Aether stood in the middle of a large underground room, with her hands still shaking slightly after touching the crystal ball. The energy that had just flowed into her still felt hot in his veins, as if it was writhing, trying to find balance with the power She already had. She knew that this journey was getting closer to a critical point, and She couldn't stop now.
While looking at the altar, Aether felt something else beneath this land, something even deeper. It was as if this crystal ball was just the opening key to something bigger. "I have to look deeper," She thought. "There's still more I don't know."
She glanced around the room, looking for another door or passage that might be hidden in the shadows of the large stone pillars. The light from the crystal ball that was slowly dimming now provided a little light in the corner of the room, revealing something that was previously invisible—a secret door that was half hidden behind a pile of large rocks.
Aether walked over and began moving the stones one by one, using his newly acquired powers to make the job easier. The door was made of thick old metal, and on its surface were engraved with ancient symbols similar to those in the previous temple.
"I've seen these symbols before," Aether muttered, thinking back to the time at the old temple in the city he had liberated. "Maybe this is part of the final exam."
She pushed hard on the door, and after a few moments of loud creaking, it opened, revealing a steep stone staircase leading deeper underground. The air from inside felt colder and damper, and a strong musty smell wafted out.
Aether did not hesitate. She descended the stairs carefully, keeping her balance on the slippery and narrow steps. Every step he took felt heavier, as if a force was trying to hold him back. But She pressed on, her resolve growing stronger with each step.
The stairs led Aether to a long hallway filled with ancient writings on the walls. The writings glowed softly in the darkness, like spells guarding this place. As Aether walked further into the passage, he felt as if there were eyes watching him, following his every move.
At the end of the hall, Aether found another door, this time bigger and more complicated. This door has three holes that apparently require some kind of key. She remembered the small statue he found in the ruins earlier, which served as the key to open the first door.
"There are probably three keys I need to find," thought Aether. She scanned the surroundings, looking for clues as to where the keys might be hidden.
She found three different statues along the walls of the hallway. Each statue appears to depict an ancient god or entity, with arms outstretched as if waiting for something to give. Near each statue, there is a puzzle carved into the stone.
Aether approached the first statue and read the riddle engraved on it:
"I am something lighter than air, but stronger than steel. I can cut through mountains, but I am not even visible. What am I?"
Aether thought for a moment and smiled. "The answer is 'time'. Only time can cut mountains and be invisible." She placed his hand on the statue, and instantly, the statue glowed and a small key fell to the ground.
Aether took the key and walked to the second statue. The second riddle reads:
"I can be a loyal friend, or the most dangerous enemy. I can lead you to the highest peak or drop you into the deepest abyss. Am I?"
"The answer is 'mind'," thought Aether. "Our thoughts can be friends or enemies depending on how we control them." She placed her hand on the second statue, and like before, the statue glowed and a second key appeared.
Aether approached the third statue and read the final riddle:
"I am something that exists at the beginning and end of life, but cannot be held or felt. I can be a blessing or a curse. What am I?"
The answer came quicker this time. "That is 'fate'," Aether said, placing her hand on the third statue. The statue glowed, and the final key appeared.
With the three keys in his hand, Aether approached the large door and inserted the keys into their respective locks. When the final key was turned, the door opened with a roar, revealing another room beyond.
This room was larger than he had expected, with a high ceiling and rough stone floors. In the center of the room, there was a pool of water that looked clear, but was emitting a faint blue light from within. On the other side of the pool, there was a higher stone platform, on top of which stood a huge statue of what looked like a war god with eyes glowing red.
Aether walked towards the pool carefully. "This must be the core of the dark power," She thought, feeling a strong pull from within the pool. "I have to be careful."
As She stepped closer to the pool, the surface of the water began to ripple, and from the depths of the pool, a huge figure appeared that looked like a living shadow. The figure floated above the water, its body dark as night, with glowing red eyes staring hatefully at Aether.
"You've finally come," said the figure in a deep, resonant voice. "You have come to challenge me, this lord of darkness. But you are only a Mortal, and you will never be able to defeat me."
Aether raised her sword, ready to fight. "I may be only human," She answered in a firm voice, "but I will not let this power continue to destroy the world. I am here to stop you."
The shadowy figure laughed, the sound echoing throughout the room. "You are arrogant, Mortal. But let's see if your courage can match my strength."
The fight between Aether and the shadowy figure started with a powerful energy explosion. The shadow launched attacks from all directions, using the surrounding darkness as a weapon. Aether tried to dodge and counterattack, using the power of darkness he had mastered to fight the shadow.
Each slash of the Aether sword left a trail of light in the air, but the shadows did not seem to be affected by physical attacks. 'I have to find a way to defeat him,' Aether thought, trying to stay focused amidst the increasingly intense attacks.
She noticed that every time the shadow attacked, its red eyes became brighter. "That's it," thought Aether. "His red eyes… that's probably his weak point!"
Aether changed her tactics, focusing on attacking the shadow's red eyes. Every time the shadow came close, Aether dodged and launched attacks directly towards its eyes. After several tries, she finally managed to hit one of the red eyes with a powerful slash.
The shadow groaned in pain, its body shaking violently. "No... this is impossible!" he roared angrily. However, Aether didn't give the shadow a chance to recover. She launched the final attack, hitting the second red eye with all his strength.
With a final roar, the shadow shattered into thousands of dark light fragments which then dissipated into the air. The room suddenly became silent, and the blue light from the pool began to fade.
Aether stood there, panting but with a burning sense of victory. She had succeeded in defeating the dark lord in this place.
However, before she could relax, the war god statue on the stone platform in front of the pool started to move. The statue's eyes, which previously glowed red, now radiated a calming blue light.
Aether stared at the war god statue warily, her sword still raised. The statue that was originally just a cold stone now seemed alive, as if a spirit was inhabiting it. The blue light shining from his eyes created a different atmosphere—more peaceful, yet full of power.
The statue slowly moved, raising its right hand in the air. The stone hand held a scroll of parchment that looked old and fragile. "Formidable warrior," a deep and resonant voice came from the statue, echoing throughout the room. "You have defeated the shadow of darkness that inhabits this place. Your courage and perseverance are extraordinary, but your journey is not over."
Aether, still on alert, looked at the statue with a questioning gaze. "What more do you want from me?" She asked, his voice strong although there was a hint of tiredness in it.
The statue bowed slightly, as if paying respects. "I don't want anything from you, Warrior of Light and Darkness. Instead, I have something for you. A gift, or perhaps a new challenge."
With a slow movement, the statue lowered its hand which was holding a scroll of parchment and an ancient medallion of shining metal—a Pagan one, which seemed to have strange carvings all over it. The statue then extended its right hand towards Aether, offering both items.
Aether approached, her sword still half raised, ready to react in case of danger. However, her eyes fell on the ancient parchment and medallion. She could feel a powerful and ancient aura radiating from these two objects.
"Take it," said the statue. "This parchment contains lost knowledge about the power you possess. However, the writing is ancient, older than time itself. Only those with a determined heart and mind can understand it. And this medallion," continued the statue while pointing at the sparkling Pagan in the palm of her hand, "will take you to where you are needed next."
Aether hesitated for a moment, but then she lowered her sword and took the two items. The moment his hand touched the medal, she felt a strange energy flow through her. The same feeling she felt when she first touched the crystal ball in the temple before. She felt as if her body was starting to be pulled by an invisible force.
"Wait A Minute, what happened?" Aether exclaimed, trying to suppress the strange feeling.
The statue smiled faintly. "Fear not, Warrior of Light and Darkness. You will be returned to the place where your journey should begin again. There, you will find the answer. Remember, your power is not only there to destroy, but also to understand and guide."
Before Aether could ask further, the blue light from the statue's eyes grew brighter, covering the entire room. Aether's body began to fade, as if he was being pulled back by a force greater than he could imagine. Everything became blurry, and the statue's voice became increasingly distant.
Then, suddenly everything went dark.
Aether felt hard feet under her feet and fresher air as She came back to her senses. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found himself standing in a very familiar place—the small town square where she had parted ways with Remi. The sun shone brightly above, and a gentle breeze blew, bringing with it a faint and unpleasant smell of smoke.
Aether staggered for a moment, trying to understand what had just happened. Her hands still held the ancient medallion and parchment given by the statue of the god of war. "How can I come back here?" Aether thought, her eyes sweeping around, looking for signs of life.
However, the sight before him made his heart sink into worry. This city that was once full of life is now destroyed and burning. Only ruins remained of several houses, and black smoke was still rising from the fires that had not long been extinguished. The smell of burning wood and flying ash filled the air, giving the impression that this disaster had just happened.
"Remi!" Aether shouted, panic starting to creep into his voice. She ran across the now deserted square, towards the place where She and Remi used to spend time, under a large tree that was now just a stump, burned to the ground.
Aether feet almost tripped over rubble and the remains of collapsed buildings. She continued running, her eyes searching through the rubble, hoping to find any sign of Remi. However, this city felt like a graveyard, desolate and full of destruction. "Impossible... how could this happen?" She whispered, her eyes starting to get wet with the tears that were starting to well up.
In the middle of the square, she saw something strange—a group of people who seemed to be collecting salvageable items from the rubble. Aether rushed over to them. "What's going on here? Where is everyone?" he asked in an urgent tone.
One of the people who seemed older and more experienced turned to him, his face filled with exhaustion and sadness. "The city... is burning to the ground, kid," She said quietly, his voice hoarse. "We don't know what caused it. Suddenly fire appeared from the north, and in an instant, everything was on fire."
Aether felt fear suffocating her chest. "Did you see the little boy here? His name is Remi. He lives here. Where is he?" She asked, almost pleading.
The old man shook his head. "I'm sorry, kid. I don't know. Many ran away into the woods or down the river. Some weren't so lucky."
The words hit Aether like a heavy blow. She looked around, seeing the destruction that surrounded him, and a feeling of loss began to creep over him. "Oh, Lord Have Mercy, Remi..." She muttered, voice small and hollow.
Aether continued his search among the ruins desperately, hoping to find a clue to Remi's whereabouts. Every time he found small traces such as half-burnt toys or torn clothes, her hopes rose slightly, only to be quickly crushed again by the harsh reality that existed around him.
After a while, Aether found himself standing in front of the house that used to be occupied by Remi and his family. The house is now just a pile of charred wood and ashes. She walked slowly towards the ruins, her legs feeling heavy. "Remi!" She called once more, her voice now filled with desperation.
However, there was no answer...
Amidst the rubble, Aether saw something that made Her heart stop for a moment—a small, partially charred doll lying among the rubble. The doll belonged to Remi, which she always took with her everywhere. Aether knelt down, picking up the doll with shaking hands. Her tears began to flow freely. "Remi...," She whispered, holding the doll tightly to her chest. "Gosh, Where are you?"
Feelings of helplessness and guilt overwhelmed. He had left, leaving Remi alone, and now everything had changed. She couldn't help feeling that She had failed to protect his little friend.
However, in the midst of despair, Aether felt something. She raised her head and saw a small beam of light among the dark ruins. The light came from inside one of the collapsed houses. Quickly, she wiped her tears and moved towards the light, hoping to find something that could help him.
As Aether approached the source of the light, she saw that it came from a small medallion hanging from the neck of an old woman sitting among the ruins. The old woman seemed to be praying, her lips moved slowly, and her eyes were tightly closed.
Aether approached the woman carefully. "Excuse me, ma'am," She said in a low but firm voice. "Do you know what happened here? Did you see a child named Remi?"
The old woman opened her eyes slowly, looking at Aether with a gaze full of wounded wisdom. "Remi?" he asked, as if trying to remember. "Yes, I saw a child named Remi. He was with another group, running into the forest when the fire started to spread. They were trying to save themselves."
Aether's heart beat fast hearing the news. "Into the forest? So... there's a chance he survived?"
The old woman nodded slowly. "There's a possibility, kid. But the forest is thick and full of danger. If he's still alive, he might need your help to get out."
Aether felt a glimmer of hope amidst the pain She felt. She thanked the old woman and quickly turned around, heading towards the forest. She knew that this might be her only chance to find Remi, to make sure that her little friend was safe.
"Remi, hang on," She muttered with determination as she ran towards the forest. "I'll find you. I promise."
With the ancient medallion and parchment in hand, and a new passion ignited in his heart, Aether ran towards the forest, ready to face any danger that might lie there to save Remi. His journey is now not only about defeating the darkness, but also saving a precious friend
The forest in front of him looked dark and scary, but Aether was not afraid. She knows that behind every shadow there is hope, and he will not stop until he finds Remi and brings his best friend back to safety. With new strength and determination, She stepped into the forest, ready to face the next challenge in his tireless quest.