The darkness swallowed them whole, but the feeling of falling soon gave way to an eerie stillness. Elias's mind spun as the surge of magic crackled around him. He had acted on instinct, trying to escape the Harbinger's overwhelming power. But as he and Rhea tumbled through the void, the dark energy from the Heart seemed to twist around them, guiding them deeper into a realm that was neither alive nor dead.
Elias's eyes blinked open, and for a moment, he thought he had lost his vision. But then he realized it wasn't the darkness that obscured his sight—it was a mist. A pale, ethereal fog that clung to the air like smoke from a long-forgotten fire.
He gasped as he tried to stand, his hands sinking into cold, hard ground. The chill of the place seeped into his bones, leaving him shivering despite the weight of the powerful magic that still thrummed beneath his skin. He could hear Rhea's labored breathing beside him, and the sound was the only thing anchoring him to reality.
"Where are we?" Rhea whispered, her voice trembling with confusion.
Elias shook his head, standing up slowly. He didn't know where they were—he couldn't make sense of it. The moment he had called on the Heart's power to escape the Harbinger, the world had shifted. The sensation of being pulled through something—perhaps time, or space, or even reality itself—had been overwhelming.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm the whirlwind of thoughts inside his head. He looked around, his senses screaming that they were in a place far removed from the world they had known.
The ground beneath them was cracked, as if the earth itself had been shattered and then forgotten. The fog swirled in thick tendrils, making it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. But then, as Elias strained his senses, he caught something—a faint glow in the distance.
"There," he said, pointing to the soft light, his voice filled with both relief and dread. "Let's go."
Rhea nodded, and together they started toward the glow, their footsteps muted by the soft mist that blanketed the ground. As they walked, Elias felt an unnerving presence stirring within him, as if the very place they were in was alive—watching them, studying them.
The further they traveled, the more oppressive the air became. It wasn't just cold—it was suffocating, as if the world was trying to crush them under its weight. And yet, there was a strange sense of peace here, a silence that felt wrong, too quiet to be natural.
Elias's hand instinctively moved to the pendant around his neck, a reminder of the oath he had taken so many years ago. The ancient magic of the Heart pulsed within him, urging him forward, but with each step, Elias could feel its influence grow more insistent—more dangerous.
"Elias," Rhea's voice was soft, hesitant. "Something's not right. This place feels… wrong."
Elias glanced at her, his expression grim. "I know. But we have no choice. We need to find a way back, or at least a way to stop the gods."
They reached the source of the light, and it was far more than Elias had anticipated. Before them stood a massive stone structure, ancient and worn by time. It was unlike anything they had seen before, its architecture both familiar and foreign—like a forgotten temple from a time that never existed. The walls were covered in intricate carvings, but the patterns seemed to shift as if they were alive.
A low hum vibrated in the air, coming from within the temple, a sound that seemed to resonate deep in Elias's chest. It was the heartbeat of this place—the pulse of something old, something powerful.
"What is this place?" Rhea asked, her voice filled with awe and apprehension.
Elias hesitated. "I don't know. But we're not the only ones who've been here."
As they stepped closer to the temple's entrance, the air grew heavier, pressing down on them like a physical force. The hum intensified, almost as though it were calling to them, guiding them. Elias's hand clenched around the Heart's pendant, feeling the thrum of necromantic power within him. The Heart's influence was undeniable now, overwhelming his senses, urging him to go inside.
They passed through the entrance, and Elias's heart skipped a beat as they entered the inner sanctum. The room was vast, its high ceilings adorned with symbols that seemed to swirl and shift like living creatures. The walls were lined with statues—figures of men and women, faces twisted in pain or ecstasy, eyes wide open and staring into infinity.
At the center of the room was a massive pedestal, and on it rested something that made Elias's blood run cold—a dark crystal, glowing with an unholy light.
It was the source of the power.
"The Heart," Elias whispered in disbelief. "The Heart of the Gods."
Rhea stepped forward, her expression filled with both wonder and fear. "You mean… this is the true Heart?"
Elias nodded, his mind reeling. This was what he had been searching for all along. The real Heart—the one that the gods had used to control life and death. And now, it lay before him, its power radiating like a thousand storms.
But there was something else. A shadow moved within the crystal, a presence that seemed to stir in response to their arrival. Elias's instincts screamed at him to leave, but his feet refused to move. The Heart called to him, its dark power wrapping around his thoughts.
"We shouldn't touch it," Rhea said, her voice low and fearful. "Not after everything we've seen. This is the source of it all."
Elias knew she was right. The gods had hidden this Heart away for a reason. It was the key to everything—life, death, power, destruction. And now, it lay within his grasp.
But as he reached for the crystal, his mind was filled with a vision—a vision of the gods themselves, monstrous and infinite, their eyes glowing with divine fury. They were awakening, and their anger was like a storm, tearing through the fabric of reality.
"No," Elias whispered, pulling his hand back. "I can't do this. Not yet."
Suddenly, the crystal pulsed with a violent surge of energy, and the room seemed to tremble. The statues lining the walls seemed to come alive, their eyes following Elias and Rhea with a malicious intent. The heartbeat of the temple grew louder, resonating in their bones. It was a warning.
"We have to go," Elias said urgently, his mind racing. "Now!"
Rhea didn't hesitate. She grabbed Elias's arm, and together, they turned to flee. But as they moved toward the exit, the ground began to shake, and the temple itself seemed to rise around them, its walls closing in like the jaws of a great beast.
"It's too late," a voice echoed through the temple, deep and rumbling. "The Heart is no longer yours to command."
Elias froze, the weight of those words pressing down on him like a crushing tide. The gods had felt them—felt the disturbance. And now, they were coming.
With no other choice, Elias and Rhea ran, the temple's walls closing in behind them, the power of the Heart rising with every step they took.