Beneath the ruined halls of the palace, hidden far from the eyes of those who would seek its power, lay a forgotten temple. Its entrance was an ancient doorway, concealed for centuries beneath layers of rubble and time. Once the heart of the kingdom's deepest secrets.
Hydra, breathing heavily, wiped the sweat from his brow as he stood before the doorway. He could hear the distant echoes of the battle above, the dying screams of his father's warriors as they were cut down by Cerberus' devastating power. The weight of the responsibility he bore pressed down on him like a suffocating blanket. His father's voice echoed in his mind—Get to safety, Hydra. You're not ready for this.
But here he was, staring at the ancient door that even Apollo had never shown him. Carved serpents, their eyes gleaming with malice, seemed to move under the flickering torchlight. Their fangs, long and sharp, warned of the danger that lay beyond.
He swallowed hard and pushed the door open. The air was thick with dust, centuries of abandonment clinging to every surface. But there, at the heart of the room, bathed in a pulsing purple glow, sat the dark stone fragment. It hovered just above a pedestal, as if it had waited for this moment all along.
As Hydra stepped closer, he noticed the murals etched into the stone walls, ancient stories of the serpentine race that had guarded the dark stone for eons. They were stories of power, of responsibility, and of the curse that came with failure. He paused to read the inscriptions carved beneath the murals:
"Only the worthy may be blessed. Those who dare, but lack worth, will suffer the curse of the worldly serpents."
Hydra stared at the words for a long moment. He could feel the pull of the stone, its raw power thrumming in the air, begging to be touched. *Am I worthy?* The question gnawed at his mind, but the sounds of battle above urged him to act quickly.
Without another thought, he reached out. His fingers brushed the smooth surface of the stone, and in an instant, it responded. The stone shot into the air, spinning violently before slamming into Hydra's forehead with a force that sent him staggering back. A searing pain ripped through his skull as a deep wound opened on his brow, blood pouring down his face. His vision blurred, but as he reached up to touch his forehead, he realized the stone had embedded itself within him.
Then the world began to change.
The murals around him seemed to come to life as the curse took hold. Stone crawled up the walls, turning everything it touched into cold, lifeless rock. Hydra felt his body stiffen, his limbs locking in place. His scream echoed through the chamber, but it was cut short as the stone enveloped him, freezing him in place. The curse had been activated, and all around him, the world turned to stone.
---
Up above, Cerberus surveyed the scene with mild amusement. The once grand palace was now nothing more than a desolate wasteland, its defenders reduced to nothing under his plasmic onslaught. The only thing that remained was the eerie silence that followed the curse's activation.
Cerberus smirked as he watched the stone creep across the battlefield, turning everything in its path to lifeless rock. He raised a hand, summoning a shimmering plasmic shield around himself. "I won't be falling for your little tricks, Apollo," he muttered under his breath. But even as the shield wrapped him in its protective glow, the curse's aura began to press against it. Cracks appeared in the shimmering energy, and Cerberus frowned.
"Really?" he mused, his voice dripping with mockery. "You think this will hold me?"
The cracks widened. His smirk vanished. With a growl of frustration, Cerberus realized that even his plasmic defenses wouldn't be enough to withstand the curse. His eyes narrowed, and with a flash of energy, he disappeared, teleporting off the planet in an instant. He wouldn't remain here for a hundred years to wait out the curse—there were other fragments of the dark stone to collect.
But as he vanished, he glanced back at the cursed world. I'll be back… once this world is free.
---
The curse held the planet in its icy grip for a century, untouched by time or the outside world. The palace, once a place of life and light, stood frozen in eternal silence.
That is, until a figure in gleaming silver armor stepped through the ruined gates.
Xenon, clad in his radiant knightly attire, moved swiftly through the deserted halls. His eyes, sharp and calculating, scanned his surroundings as he made his way toward the hidden temple beneath the palace. He had been here once before, in another time, in another life. But now, he had returned for one reason only—to retrieve the dark stone before the forces of Evangeline, Cerberus among them, could claim it for themselves.
His footsteps echoed through the stone corridors as he descended into the hidden depths of the palace. The curse had lifted, and the air now hummed with life once again. But Xenon knew that time was running out. Cerberus would return soon, and the stone had to be secured before then.
As he approached the temple, the door creaked open. And there, standing at its center, was Hydra.
The serpentine prince, now a man of legend, stood tall once more, his body restored by the dark stone that had kept him alive during the curse. But he looked weary, his eyes betraying a century of isolation and confusion.
"So, the cursed prince awakens," Xenon's voice rang out, sharp and mocking. He stepped into the chamber, his silver armor gleaming under the temple's dim light. "I wondered if you'd still be standing when I got here."
Hydra turned, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto the knight before him. "Who are you?" he growled. His voice was deep, unfamiliar even to himself after so many years of silence.
"Who am I?" Xenon's lips curled into a mocking smile. "I'm the one who's going to take that stone from you before you get yourself killed with it."
Hydra straightened, his pride flaring. "You think you can take it from me? I am the protector of the dark stone—"
"Protector?" Xenon cut him off with a laugh. "Please, you're nothing more than a child playing with a power far beyond your understanding. You barely know what you've gotten yourself into."
Hydra bristled at the insult. "I don't need to understand it to protect it. It's my duty—"
"Duty?" Xenon scoffed. "Your 'duty' got your entire kingdom turned to stone. You think you're the one to protect the dark stone now? You couldn't even stop the curse from destroying your own people."
Hydra's fists clenched. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, but I do," Xenon replied, stepping closer. "I know everything about that stone. And I know that you're not strong enough to protect it."
Hydra's anger boiled over. "Then come and try to take it from me."
Xenon's smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating gaze. "With pleasure."
The battle was over almost before it began. Hydra, still weakened from his century of slumber, barely managed to keep up with Xenon's swift, precise movements. The knight danced around him, his blade flashing in the dim light as he struck with surgical precision.
Hydra fought back with all his strength, summoning the power of the stone within him, but it wasn't enough. Xenon's experience and power overwhelmed him. Within moments, Hydra was on the ground, gasping for breath as Xenon stood over him, his sword pointed at the fallen prince's chest.
"You see?" Xenon's voice was soft now, almost pitying. "You're not ready for this. You never were."
Hydra glared up at him, defiant even in defeat. "I won't let you take it."
Xenon raised his sword, ready to deliver the final blow. "You don't have a choice."
But just as the blade was about to strike, a fireball shot through the air, slamming into Xenon's side and sending him stumbling back. Xenon's eyes widened in shock as he turned to face the new threat.
And in the shadows of the temple's entrance, a figure stepped forward, flames flickering in their hands.