Menelaus leads us through the winding corridors of the Magi Sanctum, his footsteps echoing softly against the polished stone floors. We follow him in silence. We know not where he leads us, only that it is to a sacred place only the mages have access, a hallowed ground where the rites of divination for magi apprentices are held.
As we descend deeper, the air grows cooler, tinged with a faint scent of earth and moisture. Menelaus walks with purpose, his gaze fixed ahead as if drawn by some unseen force.
Finally, we reach our destination—a narrow opening in the wall, concealed by veil made of pure light. With a wave of his hand, Menelaus parts the veil, revealing a hidden passage beyond.
As we enter the cavernous chamber, our breath catches in our throats. Before us stretches a vast underground lagoon, its waters shimmering with an otherworldly light. Aetherfin, sacred fish that inhabit only the purest of waters, dart through the depths, their iridescent scales glinting like aquatic fireflies.
"Welcome to the Astral Veil Grotto," Menelaus intones, his voice echoing softly in the cavern. "This is a place of great power, where the ancient conclave of mages once worshipped the twelve elemental spirits."
The walls of the cave are alive with light, crystals protruding from the rock looks like stars in the night sky. They pulse with a soft, ethereal glow, casting dancing shadows across the water. Worms, their bodies aglow with a gentle luminescence, wriggle through the crevices in the rock like little caretakers of this sacred place.
Ishtar, his stoic demeanor momentarily forgotten, gasps in awe at the sight before him. "It's.... magnificent," he breathes, his eyes wide with wonder.
Karim and Haruno, always quick to find joy in the world around them, let out exclamations of delight. "Look at the fish!" Karim exclaims, pointing excitedly at the Aetherfin darting through the water. "I've never seen anything like it!"
Haruno nods eagerly, his grin widening. "And the crystals! They're so... magical," he adds, his voice filled with childlike wonder.
Bran, ever the skeptic, surveys the scene with a critical eye. "Interesting," he murmurs, his tone guarded. "But what does any of this have to do with our training?"
Menelaus smiles knowingly, his eyes alight with wisdom. "Everything, my young apprentice," he replies. "The Astral Veil Grotto is a place of immense power, a nexus of elemental energy. Here, we will perform the rites of divination, unlocking the secrets of your magical potential."
And then, in an instant, it happens. A surge of power rushes through me, filling every fiber of my being with a tingling sensation that borders on euphoria. I can feel the barriers of my mind melting away, the walls that have held me back crumbling before the onslaught of pure, unadulterated energy I can never hope to explain.
Images flash before my eyes—visions of past, present, and future. I see the fall of the great walls of Ganduana, myself standing on the precipice of its rubbles, my destiny stretching out before me. A sudden chill grips my spine. The air grows heavy with a foreboding sense of unease, and I can feel the weight of impending doom pressing down upon me like a suffocating blanket.
With a shudder, I close my eyes, hoping to shake off the sensation, but instead, I am plunged into a nightmarish vision. Images flash before my mind's eye in a dizzying whirlwind of past, present, and future, each more unsettling than the last.
The crumbled walls of Eldoria, the last city that stands against the night king, now reduced to rubbles and ruins. Death is everywhere. The air is thick with the acrid stench of decay, and the sky overhead is shrouded in an oppressive gloom that springs forth from the Red Star of doom, covering the light of the sun and the stars like a massive celestial veil.
Before me stretches the vast expanse of the forgotten lands, a desolate wasteland of twisted shadows and looming darkness. The ground beneath my feet is cracked and barren, as if all life has been seeped out of the earth replaced by death and decay.
Emerging from the depths of the abyss, I see them—the army of the undead, their eyes empty and soulless, their ranks stretching as far as the eye can see. They march in eerie silence, their footsteps echoing like the tolling of a funeral bell, heralding the coming of a darkness that knows no end.
Behind me, is the coalition of the five great races, united once more in a final stand against the forces of darkness. Their faces are grim, their weapons drawn, their resolve as cold and unyielding as the steel they wield. They stand behind me, mages, elves, mortals, dwarves and giants, the last line of defense against the encroaching evil.
As the vision fades, leaving me gasping for breath and trembling with fear, I am left with a sense of dread unlike anything I have ever known. The impending doom that hangs over Eldoria like a shroud threatens to consume us all.
And then, just as suddenly as it began, the vision fades, leaving me gasping. I glance around at the others, their eyes wide with wonder. Menelaus looks at me with knowing eyes, he knew I had a vision, more like an omen of what's ahead of us. The drum wars beat loud, chaos is imminent, the world hangs in the balance, teetering on the edge of annihilation.
Menelaus approaches me with a solemn expression etched upon his weathered features. His piercing eyes bore into mine, searching for answers amidst the swirling uncertainty that hangs heavy in the air.
"What did you see?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper, yet filled with a weight that seems to reverberate through the cavernous chamber.
I take a deep breath, steadying myself before recounting the vision that had shaken me to my core. "I saw... darkness," I begin, my voice trembling with the weight of the revelation. "An army of the undead marching towards the crumbled walls of Eldoria."
Menelaus listens intently, his brow furrowed in deep thought. He caresses his long beard with a gnarled hand, lost in contemplation.
"Visions can be a dangerous thing," he murmurs, "the dark king has long used them to instill fear and deceive his enemies. We must tread carefully, for not all that we see is as it seems."
I nod in understanding, the weight of his words settling like a leaden cloak.
"He knows of your existence," Menelaus continues, "he knows that the zodiac prince has been reborn, and he will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat you pose to his reign."
The gravity of his words shrouded me. "The dark king grows in power. Even here, in the heart of the Astral Veil Grotto, where darkness should not be able to penetrate, his influence looms large, be steadfast young Erk Lionheart for in your hands lie the fate of the world. You must not lose your grip; you must not waver. A time will come when we rally against the forces of evil behind you, hold the line and advance, always…advance, the path might lead to nowhere but as long as you can see it then you can walk it!"