The place was silent… or dead—I couldn't tell. I followed Alvira through winding corridors deep within the palace until we reached a room that resembled a laboratory. The walls were lined with shelves holding glass vials filled with liquids of indescribable colors, and scattered files lay here and there, some covered in a thin layer of ash, as if someone had abandoned them long ago.
The smell of iron and ash was suffocating. Even the air felt choked. It was as if we were walking through the remnants of someone's forgotten memories.
Alvira sat down on a metal table while I leaned against a wall in the far corner. I didn't feel at ease—not because of the atmosphere or anxiety, but because of the overwhelming stillness, like everything here was waiting to come back to life in a violent way.
She looked up at a massive map hanging on the wall—old, but detailed. It showed four continents separated by seas of lava, its lines drawn in an ancient language, though I read it effortlessly.
She spoke in a low voice, pointing to the map: "Ifysto... four great islands. Nervalon, Kaigra, Solthar, and Arktom."
I pointed to Solthar and asked, "This island... it looks like the center of the four."
She replied without lifting her gaze, "Because it is. It used to be the beating heart before the volcanoes swallowed it decades ago. Now, it's the most dangerous of them all."
I looked at her, then asked, "What's the next step?"
She pointed to a section on the map. "The Kakino Mati. The only creatures we can extract the antidote from—their eyes. But the problem... they're rare. And just one look from them is enough to drive even the greatest warriors insane."
I stepped forward. "What do we know about them?"
She glanced at me, her expression cautious. "They're divided into three categories. The first... human-like distorted bodies, almost like living shadows. They're fairly intelligent and usually operate in groups. The second... massive solitary creatures with tough skin, often living in lava. As for the third…"
She paused.
"Legendary beings—we've only seen one in the last fifty years. Monsters buried deep underground, sleeping for decades before waking briefly and leaving disasters in their wake. Even dragons avoid them."
I was silent for a moment before asking, "Which category do we need?"
She replied simply, "The third. Just one of that kind is enough to create an antidote for an entire army."
I laughed bitterly. "A rare creature, buried, no one knows when or how it wakes up, completely out of anyone's control? Great. Where do we find it?"
She raised her head and said, "The last person to see one... is still alive. A soldier from an old expedition. But his condition… is complicated."
"Where is he?"
"In the dungeon, imprisoned here in the palace."
I followed her without another word. Our steps echoed through the lower corridors, a sound that didn't suit a place where everything had died long ago. Finally, we stopped in front of a heavy metal cell. From the outside, it looked like any other.
I asked, "Why is he imprisoned?"
She answered, "Because he's not the same anymore. Something in his mind… broke."
We entered. The air was heavier. In the corner, sat a man of indeterminable age, his back hunched, hands covering his face, his body trembling constantly.
Alvira spoke softly, "He wasn't physically harmed, but he lost his mind after looking directly into the eyes of one of the Kakino Mati."
I stepped forward, trying not to show any emotion, but something inside me tore. I'd seen hundreds like this man in other worlds—but this… this kind of brokenness was different.
I knelt in front of him.
"You saw one of them, didn't you?"
He didn't respond—only trembled more.
"I know… I know you remember. Even madness doesn't erase memories like that. I need the details. When? Where? What were you doing?"
He whispered something I couldn't hear. I leaned in closer.
"I only want the location. I won't ask you to fight again."
He began to cry. It sounded like a child's sobbing. But I didn't back down.
"I know what you saw wasn't ordinary. Maybe it burned your mind, but not completely… you survived, and that means you were stronger than it, even for just a moment. Use that moment now."
He slowly lifted his head. His eyes were filled with fear, but behind the fear… there was something else. Something like awareness.
"Will... will you kill it?"
His question stabbed like a dagger. "Yes."
He was silent for a moment, then extended a trembling finger toward the ground and began drawing a symbol with his dusty hand.
Alvira quickly approached, looking at what he was drawing.
"This… this is Solthar. One of the four islands. This spot specifically…"
She pointed to a small area in the heart of the island. "A place called 'Kryde Hollow.' Forgotten after a massive eruption thirty years ago."
I looked at him again. "Is this the place? Is this what you saw?"
He nodded silently, then broke down crying again.
I left the room without saying another word. Behind me, the sound of his sobs followed until I stepped out of the cell. I looked at Alvira.
"We have a lead." She replied, "But the lead takes us to a place no one ever returns from."
I fell silent, then said, "Good. That means what I'm looking for is there."
But inside me, another question gnawed away: What could just one glance from such a creature really do… if we were to face it?