In an atmosphere of darkness and the unseen, Kami raised his head slowly. His eyes searched the void, but nothing appeared—only silence. Then, suddenly, flames began to sprout in a circle—blue and red fires burning with unholy rhythm.
Kami realized he had trespassed into a vast and terrifying domain, filled with countless statues of different forms and sizes. As his gaze traveled deeper into the gloom, he saw a massive gate looming at the far end.
Without warning, the lamp fires began to whirl and circle around him. He looked down and saw that he stood atop a cracked, forgotten altar—diabolical in form, layered with seven uneven tiers. The higher the level, the smaller it grew; the lower, the broader and heavier it became.
"What's going on…?" Kami muttered to himself.
He tried to turn around, but his body felt weak—like a mountain weighed down on his shoulders. Struggling, he twisted enough to glimpse strange pipes extending from his spine and the back of his head, connecting him to the statues around. As he tried to tear them off, a chilling sound echoed.
Crimson chains coiled around his wrists and ankles. He fought against them, but they refused to yield. At last, exhausted, Kami bowed his head in silence.
Then—the book appeared. The same book he had read before entering this strange realm. Only now, it glowed with an eerie, ethereal light. It opened itself before him, pages turning until it stopped on one. Words began to rise upon the parchment:
"Theories on How to Escape the Eternal Imprisonment: Quench all the lamp fires around the altar."
Without hesitation, Kami understood. He swung his foot and kicked at the nearest lamp fire. The blue flame crashed to the ground, igniting the row below it. His foot burned from the touch, but he ignored the pain. He kept kicking—again, again—each flame falling, colliding with the others.
At the final lamp, his injured foot trembled, but he refused to yield. With one last, furious strike, he shattered it—but the chain on his leg bit deep, drawing blood.
The altar trembled. Cracks spidered across it, growing with every pulse. Kami stomped hard, and the altar roared and split apart, collapsing in a storm of flame and dust. The last lamp was destroyed.
Kami hung in the air now, held only by the chains and the pipes. They strained under his weight—snapping one by one—while his body grew cold and numb. His eyes began to close.
"I won't go that soon," he gasped.
He lifted his head weakly and called to the book. It floated before him and wrote new words:
"The Opening of the Arising Gate."
"What's that?" Kami whispered.
The book glowed again.
"Wait for the reflection of light to shine upon the upper golden platform."
He looked ahead and saw a mirror beside the massive gate, reflecting the glow of the extinguished lamp fires. The rays struck a golden platform high above. On it rested a red moon, a silver sun, and a diamond star.
The golden platform began to open, and Kami's body started to rise toward it. The book vanished into thin air.
But then—the statues moved.
Their eyes flared lava-red, and their forms shifted with murderous intent. The colossal ones seized the chains to drag him down; the smaller ones climbed onto him; the warrior statues unsheathed their weapons, ready to strike.
Helpless, Kami closed his eyes and let go. The smaller statues smothered him completely. Only one of his eyes remained open—watching death approach.
Then—the golden gate burst open.
A surge of force pulled him upward, ripping the statues away. The warrior's blades missed their mark, cutting through his chains instead. Kami soared upward, free at last.
As he passed the platform, it sealed shut behind him.
He landed in another chamber—this one filled with cold blue flames instead of red. Chandeliers hung above him, their light hauntingly beautiful. Kami lay still, breathing hard. Then he looked down—and froze.
Beneath the transparent glass floor, he saw something so horrifying that he turned away in panic. Trembling, he forced himself to stand.
The book appeared once more, opening to a new page.
"The Four Paths of the Awakened Ways."
In confusion, Kami asked, "What does this mean?"
The book answered,
"Choose the path you follow—and you shall find your way."
Still uncertain, Kami lifted one of the blue lamp fires. His shadow stretched across the glass walls, the remnants of crimson chains still clinging to his wrists and ankles.
He walked forward, not knowing where his path would lead.