Zee looked up at the enormous bronze statue hovering in the air against the backdrop of the endless storm and the cosmic river. Its ten meter tall body released no aura, and yet, its presence was stifling. Its wickedly barbed spear gave her the feeling it had spilled rivers of blood. Wrapped up to its elbow, the statue held a thick chain with a large silver bell dangling at the end. The bell hung a few feet below the statue's hand, crackling with brilliant hues of heavenly lightning.
When she didn't respond to its query, the statue spoke again, the voice gentle yet commanding.
"Key holder, you have met the requirements, do you wish to access the final trial?" the statue asked.
"Trial? What trial?" Zee asked, having never heard of such a thing.
The statue cocked its head, its long bronze hair fluttering gently in an unseen wind.
"You have gathered four of the keys my master cast into the cosmos. There is still a year before the eternal throne emerges. This trial is your reward for gathering four keys," the statue said.
"I see." Zee said. "And what exactly is this trial? A test of knowledge, or power?" Zee asked.
The giant statue gave a helpless shrugg.
"The trial changes every cycle. Regardless of what the test will be, it will be extremely dangerous. Only you may enter," the statue said.
Zee frowned. "What is the reward for passing this trial?" Zee asked.
The statue's bronze lips curved up into a fierce smile.
"A supreme quality treasure suited to your path, one that will set the foundation for your core. You have not yet stepped into the D grade, and with your poor choices of concepts to cultivate, ranking up will almost certainly kill you. But then again, risks are always meant to be taken in the pursuit of power," the statue said, gesturing to a deep scar on its neck.
Zee's mouth went dry at the statue's words. She had know it would be dangerous to continue down her path, but hearing it from this terrifyingly powerful statue was concerning.
"This supreme treasure, will it really be able to help me form a shard, and then set the foundations for my core?" Zee asked, a hint of excitement in her voice.
The statue let out a soft laugh, clearly recognizing the gleam in Zees' eyes. It gestured at her.
"My master is the one who trapped that apocalyptic energy inside the gathering array. It has dispersed its presence inside your soul for now to hide from the heavens, but there is no going back for you now. Setting the foundations for a core will call down heavenly wrath. But if you don't form your core, that wisp of apocalyptic energy will make your soul crumble," the statue explained.
Zee grimaced. After watching Tavza get turned to dust, she had suspected something like this. There was no way her inner world, and fragment could contain something like a wisp of the apocalypse for long.
Despite being injured, and exhausted, Zee grasped the hilt of her sword.
"Send me in," Zee said putting on a confident mask.
The statue actually smiled. It raised its spear and struck. The strike was a blur of motion, much too quick to track, as the statue stabbed at the sky. Reality simply parted, as a spatial vortex large enough to swallow a house formed mid air.
Immense spatial fluctuations bombarded her senses, as the wormhole fully formed. Zee hadn't even known that was possible. Not even grandpa Julian could replicate something like this.
The statue turned back to Zee.
"It is ready. You and your bound companions may enter, but that thing in your shadow may not,"
At the statues declaration, something moved in Zee's shadow, a blur of motion that shot towards the shimmering wormhole.
It was blindingly quick, and yet, the statue was faster.
There was an ear splitting screech of pain, as the statue disappeared, reappearing near the wormhole just in time to skewer something on the end of its spear.
A writhing mass of disgusting flesh and tentacles writhed on the end of that spear, screeching in pain. In a heartbeat, arcs of lighting formed around the monstrosity, trapping it in a cage of lighting stolen from the heavens.
The statue huffed, withdrawing its spear, a fountain of bubbling ichor and gore showering the cavern floor.
"That should hold the abyssal fiend for a while," the statue said.
Zee glanced at the thing which had been hiding in her shadows for years. She shuddered. It was truly hideous, a writhing mass of horror, its gut wrenching screech enough to haunt her nightmares.
Just then, a gust of wind wrapped her up, pulling her from the summit of the pyramid towards the wormhole. It was obviously the statue sending her towards the gateway.
Zee raised a hand. "Pardon me, your statueness. Would it trouble you to rid the word of that thing?" Zee asked hopefully.
The statue's hair clinked softly as it shook its head.
"I would love to, but sadly, I cannot. As much as it pains me, that disgusting thing is a contender for the eternal throne," the statue admitted.
Zee grimaced.
"How long will it be trapped?" Zee asked, the things pained screeches still echoing around the cavern.
"The stolen lightning from the heavens will dissipate the moment you exit the trial," the statue said.
Zee frowned, but slowly nodded.
"Thank you for the assist. That thing has been a constant worry in the back of my mind for years," Zee said, giving the statue her best mid air bow.
"It's the least I can do given you have adopted the Varshak. I'm quite fond of it. It was just a pup I found a while back in the nether realm. It's still young, with a lot of potential. Feed it well, and it will follow you to the end," the statue said, pulling Urza from the summit.
The statue gazed upon the giant snake fondly, before sending Urza through the wormhole with a flick of its hand.
"I will. Sorry for stealing your pet," Zee said, more than a bit worried the statue would take offense.
"Don't be. I could tell that it was lonely guarding the corridors all this time. Now, that's enough chatter.. On with you, the master is notoriously ill tempered, and doesn't like to be kept waiting," the statue said with a dismissive wave.
Zee glanced down to where Sersie was still atop the pyramid.
"If it's not too much trouble, could you perhaps help that ashary leave this maze?" Zee asked.
"Very well, i shall send them out of the labyrinth,"
Zee gave one last look at the writhing mass of teeth, tentacles, and hatred.
The thing that the bone lord had warned her of back in the capitol was currently seething with hatred as it railed against its cage. Viscous ichor leaked from a horrific wound, but that wound was already closing, and she could tell was not down for the count.
Bloodlust veritably oozed from it. Its twenty eyes were locked right on her, its disgusting gaze making her feel almost violated. A thirst for violence leaking from its body, a thirst that wouldn't be sated until she was ripped to pieces.
That was going to be a problem. Hopefully she could find a solution before she passed this trial. Without any more preamble, she was flung into the looming wormhole. Similar to the previous times she passed through a wormhole, an immense presence scanned her body.
The difference this time was the gaze was a lot more invasive, scanning every fiber of her being. Every aspect of her being, from her inner world, to her fragment, her blood line and her companions. It was as if she was an open book, with all of her secrets laid bare.
It was a very uncomfortable sensation, though not as uncomfortable as that monster she had been staring down a few moments ago. Just as fast as it came, the sensation faded.
She appeared next to Urza, the wormhole closing behind her without so much as a ripple of spatial energy. That accomplishment alone was a feat that her grandpa would be envious of.
Zee shook off the thought as she took in the room arrayed before her. It was a cavernous throne room, with carved marble pillars and banners with heradly she didn't recognize. The throne was truly magnificent, the seat in the mouth of a large monster that still oozed a ruthless bloodlust even in death.
Aside from herself, and Urza, the throne room was empty. Or atleast it was empty until she took a step forward. The room came alive as an odd ripple filled the throne room.
For a moment it was as if the room was filled with dozens of people, high nobility attending court. She paused, and the ethereal images vanished. When nothing happened, she took another cautious step, and the images reappeared.
It was odd. She slowly walked forward, and the wide halls came alive. Court was in session with the esteemed guests talking in hushed whispers. Despite it being distant as if being memories, she could tell each were powerful peak D grade Cultivators with more than a few in the celestial grade.
She couldn't quite make out what they were saying, despite walking amongst them.
Curiously, they seemed like ghostly apparitions, unaware of her presence.
A distant gong sounded and the chatter came to a halt. The crowd turned as one and knelt.
Zee turned just as the opulent doors to the throne room swung open. Dressed in the finery of nobility, a young couple, both human, strode in. One wore the crown of a prince, while the other, a princess, bearing the crests of their families.
They both looked in their late twenties radiating the aura of middle D grade. Without a hint of cores or pills on their auras, they were obviously peak talents, destined to rise to greatness.
The woman had stunning green eyes with auburn hair, while the man had black hair, steely gray eyes and a wide smile. They seemed on top of the world, with a bright future ahead of them.
As she watched, the vision changed. One moment, they were prince and princess, and the next they were sitting atop the throne.
They were still young, with probably only a decade having passed. Despite the weight of the crown on their heads, but they both still smiled.
As Zee kept walking towards the throne, the visions kept changing, like a laps in time. A bustle of events passed around her, time seeming to blur as one event after another happened. Both royals grew older, and she saw wars come and go, the marks of battle and experience appearing on their bodies.
Milennia seemed to pass, as they both grew older, the weight of the throne, and their duties weighing heavy on their shoulders. Nolonger were there smiles on the faces of the two rulers. When she was halfway to the throne, the vision changed once more.
The frown lines that seemed permanent on the king's face these days seemed to be washed away as he stood next to the queen. He was grinning like an idiot as he stared down with wonder at the child in the queen's arms.
Like her mother, the child had bright green eyes and auburn hair. Her nose had a stark resemblance to her fathers, her eyes with that same sharp gleam.
Zee watched on with wide eyes as she realized who that child was. It was Raina, and her parents. Zee attention turned back to the parents, of which looked to be in their middle forties. For cultivators at the peak of the celestial grade, they were undoubtedly thousands of years old by now.
She had never seen the woman before, but the father was oddly familiar. She paused, and the images stopped moving. Could it be? No, how could it? She got a feeling that this had happened an incredibly long time ago.
Zee was incredibly curious as to what would happen next and started walking again. The images kicked back into motion with the royals, and what appeared to be the whole empire they had formed throwing a party of immense proportions. Months of celebration, with the entire empire throwing a party for the new heir. The two royals looked incredibly happy. A sense looming dread filled her as she walked forward.
Zee wasn't sure what would happen, but given what she knew, is was not good. As she walked, time seemed to pass, only a few years by her count.
When the child was only three, that gloomy atmosphere returned. The image changed, with both emperor and empress standing on either side of a bed, with Raina sleeping between them. She looked sick, with dark lines snaking up her childlike face.
There was a blur of motion as dozens of people came and went from the child's room, healers of various races and power. Zee barely noticed when a figure silently appeared beside her.
"We spent our entire fortune hiring the best healers money could buy. And yet it was futile. Ironically, they call it the heavenly curse. Noone knows why, or under what condition it appears, but once someone gets it, it's incurable," said a tired voice.
Zee turned, a wizened old woman standing right next to her.
Though she was much older, she was strikingly similar to the empress in the vision.
"What happened next?" Zee asked.
The old woman gestured, and the vision continued.
"When none of the so-called grand healers of the cosmos could not reverse the curse, my former husband resorted to taboo methods in secret. He delved deep into the forbidden soul arts, uncaring of who he hurt in the pursuit of answers. Many of our allies turned against us when they found out just how far he had gone. Sensing weakness, our enemies attacked, and to make things worse our formed allies helped them. The emperor grievously wounded and forced into hiding, and heavenly fall empire, which we spent our entire lives building, fell," the old woman said.
Zee listened intently, as images of a war of horrifying proportions flashed in front of her. Thousands of planets falling, with uncountable lives reaped.
The old woman let out a tired laugh. "The last battle was the worst. Our armies were crumbling, as we were attacked on all fronts by former allies and enemies alike. In desperation, many of our top generals sacrificed themselves to active a ritual that wiped out a galaxy. I had no idea it would cause such destruction. Little did I know that my former husband had found an ancient weapon to act as a catalyst," the old woman said.
"I doesn't sound like you lost?" Zee asked.
The old woman snorted in derision. "If you call mutual destruction winning, then I suppose we didn't loose. After the war was over, I hid that awful weapon in the nexus, forcing my former enemies to guard it," the old woman said.
Zee frowned.
The nexus? Wasn't that the place that Oknarog was guarding beneath the imperial palace? There was so much to unravel here, so many questions she wanted to ask. But first, the most important.
"Is your former husband perhaps named Tarnival?" Zee asked.
The old woman scowled at that name. "Yes… Unfortunatly. How do you know that blithering old coots' name?" the old woman asked.
Zee raised an eyebrow. "I just kind of assumed you knew? You know, because of the visions and stuff," Zee said.
"Knew what?" the old woman asked grumpily.
Zee reached down and pulled a small leather-bound book from the satchel at her side.
As if seeing it for the first time, the old woman's eyes widened.
"Raina, would you come out please?" Zee asked.
The cavernous throne room went deathly quiet as a child no older than ten years appeared. She was ethereal, with auburn hair and striking green eyes. Despite looking ghostly, she struck a startling resemblance to the child in the illusion.
"Raina?" the old woman asked, her voice a mere whisper. A mix of shock, and disbelief crossed the old woman's face.