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Chapter 2: The Awakening of Shadows
The two figures stood before Azaymos, their forms flickering slightly in the dim glow of the runes that had summoned them. For a long moment, none of them spoke, the silence stretching like a taut string waiting to snap.
Azaymos studied the pair—one tall and commanding, his fiery hair catching the low light like embers in the dark; the other, a figure of cold precision, silver hair flowing like moonlight, her red eyes gleaming with barely concealed suspicion. There was power here, that much was clear. But power could be dangerous if left unchecked.
The red-haired one was the first to break the silence. He narrowed his eyes, clearly agitated. "Where am I?" His voice was rough, with the tone of someone who was used to getting answers.
Before Azaymos could respond, the silver-haired figure turned her piercing gaze on him. "What did you do?" she asked, her voice cold but controlled, like the calm before a storm.
Azaymos raised his hands, palms up, as if surrendering. "It's not what it looks like."
"It looks like you dragged us here," the red-haired man snapped. His hands clenched into fists, and for a moment, the temperature in the room seemed to rise.
Azaymos exhaled slowly, knowing he had to defuse the situation before it spiraled out of control. "I performed a summoning," he explained, keeping his voice calm. "But I only expected to summon one of you. Somehow, both of you were called."
The silver-haired woman's gaze flicked to the glowing runes beneath her feet. She knelt, tracing the patterns with her fingertips, her expression unreadable. "These symbols... ancient magic." She rose slowly, her eyes locking onto Azaymos again. "You're not an ordinary summoner, are you?"
Azaymos shook his head. "I'm not a summoner at all. I'm... cursed."
The red-haired one snorted, folding his arms across his chest. "Cursed, huh? Aren't we all?"
Azaymos almost smiled at that. "I've been trapped in this tower for ten years. I've tried every way I know to escape, but nothing worked. Then the fairy came to me. She said I needed to summon an ally. Someone who could help me break the curse and get out of this place."
"The fairy?" The woman's voice softened slightly, though the wariness remained in her gaze. "You've been speaking to a fairy?"
Azaymos nodded. "For the past decade, she's been guiding me... or, at least, keeping me from losing my mind completely. This summoning—it was her idea."
The man's fiery eyes flicked toward the woman. "So, who are you?" he asked, clearly unamused by the turn of events.
She tilted her head slightly, a flicker of amusement crossing her lips. "I could ask you the same thing."
"Rex," the man growled. "And you?"
"Nox," the woman replied simply. The tension between them was palpable.
Azaymos watched the exchange with mild curiosity. Rex and Nox... fitting, he thought. But before he could say anything, the tower itself groaned, the sound reverberating through the stone walls like a beast stirring from its slumber.
All three turned their heads toward the sound, their instincts kicking in. Azaymos's heart raced. The tower was alive, in a way—constantly shifting, reshaping itself, as though it had a will of its own. And right now, it seemed agitated.
"We need to move," Azaymos said, urgency creeping into his voice. "The tower is... unpredictable. Staying in one place for too long isn't safe."
Rex smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Finally, some action."
Nox rolled her eyes, but there was a glint of anticipation in her gaze. "Lead the way then, 'cursed one.' You're the reason we're here."
Azaymos turned on his heel, his thoughts racing as he led the way down a narrow corridor, the dim light of his tattoos casting eerie shadows on the walls. He had no idea where they were headed; the tower's layout changed too often to map out, but anything was better than staying in one place and waiting for whatever lurked in the darkness to find them.
As they walked, Azaymos couldn't help but glance back at his new companions. Rex moved with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, his every step filled with power and purpose. Nox, on the other hand, was silent, her movements almost too smooth, too calculated—like a shadow that could strike at any moment.
"So," Rex said after a few minutes of tense silence, "you mentioned a curse. Care to explain?"
Azaymos sighed. "It's... complicated."
Rex chuckled. "We've got time. Besides, I've got a feeling we're stuck with each other for a while."
Azaymos ran a hand through his hair, trying to gather his thoughts. "I was once a knight, sworn to protect the kingdom. But I trusted the wrong person. I was... betrayed." He clenched his fists, the memory still fresh, even after all these years. "I was stabbed with a blade marked with ancient runes. That's when I ended up here, in the Tower of Disperse. Trapped, cursed to live forever."
Nox's eyes flickered with interest. "The blade... was it a part of a ritual?"
Azaymos nodded. "The one who stabbed me was someone I trusted more than anyone. That's part of the curse—you can only be marked by someone you trust completely."
Rex frowned. "That's twisted."
Azaymos gave a bitter laugh. "You don't know the half of it."
As they continued down the corridor, the ground beneath them began to tremble. The tower was shifting again, its walls groaning as the stone twisted and buckled. Azaymos braced himself, his tattoos flaring as the tremors grew stronger.
"Hold on!" he shouted, but it was too late.
The floor gave way beneath them, and they were plunged into darkness.
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End of Chapter 2