"Absolutely not," Charlotte said, "You can't just go down there alone, We don't even know what that voice was. Weren't you the one who was just on about no one separating!"
Ferris nodded in agreement. "She's right. It most likely a trap. I mean we've already survived one ambush today, and now you want to walk into another one?"
"I have to go," he repeated. "Something.... something is calling me. Did you hear that voice? "
"I didn't here anything! I think whatever is down there it's trying to lure you. I think it's most likely a trap." Mina said.
"Exactly," Pell added. "In all my years, i've learned one fundamental rule: if something sounds too good, it's probably a trap."
"Look," Ralth said, "I'll take precautions. I'll keep my Force Field Barrier ready. If anything goes wrong, I can easily retreat quickly."
"And what if you can't?" Charlotte said. "What if whatever is down there is stronger than your barrier? You could die!"
'I have to go anyway." Ralth said.
"We should at least have a plan. A signal. Something." Ferris said.
Ralth nodded. "I'll drop a stone down every few minutes. If the stone doesn't make a sound, or if too much time passes, you'll know something's wrong."
"That's it?" Mina asked in disbelief. "A falling stone is your grand rescue plan?"
"Do you have a better idea?" Ralth said.
Reluctantly, they agreed.
"We'll stay up here for now," Pell said. "But if you're not back in an hour, or if we hear anything suspicious, we're coming down after you."
After a final check of gear Ralth approached the dark opening. The stone stairs descended into an absolute darkness each of the steps seemed to be carved from what seemed like a single, massive stone block.
"Be careful," Ferris said.
The first few steps were uneven and seemed to have been worn smooth by countless years of use. Water dripped somewhere in the darkness causing an eerie feeling.
Ralth slowly descended step by step his body alert but nothing happened. After what felt like hundreds of steps He reached the bottom. His quickly scanned for any potential threats.
The chamber was surprisingly large. Dim phosphorescent fungi clung to the walls, providing just enough light to see. Ahead, strange shapes moved in the shadows.
Monkey-like creatures, about the size of a child, shuffled around. Their fur was a mottled grey, and their movements were jerky and mechanical. They hadn't noticed Ralth yet.
He didn't hesitate. "Magic Missile," he whispered.
The spell erupted from his hand. It struck the first creature, transforming it into a pile of ash before it could even screech. The others turned, but Ralth was already casting again.
Three more missiles. Three more piles of ash.
The first creatures lunged with a insane speed. Where a normal creature might have hesitated after seeing their friends killed these beings attacked without fear or mercy.
Two leaped simultaneously from opposite sides, razor-sharp claws extended.
Ralth's reflexes kicked in instantly. He twisted, letting one creature sail past him while simultaneously raising a Force Field Barrier that deflected the second's attack.
These creatures were unlike anything he'd encountered before. They seemed to be calculating.
One creature's claws scraped against his barrier producing an ear-piercing screech . Another circled behind ready to kill him as soon as any weakness was shown. Ralth knew he couldn't remain defensive forever.
"Magic Missile!"
"Magic Missile!"
"Magic Missile!"
A wave of three Magic Missile from his hands, sending three creatures flying backwards. Their bodies twisted mid-air and readjusted impossibly before they even hit the ground. One of them's head snapped at an unnatural angle but it still moved.
Sweat beaded on Ralth's forehead. These weren't living creatures, not at all.
A particularly large creature—obviously their leader—rushed forward. Its movements were faster. Ralth barely managed to dodge, feeling the creature's claws slice through the air mere inches from his face.
"Not today," he said as he channeled energy into his right hand. "Magic Missile!"
A ball of energy flew out his hand striking the leader directly in the nape of its neck. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the creature exploded just like the rest of them.
The remaining creatures hesitated. Taking advantage of that, Ralth struck again. Magic Missile after Magic Missile flew out.
After the last creature died the chamber fell silent again with the only exception being the persistent dripping of water.
Ahead, a stone altar waited. Unlike the crude, primitive constructions above, this was a masterpiece of ancient craftsmanship. As Ralth approached, a holographic figure materialized.
"So," the figure said, "you are the one who has the cube.."
Ralth recognized the voice as the one who called to him. "Who are you?"
The hologram seemed to smile. "I am Rhahn, from the age of Seven Towers. An age long forgotten by most."
"Seven Towers?" Ralth had never heard of such a thing in his entire life.
"A time ten thousand years past," Rhahn continued. "A time when magic as you know it was still in it's infancy, a time when gods roamed the world, before Planar Wars and before The Great Fracturing. Even before the Heretic and his followers."
The hologram's tone grew harder. "The gods do not look kindly on Heretics. Though they no longer walk this earth they still exist and you, yes you my friend have the legacy of the one they hate the most."
Ralth felt a chill. "Are you talking about the Felsan Cube?"
"Precisely." Rhahn's form flickered. "An artifact forged by Felsan himself. Often called the Felsan the Bloodthirsty, Felsan the Crazy or Felsan the Heretic. You bear his Magnum opus. Are you prepared for the consequences? The path of the Heretic is not an easy one after all. Even Felsan couldn't do it."
Ralth thought about it for a few minutes as his mind went over everything that lead him to this point so far,"I believe I can do it."
"Such arrogance!" The hologram said angrily,"What makes you think you can easily achieve what it took Felsan millenia to attempt and still failed! How could you answer so nonchalantly! You should at least spend s day thinking about it."
Before Ralth could say anything at all, he felt the world start to dissapear. Suddenly, Ralth was no longer in the underground chamber. He was somewhere familiar, somewhere he had longed for—a college campus, bustling with students. His college. The memories from this day were painfully vivid.
He remembered failing his courses that semester. He remembered going home disappointed and having to break the news to his parents over dinner. As soon as he thought about it, the scene appeared.
The family was seated around the table. There were three of them as Ralth's older brother had moved out after getting his degree in Physics and landing a decent paying job. His mom wore a nice red dress and his dad, well.....
"Mom, Dad." He had said, "I failed."
"Failed what, honey?" His mom asked, now looking at him with blue eyes.
"I failed my finals." He replied softly.
"Fucking Hell. How come?" His father had said, still in his greasy mechanic clothes.
"I.....I just failed." Ralth had stuttered. He didn't want to admit he had become lazy, had skipped classes to play games and read Webnovels because he thought he was smarter than everyone and would easily pass any test. He was proven wrong.
"No one just fails, son. What really happened." His father had said, easing back in the chair. He didn't believe Ralth but he would give him a chance to explain himself.
That was just how he was. Now, after experiencing Old John he wondered how he could have ever had any negative feelings for his previous father at all.
"The test....the test was too hard." Ralth replied, holding his head low.
His father sighed,"You didn't study, did you? You're mom always told you to study and stop playing games, but you didn't listen. Do you think money grows on trees."
"But, but...." Ralth stuttered.
"No buts," His father rubbed between his eyes,"So what are you going to do now? Join the army? Come work with me? What are your future plans? You know we agreed we could only afford to pay for one year of college after that you'd have to get a scholarship or a job."
"I'm going to be a gaming live streamer." Ralth replied.
"That isn't a real job." His father growled, angry now.
"It is, It is! They make millions of dollars a month!" Ralth had defended. Now he knew how absurd and idiotic and delusional that claim was.
"No it doesn't. In any work that requires entertaining others, most will be left behind making pennies while a few make all the profits. It's better to come work with me, at least I can guide you to do something. I'll put in a word with the boss for you. You know he views you like his own son so it should be easy." His father had said, sighing again.
"No...but live streaming is-" He had started.
"Shut the hell up!" His father had finally snapped."You're throwing away everything we've worked for and your future too! For what! To stroke your own ego! Get out!" his father had shouted, his face red with anger.
Ralth—or rather, his previous self—had stormed out. The car keys jangled in his hand, his vision blurry with tears and too much drink. The world spun as he drove, angry and upset.
It was no surprise then what had happened next.
The crash was sudden. Metal crunching, glass shattering. Then darkness.
The scene shifted again. Now he was in a different body, younger. Eighteen-year-old Ralth in a world that was alien and harsh. Old John, his new father, was nothing like the academic and patient parent of his previous life.
Old John was a drunk, a bitter man who saw his son as nothing more than a punching bag for his own failures.
"Useless!" John would scream, his breath reeking of cheap alcohol. "Worthless boy! Why the hell did you eat the last piece of bread, I wanted that for myself!"
The memories of beatings came flooding back. Bruises hidden beneath long sleeves, the constant fear, the feeling of absolute helplessness.
But something had changed in Ralth.
"No," Ralth said, his voice echoing "These bad memories do not define me. I'm not the person I was in them. Not anymore. I have changed because I am no longer weak nor aimless nor lazy. I am now me. I will become a Magus!"
The hologram of Rhahn watched with a look of something like respect crossing his face.
"Impressive," Rhahn said. "Most would have been consumed by such memories. But you made your way out of the illusion by yourself."
The chamber reappeared around Ralth.
Rhahn raised a hand. A surge of energy passed through Ralth. His mental strength, previously at 17, suddenly jumped to 20—the threshold for becoming a First-Ring Magus.
"Although I'm not 100% confident in you, my old friend Felsan gave you something so I'll give you something as well. I'm no longer in my prime and I'm a hologram so I can only give you that and three First Ring Spells as well as a proper Meditation Method" Rhahn said, "to aid you on your journey."
A book appeared before Ralth but before he could examine it closely, the world started to spin. A teleportation spell quickly whisked him away from the underground chamber.
As Ralth vanished, Rhahn' stood staring at him, final words echoing through the empty space:
"My friend Felsan, it seems you have chosen a good successor."