Inside was breathtaking.

Rainbow light refracted through multifaceted crystal walls, cascading colors shifting with every step, illuminating passage in perpetual kaleidoscope brilliance. Frost patterns woven through crystalline surfaces glowed faintly from within as blue-white veins pulsed with preserved energy, ancient magic maintained by stable zone's protection.

Temperature was comfortable despite frozen wasteland outside as stable zone created artificial environment with perfect preservation after millennia.

The entrance hall stretched forward, wider than Western or Southern ruins, taller than Sunken Archives chambers. Architectural grandeur adapted to frozen north with crystalline beauty merged with permanent ice, creating hybrid magnificence unique to this civilization.

Different from every ruin they'd explored, Northern culture's distinct identity manifest in architecture.

They moved forward together with Draven leading, Malvorn beside him, pack surrounding them protectively.

Velnar's bulk moved carefully through crystalline halls. "Architecture sophisticated. Construction quality exceptional even compared to other ruins. Northern civilization mastered crystal-frost fusion."

Sylvara's nature magic probed gently. "Energy signatures stable. No corruption detected anywhere. Preservation perfect."

Feyra's small voice echoed. "So pretty! Like walking inside rainbow frozen in time!"

Zor circled overhead through taller sections. "No threats detected. Halls empty but well-preserved. Proceeding deeper."

Genesis Codex floated alongside Draven, green-gold light pulsing steadily as Adhivar and Codex both remained silent, observing, waiting to see what discovery awaited.

Passage widened into massive hall, central chamber like others they'd found but grander. Crystalline ceiling rose thirty meters overhead, frost patterns creating intricate mosaics across surfaces, rainbow light dancing everywhere.

And covering walls in systematic arrangement were paintings.

Preserved perfectly within stable zone's protection with colors vibrant as day they were created, images clear, detailed, comprehensive.

Draven's heart rate accelerated because this was why they came: information about Fate's Revenge, understanding of curse mechanics, answers previous ruins provided in frustrating repetition.

Would Northern ruins reveal same knowledge? Or something different?

Only one way to find out.

They approached the paintings together.

***

First painting showed familiar image: two worlds.

One labeled Earth in ancient script, one labeled Theia. Spheres floating in cosmic void, separated by dimensional barrier, existing in different planes of reality.

Earth larger, solid, complete. Theia smaller, pocket dimension, artificial construction.

Both marked with same symbol: cursed.

Draven had seen this before in Western Wild ruins, Southern Wild ruins, Sunken Archives. Always same beginning with Earth and Theia, both suffering under Fate's Revenge, separated by dimensions, unable to merge.

Expected repetition, familiar pattern.

But next painting showed something different.

Velnar clicked beside him. "Wait. This image new."

Everyone's attention sharpened with new information, finally.

Second painting showed Earth and Theia approaching each other as dimensional barrier thinned, worlds drawing close, merger beginning.

But between them, positioned in precise geometric pattern, were five objects.

Glowing rods, human-sized with vertical orientation. Beautiful patterns carved into their surfaces with intricate bevel designs creating artistic magnificence. Each rod glowing with inner light, brilliant against cosmic void.

Positioned in space between worlds, not randomly but deliberately as coordinate points, five specific locations where worlds would meet.

And from these five glowing Anchors, light extended, connecting Earth to Theia like bridges with dimensional energy flowing through them, merger facilitated by their presence.

The mechanism, the missing piece, how merger was supposed to work.

Sylvara's analytical voice was quiet with realization. "Those objects they're not decoration. They're functional. Required for merger process."

Third painting showed outcome if merger succeeded.

Single massive world, Super Earth, both planets combined into one with size enormous, continents vast, oceans endless.

And everywhere magic flowed with visible energy currents painting through atmosphere, cascading across landscapes, infusing everything with elemental power. Humans wielding fire, water, earth, air naturally. Beasts ascending to heights impossible in separation.

Flourishing with cities magnificent, nature thriving, civilization and wilderness coexisting in perfect balance as both species reached potential only possible together.

What could have been, what should have been.

Beautiful and heartbreaking.

Feyra's small voice broke silence. "That's that's what we lost. What everyone lost."

Paradise denied by failed merger.

Fourth painting showed reality.

Merger attempted but five glowing rods were absent, coordinate points empty, no bridges, no connection.

Worlds approaching without Anchors as process became unstable, dimensional energies chaotic, merger failing catastrophically.

Both worlds splitting apart violently as curse intensified, Fate's Revenge erupting fully, separation permanent, paradise lost forever.

Because the five Anchors weren't there.

Malvorn's voice was grave. "The merger failed because those objects, those Anchors, were missing. Without them, connection impossible."

The answer: why curse persists, why merger failed, why both worlds suffer.

Missing Anchors.

***

Beyond paintings, pedestals rose from crystalline floor, similar to Sunken Archives arrangement. Atop each pedestal, recording crystals waited, smaller than Archive crystals but same function: information storage, knowledge preservation.

Five crystals total, five Anchors, connection obvious.

Draven approached nearest pedestal, reaching toward crystal carefully.

Genesis Codex floated closer, green-gold light brightening as cosmic entities remained attentive but still not speaking, letting Draven discover independently.

Crystal responded to touch, activating smoothly, holographic light projecting upward into chamber.

Information revealing itself.

Hologram materialized with rotating three-dimensional image of single Anchor.

Human-sized glowing rod, approximately two meters tall, cylindrical, diameter maybe ten centimeters. Portable, carryable by single person if needed.

Glowing from within with soft brilliant light emanating through surface, color shifting between gold and white, pulsing gently like heartbeat.

Surface covered in beautiful patterns with intricate bevel designs carved with microscopic precision, geometric and organic simultaneously, creating artistic magnificence. Patterns seemed to move slightly in hologram as energy flowed through carved channels.

Five of these existed, five Anchors, five coordinate points.

Hologram showed their function: positioned in space between dimensions, creating bridge points, allowing worlds to merge safely and completely.

Required, not optional, not helpful, but essential.

Without all five Anchors properly positioned, merger was impossible.

Next crystal activated with information continuing.

Hologram showed merger attempt timeline: preparation phase, Anchor positioning, dimensional alignment beginning.

Then Anchors disappearing, one by one, five coordinate points going dark as glowing rods vanished from their positions.

Timing catastrophic, right as merger began, worst possible moment.

Without Anchors, merger became unstable, process failing, worlds separating violently instead of merging gently.

Fate's Revenge triggered.

Final crystal showed current status: Five Anchors, LOST.

Location unknown, scattered, disappeared, somewhere across Theia maybe beyond.

Must be found, must be recovered, must be positioned correctly.

Only then could merger succeed.

Only then could curse end.

Zor's tactical voice cut through heavy silence. "We need to find them. All five."

Velnar's quiet observation followed. "Finding five objects. Anywhere on Theia. Possibly lost for millennia. No clues to location. Planetary search required."

Sylvara added, "Could be buried. Hidden. Scattered across continents. Under oceans. In mountains. Anywhere."

Massive undertaking with potentially impossible scale.

But necessary.

Feyra's small hopeful voice offered, "But if we find them we can fix everything. We can stop the curse. We can save everyone."

Worth any effort, any time, any challenge.

***

Draven stood before holographic Anchors, mind racing through implications.

Sunken Archives taught: Earth and Theia cursed, merger failed, Fate's Revenge punishment for failure.

Northern Ruins taught: Merger needed five Anchors as coordinate points and connection bridges. Anchors disappeared right as merger began. That's WHY merger failed.

Comprehensive understanding formed as pieces clicked together across multiple ruins.

Not just what happened but how it happened, why it failed.

And most importantly, what must be done to fix it.

Find the five Anchors, recover them, position them correctly, enable merger, stop curse.

Clear objective with impossible scale but achievable, theoretically.

New primary mission emerging.

His pack's future, millions of beasts' freedom, both worlds' salvation, all dependent on finding five lost objects.

Malvorn's crystalline features were thoughtful, earth communion extending subconsciously. "Earth communion might sense them. If they're buried, if they're connected to planetary geology, I might detect their presence. Eventually."

Pause for realistic assessment. "But if they're on surface, or hidden in ways earth doesn't touch, or protected by dimensional barriers finding them could take years. Decades."

Overlord's vast power still limited by practical reality: five objects, entire planet, infinite hiding places.

"But we will search. However long it takes."

Commitment absolute.

Genesis Codex pulsed brighter as Adhivar's presence manifested through telepathic connection to Draven.

*"Bearer. The Anchors are real. Their purpose confirmed. Your understanding correct."*

Cosmic entity validating discovery.

*"We did not know specifics, merger mechanism lost even to cosmic memory. But now revealed through preserved records."*

Even entities had incomplete knowledge as ruins filled gaps.

*"This is what you sought. Clear objective. Path forward. Difficult but achievable. Find the five Anchors. Enable merger. Both worlds depend on success."*

No pressure.

Draven exhaled slowly with mission understood and challenge accepted.

They stood together in crystalline chamber, rainbow light dancing across determined faces.

Five Anchors lost across Theia with locations unknown, human-sized glowing rods with beautiful bevel patterns, coordinate points for dimensional merger, required for curse's end.

They would find them, however long it took, however difficult the search.

Draven's voice was quiet but absolute. "We find the Anchors. All five. Whatever it takes."

Pack surrounded him with agreement unanimous.

New mission accepted.

The search begins.

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