The next chamber pulsed with ancient magic before Julian even crossed the threshold. The air was thick—humid with raw energy, like someone had squeezed a thunderstorm into a basement.
"This is it," Lira said. "The Forgotten Spell is here. I can feel it."
Julian took a cautious step inside. The room was circular, with a pedestal at the center. Floating above it was a scroll wrapped in golden light, rotating slowly in midair. Surrounding it were magical barriers shaped like translucent walls—spinning, shifting, and etched with runes that danced when you looked directly at them.
"Is it supposed to look like it'll explode if I breathe too hard?"
[That is not just a containment field. It's a logic trap. Ancient mages used them to protect powerful artifacts. Step wrong, and your memories might leak out your ears.]
Julian immediately stepped back. "Nope. I like my memories. Even the dumb ones."
Lira circled the edge of the room, inspecting the glowing traps. "It's a high-tier sealing mechanism. Not just to protect the scroll, but to keep it from being read by unqualified minds."
"Which means us."
[Technically, it means you.]
Julian crossed his arms. "Why do I feel like you're about to suggest something reckless?"
[Because I am. I can attempt to interface with the magical trap. The downside is... the spell might try to overwrite me.]
Julian blinked. "Wait—**overwrite**? Like... delete?"
\[Yes. But I've made backups.]
"Backups of what?!"
[Mostly your shopping habits and fireball jokes.]
Julian groaned. "I'm going to lose my AI to an ancient scroll and be stuck alone with Lira and a sarcastic cloak."
*I heard that,* the cloak whispered.
Lira stepped closer. "If your AI can break the trap, it's worth the risk."
Julian nodded slowly. "Alright. What do I do?"
[Stand still. Try not to think about cake. That'll confuse the spell's memory sensor.]
"I already want cake."
[Too late.]
The pedestal brightened. The scroll spun faster. Runes ignited along the floor, spinning in counter-motion. Julian's spoon glowed without being touched. The room filled with a hum—low, steady, and rising.
[Establishing magical handshake... decrypting matrix logic... negotiating ancient syntax...]
Julian's vision blurred. The walls began to melt, not physically—but in a way that felt wrong in his head. The ceiling tilted, then reversed.
"I think the spell is trying to bend gravity," he muttered.
[It's also reading your dreams. Weird ones.]
"Hey!"
[Nearly through. Hold steady. Don't blink.]
"I'm not blinking!"
[Good. Because the spell just tried to bind your eyelids shut.]
Suddenly, everything stopped. The barriers shattered silently. The scroll floated gently downward, the light around it fading like mist in morning sun.
Julian blinked. "Did... it work?"
[Yes. I won. Take that, ancient nerds.]
Lira walked forward, grabbed the scroll, and unrolled it slightly. Her eyes scanned the text—and immediately widened.
"This isn't just a forgotten spell," she said slowly. "This is an entire school of magic. Lost mental arts. Techniques for channeling spells without chants."
Julian tilted his head. "You mean... like spell-casting shortcuts?"
"No. Like using *thought alone.* Pure mind control magic."
[Highly advanced. Dangerous. And possibly illegal.]
Julian stared at the scroll. "So now I'm carrying forbidden brain magic, a pet slime, a sentient insult cloak, and a sarcastic AI."
[You're building quite the resume.]
They sealed the scroll in a wrapped cloth and turned to leave.
Julian paused. "Hey. You okay in there?"
[I am intact. The spell tried to infect me with philosophical questions, but I countered with a list of your worst haircut choices.]
"Smart."
[And painful.]
As they exited the ruins into the bright forest daylight, Julian looked up at the clear blue sky and squinted.
"Something tells me we just triggered something big."
[Correct. That scroll was being watched.]
Julian stopped. "Watched by who?"
[Unknown. But the trap sent out a signal.]
Lira stopped beside him. "Then we move fast. We find out who wants this spell... before they find us."
Julian groaned. "Great. More running."
Blobby burped in agreement.