The Art of Gold Digging

Ch.29- The Dark Colossus

Amy quickened her pace to catch up with the others, her mind still reeling from the conversation with Libris—the memory of its cracked cover not leaving her for a single second—but she forced herself to focus on the immediate situation.

"There you are," Ash said as she rejoined the group. His golden eyes studied her face briefly. "Something wrong?"

"Fine," Amy replied, adjusting her satchel. "Just needed a moment."

Lyra glanced back at her with obvious suspicion. "You looked like you were talking to someone."

"Just thinking out loud," Amy shrugged, hoping her expression betrayed nothing.

Crow studied her briefly, his dark eyes lingering on her satchel where Libris was hidden, before turning to continue down the corridor. "We should keep moving. No telling how much time we have."

Lain continued gazing at her for a few more seconds before following Crow and the others.

The group continued down the seemingly endless corridor, dimly lit by flickering candles. As they walked, Amy noticed the stones beneath their feet growing older; cracks webbed out across the flagstones, and moss crept between the seams.

They were getting close.

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her satchel; the cracked book cover and the thought of confronting her memories haunted her.

The others were walking ahead—strategizing or bickering, it was hard to tell. Their voices blurred, like sounds underwater.

Amy clenched her fist and bit her lip as hard as she could, forcing clarity into her mind. This wasn't the moment to get distracted.

"How much farther?" Iris asked, breaking the silence.

"Not much, I think," Crow replied, his eyes narrowing. "I can feel something..."

"I feel it too," Lyra said, pausing mid-step.

Ash's brow furrowed as he stared at them, then he glanced around, confused. "Feel what? I don't feel anything."

"You aren't as sensitive to magic as us, that's probably why," Lyra explained as she rubbed her arms. "Like... a pressure. In the air. It's getting stronger the further we go."

Amy felt it too—a subtle but growing tension. The hair on her arms stood on end, and a faint buzzing sensation prickled at the back of her neck.

"Is it the temperature? Because I'm pretty sure it's getting colder," Ash observed, wrapping his arms around himself. His breath had become visible, small puffs of white mist.

"Everyone, stay close," Crow instructed as they rounded a curve in the passage.

As they walked, the corridor gradually widened, opening into a large circular stone chamber. At its center stood an ornate archway of obsidian, carved with red symbols Amy couldn't recognize. Beyond it lay only darkness.

Crow approached the archway, studying the symbols. "It's written in Old Vernacular… The entrance to the Eastern Wing."

"That doesn't look like any wing I've ever seen," Ash muttered, eyeing the darkness beyond with suspicion. "Looks more like a gate to hell."

"It's not," Zayd said quietly. "I recognize it anywhere. It's a threshold."

"A threshold to what?" Iris demanded.

"To wherever the Eastern Wing currently exists," Zayd responded. "The Vernal Alignment…" he said after a pause. "The headmistress mentioned it. It's a rare celestial event that occurs once every seventy-seven years."

"And that's relevant because...?" Iris prompted.

"Because during the Alignment, the barriers between realities thin. Time itself becomes... malleable."

Amy stared at the archway, a cold certainty settling in her stomach. In the manga, they had entered through a different place, but still the same gate.

I'm not ready.

She didn't feel ready, not in the slightest.

Sure, it wasn't like she would immediately have to confront her memories the moment she entered; that would take a few days. But the preceding days weren't any better, even if everything was just an illusion…

Crow turned to face the group, his expression turning dark. "I think..." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I think that what lies beyond isn't just a physical place... It's a nightmare."

The word hung in the air. Everyone except Amy reacted with shock—Lyra gasped audibly, Ash straightened, and even Iris took an involuntary step back.

"A nightmare?" Lyra repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, I'm almost confident," Crow confirmed, probably through his third ability. "But it's different in nature from the usual. I believe it's the kind that formed naturally, over time."

"Wait, wait, wait," Ash interjected, holding up his hands. "You're telling me there's been a nightmare inside the Academy this whole time? And the faculty just... what? Roped it off with a 'do not enter' sign?"

"Not inside the Academy," Zayd corrected, his voice thoughtful. "More like... adjacent to it. Existing in the same space but separate, accessible only under specific conditions."

"Like during the Vernal Alignment," Crow added. "When the barriers between realities thin."

"This is insane," Iris muttered, running a hand through her hair. "Why would anyone build an Academy next to a nightmare?"

Silence followed Iris' words as everyone stared into the archway. They all knew there was no going back now, but nobody dared to take the first step forward. They just stood there, staring into the darkness.

It was Lain who finally broke the silence. "...we should go through... together," she suggested. "...less chance to get separated..."

Crow hesitated for a second before nodding in agreement. "Link hands," he instructed. "Whatever happens, don't let go."

"We really are going to do this, aren't we…?" Ash muttered under his breath, but still followed Crow's instructions.

They formed a chain—Crow at the far right side, followed by Lain, then Lyra, Iris, Ash, Zayd, and finally Amy at the far left. Amy felt Zayd's hand, cool and dry, grip hers firmly. With her other hand, she unnecessarily checked that Libris was secure in her satchel.

"Ready? Last chance to turn back," Crow asked, looking at the line of students.

Nobody spoke, but everyone nodded. They had already come too far and done far too much just to get here; might as well just enter and finish this.

"Then let's go."

As one, they stepped through the archway.

The transition was immediate and disorienting. One moment, they were in the relatively warm candlelit chamber; the next, they stood in a vast, snow-covered landscape packed with dead trees stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Holy shit," Ash breathed, shivering.

The world around them was eerily silent, the kind of absolute stillness that comes only with the complete absence of life.

The sky above was a strange, muted gray, neither day nor night. No sun, no moon, no stars—just an endless expanse of colorlessness. In the distance, shadowy forms suggested mountains or perhaps buildings, but they were too far to identify clearly.

Despite the bitter cold of the environment, Amy did not feel it much. Something about her clothes protected her.

She winced at the realization. Just how much had Libris been helping her…? Did this also hurt it…?

"Is everyone alright?" Crow asked, glancing around.

They had all released each other's hands but remained huddled close together. No one seemed eager to venture away from the group.

"No," Ash replied, his breath forming dense clouds as he trembled. "I'm fucking dying here."

Zayd's amber eyes narrowed as he studied their surroundings. "The Nightmare appears to have manifested as an eternal winter," he observed. "Interesting."

"Fascinating," Iris muttered sarcastically, her teeth chattering slightly. "Any helpful observations?"

Zayd ignored her, turning to Crow instead. "So what now?"

Crow unclasped his cloak and offered it to Lyra, who accepted it gratefully. He seemed to be the least affected by the cold after Amy and Lain.

"We need to find shelter," he stated, his dark eyes narrowed against the dim light. "And the Library. That's our objective—that's why we're here."

"Which way?" Ash asked, gesturing to the seemingly identical terrain stretching in all directions. "There's nothing but snow and dead trees as far as I can see."

Crow reached into his pocket and withdrew a small piece of paper; the letter left by his father. Then he closed his eyes for a few seconds, staying completely still.

"This way," he said finally, pointing to what appeared to be a slightly denser cluster of trees in the distance. "The magical density is stronger that way."

"Are you sure?" Iris asked skeptically. "Because going towards a densely packed magical zone in a nightmarish frozen wasteland seems like the beginning of a very bad decision."

"Do you have a better suggestion?" Crow countered.

Iris fell silent, glancing around at the desolate landscape again before grinning. "How about going to the right?"

"Right?" Crow asked, arching an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Dunno, I was just suggesting since you asked."

"..."

"How far?" Lyra breathed, her voice trembling slightly from the cold despite Crow's cloak.

"I can't tell," Crow admitted. "Distance feels... wrong here. But we should move. Standing still won't get us anywhere. Let's go."

Without wasting any more time, they began walking. The snow crunching beneath their feet was the only sound in the eerie silence. Amy stayed at the back of the group, her hand occasionally brushing against her satchel where Libris rested.

[Are you alright?]

"..."

[Amy?]

"I should be asking you that," Amy murmured, making sure the others were far enough ahead not to hear. "How bad is it…?"

[You have more important things to worry about than me, Amy.]

"Hypocrite…"

[What…?]

Amy bit her lip, wanting to scream everything passing through her mind right now at the book, but she held herself back. It had helped her too much; she owed it everything and more. It would be simply too…much…

[Amy, are you mad with me…?]

"..."

[Amy—]

"...we'll talk later, alright?" she muttered, while looking at the others who had stopped their steps.

There was a small silence before it responded.

[Alright.]

She hurried to catch up with the others, freezing when she saw what had halted their progress.

In the snow before them lay scattered remnants of what looked like a battle. Broken war equipment jutted from the frozen ground—swords with shattered blades, arrows embedded in the ice, shields half-buried in snow, and frost-covered armor pieces such as gauntlets, helmets.

Black scorch marks stained the white landscape, evidence of powerful magical attacks. It was just as Amy imagined the scenery would look after a war, with one exception. There were no bodies nor dried blood.

"What happened here?" Lyra whispered, her voice trembling.

Crow knelt, carefully brushing snow away from a partially buried object. It was a sword—or what remained of one. The blade was shattered, only a jagged half remaining attached to the hilt.

"A battle," he said grimly. "And not a recent one. The patterns suggest it's been here for years, perhaps decades… But where are the bodies—or rather, the bones?"

"Maybe they were moved, who knows?" Zayd suggested.

"..." Crow stayed silent, squinting his eyes at the scene. After a moment, he finally spoke. "We shouldn't linger."

Iris nodded emphatically. "Finally, you have a great idea for once."

"Let's keep moving," Crow said as he stood up, brushing snow from his hands. "Stay close together."

They continued their trek, the landscape seemingly unchanging around them. The same dead trees, the same silence, the same torn fragments of cloth indicating that others had passed this way before—and met an unhappy end.

The only thing changing was the sky, which gradually became a little more visible, revealing slowly the thing behind that expanse of clouds. Amy was the only one to notice, though, as the others were more preoccupied with their situation in search of danger they would not find.

Hours seemed to pass, though without the sun, time was impossible to measure. Amy's legs ached, and her nose burned from the cold. Even with Libris's magical clothing keeping the worst of the chill at bay, the perpetual winter had a way of seeping into her bones.

[Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?]

"Not now," Amy whispered, her eyes fixed on the backs of her companions trudging through the snow ahead.

[The crack isn't getting worse, if that's what you're mad about.]

Amy fought the urge to pull the book from her satchel to check for herself. "Just... let me focus on getting through this. Please."

The book fell silent, and Amy quickened her pace to catch up with the others.

"Do you see that?" Ash suddenly called out, pointing toward the horizon. "Or am I hallucinating from the cold?"

In the distance, dark shapes emerged from the whiteness—angular and geometric against the organic shapes of the dead trees.

"Buildings," Crow confirmed, squinting against the gray light. "A settlement of some kind."

"Civilization!" Iris exclaimed. "Thank the gods."

"Iris, please…" Crow looked at her with disappointment. "This is a nightmare, remember?" He said, then turned to the others while invoking Bloodedge. "Ready yourselves."

As they drew closer, the shapes resolved into structures—houses, shops, what might have been a city square. But there was neither movement nor sound beyond their own footsteps and breathing.

"It's a city," Lyra murmured, pulling Crow's cloak tighter around herself. "But it looks... abandoned."

Indeed, as they approached the outskirts of the settlement, the desolation became apparent. Many of the buildings had partially collapsed under the weight of snow and ice. Windows were shattered, doors broken, and in some places, entire walls had caved in.

"So it's one of those nightmares…" Iris said with a scowl as they reached what appeared to be the main street. "Why can't there just be monsters to kill? I fucking hate mysteries."

"Spread out," Crow instructed. "Stay within sight of each other. Look for any signs of recent habitation. Be careful."

"Fucking hate this…" Iris muttered, but she complied, moving toward a nearby building that seemed more intact than the others.

Amy found herself drawn to what had clearly once been a bookshop. The faded, ice-coated sign hanging above the door depicted a quill crossing an open book. A bookshop. Of course.

She pushed gently against the door, wincing at the screech of frozen hinges. Inside, shelves had collapsed onto each other, and books lay scattered across the floor, some broken, others frozen into solid blocks of ice.

[A bookstore… You aren't planning on selling me, right?]

"..."

[Not in the mood for jokes, I see.]

"Anything?" Crow called from across the street, where he was examining another building.

"Just ruins," Amy replied, backing out of the shop.

"Hey," Ash called from further down the street. "I found something."

The group converged on Ash, who stood before a large structure that might once have been an inn. Unlike the other buildings, its door was firmly closed.

"Look at the snow," he said, pointing to the ground before the entrance. "Footprints. Recent ones."

Indeed, the snow showed clear impressions of boots—multiple sets, leading to and from the door.

"Someone's been here," Crow said, clenching his hand around the hilt of his sword. "Recently."

"Do we... knock? Or just kill whatever is inside?" Lyra asked hesitantly.

Crow pondered for a few seconds. "Considering the nightmare we are in, currently the best option is to—"

Before he could finish, Ash strode forward and rapped his knuckles firmly against the wooden door. "Hello? Anyone home in the creepy abandoned village?"

"Ash…" Crow looked at him with a frown.

"I'm dying of cold here. I'm not waiting anymore," he said, then turned around once again, continuing to knock on the door.

Silence.

He knocked again, louder this time. "We're travelers! Just looking for shelter!"

More silence.

"Well, that was worth a—"

"GO AWAY!"

The scream from behind the door was so sudden and so loud that everyone jumped. Ash stumbled backward, nearly falling into the snow.

"Holy shit," he breathed.

"Please," Crow stepped forward, his voice firm but calm. "We mean no harm. We're students from the Academy."

A terrible wailing erupted from behind the door—not words, but a sound of pure anguish that raised the hair on Amy's arms.

"GO AWAY!" The female voice was ragged, desperate. "No, no, no! LEAVE! LEAVE! LEAVE! LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE! You won't get me alive!"

"What…?" Crow pressed, moving closer to the door. "We can help—"

"Ahhhhh!" The scream was so full of terror that even Lain flinched. "Please! Please….leave me alone…leave…"

The wailing dissolved into incoherent sobbing, punctuated by occasional words that made little sense—"circles," "watching," "children," "colossus," "snow."

Zayd placed a hand on Crow's shoulder. "We should leave," he said quietly. "Whoever this is... their mind is broken. We won't get useful information here."

Crow hesitated, then nodded. "Let's check the rest of the city."

They moved away from the inn, the sobbing growing fainter but somehow still audible no matter how far they walked.

"What was wrong with her?" Lyra whispered, her face pale.

"Nothing good," Ash replied grimly. "This place gets better and better."

"I suddenly don't feel good about coming here…" Iris mumbled.

They continued their exploration in uneasy silence. Most buildings yielded similar scenes of abandonment and decay. In one house, a table was still set for dinner, plates and cutlery arranged neatly but covered in a thick layer of ice. In another, toys lay scattered across a child's bedroom, as if dropped in mid-play.

"It's like everyone just... vanished," Iris murmured as they regrouped in what must have been the town square.

"Or fled," Zayd suggested. "But from what?"

Amy's gaze was drawn to the center of the square, where a large stone structure rose from the snow. As they approached, its purpose became clear—a fountain, long since frozen solid.

She stared at the fountain, its details emerging through layers of ice and snow. The carved stone basin. The central pillar. The ornate figures of magical creatures circling its rim.

Something cold that had nothing to do with the surrounding winter settled in Amy's stomach.

"I know this fountain," Crow said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The others turned to him, expressions ranging from confusion to dawning recognition.

"It can't be," Lyra breathed, moving closer to examine the frozen structure.

But it was. Even encased in ice, the details were unmistakable. The same fountain that stood in Eldoria, the city where the Academy was located. The same fountain Amy had nearly touched on her first day in this world.

"That's impossible," Iris insisted, though uncertainty crept into her voice.

"No," Zayd said slowly, his amber eyes scanning their surroundings with new understanding. "Everything is possible inside a nightmare."

Silence fell over the group as they stared at the fountain.

"We're in Eldoria," Crow finally said, voicing what they all now realized. "Or at least a replica... perhaps an alternate reality."

"So it's not our Eldoria?" Ash asked, looking at Crow.

But it wasn't Crow who answered, but Amy. "No, it's our Eldoria," she said quietly. "Not an alternate reality or a replica. This is our future."

The others turned to her, expressions shifting from confusion to horror as her meaning sank in.

"What are you saying?" Lyra whispered.

Amy didn't answer. Instead, she tilted her head upward, her gaze drawn to the sky.

The others followed her gaze.

Above them, the clouds were peeling back, revealing the previously hidden sky.

From the clearing gloom emerged a figure, half-shrouded in shadow. Only her upper body was visible, but even that was too much. She was colossal—towering beyond sense or scale.

A woman, or something like one. Torn wings spread across her back, partially blocking the sun. Her skin was dark and cracked like obsidian, her hair drifting around her like black water.

And her eyes—two pits of endless dark—were open and staring straight down.

As if looking straight at them.