Chapter 133: The Sealed Chamber
The silence didn’t last long.
It was broken by the soft sound of our boots brushing against the stone floor as we started moving again, deeper into the temple’s twisting passageways. The air was colder now, heavy with dampness and age. The flames from our torches flickered weakly, barely lighting the path ahead. It was hard to tell where the ceiling ended or if it even existed anymore—everything above us was swallowed by shadow.
The stone walls around us were covered in carvings. Symbols and markings that looked older than any kingdom still standing. I didn’t recognize most of them, but they felt familiar in a way I couldn’t explain. Some parts of the wall had faded with time, worn down by centuries of stillness. But others... others looked untouched, like they had just been carved yesterday. Sharp, perfect and alive.
And the murals...
I hated looking at them.
Each one seemed to tell a story I didn’t want to hear. There were kings dressed in cloaks darker than night, standing in fire and shadow. Crowns that dripped with blood instead of gold. Great altars surrounded by kneeling figures with hollow, empty eyes, like their souls had been pulled out. And behind it all, something huge and formless waited, watching.
I didn’t want to know what they were worshiping.
My steps were quiet, but the thoughts racing in my head were loud. Every heartbeat echoed in my ears like a warning bell.
The others followed close behind. No one spoke. Even the most talkative members of our team stayed completely silent, their faces tense. Everyone could feel it. The air wasn’t just heavy. It was... alert. Like the temple was awake and aware that we were here.
It didn’t feel like we were exploring ruins.
It felt like we were walking through something’s body. Or worse, its memories.