Chapter 5: The Summoned Child
The chamber pulsed with fading energy as the light of the summoning spell dimmed. The dust settled, and standing before Azaymos, Rex, and Nox, was a girl—small, with wide eyes, barely past what looked like her early teenage years. She had long, silver hair that shimmered like liquid light, and her clothing—though worn—seemed to flow and shift with the ambient air. Her form flickered slightly, as though she was not fully bound to this reality.
For a moment, the three companions stared at the girl in confusion. She stood there calmly, meeting their gazes with an unnerving sense of peace, despite the chaos of the summoning.
"That's... not what I expected," Rex muttered, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow.
Azaymos said nothing. His heart still raced from the power of the spell, and something about the girl unsettled him in ways he couldn't quite grasp. She was young, seemingly innocent, but there was something else in her eyes—something ancient, something hidden beneath her small frame.
The girl didn't speak. Instead, she simply watched them, her gaze unwavering and unsettling.
Azaymos finally stepped forward, his voice steady. "Who are you?"
The girl tilted her head slightly, offering a small, cryptic smile. "You summoned me," she said softly, her voice almost melodic, though there was an underlying power to it. "Isn't that enough for now?"
Rex groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "Great. Another one that speaks in riddles."
Nox, however, was watching the girl closely, her eyes narrowing. "There's more to her than meets the eye," she murmured, a note of suspicion creeping into her voice. "She's not just some innocent child."
Azaymos glanced at Nox, then back at the girl. "I need to know who you are, and why you've been brought here."
The girl's smile didn't waver, but she said nothing more. Instead, she took a few steps forward, her feet barely making a sound against the stone floor, as though she was gliding.
Rex rolled his eyes. "This is pointless. Look, kid—either you're with us, or we'll leave you here."
The girl's gaze shifted to Rex, her eyes flashing briefly with a deeper, unreadable emotion. "You'll need me more than you think, Rex."
At the sound of her voice saying his name, Rex froze. His expression shifted from casual annoyance to something more guarded. "How did you—?"
"I know more than you imagine," the girl interrupted, her tone still light but holding a weight that demanded attention. "But for now, it's not your questions that matter."
Nox stepped forward, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her blade. "Then what does matter?" she asked coldly.
The girl turned her gaze to Nox, then to Azaymos. "Survival."
Before any of them could respond, the ground beneath them trembled. The tower was shifting again, the stones groaning as if the very walls were reacting to the girl's presence. A gust of wind swept through the chamber, and the girl's form flickered, disappearing for a moment before reappearing behind Azaymos.
"We need to move," she said calmly, her voice unbothered by the tremor that rattled the stones beneath their feet.
Azaymos instinctively reached for his dagger—the same cursed weapon that had sealed his fate all those years ago. It was still strapped to his side, always cold to the touch. The very blade that had stabbed him and set the curse in motion now weighed heavily in his hand.
He glanced down at the dagger, the ancient runes glowing faintly in response to the tower's energy. The blade was more than just a weapon; it was the key to his freedom, though he still didn't fully understand how. He was cursed with eternal youth and trapped in this hellish prison, but he suspected that the deeper they ventured into the tower, the more the dagger's true purpose would reveal itself.
The girl, seeming to sense the weight of his thoughts, glanced at the dagger as well. Her eyes lingered on it for a moment before she looked back at Azaymos, her smile fading slightly. "There's a reason you still carry that," she whispered, almost as if she was speaking more to herself than to him. "But the answer isn't here. Not yet."
Azaymos felt a chill run down his spine. The girl knew more than she was letting on—that much was clear. But as much as he wanted answers, they had no time to press her further. The tower was shifting, and the danger was growing with every moment.
"We need to keep moving," Azaymos said, sliding the dagger back into its sheath. He glanced at the girl once more, his gaze hardening. "Stay close. I don't know who or what you are, but you're here now. Don't get in our way."
The girl smiled again, a knowing smile that made him uneasy. "I'll do what needs to be done," she said softly, her voice almost playful. "Nothing more, nothing less."
Without another word, the group moved forward, deeper into the labyrinth of the tower. The girl followed quietly, her presence barely noticeable, though Azaymos could feel her eyes on him the entire time.
As they walked, Rex fell in beside Azaymos, his expression more serious than usual. "She's not just some kid, is she?"
Azaymos shook his head. "No. There's something... ancient about her. But until we figure out what she is, we don't have a choice but to keep her with us."
"Just be careful," Rex warned, glancing over his shoulder at the girl, who was now trailing behind, her form flickering in and out of view like a ghost. "I've fought enough battles to know when something's off."
Azaymos nodded, gripping the hilt of his cursed dagger tightly. The tower held many secrets, and the girl was one of them. But with each step they took, Azaymos knew that they were getting closer to the answers he sought—and to the truth behind his curse.
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End of Chapter 5