Ryn stood frozen before the towering stone archway. The faint carvings on its surface pulsed with a gentle, otherworldly light, as if responding to his very presence. The sigil on his chest echoed the rhythm, a low, steady hum vibrating in his bones. Around him, the rest of the group stared in awe, their earlier apprehension giving way to a mix of curiosity and fear.
"This place," Serafina murmured, breaking the silence. Her voice trembled slightly. "It feels alive."
Ryn nodded, his gaze locked on the intricate symbols etched into the archway. They were unlike anything he had ever seen—ancient and purposeful, yet incomprehensible. He stepped closer, his fingers brushing the cool surface of the stone. A sudden surge of warmth coursed through him, and the pulsing intensified.
Lyara, standing just behind him, shifted uneasily. "Are you sure this is wise? The Houses don't stay away from places like this for no reason."
"That's exactly why we can't ignore it," Ryn replied, his voice firm. "The Houses fear this place, and fear often hides power. If we want to stand a chance against them, we need to understand what they fear."
Serafina stepped forward, her sharp gaze scanning the archway. "The symbols... they seem to form a pattern. Maybe it's a language?"
Korin, the wiry man with the scar, scoffed. "A language only the dead understand. This place is cursed—I don't see how meddling with it will help us."
"Enough," Ryn said, cutting through the growing tension. "We didn't come this far to turn back now. Whatever secrets this place holds, we'll uncover them. Together."
The group exchanged uncertain glances but said nothing further. Ryn turned back to the archway, his mind racing. The warmth emanating from the symbols wasn't random; it was deliberate, as if the ancient structure was reaching out to him, testing him. He closed his eyes, focusing on the rhythm of the sigil's pulse, letting it guide him.
Then, with a deep breath, he pressed his palm against the center of the archway.
The world seemed to tilt as a wave of energy surged through Ryn's body. His vision blurred, replaced by a cascade of images—fragments of a forgotten past. He saw towering cities of shimmering crystal, vast armies clad in intricate armor, and a blinding light that consumed everything in its path. Voices echoed in his mind, speaking in a language he couldn't understand but somehow felt he should.
When the visions faded, Ryn staggered back, gasping for air. Lyara caught his arm, steadying him. "What happened? Are you alright?"
Ryn nodded weakly, his mind struggling to process what he had just experienced. "I... I saw something. A war, a cataclysm. And these symbols—they're connected to it."
"A war?" Serafina asked, her brow furrowing. "Between who?"
"I don't know," Ryn admitted. "But whatever it was, it was devastating. And I think the Houses were involved. Or their ancestors, at least."
The group fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in. If the Houses had inherited power from such a destructive past, it raised troubling questions about their true origins and intentions.
"So, what now?" Korin asked, his tone laced with skepticism. "Do we just stand here and hope for more cryptic visions?"
Before Ryn could respond, a low rumble echoed through the ruins. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and the archway's glow intensified. A faint hum filled the air, growing louder with each passing moment.
"Move!" Ryn shouted, pulling Lyara and Serafina back as the archway erupted with light. A swirling vortex of energy formed within the stone frame, its edges crackling with raw power. The group stumbled back, shielding their eyes from the blinding glow.
When the light subsided, the vortex remained—a shimmering portal, its surface rippling like liquid silver. The hum had settled into a steady thrumming, resonating with the sigil on Ryn's chest.
"Is that... a gate?" Lyara asked, her voice barely audible.
"It looks like one," Serafina replied, her eyes wide with disbelief. "But to where?"
Ryn stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the portal. He could feel it calling to him, a pull he couldn't ignore. "There's only one way to find out."
"You're not seriously thinking of going in there?" Korin exclaimed, his voice rising. "We don't know what's on the other side! It could be a trap—or worse."
"It might be," Ryn admitted, his tone calm but resolute. "But this portal didn't open by chance. It reacted to me, to the sigil. Whatever lies beyond it, it's connected to the Houses. And if we're going to challenge them, we need to understand their power."
Lyara hesitated, her expression torn. "Ryn... if you go, we go. But we need to be smart about this."
"Agreed," Serafina said, stepping to Ryn's side. "If this portal holds answers, then we face it together."
Korin muttered a curse under his breath but nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But if we all end up dead, I'm haunting you, Ryn."
Ryn managed a faint smile, his resolve unwavering. "Then let's not die."
The group gathered their gear and steeled themselves. One by one, they stepped through the portal, the rippling surface swallowing them whole. As Ryn crossed the threshold, a surge of energy enveloped him, and the world dissolved into blinding light.
When the light faded, they found themselves standing in a vast, desolate landscape. The sky above was a swirling mass of dark clouds, and the ground beneath them was cracked and barren. In the distance, the ruins of a once-great city loomed, its shattered towers reaching for the stormy heavens.
"Where are we?" Lyara whispered, her voice barely audible over the howling wind.
Ryn didn't answer immediately. The sigil on his chest was pulsing stronger than ever, guiding him forward. He could feel it—answers, power, destiny—they were all within reach. But as he took his first step toward the ruined city, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
"Stay alert," he said, his voice firm. "This place... it's not empty."
And with that, the group pressed on, their journey into the unknown only just beginning.