The Descent of the Sun God!
At the base of the Sun God Temple, a massive statue towered above the group, casting long shadows across the stone steps that led to the sacred temple entrance.
The statue, weathered by time, depicted a man with bulging muscles holding an enormous fiery orb in his hands. Painted a deep, crimson red, the orb glowed ominously, and within the hollow eyes of the statue, real flames flickered like souls imprisoned in stone.
"Do you think that's the eternal flame from the Sun God or just some trick they use to scare people?" Ecdy whispered, his eyes fixed on the burning eyes of the statue.
Nyala shot him a quick, sarcastic look. "Why don't you ask the temple priests? I'm sure they'd love to entertain your curiosity."
Ecdy grinned, realizing her sarcasm. "Touché." He chuckled, but his mind was already racing, excitement and nerves tangling as he turned to scan the crowd. They had come too far, and the weight of their mission now pressed on his shoulders.
Adrian, however, was silent. His eyes were locked on the temple before them, a faint stirring deep inside his chest—an unexplainable connection to this place. His heart pounded like a drum, the temple's ancient energy thrumming through his veins. Tessa, whose consciousness was dormant within Ashley's body, could feel it too. This was more than a temple—it was home to something ancient and powerful, something that recognized them.
As if summoned by their presence, a priest emerged from the shadows of the towering temple doors. His bald head gleamed in the sunlight, and his robes billowed slightly with the wind. He stood tall, looking down upon the group as if weighing their souls in his mind.
"Welcome to the Temple of the Sun God," he greeted them, his voice echoing across the stone courtyard. "What business do you seek here?"
Ashley, ever the fearless leader, met his gaze with eyes as cold as steel. "We've come for the Eternal Flame."
The priest's expression hardened instantly, his welcoming smile fading like a flame extinguished by the wind. "Only a priest of the temple or a descendant of the Sun God has the right to touch the Eternal Flame," he said gravely, his tone filled with foreboding. "If you enter this sacred place with ill intentions, the flame will consume you before you can even dream of touching it."
His confidence was unsettling, as though he had seen countless others meet their fiery end for daring to try. His gaze lingered on them, waiting for their inevitable retreat, certain that this group, like many before, would fail.
Ashley, however, smiled—a slow, dangerous smile. "And who told you there isn't a descendant of the Sun God among us?"
The priest's expression faltered, a brief flicker of doubt crossing his features. He had seen many fools come and go, each consumed by their arrogance. But something about this group felt different. His instincts screamed for caution, but his pride kept him rooted in place.
"If you truly believe you are worthy, then by all means, attempt it," he said, voice tinged with amusement. "But I assure you, that flame will devour you like the others."
Ashley glanced at Adrian with her usually annoying smirk, giving him a look that needed no words: It's time.
A battle raged inside Adrian. Every fiber of his being screamed to resist, to fight back against Ashley's silent command. But Tessa's voice, though faint, whispered once more in his mind: Do as she says. For your own safety.
With a deep breath, Adrian ascended the steps. His footsteps echoed in the tense silence as the crowd watched with bated breath. The air grew thick with anticipation, the very atmosphere crackling with energy. The temple, once solemn and quiet, now felt alive, as if the ancient stones were awakening to the presence of something—someone—important.
The priest watched from a distance, his smug smile returning. Another fool, he thought, as he anticipated Adrian's swift end.
As Adrian reached the top of the stairs and stepped into the temple, the Eternal Flame, housed in an ancient lampstand at the center, flared brighter. Its light grew fiercer, the flames licking higher into the air, as if sensing something familiar—something it had not encountered in centuries.
The onlookers, from temple priests to travelers, murmured among themselves. No one had ever gotten this far without being incinerated.
The priest pointed towards the raised platform where the Eternal Flame burned bright, surrounded by statues of forgotten deities. "There it is," the priest said, his tone smug. "If you think you can claim it, go ahead. But I've seen men far stronger than you turned to ash."
Adrian took slow, deliberate steps towards the flame, each one heavier than the last. Every eye was on him, tension crackling in the air. Nyala and Nymff exchanged worried glances, their hands clenched in fists as they prayed for their friend's survival. Even Ecdy, usually carefree, stood stiff with anxiety.
The flames roared higher as Adrian approached, as if greeting him. Then, with a sudden surge, they shot out from the lampstand, racing towards him with terrifying speed.
"Adrian, look out!" Nyala screamed in panic, her voice echoing through the chamber.
The crowd gasped, certain of the fiery death about to unfold. Even the priest, smirking, prepared to watch the spectacle unfold.
But something miraculous happened.
The flames, which had incinerated countless before him, did not burn Adrian. Instead, they wrapped around him, circling him like a living thing, a creature in awe of its master. The fire did not consume him—instead, it seemed to recognize him. The flames caressed his skin, dancing around his palms as if welcoming him home.
The temple fell silent. The priest's smirk faded, his eyes wide with disbelief. The onlookers gasped in shock, unable to process what they were seeing.
Adrian, standing before the Eternal Flame, held it in his hand, the fire swirling and flickering as if it were a mere extension of his will. He had done the impossible.
"What the hell…" the priest muttered under his breath, his faith in the temple's protective magic shattered.
Ashley smirked from where she stood, arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold. "I told you. A descendant of the Sun God walks among us." Ikehara had been the most skeptical of them all. When Ashley first confided in him about Adrian's lineage, he dismissed it outright, thinking it was nothing more than a far-fetched tale—a closely guarded secret known only to Rhemon and Ashley Duve. Hardly anyone knew the truth, and even fewer believed it.
But now, standing there with his eyes locked on the spectacle unfolding before him, Ikehara couldn't deny what was right in front of him. The flames dancing in Adrian's hands told the story more powerfully than any words ever could. All his doubts, his disbelief, crumbled away as the reality of what he was witnessing hit him like a tidal wave.
He had doubted. But now, he knew the truth.
Adrian stood tall, the flames in his hand blazing brightly, as if declaring to the world that the heir to Solaris had returned. And now, nothing would stand in their way.
Things were about to get even more interesting!