CHAPTER 108: 109 - STRANDED

From behind the jagged remains of a fractured rock formation, Raine peeked out cautiously, her grip firm on Ignis’s feathers. The phoenix, still weakened but alert, let out a low, concerned rumble.

"Hey! Are you alright...?" she called hesitantly.

But he didn’t answer.

There he was—crouched near the scorched ground where the official had been just moments ago. The space was still faintly smoldering, residual heat distorting the air. And yet, Velren seemed fixated, his gaze locked onto the charred remnants as if searching for something invisible to anyone but himself.

He hadn’t even acknowledged her voice.

Raine frowned, glancing briefly at Ignis before stepping forward. As she neared him, something about his posture—rigid, tensed shoulder, his fingers slightly curled like he was holding something back—made her hesitate.

Then he shifted, and she caught a glimpse of his expression.

Her breath hitched.

"...Hey."

She reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

Only then did he finally react. A sharp inhale, a small twitch of his fingers—like he had just been pulled from deep thought. He blinked, loosening the tension in his stance just slightly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine," his voice was steady but distant. He exhaled and finally stood up. "We should move."

Raine glanced around the darkened terrain before looking back at Velren.

"Where should we go?"

Velren dusted off his uniform, shifting his eyes toward the distant silhouette of the main isle.

"For starters, let’s tread carefully... We’ll head toward the main island and see if we come across Solenne on the way."

Raine nodded, adjusting her grip on her spear as she fell into step beside him. Ignis let out a slow, controlled exhale, his movements were careful as he followed.

***

For a while, Velren remained silent, his thoughts still lingering on what had just happened. But then, after a moment, he finally spoke.

"...Maybe she can help."

"Huh?"

"Solenne," he clarified, glancing toward her briefly. "She might be able to do something for your companion."

Raine let out a bitter chuckle, shaking her head. "I doubt a few first-aid kits are gonna be enough to fully heal Ignis."

Velren exhaled through his nose. "I meant with her healing magic."

That made Raine pause. She gave him a questioning look. "Healing magic? Since when does the princess have that kind of prowess?"

Velren stiffened slightly.

’Shit. Was that not public knowledge?’

He hesitated for half a second before answering, his tone a little more awkward than intended.

"I, uh... I saw it in action once. Back during the exam."

Raine narrowed her eyes at him, her expression bordering on suspicion. But after a moment, she simply exhaled and looked away, letting it go.

She was probably more relieved about the news than anything else. If Solenne could heal Ignis, then that was all that mattered right now—

All of a sudden, the ground beneath them trembled violently, nearly knocking them off their feet.

"Whoa—what the hell was that?!" Velren blurted, regaining his balance just in time.

A deep, resounding rumble followed, echoing from somewhere across the island. Without hesitation, Raine rushed toward the nearest obsidian cliff, scraping her boots against the jagged rock as she climbed.

"Hey! Wait up!" Velren called after her, before quickly following suit.

By the time they reached the top, a dreadful sight unfolded before them. One of the floating isles in the distance quivered unnaturally, as if something was disrupting its stability. Velren’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the unseen energy paths that normally tethered the islands together.

They were fading.

The shimmering, translucent currents—normally invisible unless one truly looked for them—began to flicker and die out. And then, with a sickening lurch, the island in question gave way.

A deep, hollow groan filled the air as the landmass tilted, its edges crumbling apart before it plummeted into the abyss below.

Velren let out a hollow chuckle, though there was no humor in it.

"That... wasn’t supposed to happen, right?"

Raine didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze remained locked on the abyss where the island had disappeared. Then, without another word, she turned on her heel.

"We need to move," she said, leaping down from the ridge.

"Wait—what?!" Velren sputtered before quickly following after her.

As they walked, Velren keeping pace beside her, Raine finally spoke.

"Heading to the main isle was the right call after all."

Velren glanced at her. "Why?"

She didn’t stop walking as she explained:

"I’m guessing that the thing at the Grand Citadel... it’s not just a power source. If my assumptions are right, then it’s the central stabilizing force for this entire skybound system."

Velren narrowed his eyes. "You mean, without it—"

She nodded. "The entire archipelago is doomed."

"The outer islands might have their own stabilization mechanisms, but they’re all tied to whatever is on the Citadel. If that fails, nothing else will hold. That’s why we’re seeing the smaller islands collapse first. It’s like..." She paused, searching for the right words.

"Imagine a spiderweb. If you snap a few strands at the edges, the rest holds together—at first. But if the center collapses, everything crumbles."

Velren clicked his tongue. "So whatever’s inside the Citadel isn’t just failing. It’s the root cause of all of this..."

"Exactly." Raine’s expression darkened. "And if we don’t find a way to fix it—"

She didn’t need to finish the sentence. Velren gulped as he already knew the answer.

’You’re kidding right...?’

The edge of their island finally came into view, jagged cliffs dropping into the endless void below. But what caught Velren’s attention wasn’t the vast drop—it was the structure built right at the precipice.

The aether tram.

Normally, the tram would carry them to the next floating island, its rails held aloft by unseen forces. But unfortunately—

It was guarded.

Three figures stood at the station—more of those officials, clad in their pristine uniforms, standing unnervingly still. And they weren’t alone.

A hulking creature loomed beside them, its body covered in obsidian-hued plates, its muscular frame tensed like a coiled spring. Two twisted horns protruded from its head, curling backward like a ram’s, and Velren could see the faint shimmer of runes etched along its thick hide.

His fingers twitched instinctively. He didn’t recognize that thing.

And that was never a good sign.

Hidden behind the jagged outcrop of rock, the three of them remained unseen—for now.

Raine, however, had no intention of staying that way.

"A Brimfang..."

"A what now?"

Her grip tightened around her spear as she stepped forward, ready to charge.

Velren’s hand shot out, grabbing her arm.

"Whoa, whoa—what the hell are you about to do?" he hissed.

"We can’t waste time," Raine shot back with a low but firm voice. "You saw what happened to that other island."

"I know, I know, just—" Velren exhaled sharply. "Let me think of something first..."