Her POV
My breath caught when his hand tightened around my neck. The pressure—firm, that tightness, yet strangely warm—lingered even after he let go. My lungs burned, but my attention remained fixed elsewhere. My eyes locked on the dragon's eye etched in the middle of his chest. It glowed faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat, and the scar near his shoulder shimmered faintly as he touched it. Around his neck, the red stone necklace hanging from that sigil glimmered.
I couldn't move, couldn't think. My instincts screamed at me to run, but my body was frozen.
His POV
I looked down at her, this strange and fragile creature sprawled on the ground. what a fragile thing dressed so weirdly.Was she from a different region? She struggled for breath, clutching her throat. For a fleeting moment, I thought of helping her up,
Her eyes darted to me, wide with fear, and our gazes locked. She looked so small, so lost. I startled myself by blurting out, "Who... are you?"
She flinched, backing away as though my words had struck her.
"Even if I told you, I don't think you'd know me," she murmured, her voice trembling.
I narrowed my eyes. "How it sounds to me is… you know who I am." I took a step forward. She mirrored it, retreating.
"Will you stop moving?" I snapped, my patience fraying.
"Then will you stop moving?" she countered. Her voice wavered, but there was a flicker of defiance in her tone that stirred something in me. Agitation rippled through my body.
"I don't know if you'll believe me," she continued hesitantly, "but I only know of this place through my ancestors. I don't know anything about you."
She pulled out an aged scroll, unfurling it with trembling hands. Strange markings and symbols . My eyes scanned the illustrations, lingering on a depiction of a sigil strikingly similar to the one etched into the cave floor.
"Why does this look familiar?" I muttered, more to myself than to her. Frustration gnawed at the edges of my thoughts. "And yet I can't understand it."
"I came here searching for this place," she said quietly, her voice carrying an edge of vulnerability. "I never imagined I'd find you."
Her POV
while talking he stepped closer, and I instinctively stepped back, my heel catching on the sigil carved into the floor. A strange light flared around it, crackling like lightning. Before I could react, the energy surged, pulling us both into its grip.
I barely registered his startled expression before we were enveloped in blinding light.
A New World
The sensation of being dragged through the sigil left their body tingling. When the light faded, they found myself in an entirely different landscape. Lush vegetation stretched in every direction, the air heavy with the scent of blooming flowers and damp earth. The vibrancy of the colors was almost surreal. It was beautiful, but there was a strange melancholy to the place. The sky was overcast, casting a dull gray light over the landscape.
they stood on a raised stone platform, surrounded by three towering pillars. Intricate carvings covered their surfaces, but they couldn't make sense of the symbols. they moved cautiously toward the edge of the platform, taking in the surroundings.
He followed her but stopped abruptly as if an invisible barrier held him back. she turned to see him frowning, his foot hovering just above the platform's edge.
"What's happening?" he growled, his irritation evident. Around his neck, the red stone began to glow faintly again.
"Did you put that on yourself?" I asked, gesturing to the necklace.
"What is this thing?" he demanded, his tone sharp.
I glanced at the platform beneath him. A massive sigil sprawled across its surface, glowing faintly with green light. Orange, wave-like energy rippled across its perimeter, like a protective barrier. The air felt charged, like a storm was brewing just out of reach.
He stepped into the center of the sigil, his expression wary. As he moved, the orange energy seemed to respond, swirling around him. The glow of his necklace intensified, casting sharp shadows across his face. With a sudden burst, the green barrier shattered, and the air grew still.
He took a tentative step forward and, this time, was able to cross the platform's edge. she stared, both awed and unnerved.
"What was that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
He turned to her, his expression unreadable. "That's something we'll have to figure out. But first, I need to know who you are."
Before she could respond, he grabbed her wrist and led her to a nearby stone, motioning for her to sit. she hesitated but obeyed, his intense gaze pinning her in place.
The Introduction
He crouched before her, his sharp features illuminated by the faint glow of the sigil behind them.
"Speak," he ordered.
I swallowed hard, trying to steady my voice. "My name is Kaia. I… I'm someone who looks for old artifacts. My ancestors passed down stories about this place, and I… my mother always told me being fated for something and owing to someone so i had to come look for this place"
His eyes narrowed. "Kaia," he repeated, as if testing the name. "You're no warrior. Why would you risk coming here?"
I hesitated. "warrior ? who said i am going to a war. This place has been a mystery for generations, and am here to uncover that"
His expression softened slightly, but his gaze remained intense. "we'll uncover it together. AND Kaia—you're not leaving until I'm certain of who you are and why you're here."
A shiver ran down her spine. Whatever she had stumbled into, there was no turning back now.