The underground chamber was silent.
Not the kind of silence that came from emptiness—but the kind that carried weight.
A silence that felt alive.
Vierd stood still, his golden eyes fixed on the massive crystal at the center of the room.
The cracks running through its surface pulsed with faint, dying light, as if the stone itself was struggling to remain whole.
And yet—despite its fractured state, it radiated an overwhelming pressure.
A pressure that told him one thing:
"This thing… is still alive."
Rain remained a few steps behind, his crimson gaze sharp as he watched the unstable energy within the crystal swirl like a storm trapped in ice.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
The weight of what they had just witnessed in the vision lingered in the air between them.
Then, Rain broke the silence.
"That man in your vision…" he said, his voice even, but laced with something deeper.
"He wanted this stone destroyed."
Vierd nodded slowly, his fingers curling into a fist.
"Yeah. And if he's right… then this thing is dangerous."
Rain exhaled.
"Dangerous?" he repeated, stepping closer, his eyes never leaving the crystal. "The stone that destroyed my world looked exactly like this… and it was already cracked, just like this one."
Vierd glanced at him, his jaw tightening.
"Then we have a problem."
Because that meant one of two things:
1- These stones were connected to the destruction of worlds.
2- Or worse—something was using them as a catalyst to collapse entire realms.
Either way… this wasn’t a coincidence.
And that made the decision ahead of them even more dangerous.
Rain let out a quiet chuckle, but there was no humor in it.
"It’s amusing, isn’t it?" he mused. "How something so small can hold the weight of entire realities? How power, in its purest form, is always just one step away from catastrophe?"
Vierd narrowed his eyes. "You sound like someone who's seen this before."
Rain tilted his head slightly. "I have. And so have you."
Vierd frowned. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Rain smirked faintly, but didn’t answer.
Instead, he gestured toward the stone.
"Go ahead, then. See for yourself."
Vierd stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and the massive crystal.
The closer he got, the more his own stone reacted—the one he had taken from the Gate’s core.
It pulsed, almost like a heartbeat.
Like it recognized this place.
Like it belonged here.
Vierd clenched his teeth.
"Something isn’t right."
A moment later—he reached out.
The second his fingers touched the cold surface of the fractured stone—
The world shifted.
The chamber disappeared.
Or rather—it changed.
In an instant, Vierd found himself somewhere else.
A place bathed in blue light, its sky swirling like liquid sapphire.
He wasn’t in the fortress anymore.
He was standing in the middle of a massive city.
And in front of him—
Was the same crystal.
But it was whole.
Untouched.
Not a single crack marred its surface.
And then—he saw them.
Figures in dark robes, their faces hidden beneath hoods, standing in a circle around the stone.
They were chanting, their voices low and unfamiliar, speaking in a language he didn’t recognize.
But somehow—
He understood.
One of the figures stepped forward, placing a hand against the stone’s surface.
The crystal responded, flaring with energy, its glow intensifying.
The figure’s voice deepened.
"A world must not grow too strong… nor too weak."
Vierd’s pulse quickened.
He wanted to move, to speak—but he couldn’t.
Something was holding him in place, forcing him to watch.
"And so we divide its power—
"So that no single world may rise above the rest."
Then, without warning—
The crystal cracked.
A single, deep fracture ran down its center, light spilling from within.
The chanting stopped.
For the first time, the figures looked up.
And when they did—they all turned to him.
"It is not yet time, Vierd."
The words sent a shock through his mind.
"They know me?!"
Before he could react—the vision shattered.
Vierd stumbled backward, his breath uneven.
The chamber had returned.
The cracked crystal was still there.
But his mind was racing.
Rain was watching him.
"You saw something again, didn’t you?"
Vierd exhaled, his grip tightening around his sword.
"Yeah."
He glanced at the stone.
"And this time… it wasn’t just a vision."
It was a memory.
A memory that wasn’t his.
Or at least…
That’s what he wanted to believe.
Rain smirked faintly. "And so… the past begins to chase you, just as it has chased me."
Vierd shot him a look. "What the hell does that mean?"
Rain’s gaze was distant, almost reflective. "Memories are funny things, aren’t they? They can belong to us… and yet, they can be given to us. Forced upon us. Tell me, Vierd—what do you believe this memory was?"
Vierd hesitated. "I don’t know."
Rain let out a quiet chuckle. "Good. That means you’re still thinking for yourself."
Vierd’s eyes darkened. "We need answers."
Rain nodded. "Indeed. But answers are never without cost."
Vierd stared at the fractured stone for a long moment.
Then, finally—
He spoke.
"We have two choices."
1- Destroy the stone—before whatever power inside it becomes a danger.
2- Try to harness it—and uncover the truth behind its purpose.
One wrong move—and they might not survive what comes next.
Rain studied him carefully.
Then, in a calm voice, he asked—
"Which path are you choosing?"
Vierd’s golden eyes burned.
"Neither."
Rain’s brow furrowed. "Explain."
Vierd smirked, but there was no amusement in it.
"We’re not breaking it.
And we’re not using it.
We’re going to find out who created it."
The room fell silent.
Rain nodded slowly.
"That’s a dangerous path."
Vierd chuckled darkly.
"Good. That means we’re on the right one."
And with that—
The true journey was about to begin.