章 223: City

Beneath layers of vines and centuries of neglect lay the bones of Aranthia, a city lost to time. A place once legendary for its towering spires and magnificent sculptures, it had been consumed by an unknown disaster and vanished from history. Legends told of an arcane library hidden within its depths, a place where the boundaries between worlds were so thin that knowledge from beyond could slip through. Most dismissed it as myth, but for those who believed, Aranthia was the holy grail of forbidden knowledge.

Kai, Rowan, and Elara had traveled from distant lands, guided by ancient maps, cryptic symbols, and scattered fragments of lore. For years, the three of them had researched, piecing together clues in search of Aranthia's fabled library. Now, standing before the overgrown ruins, they felt the weight of their journey—this was the place, hidden beneath a canopy of thick green leaves and twisted roots, buried under the remnants of its own forgotten glory.