They continued their journey deeper into the Eternal Forest, carrying the unconscious Zane. The morning mist had completely cleared, but sunlight still struggled to penetrate the dense canopy of the colossal ancient trees. The forest now felt more mystical, with ferns taller than a person and strangely shaped, moss-covered boulders. The usual hum of insects was gone, replaced by an eerie silence.
"The air here... it's strange," Elara whispered, goosebumps rising on her arms. "It's like time itself is warped."
Arthur nodded, his gaze sweeping over the massive boulders. "This place... doesn't feel natural anymore. It's as if someone placed them here."
Kai, with his "Awakened Senses" and deeper connection to the Ancient Soul Emblem, felt it keenly. The stones weren't natural formations. They emanated a faint energy, as if they had witnessed millennia of history. The call from the Ancient Dragon Sanctuary grew stronger, drawing him deeper into this silence.
"This is an ancient path," Kai said. "Not man-made. Perhaps... by dragons."
They walked for a while when a colossal stone wall suddenly blocked their way. On its surface, ancient carvings emerged, faded under layers of moss. They depicted dragons, but not fierce warrior dragons. These were majestic dragons, performing a ritual, and at the center of the wall, a large carving of the Ancient Soul Emblem appeared, but its central part was missing.
"A riddle?" Elara whispered. "Or a trap?"
"Not a trap," Kai said, touching the Emblem carving. "This is a seal. A test. Only the worthy may pass."
You have arrived at 'Ancient Seal Gate'.
A spiritual challenge has been activated!
Immediately, a faint blue light from the Ancient Soul Emblem on Kai's chest flared, illuminating the stone wall. The dragon carvings on the wall seemed to come alive, their eyes glowing. An ancient voice, echoing like wind from distant mountains, resonated within Kai's mind.
"Bearer of the Emblem... prove your worth. Our memories are clouded by time and oblivion. Only when you decipher history shall the gate open."
Elara tried to read the carvings, but the language was too ancient; she couldn't understand it. Arthur looked at the wall, unsure what to do.
"These carvings..." Kai whispered, focusing his "Echoes of the Past" skill on the wall. Faint images flashed through his mind: dragons gathering, their vows, and a colossal shadow swallowing light.
You have deciphered a fragment of memory from the 'Ancient Seal Gate'.
Information: The Seal was created by the 'Council of Legendary Dragons' to imprison the 'World Devourer'. It requires 5 'Crystal Heart' fragments to be reinforced, and each fragment is protected by a 'Legendary Guardian'.
"It speaks of five Crystal Heart fragments," Kai said, the information flowing naturally from his mouth. "And they are guarded by five Legendary Guardians. The Crystal Dragon Hall was one of them. The Shadow Cult has acquired one fragment."
The ancient voice resonated in Kai's mind again: "You have understood a part. But our souls are fragmented. Tell us... what will happen when the 'Devourer' awakens, and what does the 'Shadow Cult' desire?"
This wasn't a mere riddle, but a test of knowledge and understanding. Kai looked at the unconscious Zane, then recalled his words.
"If the World Devourer awakens," Kai said, facing the stone wall, "it will lay waste to all life. It will swallow the light, turning Aethel into a dead land. The Shadow Cult seeks to unleash it, believing that through destruction, they will achieve a new form of power or a new order. They are fanatics, hoping to be reborn from the ashes."
Immediately, a powerful surge of energy erupted from the stone wall, not of harm, but of approval. The carved Ancient Soul Emblem on the wall miraculously completed itself, and luminous veins ran along the wall, depicting the silhouette of a colossal dragon in deep slumber at the wall's center.
Challenge completed! Ancient Seal Gate has opened.
The colossal stone wall slowly parted, revealing a path leading deeper into the forest. However, it didn't just open the path. From the dragon silhouette on the wall, another whisper echoed in Kai's mind, clear and filled with pain.
"We... have slept too long... Our power... is fading... Seek the 'Heart of the Forest'... there... you will find... counsel..."
Arthur and Elara watched in astonishment as the gate opened. "It opened!" Arthur said. "How did you do that, Kai?"
Kai just shook his head. "The Ancient Soul Emblem... and what Zane said. It was a test of knowledge and understanding." He looked at the newly opened path, then back at the dragon silhouette on the wall. "It seems the Legendary Guardians... are not as strong as they once were. We need to find the 'Heart of the Forest'."