The Nameless Ruins... He had questioned why the strange mountain felt familiar and had soon gotten himself an answer.
A massive tear wrapped around the mountain like an open wound. It was known as the Red Scar.
From the desert below, the peak on which the dragon stood rose sharp and isolated, its stone darker than the surrounding ranges. But it wasn't the height or the dark hue of the mountain that drew Star's eye—it was the deep spiraling gash carved into its side.
From base to shoulder, a massive cleft split the mountain, its edges stained a permanent rusted red.
The deep chasm didn't seem natural.
It curved inward in deliberate arcs, as if the mountain had been carved open and hollowed from the inside. Jagged ridges protruded like exposed ribs, while smooth, polished stone lay beneath—far too refined to be the work of time or wind.
It was still too dark for him to see much of the hollow, but he would be able to get a closer look soon. Quickly following behind the hooded man, he descended from the dragon, staggering forward for a moment as he struggled to remain balanced atop the mountain's slope.
The hooded man grabbed his hand in time and allowed him to stand upright. For a moment, Star gazed at him without saying anything. Afterward, the man let go and turned away.
Now that he was closer, he was able to see just how massive the tear truly was.
The hollow was deeper than anything he had ever seen before, and along its sides, ancient stairways and terraces clung half-collapsed, fused directly into the rock face. The stairways spiraled downward into deep darkness where his gaze couldn't reach.Further along, the Scar narrowed, twisting into unnatural paths and tunnels.
Star lingered for a moment and stepped back slightly. He didn't feel the same thrill or fear he had when the dragon first appeared, but his heart was racing nonetheless.
To think that he would one day stand before what could only have once existed in another's imagination and immerse himself in its full splendor. There was so much to see and so little he could take in at once.
The echoing winds dragged downward through the cleft in long, hollow howls.
Star watched as the hooded man stepped onto the ancient terrace and began descending the spiraling stone steps, heading deeper into the hollow darkness.
A few seconds after he disappeared from view, something happened. At first, it seemed like a faint flicker, but then a pale blue glow slowly began emanating from the sides of the steps.
Ancient torches were hammered deep into the stone, and as he passed each one, they lit, bathing the shadow-ridden space in ghostly blue light. More of the stairway came into view, and Star couldn't take his eyes off the marvelous structure.
The stairway continued to spiral, heading deeper and deeper into the darkness. As the hooded man began to disappear from sight once again, Star took a deep breath and stepped forward.
He needed no one to tell him that he would be next to descend, and after a brief pause, he shifted to the side and began making his way down the spiraling stairway as well.
By then, the hooded man was too far ahead for him to catch up, though he still caught glimpses of him from time to time. Behind him was Kate, taking two steps at a time as her tail swung. After her, the elven lady followed, each step taken with grace and poise. And lastly was Katerina, her steps slow and confident.
The stairway wasn't narrow, allowing for a somewhat easy descent. The smell of wet stone and dried sand filled his nostrils as hollow winds blew against his face.
Shadows lingered along the sides, stretching and shifting as the flames flickered, etched close to the walls of the cleft. Their descent had been long, yet his legs had not tired.
At last, he could see a flat surface where the hooded man stood waiting. Star stopped beside him, with Joy following swiftly behind, and the three of them gazed at what lay before them.
The Nameless Ruins...
The ancient city sprawled at the base of the Red Scar, swallowed by time. Etched with angular reliefs and hieroglyph-like symbols, monolithic walls of sandstone and granite rose from the rocky ground.
Pillars surrounded the area—cracked and leaning—bearing bronze-frozen figures. Idols long forgotten by time: serpents, distinct humanoid creatures, and abstract beasts. Massive stairways connected to terraces that vanished into shadowed doorways.
At the heart of the ruins, a massive ziggurat rose in layered tiers, its sides carved with the faces of long-forgotten heroes—kings, priests, and perhaps even wizards or sorcerers.
Standing a few meters away from the Nameless Ruins, they felt an intangible weight pressing down on them. Star felt his chest tighten while Kate grew pale. As for the hooded man, he stood still and unmoving.
After a while, Star let out a stifled groan.
"It feels like my life is being sucked away."
Kate clenched her stomach and backed away. She groaned, gritting her teeth as she struggled to point toward the ruins.
"What is this place?" she mumbled.
The hooded man, knowing the question was directed at him, lingered for a moment before taking a cautious step toward the ruins.
Then his voice resounded.
"It is the lost King's forgotten temple… It was rather nameless. He sought knowledge endlessly and, in the end, discovered a forbidden art—one the gods deemed profane. He tainted his soul and did something no one had ever done…"
The man's gaze drifted aside as he heaved a sigh.
"He dared what no one else could. He created an artifact capable of reshaping souls. He sacrificed all that was dear to him and, in turn, crafted a Divine Soul—one he imbued within himself. The lost King was once merely a feeble ruler born with a fragile Temporal Soul. But in the end, he became a power that challenged even the gods."
He took another step forward.
"He attempted humanity's first revolution… It was he who first waged war against the gods."