The Mountain of Echoes loomed before them like a sleeping god — vast, jagged, and veiled in mist. Its cliffs shimmered faintly with veins of violet light, pulsing like a heartbeat. Every few seconds, a low hum rolled across the valley, vibrating through their bones.
Ren stared up at it with an uneasy grin. "So… that's the place whispering my name, huh? Kind of expected something less terrifying."
Arin adjusted her bow and muttered, "The mountain whispers to all who bear a Relic. You're not special."
Mina giggled softly, clutching her staff. "Still, it's beautiful… in a creepy sort of way."
Riku stepped forward, the wind brushing against his coat. "Let's keep moving. If we stay out here too long, whatever's up there might notice us before we're ready."
⸻
At the Foot of the Mountain
They reached a set of ancient stairs carved directly into the black stone. Each step was engraved with glowing runes — the language of the old souls. The air here felt thick, almost alive, as if the mountain was breathing with them.
Mina crouched beside one of the carvings, tracing it gently. "These markings… they talk about The Covenant of Return. Something about seven relics scattered across the realm."
Ren raised a brow. "Seven, huh? So there's more out there."
Arin nodded slightly. "If what your friend said is true, each relic calls to the others. The closer we get to this one, the louder the song will become."
"The song?" Riku asked.
She looked at him. "Don't you hear it?"
Riku paused, listening. Beneath the hum of the mountain, there was something — faint, melodic, like a distant lullaby echoing through water. It wasn't words, just emotion. Sorrow. Longing. Hope.
"…Yeah," he whispered. "I hear it."
⸻
A Moment of Rest
They found shelter in what looked like the remains of an old temple near the mountain's base — half-collapsed, its walls covered in moss and fading murals. The group decided to rest before climbing further.
Ren lay against a pillar, cleaning his blade. "I'll be honest — this is the first time I've actually felt… nervous. Feels like we're walking into the mouth of something ancient."
Mina sat nearby, weaving small sparks of light between her fingers. "Do you ever get used to being scared?"
Ren looked at her, then chuckled. "You don't get used to it. You just learn to move anyway."
Riku smiled faintly. "That's surprisingly wise."
"Hey," Ren said, pretending to look offended. "I have my moments."
Even Arin let out a quiet laugh — the first they'd heard from her. "You're all loud," she said, shaking her head. "But… it's nice."
She moved to a broken mural on the wall. "This place was once a shrine. People came here to pray for a second chance at life. They called it The Cradle of Return."
Riku tilted his head. "You've been here before?"
She hesitated. "…Once. Long ago. I was still human then."
The group went silent.
Mina's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean—"
Arin nodded slowly. "Yes. I died here."
Her voice was soft but steady, the admission carrying centuries of weight. "The mountain called me, too. I thought it was salvation. But what waited inside… was something else."
Riku wanted to ask more, but before he could, the air shifted. The wind outside grew colder. The faint hum turned into a whisper — low, broken, and close.
—Turn back…
The voice slithered through the temple like smoke.
Mina gripped her staff tightly. "You all heard that, right?"
Ren jumped up, scanning the shadows. "Yeah, and I don't like the sound of whoever's doing the whispering."
Arin's eyes narrowed. "Stay sharp. The mountain protects its secrets."
⸻
The Guardian of Echoes
From the darkness at the far end of the temple, a faint glow emerged — blue and ghostly. A figure stepped into view: a knight in cracked armor, its chest hollow, its eyes burning with cold fire. Chains hung from its arms, dragging across the stone.
"The Guardian…" Arin whispered. "It's bound to this place."
Riku stepped forward, drawing Eclipsera. "If it's guarding something, then we'll just have to get past it."
Ren grinned. "Finally, some exercise."
But the knight didn't attack immediately. Instead, it knelt slightly, the chains tightening around its body as if resisting. When it spoke, its voice was like broken glass.
"Who… seeks the call… of the mountain?"
Riku tightened his grip. "We're looking for the truth about the relics."
"Then… you will face the echoes… of your past."
Before anyone could react, the creature slammed its chained arms into the ground — and the air rippled like shattered glass. The group stumbled back as illusions burst around them.
Riku blinked — and suddenly he was standing in his old high school hallway. Empty. Silent. The lights flickered. A locker door creaked open on its own.
Then he heard it — that familiar voice.
Mocking. Cruel.
"Miss me, Hayato?"
His heart froze. His high school bully — the same face he'd seen under the mask back in the first battle — stepped forward, smirking.
"You couldn't escape me even in death."
⸻
Meanwhile, Ren's illusion showed him a battlefield — the moment he'd died. His comrades screaming, flames devouring everything. And in the distance, the same relic now calling him, glowing faintly in the dirt.
He clenched his fists, trembling.
"So this is the mountain's test, huh? Fine… let's finish what we started."
And Mina — she found herself standing in her old village. The day it burned. The day she ran. Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, "No… not again."
Arin, untouched by the illusion, saw their struggle. She gritted her teeth and raised her bow, aiming at the guardian. "You feed on their regrets… not this time."
Her arrow struck the ground in front of the knight — exploding into a radiant shockwave that shattered the illusions like glass.
Riku gasped, returning to reality. Ren stumbled to his feet. Mina clutched Riku's arm, shaking.
The knight screamed — not in pain, but release — before collapsing into dust. Its chains melted away.
⸻
Aftermath
For a long moment, none of them spoke. The only sound was the whispering wind outside.
Ren wiped sweat from his forehead. "What the hell was that?"
Arin lowered her bow. "A test. The mountain's way of asking if you're worthy to enter."
Riku looked down at the fading dust. "Then we passed."
Mina leaned on him, trembling slightly but smiling through it. "Barely…"
Ren chuckled. "We're getting good at 'barely.'"
As they stepped out of the temple, the mist parted — revealing a winding path spiraling up toward the mountain's heart. The air shimmered faintly with energy.
Arin frowned. "It's awake now."
Riku turned to her. "The mountain?"
"No," she said, eyes narrowing at the dark peak above them.
"Him."
High above, on a jagged cliff, a silhouette stood motionless — massive, cloaked in stormlight. Chains dangled from his arms, faintly glowing in the dark.
A faint, thunderous growl rolled across the valley.
Ren's smirk faded. "Tell me that's not who I think it is."
Riku's hand tightened around Eclipsera.
"…One of the Generals."