Elias's hand trembled as he pulled away from the orb, his breath ragged as though the very air had been sucked from his lungs. The dark magic that had surged through him, the whispers of the gods, had left him disoriented, his mind a storm of conflicting thoughts and visions. His fingers ached, and for the briefest moment, he felt as though his very soul had been pulled into the abyss.
"Master?" Rhea's voice broke through the haze, soft but firm. Her presence was a tether to reality, and Elias clung to it, trying to steady himself. She stood a few paces away, her eyes filled with concern, but Elias couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze. His mind was still reeling from the enormity of what he had just experienced.
The orb pulsed softly, the faint glow emanating from within the stone pedestal as if beckoning him to return, to dive deeper into the power it promised. The whispers of the gods were no longer distant murmurs—they were inside his mind, growing louder, more insistent, like the beating of a thousand drums. His head throbbed with the weight of their words, the urgency of their demands.
"You have chosen," the voice had said. "And now you must serve."
Serve. The word rang in his ears, a bitter truth that he was only beginning to grasp. Elias had always believed that power was his to control, that with enough strength and will, he could shape the world to his desire. But this—this was something different. The gods had no intention of offering him power; they intended to use him as their pawn.
"Master?" Rhea asked again, stepping closer, her tone laced with worry.
Elias took a deep breath, trying to clear the fog in his mind. He couldn't afford to be weak—not now. The soldiers, who had been silent until now, were shifting uneasily behind him. They could sense it too, the growing darkness that surrounded them, the pull of something ancient and unknowable. But Elias had no time to explain. He had to act.
"We need to leave," Elias said, his voice hoarse, yet firm. He turned away from the orb, though it still called to him. He had to put distance between himself and its influence, if only for a moment. "Now."
Rhea hesitated, her gaze flicking between him and the pedestal. She was no fool—she had seen the effects of the orb on Elias, seen the way his demeanor had shifted. But she said nothing, merely nodded and signaled for the soldiers to begin retreating. The air felt thick with tension as they moved quickly but cautiously toward the exit, the oppressive weight of the temple pressing down on them with every step.
The journey back through the dark passage seemed interminable. Every footstep echoed in the silence, the flickering torchlight casting long, wavering shadows on the walls. The oppressive presence of the temple still clung to them, a lingering sense of something watching from the depths. Elias could feel it—an awareness, a malevolent force that seemed to have attached itself to him. The gods had marked him, chosen him, and now they would not let him go so easily.
As they reached the entrance, the soldiers' unease had reached a fever pitch. One of them, a young man named Corin, spoke up, his voice trembling.
"Master, what was that thing? What did you unleash?"
Elias didn't answer immediately. He stood at the threshold of the temple, staring into the murky forest beyond. The sky was clouded over, the air heavy with an impending storm. It was as though the world itself had been altered, warped by the events that had unfolded within the temple.
"I don't know," Elias said finally, his voice tight. "But we need to prepare. The gods are awake, and they will not be ignored."
Rhea moved to his side, her expression grim. "And what of the orb? What of the power within it?"
Elias clenched his jaw, his gaze never leaving the horizon. "I've made a grave mistake. We've unleashed something that should have remained buried." His voice dropped to a whisper, though it felt as if the words were for his own ears alone. "And now, there is no turning back."
---
The journey back to Elias's estate was somber, the weight of their discovery hanging over them like a dark cloud. The soldiers were on edge, their nerves fraying with each passing hour. Even Rhea seemed distant, lost in her own thoughts. The oppressive sense of unease that had descended upon them since entering the temple was now a constant presence, lingering at the edges of their consciousness.
As they arrived at the estate, Elias barely acknowledged the soldiers' retreating forms. He walked through the front gates, his mind consumed by the images of the gods he had seen, the promises they had made. The power within the orb was far greater than anything he had ever encountered. It was a force that transcended mortal understanding, and Elias knew, deep down, that it was not something he could control. At least not without dire consequences.
"Master." Rhea's voice interrupted his thoughts as she stepped up beside him.
Elias turned to face her, but there was no anger in his eyes, only a weariness that came from the weight of his choices.
"The soldiers are unsettled. They've seen things in the temple that they can't explain. They fear you now, Elias."
Elias's lips curled into a thin smile. "Let them fear. Fear is a useful tool."
Rhea didn't respond to his flippant remark. Instead, she studied him carefully, her eyes searching his face as if trying to find something that had been lost.
"What now, Master?"
Elias's gaze hardened, and for a moment, he was silent. The gods were demanding his service, but Elias had never been one to submit willingly. The thought of being nothing more than their tool, a puppet pulled by invisible strings, filled him with a rage so deep it threatened to consume him. Yet, he also knew that defying them was not an option. Their power was too great, their reach too vast. They had already claimed him.
"We prepare," he said finally, his voice cold and resolute. "We build our strength, gather our allies, and discover everything we can about the gods. I will not serve them willingly, Rhea. But if I must… I will learn to wield their power."
Rhea's eyes widened slightly at his words. "And what if they won't allow you to wield it? What if they demand your submission?"
Elias's lips twisted into a grim smile. "Then I will take it from them. The gods will learn that even they can be dethroned."
The look in his eyes was one of unrelenting ambition. There was no turning back now. Elias had chosen his path, and no matter the cost, he would see it through.
As the storm clouds gathered overhead, Elias could feel the weight of the gods' gaze upon him. They had marked him, chosen him, and now it was time for him to show them just how far he would go to control the power they had bestowed upon him.
But even as he made his vow, a small voice in the back of his mind warned him: There was a price for everything—and the gods would collect, sooner or later.