In Pursuit of the Universe

[ Danger: Judgement nears. Survival probability – negligible. ]

Elias could only watch, helpless, as the blade came down. The abyss yawned wide, eager to claim him.

Elias gasped as his entire body braced for the final blow – but it never came. His ragged breath fogged the air, his vision still swimming in agony. Through the haze of pain, he saw the Gatekeeper's sword, halted mid-swing. A delicate, gloved hand pressed against the edge of the massive blade, stopping it effortlessly.

A figure stood before him. Cloaked in shadows, it was the same person he had seen before.

The Gatekeeper growled, his stance shifting. "You-"

Before he could finish, reality twisted. Elias felt his body lurch, his stomach turning inside out as the world around him blurred into streaks of black and white.

Then – silence.

The unbearable cold was gone. The howling winds had vanished. Instead, damp air clung to his skin, and the distant sound of dripping water echoed through the darkness.

It was a cavern.

Elias collapsed onto the jagged stone floor. He let out a strangled groan, his body trembling. Blood pooled beneath him, his vision darkening at the edges.

A pair of boots stopped just beside him.

"Pathetic."

The voice was smooth yet sharp and laced with disappointment. He could barely lift his head, but he saw her silhouette standing above him, the shadows obscuring her face.

"You need to grow stronger."

Something small landed beside him with a soft clink. Through the blur of his pain, he was barely able to see a small vial rolling to a stop against his fingers with a strange green liquid sloshed inside.

"Drink it."

And then poof, she was gone.

No sound. No movement. Just gone. As if she had never been there to begin with.

Elias stared at the vial and its sickly green liquid under the dim cavern light. His breath was unstable, every heartbeat a hammer against his skull. The pain from his severed wrist was unbearable, but still – he hesitated.

Who was she? Why had she saved him? And more importantly, why should be trust whatever she had just thrown at him.

His grip tightened around the vial. He had trusted the System because he had no other choice. And now, here he was again, faced with another decision, cornered by the same cruel reality which he knows nothing about.

What if it was poison? What if she had simply saved him from the Gatekeeper only to finish him off herself? What if this was another way of tormenting him – letting him think he had a chance, just to watch him crumble.

Elias let out a bitter, shaking laugh. Did it even matter? If he did nothing, he would die here, bleeding out alone in the dark. His body trembled, muscles tightened with resistance, but in the end, his survival instincts overpowered his doubt.

With a quiet exhale, he forced himself to move.

The scent that hit was sharp, almost metallic, sending another wave of nausea rolling through him. Every instinct screamed at him not to drink, but he had no other choice.

So, with clenched teeth and narrowed eyes, he tipped the vial back and drank.

It burned like fire as it slid down his throat, filling him with a mixture of bitterness and warmth. His vision blurred and dizziness overtook him as he fell unconscious. The last thought in his mind was a bitter murmur: "I knew it… I shouldn't have…"

In the depths of unconsciousness, fragmented images flickered through Elias' mind. He found himself standing in the midst of a vast, desolate ocean of blood, extending infinitely. Elias' gaze dropped to his hand and he saw them gripping the hilt of a sword stuck to something deep in the ocean. As he pulled the sword out, the body of a girl with a pale face and half-closed eyes came out along with it. She looked familiar. A flicker of memory stirred, but as he reached for it, it eluded him, like a locked door he couldn't open.

The girl's lips moved, forming words meant just for him, but he couldn't hear it as it was drowned out by a dull, oppressive silence. Her gaze lingered on him for on last moment before her expression turned cold and unrecognizable. A sense of fear and guilt ran through his mind but he was unable to understand these feelings.

With a sudden grip, she seized him by the neck and pulled him down into the blood-red depths. Elias chocked as the crimson waves closed over him. A whisper emanated through his head: "Why?", until he finally awoke, gasping for air.

"What… was that?" he whispered to himself. Shaken, Elias clutched his head and moved his arm instinctively before realizing that his hand was there – whole and unblemished. He froze in awe. He sat up, flexing his fingers in disbelief. It felt real – too real. No scar. No trace of the wound that should've ended him. "How is this possible?", Elias thought to himself.

Yet, beneath it all, a faint sensation, like an echo of something unnatural, lingered, pulsing through his veins. It was subtle, almost unperceivable… but undeniably there.

Just as he was trying to make sense of what had happened, the System flared to life before him, filling the dim cave with its light.

[ New capability unlocked: Celestial Sigils ]

"Sigils? What do you mean?"

[ The Sigils are living embodiments of cosmic law. Each one governs a fundamental aspect of the universe, ensuring balance between the different realms. They do not act, nor do they judge. They merely enforcers of cosmic law. ]

"Enforcers… You know, I've been wanting to ask you some questions here bu-"

[ The truth lies above. Ascend, and perhaps, you will understand… eventually, even that dream of yours. ]

Elias panicked. "How do you know about my dream?"

… No response.

"Ignoring me now, huh?. Fine. Whatever." He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down. "But that figure… Who was she?"

… Silence.

Once again, no response.

[ Additionally, the potion bestowed upon you the Sigil of Vitality, aiding in your recovery. However, since this Sigil was forcefully integrated into your body, it has a high risk of corruption. ]

"Oh. So now you are completely changing the topic. Besides, Corruption? What does that even mean? And what is this Sigil of Vitality?" asked Elias, not expecting a proper response.

[ The Sigil of Vitality aided in your recovery. However, it does bear chances of corruption which may lead to loss of your identity, memories and even sanity. ]

"Ho? So you DO know a lot of stuff yet refuse to tell me?"

[ The answers lie above… as always. ]

Elias let out a slight chuckle at the way the System always responded cryptically.

He had no recollection of how he got there, why he was there, or what had happened to his memories. The only thing he could cling onto was the System and the only way to obtain the answers to all his questions was to continue moving forward.

Elias stood up and emerged from the cavern which was perched atop a jagged spike of ice. The icy wasteland stretched infinitely before him. The silence pressed against him making his thoughts feel louder than they should.

[ You are now leaving a temporary safe zone. ]

"Safe? You call that cave safe? I was barely alive when I got there," he muttered with sarcasm.

[ It served its purpose. You are alive now. ]

"Alive huh…" Elias continued, narrowing his eyes.

Far below, the Gatekeeper stood, his armored form trembling with fury as his enraged screams echoed across the wasteland. He slashed his weapon through the air, striking the frozen ground in frustration.

But Elias' gaze drifted past him, drawn towards the horizon – where two colossal ice walls converged, a silent monument nestled between them. Half of it stood tall while the other half was buried deep in the ice. It was a castle.

"What is that? Is it the castle that the Gatekeeper was referencing?"

[ A remnant of defiance. A sanctuary that sought escape. A fate sealed in frost. ]

Elias exhaled sharply. More riddles. More cryptic nonsense. Yet something about the System's words and the castle unsettled him. It felt as if the castle was calling Elias towards itself. Driven by his curiosity, he asked "Should I head there then?"

[ It is totally up to you. It could hold something of value. Whether that value is knowledge, power of peril, depends entirely on you. Or it may also be a trap. ]

He glanced once more at the Gatekeeper in the distance. That bastard was still raging, his voice raw with fury. Eventually, he would start searching for Elias again. And Elias wasn't about to wait around to be found.

With a weary resolve, Elias made a decision. If the answers he sought were buried in this forsaken land, then he would uncover them all. Whatever lay hidden in the depths of this hellish wasteland, Elias was determined to face it. He would explore its darkest corners, endure its trials, and survive – no matter whatever it took.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped away from the cavern's edge and began his descent, as the castle awaited his arrival.