The group moved cautiously through the ruins, their footsteps echoing on the cracked stone beneath their boots. The ancient structure was eerie, even in daylight, with massive columns and intricate carvings depicting long-forgotten events. Vines snaked their way through the cracks in the walls, and the air smelled damp and old. Every breath felt heavy with history, as though the stones themselves held secrets too terrible to be spoken aloud.
David paused, his hand brushing against one of the carvings. The symbols were familiar now—he'd spent enough time studying them to recognize the ancient language of the Symbiotes—but there was something different about these. Something unsettling.
Ivane noticed him lagging behind and turned, raising an eyebrow. "You see something?"
David frowned, his fingers tracing the outlines of the strange symbols. "I don't know... These carvings… they're older than the others. Much older."
"That's not exactly comforting," Giorgi muttered, adjusting his sword as he scanned the surroundings, his eyes sharp and alert. His voice was calm, but David could hear the underlying tension.
Ivane moved closer, studying the wall alongside David. "What do you think it means?"
David shook his head slowly. "I'm not sure yet. But these symbols—" he paused, his hand lingering on one of the larger ones. "They're not warnings. They're instructions."
Ivane blinked, taken aback. "Instructions for what?"
David stepped back, taking in the full image of the carvings. "I think... it's a guide. Something to do with the symbiotes and their connection to us. These are... rituals, maybe?"
Giorgi, still keeping watch, glanced over his shoulder. "If it's a guide, it's not exactly clear. Unless you're telling me you suddenly know how to perform ancient rituals?"
David smirked, but his eyes remained serious. "No. But this place—it feels like a puzzle. A test. We've been finding pieces, but we're still missing something."
Ivane stepped back, folding his arms as he glanced around the vast ruins. "A test for what? Why would they leave this here for us to find?"
David's face tightened as he thought it over. "Maybe it's not meant for us. Maybe it's for whoever... the Builder was talking about."
"The prophecy," Giorgi said flatly, clearly unimpressed. "Of course. Always comes back to the prophecy, doesn't it?"
Ivane ignored him, his gaze locked on David. "You think this is connected to the prophecy? The hero who can release the full power of the symbiote?"
"I don't know," David admitted. "But it's possible. This place—it wasn't built by accident. Everything here has a purpose."
Giorgi exhaled sharply, his patience wearing thin. "We've been walking through these ruins for hours, and all we've found are old stones and cryptic messages. What exactly are we supposed to be doing here?"
David didn't answer right away. Instead, he kneeled down and picked up a loose fragment of stone that had fallen from one of the walls. It was small, barely larger than his hand, but the symbol etched into it was clear—the same symbol that had appeared in his dreams, the same one the Builder had shown them.
He turned the stone over in his hands, feeling the weight of it. "This symbol," he said quietly. "It keeps showing up. In the dreams, in the ruins."
Ivane crouched beside him, studying the fragment. "Do you think it's a key? Some kind of... trigger?"
David nodded slowly. "Maybe. But we need to figure out what it unlocks."
Before anyone could respond, a loud crack echoed through the ruins. All three of them whipped around, weapons at the ready, their hearts pounding in unison. The sound had come from deeper within the structure, somewhere in the shadows beyond the crumbling columns.
"What was that?" Giorgi hissed, drawing his sword and stepping forward cautiously.
"I don't know," David muttered, gripping his own weapon. "But it wasn't just the wind."
Ivane's eyes were wide, his hand hovering near the hilt of his blade. "We need to be careful. If something's down here..."
Giorgi nodded, his face grim. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
They moved forward slowly, their footsteps echoing in the silence. The air grew colder as they descended further into the ruins, the light from the entrance fading behind them. Shadows danced across the walls, and the sound of dripping water echoed in the distance.
David's heart raced as they approached a large, arching doorway at the end of the hall. The stone door was partially collapsed, leaving a narrow opening just wide enough for them to slip through. Beyond the door, the darkness was absolute.
"This looks promising," Giorgi muttered sarcastically, his eyes scanning the black void ahead.
David ignored him, slipping through the opening and into the chamber beyond. His breath caught in his throat as he stepped inside.
The room was massive, far larger than anything they'd encountered so far. The ceiling was vaulted, disappearing into darkness above them, and the walls were lined with more carvings—hundreds of them, each more intricate than the last. But what drew David's attention was the object in the centre of the room.
It was a pedestal, ancient and worn, but clearly important. And sitting atop it, glowing faintly in the dim light, was a small, crystal-like object. It pulsed gently, casting an eerie glow across the chamber.
Ivane's eyes widened as he stepped forward, his gaze locked on the crystal. "What... is that?"
David's heart was pounding in his chest as he moved closer to the pedestal, his fingers itching to touch the strange object. He could feel its energy from here, pulsing in time with his heartbeat.
"It's a conduit," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "For the Symbiotes."
Giorgi's brow furrowed as he studied the crystal. "You're sure about that?"
David nodded, his eyes never leaving the glowing object. "I can feel it. It's connected to the symbiotes... and to us."
Ivane stepped forward cautiously. "Do you think it's safe to touch?"
David hesitated, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. "There's only one way to find out."
Before anyone could stop him, David reached out and placed his hand on the crystal. The moment his fingers made contact, a surge of energy shot through him, flooding his body with warmth and light. His vision blurred, and for a moment, everything went white.
When his vision cleared, he was no longer in the ruins.
He stood on a vast, open plain, the sky above him a swirling mass of dark clouds. In the distance, he could see a figure—a tall, shadowy figure, its features obscured by the storm. It stood motionless, watching him, its presence overwhelming.
David's heart raced as he took a step forward, his voice trembling. "Who are you?"
The figure didn't respond. Instead, it raised a hand, and the sky above them darkened further, the clouds swirling faster. David felt a pull—a force drawing him closer to the figure, urging him forward.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the vision ended.
David blinked, finding himself back in the ruins, his hand still resting on the crystal. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his breath came in ragged gasps. He looked up, meeting Ivane's concerned gaze.
"What... what did you see?" Ivane asked quietly.
David swallowed, his throat dry. "I saw... something. Someone. I don't know what it was, but it felt... powerful. Dangerous."
Giorgi glanced at the crystal, his expression wary. "We should leave. Now."
David nodded, pulling his hand away from the crystal. "You're right. We've seen enough."
As they turned to leave, David couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them, lurking just beyond the shadows. And for the first time, he truly understood the gravity of their situation.
The prophecy, the builder, the ruins—everything was connected. And whatever they had just uncovered was only the beginning.
They were heading into uncharted territory now. And there was no turning back.