Chapter 31: Ludicar's Awakening
The sky above the ruins darkened as the group moved cautiously through the remnants of an ancient temple. The weight of what they had learned in the archives still pressed heavily on their minds. Tara led the way, her grip tightening around the old tome they had taken. The Seal was failing, and they needed to reach the Forgotten Vale before the First could break free.
But something else was stirring in the darkness.
Kael stopped suddenly, his instincts flaring like a warning bell in his mind. "Do you feel that?" he asked, glancing around.
Emrick drew his sword. "We're not alone."
Before anyone could react, the ruins trembled, and a low, guttural sound rumbled through the air. The earth beneath them cracked, sending jagged lines of energy pulsing outward. Then, from the shattered ground, a figure emerged—one they had only heard of in whispered legends.
Ludicar.
He was taller than any man, cloaked in a robe that seemed to shift between material and shadow. His face was obscured by a mask, half-smiling, half-grimacing—a symbol of a god of chaos, of jesters and trickery. But the being before them was no mere trickster. His presence alone sent chills down Tara's spine.
"You have disturbed forces beyond your comprehension," Ludicar's voice echoed, laced with amusement but tinged with something darker. "And now, you seek to repair what was never meant to last."
Tara steadied herself. "You're part of this, aren't you? The First, the Seal—what do you know?"
Ludicar tilted his head, his mask shifting subtly. "I know that all things must break eventually. Even gods."
Kael stepped forward, his daggers at the ready. "If you're trying to stop us, you'll have to do better than cryptic riddles."
Ludicar chuckled. "Oh, I have no intention of stopping you. In fact, I think I'll enjoy watching you struggle. But know this—what you seek to do will not save you. It will only delay the inevitable."
The temple groaned, as if the structure itself was reacting to his words. Tara felt an overwhelming sense of unease. She had read about Ludicar in the ancient texts. A god of laughter, but also of deception. His presence here could mean many things, but one thing was certain—he was not to be trusted.
"You want chaos," Tara said. "You want the Seal to break."
Ludicar shrugged. "I want entertainment. And what could be more amusing than mortals trying to defy fate?" His mask shifted again, the grin widening. "But I will offer you something—a gift. A joke, if you will."
With a flick of his hand, a single glowing sigil appeared in the air before them. It pulsed with an eerie energy, a mixture of light and shadow.
Emrick frowned. "What is that?"
"A door," Ludicar said simply. "A shortcut to the Vale. Or a trap. Who can say?"
Tara hesitated. Taking a gift from Ludicar was dangerous—his laughter always came at a price. But time was running out.
Kael looked at her. "We don't have time to debate this."
She nodded, swallowing her fear. "Then we take the risk."
Ludicar's laughter rang through the ruins as Tara reached out toward the sigil. The moment her fingers touched it, the world around them twisted, and the temple faded into darkness.
The god of jest had made his move. Now, the game had truly begun.