The morning light filtered through the red sky, casting a warm, golden hue over the settlement. The air was fresh, carrying the faint scent of dew on the grass and the distant sound of the river flowing steadily.
Jin and Hanz stood on the shore of a vast blue lake. The water was crystal clear, its surface smooth like polished glass, reflecting the red sky above in beautiful, almost hypnotic patterns. Gentle ripples moved across it as the wind brushed softly over the surface, creating small waves that lapped quietly at the sandy bank. Tall reeds swayed along the edges, and the surrounding land was lush with green grass and scattered wildflowers. The lake stretched far into the distance, its far shore barely visible through a light mist that hung over the water. It looked pure. Peaceful. Almost too perfect.
Hanz sat down on the soft soil, staring out at the lake with a mix of awe and unease.
"How are we even going to do this? Where do we start?"
Jin stood still, his eyes fixed on the water with a clear look of frustration. He didn't answer right away, his mind turning over everything they had learned.
I expected this but... Where do we really begin?!
Hanz sighed, glancing behind them. Two Kharatan guards stood in the distance, tall and motionless, clearly watching their every move. He turned back to the lake.
"I knew Zoltan would send his guards to follow us. It feels like we're prisoners with a nice view."
Jin finally spoke, his voice calm but edged with resignation.
"What did you expect? We're two humans — the only humans here. It would be strange if they didn't keep an eye on us."
Hanz waved a hand dismissively, though his expression remained uneasy.
"I get it already. It's just… with them watching, it makes me uncomfortable."
Jin turned his head slightly toward him.
"Do you have something in mind?... about escaping?"
Hanz smiled faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"Ah... You read my mind."
Jin shook his head, his expression serious.
"Keep it to yourself for now. Finding out what Zoltan would do if we crossed him… that's a bad thought."
Hanz stood up, dusting the soil from his clothes. He took a deep breath, looking out at the vast lake.
"I understand. But with our mana cut off… we're basically helpless."
The wind brushed past them again, carrying the fresh scent of the water and the soft rustle of reeds. For a moment, both of them were quiet, the weight of their situation settling in.
Jin finally spoke, voice steady.
"The search will be long. But it's all about listening for that voice."
Hanz turned to him, raising an eyebrow.
"Voice, huh!... We're going to swim?"
Jin nodded.
Hanz sighed, pulling off his shirt and shoes, muttering under his breath.
"This water is too cold... damn it."
Jin persuaded him quietly.
"Do not forget why we are doing this."
Hanz eventually walked into the water.
"Yeah, yeah... I know."
He finally dove in with a splash.
Hanz swam through the clear blue water, the world beneath the surface breathtakingly beautiful. The lake was so pure that he could see straight down to the bottom, the soft soil and scattered rocks visible in sharp detail. Sunlight filtered through the surface above, casting shifting, golden patterns that danced across the water like living light. Small bubbles rose around him as he moved, the cool water brushing against his skin, refreshing and weightless.
The silence here was profound — only the muffled sound of his own heartbeat and the gentle push of water against his body. For a moment, the tension of the past days faded. He swam a little deeper, admiring the way the light played through the clear depths, the vastness of the lake stretching out in every direction like an underwater sky.
He finally kicked upward, breaking the surface with a splash. He took in several deep breaths, water dripping from his hair and face.
"Nothing but clear water down here!" he shouted toward the shore. "No fish at all!"
Jin stood on the bank, arms crossed, expression focused.
"Go deeper! There has to be something down there. Anything!"
Hanz gave a thumbs-up, took a huge breath, filling his lungs until they burned, then dove back under. The cool water closed over him again, the surface world disappearing in a rush of bubbles. He kicked downward, arms pulling him deeper, the pressure building slightly in his ears. The light grew softer the further he went, the golden patterns fading into a tranquil blue.
He swam steadily, eyes scanning the bottom — nothing but smooth soil and occasional rocks. No plants. No movement. No sign of life at all. The silence was absolute, broken only by the sound of his own heartbeat and the rush of water past his ears. He pushed a little further, the bottom coming closer, his hand brushing the soft sediment, stirring up a small cloud of silt that drifted lazily upward.
Nothing.
He felt the burn in his lungs growing stronger. With a powerful kick, he turned and swam back toward the surface, breaking through with another splash. He gasped for air, treading water as he caught his breath.
Jin called out again from the shore.
"Anything?"
Hanz shook his head, still breathing hard.
"Nothing. Just dirt and rocks. It's like the lake is dead."
He took another deep breath and dove again. The cool water enveloped him once more, the light filtering down in shifting rays. He swam deeper this time, pushing himself, eyes searching every inch of the bottom. The silence pressed in, almost oppressive. His hand brushed the soil again, feeling the fine grains between his fingers. Still nothing. No hidden caves. No strange formations. Just empty, lifeless water.
The burn in his chest grew sharper. He kicked upward, breaking the surface with a gasp, water streaming down his face.
Jin watched him from the shore, expression thoughtful.
Hanz treaded water, catching his breath.
"It's the same down there. Nothing. I don't know what we're supposed to find."
Jin called out, waving Hanz back.
"Come out for a bit."
Hanz swam toward the bank, his strokes steady until he reached shallow water. He stood up, water streaming down his body as he walked onto the sand, shaking his head to clear his ears. The cool air felt good against his wet skin after the long swim.
"It's beautiful down there," Hanz said as he dropped onto the sand beside Jin. "The water is so clear you can see straight to the bottom. The light filters through like… I don't even know how to describe it. It's peaceful. But there's nothing. No fish, no plants, nothing moving at all. It's like the lake is empty."
They walked a short distance to a large tree near the shore, its branches providing cool shade. They sat down, backs against the trunk, the grass soft beneath them. The red sky above peeked through the leaves, and the gentle lapping of the water was the only sound for a moment.
Jin stared out at the lake.
"It's too perfect. A lake this big with no life? Something's wrong with it. We need to search more areas. Maybe closer to the center, or along the edges where the fog is thicker."
Hanz nodded, picking up a small stone and tossing it into the water. It skipped once before sinking.
"Yeah, but how? The lake is huge. We can't search the whole thing in one day, let alone in months. Even if we swim in circles, we'll miss most of it. And without our mana… we're limited. I can only hold my breath for so long."
Jin was quiet for a moment, his silver eyes scanning the horizon where the fog seemed to hang thicker on the far side.
"You're right. It's impossible to cover everything. But we don't need to. We just need to find where the voices are coming from. The Kharatans said the voices led to the lake. That means there's a source. We move there — near the fog line, where the water meets the mist. If there's something unnatural, it'll be there."
Hanz leaned his head back against the tree, sighing.
"I get it. But what if there's nothing? What if this is just a dead lake, or... lake spirits?"
Jin's expression darkened slightly, doubt flickering across his face.
"No way that is true. I already know that for a fact. But if we do nothing, we stay trapped here. We have to try. Even if it's dangerous."
Hanz tossed a stone into the soil.
"Yeah… I know. It just feels like we're walking into something we don't understand. And with those guards watching us the whole time… it makes my skin crawl."
Jin leaned forward slightly, staring intently at the lake. Suddenly, faint echoes stirred in the wind — soft, distorted whispers that brushed past his ears. His eyes widened as he turned around, scanning the shore.
The echoes again!
Hanz noticed immediately.
"You okay?"
Jin nodded slowly, his expression tense.
"I just heard something."
Hanz frowned, looking around.
"I didn't hear anything."
Jin stood up, pulling off his shirt and boots with quick, determined movements. He tossed them aside and turned to Hanz.
"There's something I'm curious about. And if I'm right, it could lead us to what we're actually looking for."
Hanz stood up too, following him toward the water's edge.
"What are you curious about?"
Jin was quiet for a moment, the cool water lapping at his feet as he stepped in. The waves swept gently around his ankles, cold and clear.
"Something... happened last night. If my suspicion is right… anything could happen in this lake."
He turned to Hanz, his voice steady but serious.
"Stay alert. If you hear anything, try not to panic."
Hanz chuckled, though there was a nervous edge to it.
"You're scaring me now. Not that I can get scared, but when you say it like that… it's different."
Jin gave him a small, reassuring nod.
"Just stay on guard."
He walked deeper into the water until it reached his waist, the cool waves brushing against his skin.
The voice last night sounded like a woman's… but harsh. Wrong.
He swallowed, the water feeling heavier now.
It will be alright.
He turned back to Hanz on the shore and waved. Hanz waved back, standing ready. Jin took a deep breath, filling his lungs, then dove under.
The world went dark.
Jin's eyes widened in shock. There was no blue, no light filtering through — only endless, suffocating darkness stretching in every direction. He hadn't dived that deep, yet it felt like he had plunged into an abyss. The water was ice-cold, pressing against him from all sides. He couldn't hear his own thoughts — the silence was absolute, heavier than anything he had ever experienced. No bubbles. No movement. Just him, suspended in the void.
Panic surged through his body. He looked around desperately, but there was nothing — no bottom, no surface, no light. His heart hammered wildly, but he couldn't even hear it. He tried to swim upward, kicking hard, but the darkness seemed to pull at him, disorienting every direction.
His head began to ache, not from the cold, but from something else — like invisible fingers pressing into his mind, forcing their way in. He clutched both hands to his head, gritting his teeth as the pain worsened. He tried to shout, but there was no sound, only the crushing silence.
The next moment, he blinked — and he was lying on soft soil.
His eyes widened in confusion as he sat up quickly, scanning his surroundings. He was back on the shore, the same beautiful blue lake stretching out before him, the trees behind him swaying gently in the breeze. But Hanz was nowhere to be seen. The guards were gone. The entire area felt empty.
What unsettled him even more was that he was completely dry, still wearing his dark tactical clothes, not a drop of water on him.
He stood up slowly, heart pounding.
What is this? Another illusion?... I was just drowning!
He paused, his eyes locking onto the lake. In the distance, something was watching him — a head peeking just above the water's surface, only half its face visible. The features were wrong, distorted, the skin pale and stretched, one eye glowing faintly. It stared at him without blinking, the water around it unnaturally still.
Jin's heart beat faster.
An entity!... Could it be the one that spoke to me last night?... This place... this is its Inner world!
He blinked — and he was back in the dark water.
The crushing darkness returned instantly, the cold pressing in from all sides. The silence was absolute again, broken only by the frantic pounding of his own heart in his ears.
Jin remained still in the crushing darkness, his body suspended in the void. His breath was at its limit, lungs burning with the desperate need for air. He looked around frantically, but there was nothing — only endless black pressing in from every side.
Then… the water shifted.
A faint current brushed against him, subtle at first, then stronger. For the first time since diving in, he heard a sound — a low, unnatural groan that vibrated through the water, like something massive moving deep below. It wasn't a pleasant sound. It was wrong. Deep. Ancient. The kind of sound that made his skin crawl even in the cold.
Jin's eyes widened in fear. His heart hammered wildly in his chest. He felt it — the unmistakable feeling that he was not alone.
Panic surged through him like ice in his veins. He kicked desperately, trying to swim upward, but the darkness offered no sense of direction. Then… something touched his foot.
It was soft. Slimy. Cold. It rubbed slowly against his ankle, then his calf, like fingers made of wet seaweed or something worse — something alive and curious. The contact was brief, but it sent a jolt of pure terror through his body. He didn't know what it was. He didn't want to know. But he knew — deep in his gut — that it was bad. Very bad.
Jin thrashed wildly, swimming upward with everything he had. His arms burned as he pulled through the water, legs kicking frantically. The darkness refused to end. No light. No surface. His lungs screamed for air, his vision starting to blur at the edges. He pushed harder, desperation fueling every stroke, but the water seemed to fight him, thick and heavy.
His arms grew heavier. His kicks slowed. The world tilted. Black spots danced in his vision.
He lost consciousness.
---------------
A sharp slap sound echoed.
Jin's eyes jolted open, gasping for air as he coughed violently. Water sprayed from his mouth and nose. He was on the shore, lying on the sand, the cool waves lapping at his legs.
Hanz was crouched over him, tapping his back firmly.
"And there he is. The Void Reaper returns."
Jin coughed again, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Hanz laughed, though there was clear relief in his voice.
"How dare you try to abandon me here alone with the Kharatans? There's no way I'm letting you go just like that."
Jin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, still coughing.
"What… happened?"
Hanz grinned, helping him sit up.
"You dove in, and a few minutes later I saw you struggling. You drowned, man. I mean, if you couldn't swim, you could have said so."
Jin's eyes sharpened as the memory rushed back — the darkness, the touch, the voice. He looked out at the calm blue lake, then turned to Hanz, voice urgent.
"We need to tell Zoltan. Now."
Hanz frowned, crouching beside him.
"Did you find something?"
Jin nodded slowly, still catching his breath, water dripping from his hair.
"There's something in the lake. Something I can't comprehend… but it's there."
Hanz looked shocked, eyes widening.
"When I went in, I didn't see anything. Just clear water and empty bottom."
Jin coughed again, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His voice was low, urgent.
"I heard voices. Echoes. And now… I saw something. Felt something."
He stood up slowly, legs still shaky from the ordeal. He looked out at the calm blue surface of the lake, the red sky reflecting on it like blood on glass. The beauty of it now felt deceptive, hiding whatever lurked beneath.
"Gather all our things," Jin said firmly. "I've found what we were looking for."
Hanz stood up, puzzled, but he didn't question it. He knew Jin well enough by now — if he said he found something, it was real. He smiled faintly to himself, wondering what exactly Jin had seen down there.
They quickly gathered their clothes and belongings from the shore. The two Kharatan guards who had been watching from a distance stepped closer, their tall frames casting long shadows. They didn't speak, but their yellow eyes followed every movement, making it clear they were not to be left behind.
Jin and Hanz started walking back toward the settlement, the guards trailing a short distance behind. The wind brushed through the grass, carrying the faint sound of the lake's gentle waves. Jin's mind was still racing with what he had experienced — the darkness, the touch, the voice. Hanz walked beside him, occasionally glancing back at the guards, his expression a mix of unease and determination.
The shore faded behind them as they moved deeper into the grasslands, the red sky overhead watching silently.
---------------
They returned to the garden. Zoltan was already sitting at the table, the once-filled surface now empty except for a few scattered cups. He looked deep in thought, eyes closed, the red sky casting long shadows across his tall frame. Jin and Hanz stood on the other side, the silence between them heavy. Only the distant rustle of trees in the breeze broke the quiet.
Jin had already laid out everything — every detail of what he had seen and felt in the lake. The darkness. The voice. The touch. The strange presence. Enough to leave Zoltan silent for a long time.
Hanz glanced at Jin, whispering under his breath.
"Was that enough information?"
Jin simply nodded, his expression steady but thoughtful.
Zoltan opened his eyes slowly, letting out a long sigh. He looked at the two young men, a faint smile touching his lips.
"I... did not expect you to find something like this. Something I have never thought of being here."
He paused, his eyes darting around as if still processing it all. Then he stood up, walking slowly toward Jin.
"Throughout our lives here, we have never seen any creature show itself in that lake. Let alone hear any sounds. But…"
He stopped in front of Jin, towering over him.
"You saw something. You felt something."
He chuckled softly, the sound low and thoughtful.
"It seems whatever it is… has gotten its sight on you."
Jin swallowed, a flicker of unease crossing his face.
Zoltan continued, placing a large finger on his chin.
"The fact that you saw something, the fact that Hanz did not see the same thing… clearly you did something to get its attention. Or you are special. For my kind has not managed to achieve such. But… well done."
Zoltan turned his back on them, hands clasped behind him as he began to walk away.
"It's enough searching in the lake today. If there's a monster inside, it would be better not to disturb it. After all... we do not know what that thing is. Well done, now get some rest."
With that, Zoltan left the garden, his tall frame disappearing down one of the stone paths.
Hanz walked over to the other side of the table, letting out a long breath.
"I was expecting something else."
Jin frowned, still looking down at the table, his mind turning.
He finally spoke, voice low.
"Follow me to the hut. There's something I need to tell you."
Hanz raised an eyebrow, then smiled faintly.
"If it's about a breakout, I'm not going to hesitate."
Jin shook his head.
"It's nothing like that. It's just… talking here would be no good. We need some place quiet."
Hanz picked up his axe from the ground, slinging it over his shoulder.
"It's fine. Let's go."
They both stepped away from the garden, the two Kharatan guards silently walking behind them, their presence a constant, watchful shadow.