Ada sat in the dimly lit room, staring at the artifact. Its dark surface seemed to pulse as if it had a heartbeat of its own, calling to her in a silent whisper she couldn't ignore.
The weight of Lena's words still pressed heavily on her chest. The one who sacrificed everything is waiting for you to free them.
How was she supposed to do that?
And more importantly, did she even want to?
Lena had left her alone for the night, giving her time to think. But thinking wasn't helping. It only made the questions swirl faster, made the knot in her stomach tighten even more.
Taking a shaky breath, Ada reached forward and ran her fingers over the artifact's smooth surface. A shiver ran up her spine as the carvings seemed to shift beneath her touch.
What are you hiding? she thought. Who are you?
As if in response, a sudden jolt of energy surged through her, and the room around her changed.
Gone were the walls of the safe house. Gone was the dim lighting.
She was standing in a vast, open space—endless and dark, with only a faint glow illuminating the swirling mist beneath her feet.
A dream? A vision? Or something more?
A presence stirred in the shadows ahead. Ada's heart pounded as a figure emerged—a man, tall and shrouded in a long cloak, his face obscured. But his energy… it felt ancient. Familiar in a way she couldn't explain.
"You finally heard me," the man said, his voice deep and resonant, echoing in the emptiness around them.
Ada took a step back. "Who are you?"
The figure chuckled softly, though there was no humor in it. "You already know the answer to that."
The realization hit her like a thunderclap.
"You're the one trapped inside the artifact," she whispered.
"Trapped?" The man tilted his head slightly. "No. I am the artifact. And you… you are my legacy."
Ada's breath hitched. "What does that even mean? Who were you before this?"
The mist swirled, shifting around them as the figure took a step closer. "Before the sacrifice, I was known as Idris Obadele. The first to wield the power. The one who ensured our family's survival."
Ada's blood ran cold. Idris Obadele. She had heard the name before—whispers of an ancestor whose magic had been unmatched, whose power had shaped the course of their bloodline.
But she had never imagined he was still… alive.
Or rather, part of the artifact itself.
"Why did you do it?" she asked, her voice unsteady. "Why give up your life for this?"
Idris exhaled slowly. "Because power always comes at a price. To control it, to protect it… I had to become part of it." His gaze darkened. "And now, so must you."
Ada's stomach twisted. "No." She shook her head. "I didn't choose this. I didn't ask for any of this!"
Idris's expression was unreadable. "Neither did I. But the choice is irrelevant now. The power is bound to you, and whether you like it or not, you will have to make a decision soon."
The mist thickened around them, the space shifting once more.
"What decision?" Ada demanded, her pulse quickening.
Idris's gaze bore into hers. "To embrace the power fully… or be consumed by it."
A sudden force yanked at her, and before she could react, the vision shattered—
Ada gasped as she found herself back in the safe house, her body trembling.
The artifact sat before her, unmoving. But now, she knew the truth.
It wasn't just an object. It was a person. A legacy. A curse.
And soon, she would have to decide if she was willing to pay the same price Idris had.