A light wind stirred Calcium's hair as she stood in the empty hall. Lorden was no longer a ghost town. The remnants of the magic dissipated, leaving behind a quiet, forgotten ruin.
Elmar silently came closer and looked at her.
–How are you feeling?
Calcium slowly unclenched her fist, looking at the updated tattoo. The pattern became more complex, the lines intricately intertwined, forming a mandala. Her palm was still tingling slightly, but not from pain, but from something new.
– Otherwise. – She confessed.
[You have gained the skill: Deep Memory.]
[Now you can feel the history of places and objects more strongly.]
She didn't have time to think about it, because something on the floor caught her attention.A fragment lay among the crumbled stones and dust.
It glowed with a pale blue light, similar to her tattoo.Calcium crouched down and carefully picked him up.As soon as her fingers touched the surface, an image flashed through her mind.
...A tall man with golden eyes stands at the pedestal…There is another tablet in front of him, but the text on it is incomplete.…He runs his hand over it slowly, with a sigh....
"We have to finish this."
...The darkness engulfing the city.
– Calcium! –Elmar's harsh voice snapped her out of her vision.
She blinked.The shard in her hand had stopped glowing, but now she knew it was part of something bigger.
–What was that? – Elmar looked at her with concern.
Calcium turned the shard over in her fingers.
–I think...– she looked at Elmar and grinned. – This is a new mystery.
Elmar just exhaled heavily:– I knew it wouldn't be that easy.
Calcium just shrugged her shoulders.:–Will it ever be?
They exchanged glances.And then, in silence, we headed forward to the next story.
Calcium tossed the shard in her hand, feeling its unnatural lightness. At first glance, it was just a piece of glass or translucent stone, but inside there were thin lines resembling ancient writings.
–Are you sure he's not cursed? – Elmar asked cautiously, casting a suspicious glance at the shard.
Calcium grinned at him.
–If you were, you'd be unconscious by now.
Elmar shook his head: –That's an inspiring thought.
She concentrated, letting the new skill show itself. The tattoo on his palm glowed faintly, and the world around him blurred for a moment, as if someone had tried to redraw reality.
"Show me his story..."
A warm wave ran through her body.The vision engulfed consciousness:
The old tower, the weathered walls, the fine lines of magic woven into the stone.Someone's hand is holding a piece of glass. A voice full of fatigue and determination.
–We can't leave him here.… This is the key.
–Then – a flash, scattering in the dark.
Calcium abruptly opened her eyes, feeling her heart racing.
The "Key"
This shard was part of something bigger.She exhaled slowly.
–I think I know where we're going.
Elmar narrowed his eyes: –Did you see something again?
Calcium nodded:– It's part of the key. Perhaps it leads to a new tablet.
–I was beginning to hope that you wouldn't drag me into another deadly mess.
Calcium chuckled: –Well, since you're with me, let's do it with enthusiasm.
She put the shard in her bag and glanced at the horizon.Somewhere ahead of her, the next story was waiting for her.
Calcium tightened her grip on the strap of the bag, which now held the mysterious fragment. It seemed to pulse in time with her heartbeat, reminding her of herself.
Elmar walked beside him, his gaze constantly darting around. Lorden finally stopped pressing down on them with ghostly shadows, but the oppressive feeling of the unknown did not disappear.
–Are you sure you know where to go? What is it? – he asked, climbing over a pile of rocks.
Calcium squinted: –I saw the tower.
She stood apart, like an old lighthouse. There was something important inside.
Elmar thought about it.
–If this is the tower I'm thinking of...We can reach it by nightfall. But there is one problem.
Calcium squinted at him: –And what is it?
He sighed heavily.
–The tower stands in ruins, where a flock of night creatures settled.
Calcium froze for a moment, but then shrugged her shoulders.
–Well, then they're going to get in our way.
–And you're talking about it so calmly? –Elmar was indignant.
– I just don't like it when something gets in my way.
Elmar shook his head: – Sometimes it seems to me that you have a deadly craving for trouble.
Calcium just grunted and continued on her way.
If this is really the key, then she needs to find out where it leads to. And no one will stop her.
The forest outside of Lorden was getting thicker and darker. Sunlight barely penetrated through the tangled branches, casting broken shadows on the path.
Calcium walked confidently, although her thoughts were not occupied with what was happening around her.
"The key. Tower. The tablet."
The feeling that she was moving along a pre-planned path did not leave her. It was as if the system was pushing her forward, opening the way only when she was ready for it.
[Quest progress: 42%]
"How interesting..."
She had always known that her power was connected to stories, but now it seemed that her own story was also written down by someone.
Elmar suddenly stopped, startling her out of her thoughts.
"We're getting close."
He pointed ahead.
Through the trees, the ruined walls could be seen, behind which the old tower towered.It looked exactly as Calcium had seen in the vision—lopsided, with a collapsed roof, covered with ancient writings.
But there was one difference.Something blue was shining from her upper window.
–It looks like that's where we're looking for. Calcium said softly.
Elmar frowned. –And it looks like we're not the only ones who want it.
A low, guttural growl rang out from under the ruins.Calcium froze.
A creature crawled out of the shadows. His body was covered with black feathers, and his eyes were burning with white flames. It looked like a mix of a wolf and a raven, but its claws were longer than swords.
And that was just the first of them.Two more men emerged from the wreckage.
Elmar slowly reached for his dagger.
–You've already come up with an ingenious plan, right?"
Calcium chuckled:– Of course.
She held out her hand, and the tattoo on her palm flashed with blue light.
The history of the tower was just beginning. Calcium felt the magic stirring under her skin, responding to her determination. The tattoo on her palm glowed brighter, and translucent symbols appeared in the air in front of her, forming an unknown pattern.
[Skill activated: Bestiary Recording.]
[Tablet Creation: Creatures of the Night Whisper... 27%... 56%...]
"So they're the nocturnal creatures?"
The monsters weren't waiting.
The first one took off, its clawed paws tearing up the ground as it charged straight at Calcium.But she didn't move.
The last line was written into the tablet.
[Recording is completed.]
She clenched her fist sharply, activating the magic.At the same moment, the space around the beast distorted as its own shadow shot up, hampering its movements. The creature howled, but couldn't take a single step forward.
–Has it... stopped? –Elmar gasped in surprise.
Calcium grinned: –I just wrote down their story.
Elmar blinked: –And?...
She looked at him with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.:– And now I'm changing it.
She made a motion with her hand, and the shadow of the creature shrank around her like a boa constrictor. There was a crunch as the monster screamed, and its body crumbled into clumps of darkness.
The two remaining beasts stopped. Their white eyes had changed, revealing not only hunger but also fear.
–Now it's your turn, little birds. Calcium smiled.
She already knew how this battle would end.
//To be continued, please like and save.