After days of exploring the ruins hidden by the dense jungle, Edmund and his group began to uncover more about the forgotten civilization that once ruled the mysterious island. Among walls covered with inscriptions and temples swallowed by vegetation, they found signs of a cultured and powerful people, yet one that had disappeared without leaving clear traces.
Kieza, fascinated by the engravings, ran her fingers over the symbols carved into a large stone wall.
— These patterns... they seem to tell a story. — she murmured, her blue eyes shining with discovery. — If we can interpret them, maybe we can understand what happened here.
Voss observed the massive stone structures that had withstood time. The precision of the construction indicated advanced knowledge of engineering. Some parts of the city appeared to have been destroyed by colossal forces, while others remained intact, preserved as if they had been abandoned suddenly. Small underground water channels still flowed beneath the stone streets, proving that the city had a sophisticated irrigation and supply system.
One of the explorers called Edmund and the others into a large underground hall, uncovered after they removed the dense vegetation. Inside, columns supported a ceiling adorned with reliefs depicting humanoid figures battling monstrous creatures, similar to those they had already faced. There were extinguished embers in stone vessels, suggesting that rituals had been conducted there.
— This confirms our suspicions. — Edmund said, analyzing the drawings. — This people fought these beasts, but something defeated them. The question is: what really happened to them?
Amid the debris of the hall, they found decorated urns, metal weapons still sharp, and a black stone throne covered in worn runes. In the center of the room, a large ritual circle seemed to indicate some sort of sacrifice or summoning ceremony. There were deep marks on the floor, as if something had been dragged violently away.
Voss examined a scroll sealed in a bronze cylinder, protected from time and moisture. As he carefully opened it, it revealed symbols similar to those on the outer walls.
— If we can translate this... it could be the key to understanding the decline of this civilization. — he said, his voice filled with anticipation.
The group spent hours studying the findings, trying to connect the fragments of the past. Kieza found a stone diary, with engravings that seemed to tell a prophecy about the return of an ancient creature, an entity that had condemned the island's people to ruin. According to the inscriptions, the last inhabitants tried to imprison the entity inside a sealed temple, but it's unknown whether they succeeded.
The more they discovered, the more questions arose. The fate of the lost civilization was a deep mystery, and Edmund knew they were only scratching the surface of the truth.
But one thing was certain: whatever had destroyed that people might still be lurking in the darkness of the island, waiting for those who dared challenge its secrets.