Through Ember and Ash
The lands beyond Solara were nothing like the golden spires and radiant fields the Sun Kingdom had once been known for. Here, the light was dimmer—filtered through a sky tinged with red. The earth was cracked and dry, blackened by past calamities. Every step forward was a reminder that this path had been forgotten for a reason.
It was not just a journey through land.
It was a descent into memory.
---
Old Roads, New Voices
The group moved cautiously, Caelum taking point. His armor glinted dully in the twilight, each footfall confident, silent. He navigated terrain none of them recognized—following trails only someone raised in the old ways could find.
“This region used to be sacred,” he said quietly to Tranquility. “Before the Great Sundering, these paths led to the shrines of the flame-priests. Now…” He glanced at the broken pillars half-buried in ash. “Now they’re nothing but bone.”
Tranquility glanced toward the others. Clow and Yue followed near the center of the group, quiet and observant. Syaoran and Reiko stayed close, flanking either side like a protective barrier. Endymion led beside Caelum, his expression unreadable.
And behind them… four shadows moved with silent precision.
Endymion’s Guardians—Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite—had not spoken much since they left Solara, but they were alert, always watching.
Jadeite broke the silence first. “This place reeks of old magic. It’s in the air.”
“You mean it smells like burning,” Nephrite muttered.
“No,” Zoisite said, eyes narrowed. “He’s right. Something old is here. It's not just the Fallen Sun. There’s something… buried.”
Kunzite, ever composed, stepped closer to Endymion. “Your Highness. This trail—Clow believes it leads to what exactly?”
Clow, without looking back, answered instead. “A site erased from most records. Even the Forgotten Temple only hinted at it. A ruin predating the Sun Kingdom’s rise. Where the first bond between light and shadow was shattered.”
Reiko tilted her head. “That sounds incredibly ominous.”
“Oh, it is,” Clow said with a faint smile. “But I’m sure it’ll be a delightful visit.”
---
Flickers of Truth
As night approached, they made camp near a crumbling shrine, the stone etched with faded sigils no one could decipher—except Caelum.
“It was a prayer,” he said, crouching near the base. “A plea for forgiveness. Carved by someone who betrayed the flame.”
Tranquility sat nearby, watching the last light fade beyond the jagged horizon. The Sun Peridot pulsed faintly at his chest, reacting to something distant… something waiting.
“You’re quiet,” Endymion said, settling beside him.
“So are you.”
Endymion smiled faintly. “I’m used to being the one who has to lead. It’s strange letting someone else take the front.”
“You don’t have to follow,” Tranquility murmured. “This isn’t your kingdom.”
Endymion’s gaze didn’t waver. “But it’s your war. That makes it mine too.”
Across the fire, Yue watched them in silence. His eyes flicked once to Clow, who stood alone at the edge of the ruins, staring up at the stars like he was reading their secrets.
“You still haven’t told them everything,” Yue said softly.
Clow’s voice was just as quiet. “Would they listen if I did?”
Yue didn’t answer.
---
Signs in the Dust
At dawn, the trail changed.
The land sloped downward, into a ravine where the sunlight barely reached. The air was thick with ash. And in the distance—half-buried under dust and stone—stood the remnants of something massive.
A broken gate.
Tranquility stopped, his breath catching. The Sun Peridot burned like fire against his skin.
“This is it,” Clow said, stepping forward. “The Eclipsed Ruins.”
Reiko stared ahead, her voice low. “It looks like something tried to bury it. Like the world itself wanted to forget it ever existed.”
“No,” Caelum said, frowning. “It wasn’t the world.”
He raised his hand toward the cracked stone.
“It was us.”