Love… one of the most powerful human emotions. It can compel a person to endure anything, to go beyond reason, just to be united with the one they love…
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The sky transformed into a canvas of deep blue as the moon rose high above.
Sweat dripped down her neck, each step feeling like an hour. The darkness and silence around her made her own breath echo in her ears, in rhythm with her heartbeat. The distant calls of nocturnal creatures did nothing to weaken to deter her. Her desire to reach her destination was an unshakeable force. The soft lapping of waves against the mountain's base was barely audible.
"Ye... yeah... finally..."
As her eyes landed on the view ahead, a vibrant smile erupted on her face, lighting up her entire expression.
She took a deep breath and stepped forward, carefully avoiding the dried leaves swirling around her feet, dancing in the turbulent air. Her eyes scanned the surroundings once more, checking for any hint of danger. One hand tightened around her camera, and the other adjusted the travel bag slung over her shoulder.
Her legs stopped moving. Her eyes sparkled.
"How ethereal..." She whispered, the words escaping her lips and echoing the awe in her heart.
Her archaeologist's trained eyes roamed over every part of the once-majestic palace, now shrouded in mystery and neglect, its grandeur a memory beneath crumbling walls.
She stared at the massive front door. A voice echoed in her memory like a warning:
"If you go there, don't choose the main door to get inside."
With a sigh, she walked along the side of the palace. Her camera captured every detail for her next travel vlog. The light attached to it illuminated her path as she searched for a way inside.
Finally, her eyes caught sight of a small door hidden behind a huge pillar. She made her way towards it.
A figure stood atop the palace, watching her every move.
As her hand touched the twisted knob of the small door, it creaked open with a crack. Her heart began to race. Her head grew heavy. The feeling was strange unsettling, but she brushed it aside.
Inhaling the stale scent of decades past, she pushed aside a thick web with her bare hand and stared blankly into the darkness beyond. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and stepped into the narrow hallway.
The moment her foot crossed the threshold, a golden symbol flared on the palace's main door, then slowly faded. The wind stilled. Silence fell.
With cautious steps, her eyes scanned every corner to ensure her safety. As she reached the end of the hallway, she noticed that the roof above had caved in, letting in beams of moonlight that illuminated the space.
Her eyes widened in wonder as she took in the architectural beauty carved into every wall.
"No way... I can't believe this palace is abandoned. How did the government fail to protect something this majestic? This could be a fascinating tourist attraction. It should be preserved and celebrated," she muttered in disbelief.
Just like her, the camera in her hand captured every detail around her.
"But... why do I feel relieved that this place is abandoned, and that I was able to come here without restrictions?" she whispered, confused by her own feelings.
She placed her travel bag down and slowly climbed the stairs, her fingers trailing along the dusty handrail. Holding the camera stand in her left hand, she reached into her jeans pocket with the other and pulled out her phone to photograph the massive paintings lining both sides of the staircase.
When she reached the top, she found herself in a vast living hall. Her eyes darted toward more than six locked rooms surrounding the space.
She slipped her phone back into her pocket and approached one of the doors. She tried to open it but failed.
Every room was locked.
But locked by who?
Disappointed, she turned to descend the stairs, but something caught her eye a faint path leading off the far end of the hall, just barely visible in the glow of her camera light.
Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she walked toward it. Another hallway revealed itself, with a staircase leading down. She carefully descended and found herself in front of a wooden door carved with astonishing detail, an artistic marvel.
"Wow..." she whispered, trailing her fingers over the carvings until they rested on the golden knob.
"Hope it's not locked..."
She tried to turn the handle and immediately hissed in pain.
A flash of purple light burst from the knob, wrapping around her hand in a glowing ring. A faint circle shimmered around her ring finger.
Looking down, she noticed a fresh cut on her palm. Blood dripped from the wound.
She spotted a crack in the handle and quickly turned to rush back upstairs to retrieve antiseptic cream and bandages from her bag.
Unnoticed by her, a drop of her blood seeped into the knob, mingling with the glowing purple light.
High above, the figure atop the palace smiled. He spread his massive wings and took flight, soaring out over the sea.
The sky darkened even further. Thick clouds rolled in. Waves crashed against the shore. A flash of lightning split the sky, followed by deafening thunder.
Startled, she dropped the ointment from her hands.
His deliverance...
As if the world recognized it, the very elements responded.
Far beneath the ocean, at a depth unreachable by modern humanity, among jagged rocks on the seabed something stirred.
A massive stone began to crack in two with a sound like splitting thunder.
A brilliant purple light poured from within.
The darkness was swallowed by that light.
The stone continued to split, crumbling as two halves fell away. A figure slowly rose from within its heart.
He lifted his head.
When he opened his eyes, they glowed with an intense purple fire.
His massive white wings extended and slowly darkened until they turned pitch black.
(To Be Continued...)
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