Volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius fell like black snow, covering the cobblestone streets of ancient Rome.Je stepped down from the Solar Barque, his legs wobbling. The use of Sun-Burst had drained his Mana reserves to a critical point. His Dhampir skin was deathly pale, black veins protruding like dry roots."Je, you need rest," Rara steadied Je's body. Rara's skin was still warm and glowing dimly - remnants of the solar energy she swallowed."Rest is for the dead," Je coughed, black blood dripping onto the street stones. "And in this city... it seems even the dead don't rest."Around them, the ruins of the Roman Forum stood like giant broken teeth. Statues of gods and emperors adorning the streets looked intact. Too intact."I'm hungry," Guntur complained, holding his stomach with his left hand. His severed right arm (burn wound from the reactor) still felt hot. "I thought Italy was full of pizza. Turns out it's just rocks and ice.""Quiet, Guntur," Sinta hissed. She turned off her tac

The Siberian wind didn't blow; it bit. Je stepped out of the wreckage of the Chariot of Elijah capsule. His feet sank into knee-deep snow. However, the snow wasn't white. It was dirty gray, mixed with bone powder. "This forest..." Sinta stepped out, teeth chattering, hugging herself despite wearing a thick fur coat. "The trees... are wrong." Je looked up. Around them, giant trunks towered into the dark sky. But they weren't pine or spruce wood. They were legs. The trees were Giants, twenty meters tall, frozen while standing. Their skin had hardened into bark, their fingers reaching for the sky becoming leafless branches.