(This chapter contains mild descriptions of violence that may be upsetting for some readers. Viewer discretion is advised.)

NAOMI'S POV

Naomi made her way through the valley, looking all around to make sure that she wasn't being followed.
Pushing aside a thicket, she found an emblem etched into a crumbling stone wall.

She had come prepared for this, and pressed the emblem. The wall opened up into a dark corridor. She trudged inside, using a torch she had brought to provide light.

She kept going until she was met by a wall, which was emblazoned with a warning.

You who seek the gem so near
You'll find more than riches here.

Suddenly, she heard growls emanating from behind her. Turning around, she took a step back towards the wall and her eyes widened in alarm. She immediately brandished her halberd and entered a defensive stance.

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LUKE'S POV

He and G had spotted Naomi entering the Gem's  first layer of protection just  a few minutes ago, and had given the signal for them to follow.

King Luke, Queen Kiarha, and the two Haras had entered behind her, and he, G, and Yanna were to stand guard should anything come up.

Suddenly, there was a rustling nearby.
The three of them turned to the direction of the sound, and immediately went on guard.

They heard a low growl right before a monster leaped out of the brushes right on top of G.

It was a monstrous thing. Drool dripping down its several mouths and melting holes in the ground, six legs pinning her down, and teeth as sharp as razors.

Two of those mouths bent down to attempt to take a bite out of G, but they emitted a shrill scream instead as Luke's blade speared right through the body.

As Luke's blade pierced the creature's body, it let out a deafening screech, causing the ground to tremble beneath their feet. The creature's six legs flailed wildly, trying to free itself from Luke's sword. G, pinned beneath the creature, took advantage of the distraction to slip free from its grasp.

She scrambled to her feet, her eyes fixed on the creature as it continued to writhe in agony. Luke, his sword still lodged in the creature's body, tried to yank it out, but it seemed like it was stuck. The creature's mouths snapped wildly, spewing forth a stream of acidic saliva that sizzled as it hit the ground.

G dodged the creature's attacks, her own sword at the ready. She struck at the creature's legs, trying to cripple it. Luke, finally managing to free his sword, joined G in her attack. Together, they hacked at the creature.
Luke slashed the thing while G riddled it with long range attacks.

The creature let out a final, ear-piercing scream as it collapsed to the ground, its body twitching spasmodically. Luke and G stood panting over the creature's corpse, their chests heaving with exertion.

As they caught their breath, G turned to Luke with a look of concern. "You okay?" she asked, eyeing the acidic saliva that had come eerily close to him.

G nodded, her expression grim. "We need to be careful. There could be more of those things out there."

"Sorry I couldn't help you, G. I'm not really much of a fighter type."

Yanna had a guilty expression on her face as she reached into a first-aid kit she had brought and patched up the few wounds they had gotten.

As they lay on the ground, a sudden sound pierced the calm air like a blade. It was a horn.

The horn sound got closer and closer, until the three of them could make out silhouettes in the distance. They looked to have armor on them, and there was a man at the very front who looked to be their leader.

Luke's eyes narrowed. He knew the leader of this tribe. He had them under his thumb once, and they had served him like a loyal mutt.

Chief Na'ankhum of the tribe of A'kun.

He got down from his horse and strode towards them with an aura of authority befitting his status as a chief, cleaver at the ready.

"Who the hell are you three?"
He growled, gripping his weapon tighter.

Luke stepped forward, offering his hand.

"Luke Schuyler. Successor to the house of Schuyler and future Duke of my house."

Na'ankhum looked at him warily, before grabbing his hand and wringing it ferociously.

As Luke went back to the three of them clutching his broken hand, G offered to talk to Na'ankhum and explain what happened and what they were doing here.

After a few minutes, G returned with Na'ankhum following. He had a smile on his face and offered all of them a proper handshake.

"I'll call my men and let them know it's safe to come here. Let me know if you're in trouble, my horn is nearby."

Na'ankhum gestured to the horn that he had left on a nearby tree stump before waving at them and disappearing into the woods.

Just then, a giant explosion from inside shook the ground. G cursed, grabbing a nearby tree to steady herself.

Yanna made her way to the horn and immediately blew it, the sound echoing throughout the forest. A few seconds later, Na'ankhum and a large army had come rushing out of the thicket and immediately looked around for the source of danger.

G explained that they had felt an explosion from inside the Gem's chamber, and they wasted no time in rushing inside to see what the hell had just happened.

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NAOMI'S POV

Naomi gritted her teeth. These four were more tenacious than she had thought.

Naomi had come into this area of the chamber and finished destroying all the traps of the chamber. Just then, the four had followed suit and a battle had ensued.

Naomi lunged at Kiarha, swinging her halberd fiercely. Kiarha couldn't dodge in time and let out a pained gasp as a wound opened on her cheek.

King Luke unsheathed his self-defense weapons, a pair of trusty pistols. He ran around, dodging her halberd while firing off shots aimed specifically at her weak points.

However, the ground beneath them began to shake. A realm collapse was imminent in one hour if at least one of the extras didn't move to another reality.

Naomi clicked her tongue as she felt the tremors beneath her feet. The realm's collapse was no longer just a looming threat-it was happening, and fast. She had an hour to ensure her survival, and that meant getting at least one of these four out of this reality.

She pivoted sharply, deflecting King Luke's next shot with a swift spin of her halberd, the blade glinting in the dim chamber light. The bullets ricocheted off the reinforced metal, striking the cavern walls behind her. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling, shaken loose by the tremors.

Kiarha wiped the blood from her cheek with the back of her hand, her violet eyes burning with defiance. "You're desperate, Naomi."

Naomi smirked. "Desperate? No. Just practical." She swung again, forcing Kiarha to parry with her dagger. The clash of metal against metal echoed in the chamber.

Yanna moved behind Naomi, attempting to flank her, but Naomi was ready. With a flick of her wrist, she launched a small explosive charge toward the ground at Yanna's feet. The resulting blast forced Yanna to leap back, barely avoiding the shockwave.

Meanwhile, King Luke kept his distance, continuously firing off shots. Naomi could tell he wasn't aiming to kill. He wanted to wear her down, to push her into a mistake.

Smart. But she wasn't so easily fooled.

G, standing further back, watched the scene unfold, her eyes narrowed. Naomi noticed how still she was compared to the others. Observing. Calculating.

She doesn't trust this fight.

Naomi used the moment to shift her stance, drawing a hidden blade from her belt. She tossed it at King Luke with pinpoint accuracy, forcing him to twist away. It sliced his coat, narrowly missing his side. He gritted his teeth, firing another round.

The tremors worsened, causing everyone to stumble. Cracks split through the stone floor, revealing the unstable void beneath.

One hour? More like forty-five minutes now.

Naomi knew that staying here was a death sentence. And yet, none of these four would leave willingly - not without their own agenda.

Her gaze flicked toward Kiarha, who was now standing on an unstable section of the floor. Naomi saw her chance. She surged forward, slamming the blunt end of her halberd into Kiarha's ribs. Kiarha gasped as she was sent staggering backward-toward the edge of a forming chasm.

King Luke's eyes widened. "Kiarha-!"

He dashed toward her, but Naomi intercepted, slashing at him with the blade of her halberd. He barely managed to roll out of the way.

"You think we'll just let you push one of us out?" he spat, raising his pistols.

"I don't think-I know," Naomi countered, voice cool. "One of you has to go, and Kiarha's the most reckless."

The floor beneath Kiarha crumbled further. She barely held on, gripping a jagged edge of stone to keep from falling into the void below. Yanna rushed to pull her up, but Naomi wasn't done yet.

She lunged.

G, who had remained still until now, moved. Fast.

A sudden force-wind, sharp as knives-ripped through the chamber, knocking Naomi off balance. She barely managed to land on her feet, but by the time she did, Kiarha had already been pulled to safety.

Naomi's eyes flicked to G.

G lowered her hand, eyes unreadable. "You don't get to decide who leaves."

Naomi grinned, wiping sweat from her brow. "Then tell me, G - who will?"

The tremors grew stronger. Stones tumbled from the ceiling. Time was running out.

One of them had to go.

And Naomi would make sure that it wasn't her.