The entrance to the ancient ruin finally materialized before them.
It did not rise from the ground or emerge from behind some hidden mechanism. Instead, it simply appeared in the empty space before them, as if the boundary between reality and the hidden space had been peeled away.
The gate stood roughly five meters tall and three meters wide.
Its entire surface was pitch black, covered in intricate runic patterns similar to those on the hexagonal disc in Alex's hand. The patterns were far more elaborate than anything he had seen before, with countless lines intertwining across the surface in a strange yet seemingly deliberate arrangement.
Alex stared at it for several seconds, unsettled by the unnatural runes. They looked nothing like ordinary inscriptions.
The longer he stared at them, the more they seemed to shift subtly, almost as if the patterns were alive.
Curious, Alex slowly reached out and placed his hand against the surface. He could feel the gate's solid presence beneath his fingers, yet at the same time, an extremely peculiar sensation told him there was nothing there at all.
Despite being able to clearly see and physically touch the entrance, somewhere in the back of his mind, an instinct kept telling him that the gate shouldn't exist in the first place.
'What kind of magic is this?'
Alex withdrew his hand and looked at the enormous gate again.
Beside him, Sherry stood completely still, her eyes fixed on the entrance as the realization finally sank in.
The place where her parents had disappeared three years ago was right in front of her.
"We're finally here..." Sherry's voice was quiet and almost trembling. A faint smile spread across her face as she stared at the gate.
They were still far from finding her parents, but this was the closest she had ever been to the truth. After three years of searching, she had finally reached the place where her parents had disappeared.
Aurora, meanwhile, floated around the entrance, examining it from every possible angle. She moved closer to inspect the runes, then circled around to examine the sides before drifting upward to study the top of the gate.
After a while, Alex finally broke the silence.
"So, how do we open it?" Both Aurora and Sherry looked toward him. Alex pointed toward the enormous black gate. "It's still closed."
Only then did Sherry seem to come out of her reverie. She blinked a few times before looking at the entrance again and pointing toward the hexagonal disc in his hands.
"This should be the key. According to the research, you're supposed to guide mana through the disc and follow the patterns engraved on it."
She looked at the runes covering the black disc.
"If we activate them in the correct sequence, it should open the entrance."
"Do you know the sequence?"
Sherry's expression became slightly awkward.
"Not completely."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"The pages were incomplete, and this is the first time I've actually seen the key being used. I only know the basic method."
"So you don't actually know how to operate it."
"I know how it should work." Sherry quickly corrected him before lowering her gaze. "But I'm not sure about the exact sequence."
Alex sighed inwardly. 'Of course.'
Finding the entrance had already taken them hours, and now another puzzle awaited them. Alex looked at the disc again before a thought suddenly occurred to him.
He turned toward Aurora. "You said this was an array controller when you first saw it, didn't you?"
Aurora looked at him.
"Yes."
"So, do you know how to operate it?"
A confident smile appeared on Aurora's face.
"Of course. I may not recognize the exact origin of this array, but the principles behind it aren't completely unfamiliar."
Alex looked at the disc for a moment before nodding. If Aurora was confident that she could operate it, there was no reason not to let her take control.
"Alright. Let's try it."
Alex began pouring his mana into the disc. At the same time, through their soul connection, Aurora received Alex's permission and began controlling his mana flow.
"Leave the control to me." Aurora said.
The mana flowing through Alex's body was guided by Aurora with incredible precision. She manipulated the mana and carefully directed it along the intricate runic patterns.
Alex didn't need to do anything beyond maintaining a steady supply of mana.
Sherry also leaned closer, carefully comparing the patterns on the disc with those engraved across the entrance gate.
"The patterns here match the ones on the entrance." she said, pointing toward a particular section. "That one should connect to the central formation."
Aurora didn't necessarily need her help, but Sherry assumed Alex was handling the array himself and did her best to assist wherever she could.
The mana moved through the corresponding runes, causing a faint crimson glow to appear along the traced path.
The process was far more delicate than Alex had expected.
The disc wasn't responding simply because mana was being poured into it. The mana had to travel through the intricate network of runes in a specific sequence, with each section connecting to the next.
One wrong turn could disrupt the entire formation.
Fortunately, Alex didn't have to worry about making those mistakes. With Aurora controlling his mana and Sherry carefully studying the runes, the process proceeded much more smoothly.
Sherry's observations were surprisingly accurate, earning an approving nod from Aurora.
Together, the two of them gradually deciphered the ancient formation and began operating the mysterious array.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
Just as the final pattern was completed, the semicircular red gem at the center of the disc suddenly pulsed with a brilliant crimson light that flowed through the intricate runic patterns.
Alex felt the change immediately.
"Done." Aurora said.
Alex looked at her. "Does that mean we can open it now?"
"Yes, but there's something else we can do." Aurora's voice carried a hint of excitement. "We can now fully control the array."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
Aurora continued, "That means we don't have to simply open the entrance. We can also anchor the independent space to this world, stabilizing the connection between the two."
Alex's expression changed slightly.
"Anchor it?"
"Exactly. Right now, the ruin exists within its own independent space, completely separate from the outside world. That's why the flow of time inside can be different from the flow of time here."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"If we connect the two spaces, the flow of time inside will synchronize with the outside."
Alex's eyes widened slightly.
"Then... the time difference won't exist anymore?"
"Correct." Aurora nodded.
That was an unexpected discovery, and one that could eliminate the greatest danger of entering the ruin.
The difference in time flow had always been one of the most dangerous aspects of the ancient ruin. Only a few hours passing outside could potentially mean years passing within.
If they could eliminate that disparity, they would no longer have to worry about becoming trapped inside for an unknown length of time.
However, Aurora wasn't finished.
"There is one downside."
Alex's expression immediately became cautious.
"What is it?"
"The two spaces won't remain completely separate anymore." Aurora's voice became more serious. "Once we anchor the independent space, the connection between it and this world will remain active. The two spaces will effectively become linked."
Alex frowned.
"So the entrance can't be closed?"
"Exactly." Aurora confirmed his suspicion. "If we want to maintain the synchronized flow of time, the entrance will have to remain open."
Alex looked toward the enormous black gate, recognizing the obvious drawback.
Keeping the entrance open meant the connection between the two spaces would remain active for as long as they were inside. Anyone who happened to discover this place could potentially enter as well.
On the other hand, allowing the independent space to remain completely isolated meant they would have to deal with the original time difference.
Alex considered the situation for a moment before explaining the advantages and drawbacks of anchoring the independent space to Sherry.
"What do you think?"
"I think we should do it."
Alex wasn't surprised by her answer. In truth, he was thinking the same thing.
The possibility of spending years trapped inside the ruins was far more frightening than leaving the entrance open.
"Alright. Let's anchor it."
With Aurora controlling his mana flow, the array controller responded immediately.
For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then the enormous black gate began to tremble.
A deep vibration spread through the surrounding space as the runes covering its surface began to glow. One after another, the intricate patterns shifted and rearranged themselves, as though the entire formation had suddenly come to life.
The gate slowly began to open, revealing a dark passage beyond it.
Alex stared at the scene before him. 'It looks kind of similar to a dungeon entrance.'
The ancient ruin still existed within an independent space, much like a secret realm, and anchoring it hadn't changed that. Even so, the two spaces were now fully connected, with the entrance serving as the bridge between them.
Sherry slowly approached the opening, her expression filled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. This was the place her parents had entered three years ago.
Alex glanced at her.
"Are you ready?"
Sherry took a deep breath and nodded before stepping forward. Alex followed beside her, the hexagonal disc still in his hand.
They were only a few steps away from entering when Alex suddenly stopped. His attention was focused entirely on the System message that had appeared before him.
He stared at the translucent system screen, his expression slowly becoming serious. Whatever the system had to say, it had chosen a very inconvenient time to say it.