The carriage slowly rolls across a road of cracked black stone. The horses snort uneasily, their ears flicking at sounds that don't seem to exist. A thick purple mist creeps along the ground, swallowing the wheels with every turn.
The carriage comes to a halt.
For a moment...
Everything becomes silent.
Even the wind seems afraid to breathe.
The carriage door creaks open.
Addie steps down first. His boots strike the stone with quiet confidence. He lifts his eyes toward the massive temple before him, his face unreadable, as though this terrifying place has long become familiar.
He reaches back, offering Rachel his hand.
Rachel hesitates.
Her fingers tremble slightly before accepting it.
The instant her footwear touch the cold ground, a freezing gust rushes past her, sending strands of her hair dancing across her face.
She slowly brushes them aside...
...and looks up.
Her breathing stops.
Before her stands a temple so enormous that its highest towers disappear into the storm-colored sky. Massive pillars lean at impossible angles. Gargoyle statues stare from every corner, their stone faces twisted in expressions of agony. The walls bear thousands of sword cuts, claw marks, and deep fractures, as if the building itself had survived a war against monsters.
Rachel's emerald eyes widen.
Her lips part.
She unconsciously takes a step backward.
Her heartbeat pounds loudly in her ears.
Rachel (barely above a whisper, unable to look away)
"What... is this place...?"
Addie doesn't answer immediately.
His gaze remains fixed on the temple.
His jaw tightens almost imperceptibly.
After a long silence...
Addie (quietly)
"This..."
"...is where legends came to die."
Rachel slowly turns toward him.
His expression never changes.
But for the first time...
She notices sadness hidden behind his calm eyes.
"The stones remember every scream.
The walls remember every name.
And somewhere beneath the silence...
the dead are still listening."
They walk toward the entrance.
Rachel's footsteps are hesitant.
Each echo feels unnaturally loud.
She notices broken weapons half-buried beneath the stone path.
Ancient swords.
Shattered shields.
Fragments of black armour.
None of them have rusted.
As if time itself refuses to touch them.
Rachel kneels beside a cracked helmet.
Her fingers slowly reach toward it-
"Don't."
Addie's voice is calm.
But firm.
Rachel immediately withdraws her hand.
She looks up.His eyes remain fixed ahead.
Addie:
"Some memories..."
"...should never be awakened."
Rachel swallows nervously.
Without another word, she stands and follows him.
Soon they reach the gigantic obsidian gates.
The doors tower several stories high, carved with thousands of strange symbols. Tiny crimson lights pulse beneath the carvings like a heartbeat.
Addie slowly removes his glove.
His expression grows serious.
He places his palm against the cold stone.
The symbols beneath his hand begin glowing.
He closes his eyes.
His voice becomes deeper.
Older.
As though someone else is speaking through him.
Addie (chanting)
"Lsux' Umbra... Wenes Aeternum... Aperio..."
The symbols blaze scarlet.
The earth trembles violently beneath Rachel's feet.
She stumbles.
Dust falls from the temple ceiling.
The gigantic gates groan open, inch by inch.
A wave of freezing air bursts outward, carrying the scent of ancient ash and forgotten blood.
Rachel instinctively wraps her arms around herself.
Her eyes remain fixed on the darkness beyond.
It isn't merely dark.
It feels... Like enormous dark energies moving everywhere.
INSIDE THE TEMPLE
The gigantic gates close behind them with a thunderous boom.
The sound echoes endlessly through the temple.
Rachel instinctively flinches.
She slowly turns around.
The exit is gone.
Only an endless wall of black stone remains before her.
Her heartbeat quickens.
Rachel (under her breath) "...It closed by itself."
Addie doesn't look back.
Addie:
"Nothing leaves this temple unless the temple allows it."
Rachel stares at him for a second before silently following.
Every footstep echoes across the enormous hall.
Blue flames drift lazily through the air without any torch to hold them. They cast moving shadows over towering pillars covered in ancient runes.
Rachel's eyes wander everywhere.
Every corner seems to hide something.
Broken statues kneel beside the walls, their faces chipped away.
Ancient portraits hang high above them.
Every face has been scratched out with violent claw marks.
Rachel slows her pace.
Her fingers brush lightly against a pillar engraved with unfamiliar symbols.
◈
✦ ╳ ✦
☽ ◈ 𖤐 ◈ ☾
✶ ╳ ✧ ◈ ✧ ╳ ✶
☾ ◈ 𖤐 ◈ ☽
✦ ╳ ✦
◈
The stone is...
Warm.
She quickly pulls her hand away.
A shiver runs down her spine.
Far away...
Something whispers.
Rachel
Too faint to understand.
She looks over her shoulder.
Nothing.
Only darkness.
"Some places do not sleep.
They wait.
And every heartbeat that enters...
is counted."
Addie stops before an ancient iron lift suspended by colossal chains.
The lift looks centuries old.
Its iron bars are rusted, yet untouched by decay.
The chains disappear into darkness above.
Rachel looks up.
She cannot even see the ceiling.
Addie grips the heavy lever.
With a loud metallic groan...
The lift begins to rise.
The chains rattle violently.
The sound echoes throughout the temple like distant thunder.
Rachel grips the railing tightly.
She glances around nervously.
Suddenly...
Her eyes stop.
At the end of the hall...
An enormous owl statue.
Nearly fifteen feet tall.
Its wings remain folded around its body.
Its marble feathers seem impossibly lifelike.
Rachel stares.
Its silver eyes stare back.
She shifts to the opposite side of the lift.
The owl's gaze follows.
Rachel's breathing becomes uneven.
Rachel (softly) "...Addie..."
He looks toward her.
She points silently.
"...Is that statue?..."
Addie glances toward the owl.
A faint smile crosses his lips.
Addie "It watches everyone who enters."
Rachel forces out a nervous laugh.
"You're joking..."
Addie's smile disappears.
"I never joke inside this temple."
Rachel immediately falls silent.
The lift continues climbing.
Higher.
Higher.
Until,
CLANG!
The lift jerks to a stop.
The gate slowly slides open.
Addie steps forward without hesitation.
Rachel follows,
A brilliant beam of golden light suddenly tears through the corridor.
WHOOSH!
It races straight toward Addie's head.
Rachel's eyes widen.
"ADDIE!"
Without even turning-
Addie twists his body.
The beam grazes past his shoulder.
BOOOOOOM!!
The floor behind him explodes into fragments of stone.
Dust and glowing particles fill the corridor.
Rachel instinctively shields her face.
When the smoke begins to settle...
Golden sparks gather together.
One by one.
Like fireflies.
They spin through the air before forming the outline of a man.
His boots touch the floor.
A playful grin appears on his face.
He folds his arms confidently.
David.
His amber eyes gleam with amusement.
David (laughing softly) "You dodged."
Addie brushes the dust from his shoulder.
Without looking impressed.
Addie "Barely."
David walks toward him with slow, relaxed steps.
Every movement radiates confidence.
He stops directly in front of Addie.
Tilting his head.
David: "You're still making the same mistake."
He suddenly flicks Addie's forehead with one finger.
David: "When someone attacks..."
"...your first instinct should be to attack back."
Addie shakes his head.
"...Wrong."
He smiles.
"First..."
"...protect yourself."
Hecontinues,
"Only then..."
"...protect everyone else."
Addie sighs dramatically.
Rolling his eyes.
Addie "You could've just said that."
David laughs.
"It wouldn't have been as memorable."
Rachel watches the two in complete confusion.
Moments ago...
She thought someone had tried to kill Addie.
Now they were casually talking.
David suddenly notices her.
His smile softens.
Curiosity replaces mischief.
He slowly walks toward Rachel.
Rachel instinctively steps back.
David stops a respectful distance away.
He studies her carefully.
Almost...
Too carefully.
His cheerful expression fades.
For a brief second...
His eyes widen ever so slightly.
As though something about Rachel feels strangely familiar.
David:
"So..."
"...you're the girl Addie mentioned this morning."
Addie nods.
"She is."
David smiles warmly.
"What a beautiful young lady."
He bows politely.
"My name is David."
His eyes meet hers.
"And yours?"
Rachel opens her mouth.
Before she can answer-
Addie "Rachel."
David repeats it quietly.
"...Rachel."
The name lingers in the air.
Something flickers across his face.
Recognition.
Confusion.
Then it vanishes.
Before anyone speaks again-
SHHHHNNGGG!
The sharp hum of a blade slices through the silence.
Rachel turns instantly.
Across the enormous chamber...
A young woman dances through the air with breathtaking speed.
An antique laser sword spins effortlessly in her hand.
Its crimson blade leaves glowing trails with every strike.
She spins.
Slashes.
Steps.
Each movement is elegant.
Perfect.
Stone training dummies explode into pieces around her.
She finishes with one final swing.
The blade hums softly before its glow fades.
She exhales.
Slowly opens her eyes.
Without turning around...
She speaks.
Christine "So..."
"...she finally arrived."
She turns.
Long dark silver hair falls over one shoulder.
Cold grey eyes settle upon Rachel.
She walks closer.
Slowly.
Confidently.
The sound of her boots echoes through the hall.
She circles Rachel once.
Studying every detail.
Rachel stiffens beneath her gaze.
Christine stops directly before her.
A faint smile appears.
Not kind.
Mocking.
Christine "This is the girl?"
She tilts her head.
"I expected someone... extraordinary."
Her eyes travel from Rachel's face to her hands.
"No scars?."
"No aura."
"No power."
She lets out a quiet laugh.
"...Just an ordinary girl."
A pause.
Her smile disappears.
Her voice turns icy.
"So tell me..."
"...why didn't she simply die?"
Rachel lowers her eyes.
Her fingers tighten around the edge of her sleeve.
Before another word can be spoken-
Addie steps in front of Rachel.
His expression hardens.
Addie "That's enough, Christine."
His voice is calm.
But firm.
"We don't know why she's here."
Christine folds her arms.
"Oh?"
"Then tell me why fate would bring someone this weak into the Temple of the Ascendant?."
Silence.
Even David says nothing.
Addie finally answers.
Quietly.
"Because fate..."
"...never moves without a reason."
Christine scoffs.
She turns away.
Her eyes slowly rise .
A throne carved from obsidian.
Bathed in a single shaft of violet light.
Untouched.
Waiting.
Christine Speaks-
When seven deadly shadows stain the sky,
And silence crowns the day,
One soul shall rise to claim the throne...
While all the rest shall fade away.
Christine grips the hilt of her sword.
Her eyes burn with ambition.
Christine "The Seven Deadly Days begin soon."
"Seven trials."
"Seven survivors."
She smiles with absolute certainty.
"And when the final trial ends..."
She moves the sword with pride and continues-
"...I will be the one seated there.
...The Morveth'"