The atmosphere inside the ancient cave was suffocating, the air saturated with the scent of dampness and rust, while the tongues of torches danced on the rocky walls, casting undulating shadows like ghosts imprisoned for centuries. The carved stone pillars stretched upwards, shaped into strange faces some smiling, others screaming in eternal agony. In the depths of the place, a golden gleam reflected the torchlight, an ancient treasure untouched for generations.
Marcus, the expedition leader, advanced slowly, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. His hands clenched around his sword, while Regan, the young explorer, observed the surroundings with anticipation.
"This is it… the lost king's treasure," Marcus murmured weakly.
"I never thought I'd see something like this!" Regan stared at the scene in awe.
Eileen, the skilled archaeologist proficient in ancient languages, stepped forward cautiously, examining the inscriptions engraved on the walls. She placed her fingers on the cryptic words and whispered with concern:
"These aren't just decorations… they're warnings."
Marcus raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "What do you mean?"
Eileen swallowed hard as she read aloud in a low voice: "The words say… 'Greed is a curse, and the treasure is a trap… No one will leave here alive.'"
A heavy silence filled the air for a moment, but it was soon shattered when Logan, one of the team members, rushed toward the treasure.
"Foolish warnings! This gold is ours!" He grinned madly, stepping forward, driven by greed.
But the moment his hand touched the first coin, a sharp, inhuman scream echoed through the cave. The group felt a chill crawl up their spines as the ground trembled slightly, as if the cave itself had awakened from its deep slumber.
Then… it appeared.
From the shifting shadows, a majestic creature emerged, standing over two meters tall, its body covered in cracked gray skin, as if it were an extension of the cave itself. Its eyes burned like embers, and in its hands were long, razor-sharp claws dripping with a black, ink-like liquid. It walked with slow, confident steps, as if fully aware that it was the master of this place.
"It's… the guardian," Eileen's voice trembled as she gazed at the being before them.
Marcus took a step back, raising his sword tensely. He whispered to Regan, "Do not attack unless absolutely necessary. We need to leave quietly."
But Logan, blinded by greed, drew his dagger and lunged at the creature, shouting in rage, "It's just a walking rock! I'll tear it apart!"
The being did not move until Logan got close. Then, in a single instant so fast it was almost unseen it extended its claws at lightning speed. They pierced through Logan's body effortlessly, ripping through him as if he were a ragdoll, then tossed him aside. He crashed against the wall and collapsed, lifeless, his eyes frozen in eternal terror.
Eileen screamed as Regan staggered back, whispering in a strangled voice, "No… we can't defeat it."
The creature was in no hurry. It walked toward them slowly, savoring the fear it had instilled in them. Marcus stepped forward, his eyes blazing with determination, raising his sword as he spoke in a steady voice:
"Eileen, Regan… when I give the signal, run."
"Marcus, you can't!" Tears welled in Eileen's eyes; she didn't want him to sacrifice himself for them.
But there was no time for debate. The creature lunged at Marcus, and they exchanged a flurry of blows, sparks flying with every clash. The tide of battle quickly became clear the creature was faster, stronger, and far more experienced in killing. With a sudden, forceful strike, it sent Marcus flying, slamming him to the ground. His sword slipped from his grasp.
Eileen realized they had no choice. She grabbed Regan's hand and shouted, "Now!"
They bolted toward the exit while Marcus lay on the ground, gasping, watching the creature approach him, its eyes void of mercy. He lifted his gaze, smirked bitterly, and whispered to himself:
"At least… I gave them a chance."
Then, in the darkness of the cave, another scream rang out… and then silence.
For a moment, stillness settled over the place as the being looked down at the bodies before it. Then, it spoke in a deep, ruthless voice:
"The time has not yet come."
Its claws glowed with a violet shimmer as strands of energy seeped from the corpses, writhing like invisible flames before flowing into its body. Slowly, its form began to shift.
Then, with a slow, ominous transformation, its horns began to grow rising, twisting, sharpening manifesting the primal hunger for power within it. With each breath, the creature changed, not only in form but in presence itself.
This being was of the "Arcanis" race, a race thought to have gone extinct in the Hundred Years' War.
"Our return is near."
Finally, it vanished, retreating into the void from which it came.
Elsewhere…
Edgar was making his way toward the royal palace in the capital of Rodm.
The royal palace rose like a mountain of gold and ivory, its domes gleaming under the sun, guarded by walls that told tales of ancient glory. With each step Edgar took, the ground seemed to tremble, his presence radiating authority so powerful that the guards opened the gates without question.
"Today, we reclaim our glory," Edgar spoke, his voice brimming with resolve.
He was accompanied by several figures, including Kyle and Eleanor known as "the strongest" who had come to reclaim their rightful place.
As they reached the king, he stood tall, his golden hair flowing like threads of sunlight, his molten-gold eyes reflecting wisdom and dominion. His physique was honed by the burdens of the throne, and his features exuded an undeniable authority.
Edgar stepped forward, standing face-to-face with him.
"I assume something has prompted your return," the king spoke without preamble.
"So… when do we begin? For the royal title."
Edgar knew time was not on his side. The faster he acted, the better.
All he had to do was reach that place.
The king gazed at him, then sighed. "You know the conditions."
In House Locard's Mansion…
An old man named Siegfried, one of the legendary war heroes, was watching everything unfold, awaiting Edgar's return. But there was something strange about Alexis a look in his eyes that was deeply unsettling.
Alexis, however, was indifferent. He returned to his room, waiting… and soon, what he had been expecting finally arrived.
A mysterious figure stood at the doorway for a moment, staring at the young man seated before him. There was something unnatural about this boy. Despite his youth, his presence was suffocating, as if invisible serpents slithered through the room, waiting for the right moment to coil around their prey.
Taking a deep breath, the man forced himself to step forward. His first step was hesitant, but he concealed the slight tremor in his fingers as he took a seat across from Alexis. His voice was calm, but he couldn't hide the tension beneath it.
"I wasn't expecting the family's genius to be this young."
Alexis slowly lifted his gaze cold, venomous, like a serpent eyeing its prey. His lips curled into a faint smile that never reached his eyes.
"Oh, age is just a number… isn't it? Even animals understand who the predator is and who the prey is, regardless of age."
The man's hand trembled unconsciously, but he hid it beneath the table. Why did he feel this pressure? This wasn't just a boy this was something else… something almost inhuman. He tried to ignore the unease, clinging to his original purpose.
"Let's get to the point. Our organization is interested in your skills. We have an offer for you, one that could be beneficial for both parties."
Alexis leaned forward slightly, his elbow resting on the table, chin propped up on his hand. His smile hadn't changed, but it deepened, as if bored with the play unfolding before him.
"An offer for me?" He chuckled softly, lazily, but there was something dark lurking beneath it. "Doesn't it seem strange for a large organization to offer a deal to a child?"
The man fell silent for a moment. His words were true, but what terrified him wasn't the boy's intelligence it was the way he spoke, as if he already knew everything that would be said.
"You're more than just a child, and everyone knows it."
The room grew colder. Or was it just an illusion? No… he could feel it, as if the breath of unseen serpents was creeping closer, coiling around his neck, toying with him before deciding when to tighten.
The boy's gaze locked onto him, unwavering, lethal.
"And you know more than you should, don't you?"
The man stopped breathing for a moment, his body tensing like a drawn bowstring. For a fleeting second, he realized he was no longer in control of this meeting the boy was. It had been a trap from the start.
Trying to regain his composure, he spoke in a low but tense voice. "I'm only here to offer you an opportunity… there's no need for threats."
Alexis chuckled softly not a joyous laugh, but a faint, unsettling hum that crawled beneath the skin.
"An opportunity? Do you think I don't understand what's happening? You don't offer opportunities… you set traps."
The man instinctively leaned back in his chair, feeling as if the room were shrinking, the walls inching closer. He was about to respond, but before he could utter a single word, Alexis leaned in slightly, his elbows still on the table, his eyes never leaving him.
"Tell me…" he said, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable weight. "Are you here just as a messenger? Or are you… one of them?"
The question wasn't direct, but it carried a heaviness that couldn't be ignored. The man felt a sharp pang of unease but forced himself to remain calm.
"I'm merely a courier of the message. The decision is yours."
A heavy silence stretched between them before Alexis's lips curled into a faint smile…one that offered no reassurance.
"Very well… I'll think about it."
The man stood abruptly, as if desperate to leave before he got pulled any deeper into this suffocating atmosphere. He cast one last glance at the boy but hesitated when he saw the reflection of his eyes in the candlelight… something was wrong. Something that shouldn't be there.
Without another word, he turned and left.
As the door closed behind him, Alexis remained seated, staring silently at the table.
Then, slowly, he whispered to himself, "They've finally started moving… how entertaining."
That night, no one noticed anything as Alexis returned to "Mount" to extract what remained of the information