NOVEL WEB 4. The Forgotten Sanctuary
After traversing the trap-filled, monster-infested cave, Ale found himself standing before a massive stone door, engraved with mysterious symbols. He had no idea where he was, but he could sense that this place was ancient, imbued with a powerful energy. The symbols on the door glowed faintly, like the embers of a long-dormant flame.
Breathing heavily, Ale glanced back and saw the shadowy figures of the monsters that had pursued him throughout his descent into the darkness. Their forms slithered through the corridors behind him, ready to attack once more.
Exhausted and wounded, Ale knew he had no choice. To survive, he had to move forward.
With trembling hands, he placed his palms against the stone door, attempting to push it open. The moment his hand touched the engraved surface, a wave of warmth surged beneath his fingers. Suddenly, the symbols on the door flared to life with a blazing red light, and a powerful energy surged through the cave.
The shadow monsters, which had nearly pounced on him, were instantly repelled by this invisible force. They shrieked as their twisted bodies were distorted by the ancient magic emanating from the door. The creatures retreated into the darkness, defeated by this ancient protection.
Stunned, Ale watched the magical reaction, unable to comprehend what had just occurred. He felt the warmth in the air, but this time it didn't burn. It was comforting, almost familiar, like an old friend he had never met.
As he tried to grasp what had happened, an ancient, powerful voice suddenly echoed in his mind, reverberating through the silent cave.
"Come closer, young flame... Enter, if you dare."
Trembling with fatigue, Ale hesitated for a moment. He had no idea what awaited him beyond this door, but he knew he had no other choice. Exhaustion and injuries had brought him to the brink of survival. If he stayed here, he would either be caught—or worse.
The stone door slowly opened, as if responding to the voice. A warm breeze, filled with ancient energy, swept through the cave.
Ale took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and stepped forward, crossing the threshold into the unknown.
After stepped through the massive stone door, the burning air from the temple engulfing his already weakened body. He had no idea what awaited him on the other side, but he knew the danger was very real. Before him, a vast and imposing hall unfolded, majestic and awe-inspiring.
The interior of the temple seemed so immense that the ceiling vanished into the shadows above, as if the hall itself defied the laws of the outside world.
Darkness dominated here, interrupted only by the red glow of magical symbols etched into the walls and the massive columns supporting the structure. The runes, adorned with black flames, emitted a mysterious, almost ominous energy. Their flickering light cast dancing shadows on the walls.
The temple's entrance was guarded by two colossal stone statues. To the left stood a towering warrior, holding a gigantic sword pointed toward the ground, and to the right, a mage brandishing a magical staff. Their postures were those of ancient protectors, frozen in time, yet strangely lifelike. Fiery auras carved into the stone seemed to radiate real heat, so intense that Ale could almost feel it burning his skin. The ancient magic that permeated the temple was overwhelming, but something else unsettled him. An unknown force seemed to pull him deeper into the hall.
Forcing himself to move forward, Ale's steps echoed heavily on the stone floor. As he approached the altar at the far end of the room, he found an immense wooden door, old and sealed with numerous magical bindings, standing before him.
Luminous symbols covered these bindings, pulsing with dark energy that resonated deep within him. He didn't fully understand the significance of these seals, but he could sense that something powerful and dangerous lay beyond the door.
As he reached out toward one of the bindings, a deep, ancient voice echoed throughout the sanctuary.
"Remove the seals, and enter…"
Startled, Ale stepped back instinctively. He had no idea what awaited him behind the door, but he had no other choice.
The symbols seemed threatening, but he knew that the creatures of darkness still lurked in the cave, and they would soon catch up to him if he didn't act. He reached out, and slowly, he pulled at one of the bindings. A wave of intense heat immediately flooded the room, dispelling the darkness around him. One by one, the bindings fell, each releasing a bright glow before vanishing.
When the final seal was broken, the door emitted a deep rumble and slowly creaked open. A warm wind swept through the chamber, carrying with it an energy that felt almost tangible. Ale could feel this force resonating deep within him.
As he crossed the threshold, he was struck by the scene before him.
The sanctuary, though cloaked in shadow, was bathed in an eerie, flickering light. At the center of the room stood a great entity, shrouded in swirling shadows. It wasn't the threatening kind of darkness Ale had encountered before, but something far deeper, far older.
Ale approached cautiously, captivated by the vision before him. A massive phoenix stand before him, its body made entirely of black flames and shifting shadows.
The phoenix's wings were spread wide, stretching in all directions and blending into the surrounding darkness. Each subtle beat of its wings released tendrils of dark smoke, as though the air itself was being consumed by their touch. The black flames that danced around it didn't burn like ordinary fire; they were silent, fluid, absorbing light rather than casting it, creating a stark contrast with the red glow of the magical seals adorning the chains.
The phoenix's eyes were a deep, endless black, but within that blackness was an ancient gleam, filled with wisdom and pain. Its feathers, though formed from shadows and flames, seemed solid at times, as if they were made of something tangible, yet always on the verge of dissolving into smoke. A faint crackling accompanied each movement, like the sound of an intense heat ready to burst free.
The chains binding the phoenix were massive, wrapping around its body and restricting its movements. Each chain was inscribed with bright, pulsing red seals, which violently contrasted with the darkness of its form. Ale could feel that these chains were more than just metal; they were imbued with ancient, powerful magic, designed to contain a force even the other spirits could not control.
Despite its captivity, the phoenix did not radiate hostility. Instead, an aura of majesty and serenity emanated from it, as if, despite centuries of imprisonment, it retained its dignity and role as the guardian of darkness. Its body shimmered with black flames, yet these flames were not destructive. Rather, they represented the essence of night itself—a necessary, enveloping darkness that offered rest after the brightness of day.
Ale, awestruck, felt a shiver run through his body.
Ale stood frozen before the imprisoned creature. The silence that filled the room was broken only by the soft crackling of the black flames dancing around the phoenix. For what felt like an eternity, he didn't dare move or speak, torn between fear and fascination.
Finally, after a long moment of hesitation, he broke the silence, his voice trembling:
"Who… who are you?"
The phoenix slowly turned its head toward him, its black eyes piercing through the darkness. A deep voice, resonating both in the air and in Ale's mind, answered him, calm and filled with wisdom:
"I am the one you call the Spirit of Darkness, Nyxion."