Axelius watched closely as the drops of his blood slowly filled the carved lines on the table. The red liquid spread carefully along the delicate paths, moving like little rivers following a map. The blood flowed steadily, reaching the center of the pattern, where there was a small, round hole carved deep into the wood.
As the last drop slid into the hole, the whole pattern suddenly began to glow. The light started faint but quickly grew stronger and stronger, shining so brightly that Axelius had no choice but to raise his elbow and cover his eyes.
"So bright!"
"What's happening axel?!"
The brightness was almost painful, and for a moment, Axelius lost his balance. He stumbled backward and fell onto the floor with a soft thud. The light around the table was so intense that he could not see anything else.
A sudden loud sound echoed through the room, like something breaking free from deep inside the table. Before Axelius could react, a small object shot out like a tiny volcano exploding, and with a loud bump, it hit him right on the head.
"Ouch! What the heck?!" Axelius shouted, quickly rubbing his sore head.
Owen bounced close, worried. "What?! What is it?!"
Axelius shook his head and said with a tired grin, "Something came out like an exploding volcano, and it hit my head. Damn, it really hurts." He kept massaging the spot that was stinging.
Then, curious, he looked around to see what had fallen.
Owen's voice was sharp and worried. "I told you we should have left! See what happens when you don't listen?"
Axelius laughed softly and slowly crawled closer to the object on the floor. "Relax, Owen. This is an adventure, remember? Look—it's just a mini chest that hit my head."
He reached out carefully, still rubbing his head, and eyed the small chest with interest, wondering what secrets it might hold inside.
Owen bounced quickly on the floor, his voice full of worry. "Don't open it! You don't know what's inside. It could be dangerous!"
Axelius looked at him with a teasing smile. "Still a coward, huh? Afraid of a little chest?"
Ignoring Owen's warning, Axelius carefully lifted the small lid and opened the chest. His eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa, it's a necklace."
He took it out slowly and held it up to the light. The necklace was simple but very beautiful. It had a thin silver string that looked both strong and delicate at the same time. Hanging from it was a shiny pendant shaped like a small, glowing crystal with faint blue light inside, almost like it held a tiny piece of the sky. The silver around the pendant was carved with small, detailed symbols that made it look very old and special.
Suddenly, Owen realized something was wrong. He couldn't hear anything—no footsteps, no teasing laughter, just silence. He stopped bouncing, his body stiffening with worry. "A-Axel...?" he called out nervously, his voice echoing slightly in the empty room.
Silence.
Before he could call out again, he felt himself being lifted off the ground abruptly. "Wha—Hey! Put me down!" Owen squirmed, but it was no use. Axelius had snuck up behind him, snatching him up with both hands.
"Well, well, look who I found! A bouncy little thief!" Axelius teased, grinning widely as he held Owen up. The necklace dangled from Owen's slimy form, the silver chain glimmering under the flickering torchlight.
Owen didn't let go, his body gripping the necklace tightly. "No! You can't just wear random things you find in creepy secret rooms! Have you never read a book before?! This is exactly how people get cursed!"
Axelius just laughed, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Oh, come on, you little coward! It's just a necklace. What's the worst that could happen? I get prettier?" he teased, reaching for the necklace.
"Don't you dare!" Owen bounced in Axelius's grip, trying to wiggle out of his hands. "I'm serious, Axel! Put it back! You don't know what it does!"
But Axelius was having too much fun. "Come on, let go! You're just being dramatic." He tugged gently, but Owen only squeezed tighter, making the slime stretch around the pendant like he was swallowing it whole.
"Not happening!" Owen shouted stubbornly.
Axelius laughed, clearly entertained by the whole thing. "You're really gonna fight me over this, huh? Alright then!" He pulled harder, his grin only widening as Owen yelped but refused to let go.
"You absolute moron! This is exactly how people get turned into frogs or—" Owen's rant was cut short as Axelius finally yanked the necklace free.
"Ha! Got it!" Axelius crowed triumphantly, holding it up like it was a prize.
Owen bounced frantically in his hand. "Put it back! Put it back right now!"
But Axelius just grinned, slipping the necklace around his neck with a flourish. "Too late!" he declared, snapping the clasp in place.
Owen groaned, flattening himself in Axelius's hand like he'd just witnessed the end of the world. "You're the absolute worst, you know that?"
Axelius only laughed louder. "Maybe, but I look damn good!" He spun around, showing off like he'd just worn the crown jewels.
Owen just sighed dramatically. "If you grow a third arm or start speaking demon, don't come crying to me."
Axelius smirked, patting Owen's head with his finger. "Oh, you worry too much, you little jellybean."
Owen bounced, annoyed. "Just don't say I didn't warn you..."
Axelius was still grinning and admiring the pendant around his neck when, without warning, the gem in the center of the necklace began to glow—a faint shimmer at first, then brighter and brighter, filling the room with a pale silver light. Axelius's smile faltered. "Uh… Owen? Is it supposed to do that?" he asked nervously, poking at the pendant with his finger.
Owen bounced frantically on his shoulder, eyes widening. "I told you, you idiot! Take it off! Take it off now!"
Axelius grabbed the pendant, trying to unclasp it, but the light only grew stronger, pulsing with raw energy. "Oh, shit—what the hell is this?!" he shouted, pulling harder, but the chain wouldn't budge. It was as if it had fused with his skin.
Suddenly, there was a loud cracking noise—like a bolt of thunder striking right next to his ears—and the pendant erupted with a shockwave of force. Axelius was thrown back with such power that he barely had time to scream. "ARGH—!" His back slammed against the stone wall, knocking the breath out of him. Owen, who had been on his shoulder, splattered against the wall with a wet slap, groaning in pain.
Axelius crumpled to the ground, clutching his chest, his breaths ragged and uneven. "What…the…fuck…was that?" he rasped, coughing harshly. He felt something warm and wet trickling down his chin and wiped it with his hand. His fingers came away smeared with blood.
"Damn it…!" he hissed, wincing as the pain flared in his ribs and back. He forced himself to sit up, blinking through the dizziness that clouded his vision. "Stupid…stupid necklace…" he muttered, glaring down at the pendant that still glowed faintly against his chest.
Owen, who had managed to reassemble himself, bounced weakly beside him. "I told you not to put it on! But nooo, you just had to go and be the hero!"
Axelius coughed again, more blood speckling the floor. "Shut up, jellybean… It's not like I knew it was gonna explode!" He groaned, clutching his side. "God…feels like I got kicked by a damn horse."
Owen bounced closer, inspecting him. "You're bleeding, Axel! That's not normal! We need to get you help!"
But Axelius just grinned through the pain, wiping his mouth again. "Nah… It's just a scratch," he said, though his voice was strained. "I've had worse…probably." He leaned back against the cold stone, trying to catch his breath.
Owen bounced anxiously. "This is bad! Really bad! What if it's cursed or something? You might grow a tail! Or horns! Or—or—"
Axelius let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head. "I mean, a tail would be kinda cool…right?"
"Are you serious right now?!" Owen screeched.
Axelius just chuckled, though it hurt to laugh. His eyes flickered down to the pendant, which was still gleaming softly. "Well…guess we found out what it does…"
Owen groaned loudly. "You're an absolute idiot, you know that?"
"Yeah, but I'm idiot." Axelius smirked, wincing as another wave of pain shot through his chest.
Owen just bounced in frustration. "We need to get you out of here before you drop dead!"
Axelius sighed, nodding slowly. "Yeah…probably a good idea."
Axelius groaned, struggling to his feet with Owen bouncing frantically beside him. "Come on, we need to get out of here before something else explodes," Axelius muttered, staggering toward the hidden door. His legs felt like they were made of lead, every step sending sharp pain up his spine. Owen was leaping and bouncing beside him, panicking as usual.
"Finally! You're making sense!" Owen snapped. "Let's get the hell out of this creepy place before you decide to blow yourself up again!"
Axelius grinned through the pain. "What? Not a fan of secret rooms and killer jewelry?"
"Not when it tries to kill us, you moron!"
They stumbled out of the hidden entrance, the stone wall sliding shut behind them with a dull thud. Axelius barely made it a few steps into the main hall before his knees buckled. "Shit—" He collapsed to the floor, hands bracing against the cold marble as he gasped for air.
"Axel! Damn it!" Owen bounced frantically on his chest, tiny jelly-like limbs slapping against his shirt. "Hey, hey! Don't you dare pass out! Not here! Not now!" Owen's voice cracked with panic as he tried to pry the necklace off Axelius's neck. But the chain wouldn't budge—it was as if it was fused to his skin. "Come on! Let go, you stupid thing!" Owen grunted, pulling with all his might, but it was useless.
Suddenly, Axelius's eyes squeezed shut, and he clutched his head. "Arghh...my head…! It hurts…!" His voice was strained, breaking through clenched teeth. His vision blurred, and the hallway around him seemed to spin in slow, sickening circles.
Owen stopped tugging, bouncing back onto his chest in alarm. "Hey, hey! What's going on?!"
"I…I don't know…everything's spinning…" Axelius's voice wavered, his grip on consciousness slipping. He tried to blink away the haze, but it only got worse. "Owen…I feel…dizzy…"
Owen, who had been panicking only seconds before, suddenly went still. "Wait…what? I… I feel dizzy too," he whispered, his usually bouncy form wobbling slightly. "Slimes don't get dizzy… What the hell is happening?"
Axelius's grip weakened, his hands slipping from his head as he slumped back against the wall. His eyelids fluttered, and he sucked in a shaky breath. "Owen…if we pass out here…someone's gonna find us…" His voice was barely above a whisper now, but it carried a grim determination. His hand reached out shakily, grabbing Owen with the last of his strength. "Not…leaving you behind…"
Owen's form jiggled with surprise. "Idiot…you're the one who needs help," he murmured, his voice softer than usual.
Axelius just gave him a weak grin before his eyes rolled back, and everything went dark.