Beneath the starry sky of the Polar Night lay the Steel Giant Island, silent for nearly two million years; the mottled, ancient creations of a prehistoric civilization; the Steel Road stretching straight through the darkness—and the streetlights that had activated on their own.
With a howl, Amber vanished from before Gawain. It was only half a minute later that she poked half her head out of a Shadow Rift in midair, nervously watching the movement outside as she cautiously muttered, "Nothing came out, right?"
Holding the Pathfinder Longsword in one hand, Gawain stepped forward and pulled Amber out of the Shadow Rift with the other. Remaining alert to his surroundings, he said in a low voice, "No... but it looks like something here has already noticed our arrival..."
Strands of magical light gathered at the tip of Modir's Battle Staff. In the half-second just now, the old mage had layered at least dozens of protective spells over himself. The remaining energy stored in his staff was slowly dissipating into the air as he watched the activity within the Steel Ruins with utter vigilance. Hearing Gawain's words, he muttered softly, whether from nervousness or excitement, "Such ancient ruins can still be 'alive'... I've never seen anything this bizarre in my life!"
Gawain glanced at the old mage, but before he could speak, Modir muttered again, "Oh, maybe I have seen it... Perhaps I've seen it many times, but forgot..."
"You're really used to that," Gawain said casually, easing the atmosphere. Then he turned his attention back to the ancient ruins before them—the spheres of light rising from the metal pillars along the road floated quietly several meters above the ground, their steady glow illuminating the road through the darkness and extending far into the distance. Gawain looked as far as he