The air in the final chamber was thick with dust and the faint tang of scorched stone. The echoes of the golem's collapse still seemed to linger, as if the mountain itself was reluctant to believe that its ancient guardian had finally been defeated. The three of them—bruised, scraped, and looking like they'd just lost a bar fight with a brick wall—stumbled toward the massive gate at the far end.
The gate loomed, twice the height of any city wall they had ever seen, its surface a tapestry of runes and symbols that shimmered faintly in the dim cave light. It was beautiful and ominous all at once.
"Another puzzle?" Trisha asked, squinting at the massive set of stone doors looming in front of them. They were carved into the cavern wall like some ancient giant had decided to install the world's biggest closet. Symbols—some jagged, some curling like vines—shimmered faintly on the surface. The glow wasn't constant; it pulsed softly, like the door was… breathing.
Alex stood a few paces away, hands in his pockets, studying it with the kind of casual interest you'd give to a crossword puzzle in the back of a magazine. "Maybe," he said at last, "I'll have to study it a little."
Callum, bow slung across his shoulder, stared at them with an incredulous expression. "Wow, you two are acting so normal, like we didn't just beat a giant, murderous, live golem?"
Alex looked at him lazily, like he'd been asked whether he wanted sugar in his tea. "After the dragon, nothing surprises me anymore. Everything down here now just seems… natural."
Trisha let out a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, right. Natural. Like how we could've taken down that golem a lot faster if someone had used a bit more of his firepower. But hey, who am I to complain? I only almost lost a leg."
Alex finally turned toward her, looking like someone had just accused him of committing war crimes. "And risk bringing the whole mountain down on our heads? No thanks. It was a simple fight. We could easily win without setting off an avalanche. Don't you agree?"
Callum nodded with exaggerated force, his shaggy bangs flopping. "Oh, definitely. We almost lost a hand and a foot, but yeah—easy. Piece of cake. Just like wrestling a tiger underwater."
Alex chuckled. "Come on, stop being dramatic, you two. It's a win, so just be happy about it. Now, let's deal with this freaking door and see what's on the other side."
Trisha suddenly froze, her dagger halfway out of its sheath. "Wait. What if it's a cage? What if something powerful and evil is locked in there? We open this thing, and boom—end of the world."
Callum pointed at her like she'd just read his mind. "She's right. What if we unleash some ancient horror? I mean… what if there's a reason it's sealed?"
Alex paused mid-step, then slowly backed away from the door. "Okay. Then let's not open it. Let's go." He spun on his heel and started walking back the way they came, whistling.
The two stared at him, confused, as he started walking away.
"Hey, wait up," Trisha said, grabbing his elbow. "That's it? We're just walking away without trying?"
Callum joined in, hands on his hips. "She's right. That's your plan? We give up just because it might be dangerous?"
Alex shrugged. "Sure. Works for me. What, you want me to open it so we can die in a spectacularly stupid way?"
They both stared at him.
"Fine," he said, pivoting back toward the door. "Let's open it, then."
The two froze. "Wait! Not so fast," Trisha said, moving in front of him. "We don't know what's in there."
"She's right," Callum echoed, standing beside her like some kind of dagger-and-arrow defense committee. "Let's think this through."
"You two are starting to sound like an old married couple," Alex muttered. "Make up your minds."
"We are thinking," Trisha snapped. "And what we're thinking is that we don't know anything about this door."
Alex tilted his head at Callum. "Since when did you become her biggest cheerleader?"
"Since she started making sense," Callum shot back.
"Alright, fine," Alex sighed, "you're right. You two don't know anything about this door. But I do. At least, after I read the signs." He gestured at the glowing script. "It says: Do not enter. Private property."
Both of them gawked.
"What? You already knew, and you let us worry?" Trisha swatted his arm. "How did you even read it? I only recognized the elemental symbols. The rest looked more like some alien language."
"They're still Alibata," Alex explained, stepping closer to the carvings. "But more ancient, a kind of… advanced variation. Only the highly educated back then could read it."
Callum looked impressed. "Really? Then how the hell did you read it? Are you reincarnated or something?"
"No, I'm not reincarnated or transmigrated," Alex said, rolling his eyes. "I have a skill that lets me decipher ancient writings and objects. Guess what it's called?"
"Appraisal skill," Trisha said without missing a beat. "That explains it. So you're not a genius—you're just cheating."
Alex looked personally offended. "I never said I was a genius! You just assumed it because you were smitten and admired me so much."
"In your dreams, druid," she shot back. "Now stop stalling and open it."
Alex rolled his eyes. "Will you two make up your minds? Open it, or leave it?"
"Open it, mate," Callum said with a grin. "Let's see what's inside. Maybe treasure."
Alex nodded, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Open Sesame!"
They both jumped like the door might actually respond.
Nothing happened.
Alex burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. "Oh, you should've seen your faces!"
Trisha smacked him on the arm again, while Callum seriously considered firing an arrow at him.
"Alright, alright," Alex said, wiping his eyes. "It's actually a puzzle. Not too bad, but tricky enough. There are four elemental symbols—Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. By chanting the ancient word for each, the element has to be cast and struck against the door. Then, another phrase appears. Read it correctly, and… hopefully, the door opens."
"That means only someone who can use all the elements and read the script can open it," Callum said flatly. "How convenient that we have you."
"Or how inconvenient that you ride on my glory," Alex muttered.
Ignoring the glare from his companions, he stepped closer to the door. The symbols shimmered faintly as he traced each one with his fingertips.
"Alright," he murmured. "Let's hope I get the pronunciations right, because according to this tiny line here"—he pointed to a faint curve of writing near the bottom—"ifI mess it up, the door explodes."
Both Trisha and Callum jumped back several feet.
"Wait, explodes?!" Callum said.
"Yeah," Alex replied casually. "Now shhh."
The cavern seemed to grow quieter as Alex faced the door, raising his hands. The faint glow from the symbols flickered like candlelight, casting strange shadows across their faces. Somewhere deep in the stone, there was a faint rumble—like something shifting in its sleep.
"Was that—" Callum started.
"Don't," Trisha warned. "Don't finish that sentence."
First was Earth. A chunk of rock rose from the ground at his command, swirling in the air before slamming into the door. The stone absorbed it, rippling like water.
Wind came next—a sharp, whistling word that made the air around them stir violently, whipping their hair and cloaks. The wind slammed into the door, making it groan faintly.
Fire came next—a twisting spiral of flame that struck like a whip, leaving the stone steaming.
Finally, Water. A surge of shimmering droplets flew from his hands, splashing across the stone, and for a moment it was silent.
The door fell silent.
For a long, tense moment, nothing happened.
Then, slowly, the original inscriptions melted away, replaced by a new line of text. The letters seemed to crawl across the surface like living ink.
Alex read it aloud in the ancient tongue. His voice felt… heavier, like the sound itself had weight.
The cavern trembled. A deep, mechanical creaking rolled through the air as the massive doors groaned, swinging inward.
A blast of wind surged out, smelling faintly of rain and… something older. Callum stumbled back; Trisha braced herself against the wall.
"Please tell me you felt that," she muttered.
"Oh yeah," Callum said grimly.
The opening yawned wide, revealing darkness beyond—not pitch black, but vast and shadowy. Shapes glimmered faintly in the distance, like far-off lights through fog.
They stepped forward.
The cavern walls gave way to open air. The ceiling soared higher, lost in shadow. Structures rose up from the ground—spires, domes, and bridges of impossible design. Some shimmered with golden light; others seemed carved from crystal.
"It's…" Trisha's voice trailed off.
"A freaking city!" Callum finished, eyes wide.
Alex didn't answer. He stood still, his expression unreadable, a strange mix of awe and dread tightening his features.
"It's weird," he murmured, "but this feels like home."