Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women

Lyara's voice was firm. "We're not trying to open it. We're trying to stop it from opening again."

The scholar studied them for a long moment, then sighed. "There might be another way."

Jude leaned in. "We're listening."

The man stood, moving to one of the shelves behind him. He carefully pulled out a worn leather-bound book, flipping through its yellowed pages before stopping on a passage marked with a faded ribbon. "There were rumors of a second artifact. One tied to the figure in light." He turned the book toward them. "A relic that was said to be hidden in the Valley of Echoes."

Jude's pulse quickened. "And this valley… where is it?"

The scholar hesitated. "Far south, past the desert. It's not an easy journey."

Lyara didn't flinch. "We've handled worse."

The scholar sighed. "Then I hope you're prepared. Because if this legend is true, you won't be the only ones looking for it."

Jude took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the path ahead pressing down on him. They had a lead. A real one. But with it came danger, uncertainty, and the knowledge that time was slipping through their fingers.

Lyara straightened. "Then we leave at first light."

The scholar nodded slowly. "Be careful. Some knowledge is buried for a reason."

Jude exhaled, glancing down at the tablet once more. The path forward was set. Now, they just had to survive it.

The morning air was crisp as Jude and Lyara left the encampment behind, their supplies packed tightly against their backs. The scholar's warning echoed in Jude's mind, but there was no turning back now. They had a destination: the Valley of Echoes. A place shrouded in myth, hidden beyond the shifting sands of the southern desert. It was said that few who entered ever returned, but if the second artifact was there, they had no choice but to press on.

The first leg of their journey took them through the remnants of an old trade road, long abandoned and partially buried beneath layers of sand and time. The cracked stone path still bore the faint impressions of ancient wagon wheels, and the occasional fragment of rusted metal peeked through the dust. Lyara walked a few paces ahead, her sharp gaze scanning the horizon for any sign of movement. Bandits were common in these lands, as were creatures that had adapted to the unforgiving environment.

Jude adjusted the strap of his satchel, his thoughts drifting to the stone tablet tucked inside. The scholar had only been able to translate fragments of the text, but what little he had deciphered was enough to send a chill through him. The script spoke of a "great rift" between two forces, one that sought to protect the world, and one that wished to reshape it. The second figure in the vision, the one bathed in light, had been described as a "keeper of the hidden flame."

"What do you think it means?" Jude asked, breaking the silence.

Lyara glanced over her shoulder. "What?"

"The hidden flame. The text mentioned it, right?"

Lyara shrugged. "Could be a metaphor. Or it could be an actual artifact. Either way, we won't know until we reach the valley."

Jude sighed, kicking a loose stone on the path. "I just don't like walking into something blind."

Lyara smirked. "You're always walking into things blind. You just happen to have good luck."

Jude rolled his eyes. "That's not exactly comforting."

The road eventually gave way to open dunes, the golden sand stretching endlessly beneath the harsh glare of the sun. The temperature had already begun to rise, beads of sweat forming on Jude's brow as he pulled his scarf higher to shield his face from the wind.

Lyara knelt at the crest of a dune, peering ahead. "We're not alone."

Jude tensed. "Bandits?"

Lyara shook her head. "Worse."

Jude followed her gaze. In the distance, just barely visible against the shifting landscape, were figures clad in dark robes. Their movements were slow and deliberate, their forms barely disturbed by the wind. They weren't bandits. They were seekers.

Jude's stomach tightened. The seekers were fanatics, devoted to uncovering and controlling lost artifacts. If they were here, it meant they had heard the same legends. And they wouldn't hesitate to eliminate anyone who stood in their way.

"We need to move," Lyara whispered.

Jude nodded, and they veered off the main path, keeping low as they navigated through the dunes. The seekers hadn't spotted them yet, but it was only a matter of time.

They traveled for hours, the sun beating down on them as they moved deeper into the desert. Water was rationed carefully, each sip measured to ensure they would last the journey. By midday, the landscape had begun to change. The dunes became less prominent, replaced by jagged rock formations that jutted from the sand like the bones of a long-forgotten beast.

Jude wiped sweat from his brow. "How far do you think we are?"

Lyara studied the horizon. "Close. If the scholar's map was accurate, the valley should be just beyond that ridge."

Jude exhaled, relieved. "Good. Because I don't think we're alone anymore."

Lyara stiffened, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. She turned slowly, her eyes narrowing. At first, there was only silence. Then, a faint shifting sound.

From the shadows of the rock formations, dark figures emerged. Their robes rippled in the wind, their faces obscured by hoods and masks. The seekers had found them.

Jude took a step back, cursing under his breath. "They were waiting for us."

One of the seekers raised a hand, and the others stilled. When he spoke, his voice was deep and measured. "You carry something that does not belong to you."

Jude's fingers tightened around the strap of his satchel. "It belongs to no one."

The seeker tilted his head. "And yet you seek to claim its power for yourself."

Lyara stepped forward, her stance unwavering. "We're not here for power. We're here to stop what's coming."