
Two crimson eyes stared into the sky, reflecting the suns' light like twin rubies.
Something black and cloudy, almost like dark smoke that refused to fade, wrapped loosely around her chest, covering just enough to seem natural yet strange, as if the darkness itself was clothing her.
Below, a black rigged skirt fluttered in the warm wind, and at her lower abdomen glimmered a blue jewel, bright and mesmerizing that embedded into her skin like a living ornament.
She looked ethereal.
Beautiful, yes, but in a way that was haunting.
Omen slowed his steps, staring at her in silence. It took him a second to realize what she was doing.
She wasn't moving.
She was just…staring at the sky.
He followed her gaze to the suns again.
Maybe it wasn't just him or maybe she hadn't seen them in a long time either.
They stood like that for a while, watching the endless sky.
For the first time, Omen felt something calm settle inside him after all the rage and frustration bubbling inside of him all this while.
After a moment, he broke the silence. "So… where to now?"
The 5 foot 10 inches girl lowered her gaze, then reached into the black mist that floated near her waist.
Her slender hand slipped into thin air and came out holding a small, ancient-looking scroll.
"I found this," she said, unrolling it. "While you were gone, I searched through my ring and found quite a few useful things, including this space pouch on my waist."
Omen leaned closer, his eyes following the faded lines and strange symbols drawn across the black fog like pouch when he realised the awkward shift in the girl's posture, only now understanding that he had been staring at the girl down there for too long–
"It's just a pouch that has storage space inside," Lilith explained, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"This ruin, the one we're in is marked right here." She pointed at a faint mark near the edge. "There's a city nearby. Not too far if we travel by foot."
"A city?" Omen repeated, feeling a sudden rush of curiosity.
Lilith nodded. "Yes. If this map is correct, it should still exist."
He smiled faintly, the excitement flickering in his voice. "Then what are we waiting for?"
Lilith's lips curved just slightly, the closest thing he'd seen to a smile from her yet. "You're too impatient."
"Maybe," Omen said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But if there's really a city out there…I wanna see it."
That's what he told her but in reality Omen was also excited about meeting literally anyone else on this unknown plain to understand where he was.
As for Lilith, her red eyes lingered on him for a moment, still embarrassed about what had happened a few moments back.
"Very well," she said at last. "We'll leave soon. But be warned…not all who walk under the suns are alive."
The boy frowned.
"What do you mean by that?"
Lilith turned her gaze towards the far horizon and the wind grew harsher, carrying with it a strange, distant sound, like metal clashing faintly in the air.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"You'll see."
***