"Are you ready, Ninth Vein?"

Hamada's voice broke their silence.

Malakai blinked once before turning away from Nyx, shifting his focus back to Hamada.

He gave a small nod.

Hamada hit the reins of his Gravethorn, urging it forward, with Malakai and Nyx following suit.

They approached the massive gates, and Hamada nodded toward the warriors stationed there.

With a deep, mechanical groan, the chains rattled, gears shifting as the gates slowly began to open.

The wind howled through the widening gap, an intense gust whipping against them.

Malakai's jacket billowed. His hair fluttered. But his eyes never wavered.

Hamada flicked his reins once more.

In the next instant, the Gravethorns moved forward, their powerful strides carrying them into the barren lands.

Behind them, the gate rumbled shut, sealing the fortress away.

The trio maintained a moderate pace toward the Pit. Hamada had adjusted to Malakai's speed. After all, he was leading the child to his death. The least he could do was delay it as long as Malakai wanted.

The ride was silent, only the rhythmic pounding of the Gravethorns' hooves against the barren ground echoed through the vast, open landscape.

Malakai's gaze remained forward, scanning the land stretched endlessly before them. Nyx rode silently at his side, her face still troubled, as if searching for the right moment to speak her mind.

Hamada noticed Malakai's stare, the way his gaze stayed on the desolate and barren land.

He decided to break the silence.

"The battle against those Veil creatures caused the grass to wither," Hamada said, reducing his speed and moving closer to Malakai.

"At the end of each month, this barren land would have turned green again, only to perish once the darkness returned from the Pit."

Malakai's eyes changed slightly at the mention of the Pit, but he said nothing.

His focus remained singular, how he would survive. That was all that mattered.

Hamada noticed this, yet he felt the need to keep the boy from thinking too much. A distraction.

After a pause, he continued.

"Do you know the history of the Pit?"

Malakai's response was short and immediate.

"The periodic spawning of darkness creatures?"

Hamada let out a small smile.

"No. The real history."

Malakai's gaze sharpened. The real history? Even Nyx tilted her head slightly, intrigued.

Had they been lied to all this time?

Hamada could see what they were thinking. He decided to clarify.

"The history you know is not a lie. It's true, but some parts were kept secret."

The expressions of both Malakai and Nyx changed to curiosity. They fixed their gazes on Hamada, silently urging him to continue.

"What I'm about to tell you is known only to a select few in the Sanguine clan, and to the true veterans of Black Reach. I hope you will keep it a secret."

Malakai did not react. There was no need to. He was basically being sent to his death. Hamada's words were meant for Nyx.

And to that, she gave a firm nod, acknowledging his request.

Hamada sighed before continuing.

"Like I said, what you know isn't false. But it isn't the full truth either. Perhaps this might give you some hope."

"This is the truth you know," Hamada said calmly as the Gravethorns continued their pace.

"After the dome was formed, humanity grew complacent, thinking the darkness could no longer breach their walls. They focused on rebuilding, restoring order… until they came."

"Massive black pits emerged near the southern dome. From them, the darkness creatures came, countless in number. Humanity was caught off guard. Warriors died in droves. And then came the true horror, those same fallen were used as vessels, allowing the darkness to slip inside the dome."

The mood had turned somber. It was a devastating truth. It was their reality now.

"Eventually, the threat was pushed back, and the creatures eradicated. That's when they discovered the pits spawned darkness periodically, waves that were meant only to kill, multiply, and destroy."

Hamada glanced at him.

"That's the history of Black Reach that everyone inside the dome knows, right?"

Malakai nodded.

He paused.

"But that's only the surface. The real truth was kept hidden."

Hamada exhaled.

"Because after repelling the first wave of darkness creatures…"

"Humanity's strongest entered the Pits."

They went inside the Pit?

Malakai and Nyx's expressions changed.

"They entered?" Malakai asked.

Hamada nodded.

"The pits were inside the dome. If another wave came, humanity couldn't afford another massacre."

"So they tried to end it from the root. To seal the hole."

"But when they entered… they came out confused. None of them had died. None of them had even been injured."

"And when they asked them what happened… they reported that they had been transported somewhere else."

"They said it was an unfamiliar place. A place where they could fight darkness creatures freely."

"They could control the rank, the number, even the conditions of their battles. It was nothing like the abyssal darkness they had expected."

Malakai's thoughts raced. Another plane?

A place where humans could control their battles against darkness creatures?

Then does that mean…

Before he could complete the thought, Hamada interrupted.

"I see that look in your eyes. But let me finish."

He could practically feel the hope that shone in Malakai's gaze. If everything Hamada was saying was the truth, then didn't it mean that he had a chance to survive?

Malakai quickly silenced his thoughts and listened.

Hamada nodded.

"Humanity's reaction had been divided. Some saw the pits as a blessing, a place where they could train, grow stronger, and gain power. Others saw it as a curse, something to be sealed immediately."

His tone turned cold.

"The power-hungry won. They continued using the pits as a training ground. And for a while… it worked."

Hamada's voice turned grave, and his expression hardened.

"Until it didn't."

"Many years later, humanity's strongest decided to send their descendants into the pits. To train, evolve, and grow stronger. But…"

Hamada's eyes turned cold.

"None of them returned."

The gazes of Malakai and Nyx narrowed.

"Over a hundred youths. Geniuses meant to lead their clans in the coming years. Vanished. Without a trace."

Hamada looked forward.

"The entire dome was turned upside down. But no matter how hard they searched… they never found them."