The air carried a faint sweetness as Kida led the way out of their guest chambers, her crystalline earrings swaying gently with each step. Helios followed, hands csped casually behind his back, as they walked, he caught glimpses of Atntis beyond the arched stone corridors. Skuld trailed close behind him, her face glowing with anticipation, while Kurai moved at a deliberate pace, her gaze sharp and cold as ever.

  The group emerged into an open pza, and even Kurai slowed slightly as the breathtaking city unfolded before them.

  Glowing aqueducts of turquoise water crisscrossed overhead like veins of light, flowing into fountains shaped like spiraling shells. Crystalline bridges arched gracefully over streams filled with luminescent fish darting like living stars. Towering spires bore etched runes that pulsed faintly in time with the great crystal’s heartbeat far above, and bioluminescent pnts lined the streets, their petals shifting gently as though breathing.

  Atnteans moved with fluid purpose, their tattoos glowing faintly as they carried baskets of produce, crystals, or children ughing in soft melodic tones. The city felt less like stone and more like an organism, ancient and eternal.

  Skuld’s eyes widened in awe. “This pce… it’s like something out of a dream.”

  Helios chuckled softly, watching the girl turn in circles to take it all in. “It’s a bit surreal, isn’t it?”

  Kurai, however, gave the surroundings a detached gnce. “It’s beautiful indeed, but beauty often hides rot. How long can a fragile illusion like this really st?”

  Skuld shot her a sharp gre. “You don’t have to ruin everything, you know. Can’t you enjoy something without dissecting it?”

  “Enjoyment is for those who can afford naivety,” Kurai replied coolly, her arms folded across her chest. “I’m simply being realistic.”

  Helios sighed but let the tension slide for now, amused by how predictable the csh between those two had become.

  Kida gnced over her shoulder, her lips quirking into a faint smile before she began to speak. “Atntis was not always like this. Thousands of years ago, it was an empire of unmatched power, expanding across the world. But that ambition brought ruin.”

  Skuld leaned forward slightly, eager. “Was that when the flood happened? Helios mentioned that a flood happened.”

  “Yes,” Kida nodded, her voice quieting with the weight of memory. “The Great Flood sank much of our world. My father believes that letting go of our past will protect us from repeating it. But I… I fear Atntis is not living—it is merely surviving.”

  Kurai gave a faint scoff. “Your father’s approach is cowardice disguised as preservation.”

  Skuld turned on her heel, her teal eyes fshing. “Better cowardice than arrogance! At least they’re still here after all these years.”

  The two locked gazes, the air between them tense.

  “Enough, you two,” Helios interrupted softly but firmly, his voice cutting through their rising irritation like a bde. “You’re both saying the same thing, in your own ways. Atntis endures, but perhaps maybe it’s time for something new.”

  Kida cast him a curious gnce. “You speak as though you know what Atntis needs.”

  Helios only smiled faintly. “Perhaps I don’t, but we’re here to learn. So we might find this thing as we do.”

  The group continued along winding pathways, their footsteps echoing softly against stone. Skuld peppered Kida with warm questions about Atntean culture, eager to know about the runes, the glowing tattoos, and the crystal’s influence. Kida answered patiently, her voice softening, though her sharp eyes never lost their edge.

  As they crossed an elegant bridge spanning a canal, Kurai fell back slightly, her steps near silent. Her gaze remained fixed on the massive glowing structure looming far above. “This city feels like a cage,” she murmured under her breath, so low only Helios heard.

  “In essence it is,” he replied quietly without looking at her. “But even cages can hold answers.”

  Kurai didn’t respond.

  At st, they arrived at an enormous stone staircase spiraling upward toward the Heart of Atntis. A faint hum vibrated through the ground beneath their feet, and the air grew heavier with every step closer.

  Helios paused at the base of the staircase, as he stared up at the brilliant light. There it is…

  Skuld gnced back at him. “Helios?”

  He blinked, his expression softening. “Nothing. Let’s keep moving.”

  As they began to ascend, the pulsing of the crystal seemed to quicken in time with Helios’s heartbeat.

  The steps spiraled upward like the coils of an ancient serpent, each one smooth and cool beneath their feet. The air grew thick with energy, vibrating faintly with the same rhythm as the crystal above. It wasn’t just light or sound—it was life, an invisible pulse that seemed to reach into their chests and synchronize with their heartbeats.

  Kida moved ahead gracefully, her white hair catching the glow of the crystalline spires. “We are nearing the Heart,” she murmured. “It sustains us… and yet even I do not fully understand its nature.”

  Helios’s gaze never wavered from the brilliant, hovering crystal at the pinnacle of the chamber. The crystal was a glowing teal, rotating, translucent sphere with a jagged surface emitting a fring white aura, and was seen levitating with stone effigies of the past kings orbiting around it.

  ‘So this is what I need. I must admit it is more impressive closer up,’ Helios thought aloud, his voice low. There was no denying it—the pull was undeniable, like gravity made manifest.

  Kurai followed a few paces behind him, her silver eyes narrowing as the energy around them thickened. She felt it pressing against her darkness, prodding and weaving through her essence like a curious hand. “This thing… it feels unpleasant,” she muttered under her breath.

  Skuld, wide-eyed and awestruck, clutched the rail as they climbed. “It’s… it’s beautiful. It feels warm, like it’s watching over everything.”

  “Or controlling everything,” Kurai said sharply.

  Skuld shot her a gre. “Why must you twist everything into something sinister? Can’t you sense how pure it is?”

  “I don’t trust purity,” Kurai retorted. “It’s often the most dangerous illusion of all.”

  “Really now. You’re still going on.” Helios didn’t raise his voice, but the command in his tone silenced both. He didn’t stop climbing. “Save your argument for after the tour.”

  When they reached the summit, an expansive ptform unfolded beneath their feet, its edges dropping off into endless space. At the center floated the Heart of Atntis. It rotated slowly, radiating soft pulses of energy that filled the chamber with a low, melodic hum.

  The group stood in silence for a moment, each feeling the weight of its presence in different ways.

  Kida’s expression softened with reverence as she approached. “It chose my mother once,” she whispered. “It saved the city but… it took her from me forever.”

  Helios gnced at her, his voice careful. “And yet you still protect it.”

  “Because it is what remains of her. I believe she still lives inside,” Kida admitted, her voice almost breaking. “It is all I… no, we have left.”

  Helios stepped forward, just close enough to feel the vibrations deep in his bones. The crystal’s glow intensified slightly, and for a moment, he could swear he heard voices—whispers too faint to understand.

  Kurai tilted her head, observing him carefully. “You’re drawn to it,” she said.

  “Yes,” Helios admitted. “It’s… simir to something I’ve experienced before.”

  Skuld blinked, her curiosity piqued. “What do you mean?”

  But before Helios could answer, Kida’s sharp voice cut through the air. “You say you wander and collect stories, but this—” she gestured to the Heart—“is no mere tale. Why have you really come here?”

  The guards around the ptform stiffened, hands tightening around their spears. Tension rippled through the air.

  Helios didn’t flinch. He turned to face her fully, eyes steady. “You’re right to question us, Princess. But I swear to you, we mean no harm. We are here because we really do wish to learn as much as we can about this pce. The Heart’s song speaks to me. I don’t have any ill intentions. I only wish to see everything this pce has to offer in exchange for anything I can provide. Currently I am fascinated by this thing and wish to understand it.”

  Kida studied him intently, her pale blue eyes narrowing. “Understand it? Or use it?”

  Kurai stepped forward then, her presence sharp as a bde. “If he wanted to use it, he wouldn’t need your permission we would just take it.”

  Skuld hissed under her breath, stepping between Kurai and Kida. “Don’t make things worse, Kurai. Not here.”

  Helios raised a hand, signaling them both to stand down. “I apologize for my companion’s words, but I must admit she speaks the truth. If we wanted to really take this, we would. We have no such desire, of course. We truly are only here to learn of your history as much as you feel comfortable sharing with us.”

  Kida’s eyes flickered, her lips tightening as though warring with herself.

  Finally, she exhaled softly. “You’ll have to prove your words.”

  Helios inclined his head. “We’ll do what we must. Thank you, Princess.”

  The tension broke slightly as Kida turned back toward the staircase. “Come. There is more you should see before we decide your pce here.”

  As they followed her down, Kurai leaned close to Helios, her voice a whisper. “You handled that well… for now.”

  He smiled faintly. “I told you—I’m here to learn.”

  Skuld gnced between them, her brow furrowed. Something unspoken lingered in the air, heavier than the crystal’s hum.