They all stood in the center of the stone city, in the middle of endless darkness, surrounded by buildings that felt older than nations.
And Ember rubbed her temples.
"Okay. Nyxar goes with me. Sylas goes with Vespera."
Nyxar blinked. "Why?"
Ember pointed at him and Vespera.
"If you two split off together, there's a 98% chance you'll touch something cursed and summon whatever creature this cult was worshiping."
Vespera happily raised a hand.
"She's right. I would absolutely push the 'mysterious glowing button.'"
Spirit floated over, half-asleep, waving lazily.
"Alright I'm going back to sleep. Call me again when I wake up."
Ember frowned. "…How will I know when you wake up?"
Spirit's voice echoed faintly as she vanished:
"Exactly."
Ember stared at the empty air.
"…Man, I need a new contracted elemental."
Cut: The Exploration Begins
A few minutes later, the group split:
Ember + Nyxar → Outskirts of the stone city
Sylas + Vespera → Inner city + the colossal shrine
Two duos.
Two mysteries.
Zero common sense.
Part I — Ember & Nyxar: The Outskirts
The road here was quieter, narrower. Stone houses crowded close together like rows of old tombs. Everything was made of solid stone — beds, chairs, rugs, shelves — as if the people here refused to trust anything that wasn't carved from the earth itself.
Ember broke the silence first.
"So… what do you think the chosen one actually was?"
Nyxar scratched the back of his neck. "What do you mean?"
"You know," Ember said, "the cult's 'chosen one' who was supposed to summon the saviour. What kind of person would they pick?"
Nyxar shrugged.
"Probably just a tool."
Ember's eyebrows rose. "A tool?"
"Yeah. Either a tool to summon the saviour…" Nyxar said, "…or a perfect sacrifice."
Ember paused mid-step.
"Sacrifice how?"
Nyxar continued walking, hands behind his head.
"What if the chosen one wasn't meant to summon anything? What if they were meant to be consumed? Like… either their blood, their life, or their body was the container the saviour needed."
Ember blinked.
"Well that's a comforting thought."
Nyxar smirked.
"Just a theory."
"A very creepy theory."
"Still a theory."
They continued walking, combining theories with sarcasm until Nyxar stopped abruptly.
"…Wait."
Ember turned. "What?"
Nyxar pointed at something in the stone wall of the cavern.
A massive, rectangular door carved directly into the cave wall.
Not part of the city.
Not matching the architecture.
Just… buried into the stone like it was sealing something inside.
The door was thick, heavy, and ancient. Dozens of stone wedges locked it shut like giant ribs.
Ember swallowed. "That is… definitely not a house."
Nyxar summoned Bella.
Bella took one look at the sealed ancient door.
Then shoved it.
HARD.
The stone slabs cracked. Dust exploded. The whole door broke open like a rotten tooth.
Ember and Nyxar leaned in—
—both their faces instantly turning to total confusion.
"What… is that?" Ember whispered.
"…That doesn't make sense," Nyxar added.
Narrator: And cut.
That's a cliffhanger.
Suffer.
Part II — Vespera & Sylas: The Inner City
The inner city looked different — taller buildings, more polished stone, more ornate carvings. Everything here looked important.
Vespera tilted her head.
"What do you think this means? Their houses here are nicer. Do you think there were ranks?"
Sylas considered it.
"If these are houses, maybe. But if they're ritual buildings, then the size difference makes sense too."
Vespera shrugged.
"So either these were rich people or really enthusiastic cult members."
"Basically," Sylas nodded.
They circled the colossal shrine — a giant stone rectangle reaching so far up it nearly touched the cavern ceiling. No windows. No cracks. Just towering, smooth walls.
Vespera tapped the stone.
"Do you think they had, like… cafés? Shops? Somewhere to hang out?"
Sylas laughed softly.
"I don't know. Did they farm? Did they eat? Drink? Did they even need sunlight?"
"I hope not," Vespera said. "Because they definitely weren't getting any."
They walked around the shrine's outer base and noticed a small opening near the bottom — almost invisible in the dark.
They squeezed inside.
The Water Machine
The room was filled with strange stone machinery — pipes carved from rock, pistons made of stone blocks, and a large waterwheel frozen in place.
Sylas was instantly fascinated.
"Okay… that looks like a pump. Those tubes would send something somewhere. And this—"
He pointed at a carved slope leading into the wall.
"—looks like a pressure door. It probably opens when water fills the mechanism."
Vespera stared.
"So… we can't open it?"
Sylas shook his head.
"Not without water pressure."
Vespera sighed, transformed into her spider form despite the cramped space, and smashed the entire section of wall with her legs.
A hole opened.
Vespera transformed back, brushing dust off her arms.
"Problem solved."
Sylas laughed.
"I mean… yeah. That works."
Inside the Hidden Shrine Room
They stepped inside and saw carvings and murals along the walls—far clearer than anything outside.
The first mural showed:
A person levitating while the rest of the people prayed beneath.
Sylas tilted his head.
"So… is that the saviour? Or the chosen one?"
"Let's keep looking," Vespera suggested.
The next mural showed:
A robed figure holding something—two hard objects striking together.
And sparks flying out.
Sylas squinted.
"…Is that flint and steel?"
Vespera nodded slowly.
"So the chosen one is just a dude making sparks."
They walked to the third mural.
A swirling vortex carved into stone. Spirals, motion lines, and the shrine itself shown filled with something swirling and alive.
Sylas whispered:
"A portal. They were opening… a portal."
Vespera felt her skin crawl.
"A portal to where?"
The next carving answered.
They stared in horror.
A creature.
Humanoid… but wrong.
Massive.
Broad shoulders.
Two curved antenna-like protrusions from its head.
A face that wasn't a face — just a cavernous hole.
Ribs bursting outward like jagged petals.
Inside, a glowing core like a beating heart.
Sylas whispered, "That… that must be the saviour."
Vespera swallowed hard. "It looks like it wants to save people by eating them."
They stepped to the final mural.
A world within the portal — darkness filled with tiny blue lights.
"That must be the 'better place' they promised," Sylas said.
But the mural continued.
People running.
Being crushed.
Ripped apart.
Eaten.
The creature rampaging through its own worshippers.
And one person — the chosen one — held up in the monster's grip.
A small, glowing blue shape pulled out of their chest.
Sylas stared.
"…What is that…?"
Vespera breathed out:
"A soul. Sylas… the chosen one was the payment."
The saviour's food.
The two stared at each other.
Then ran.
Narrator
I have a VERY strong suspicion their warning is not going to reach the others in time.