Chapter 34 – Whispers of the Past

“We need to explore the city,” I said, my voice firm, my gaze sweeping across the desolate landscape. The wind whistled through the broken pillars and crumbling walls, the remnants of light shimmering faintly, like ghostly echoes of a forgotten past.

“Seeing that vision… it wasn’t an accident,” I continued, my voice rising with a newfound conviction. “There’s something here… something we need to find.”

Yuri nodded, taking a deep breath. “Alright. Where do we start?”

I looked around at the ruins, the shattered buildings, the cracked pavements, the faded patterns on the walls, the faint shimmer of light on the broken stones. Traces of memory, of a past that refused to be forgotten.

“Let’s get away from the square,” I said, my gaze fixed on the narrow streets that snaked through the ruins. “Deeper into the city.”

Somewhere in this wasteland… the answers are waiting.

We moved through the ruined streets, the broken buildings looming over us, the wind whistling through the cracks and crevices, the silence heavy, oppressive. And then, the air shimmered, a faint light flickering, growing brighter, then fading, like a breath, a pulse, a heartbeat. And within the light… figures. Translucent, shimmering, like ghosts, their forms flickering in and out of existence. People. Going about their daily lives, their voices echoing faintly in the ruins, snippets of conversations, fragments of memories.

“The market had some interesting wares today,” a voice whispered, the words barely audible, yet… clear.

“Really? More supplies from the Holy Site?”

“No. Bronze plates. Lots of them. Covered in strange markings.”

“From the Temple, you think?”

“Probably. They’ve been collecting… artifacts… lately. Heard there was trouble last time…”

I froze, my heart pounding. Artifacts? Bronze plates? Like the one we found? What’s happening here? Are we… seeing the past?

We were in the same space, yet separate, unable to interact, unable to communicate, mere observers, watching the ghostly figures go about their daily lives, their words, their actions, a window into a forgotten past.

“Those artifacts…” Yuri whispered, her eyes wide. “…do you think they’re talking about… the metal plates… like the one we found?”

“I think so,” I murmured, my mind racing. The bronze plates. The Temple. The artifacts. The ritual. The sacrifice. It was all… connected. But how?

What’s happening at the Temple? What are they… doing?

I tried to focus on the ghostly figures, to hear their words, but their forms were fading, their voices growing fainter, the light dimming, the memories… dissolving, the ruins returning, silent, empty.

We moved on, exploring the city, our footsteps echoing in the silence, each broken building, each faded pattern, each scattered piece of debris, a testament to a forgotten past. We saw more visions, glimpses of life in the city before its fall: merchants haggling in the marketplace, a figure giving a speech in the square, children playing in the streets. Ordinary moments, yet… poignant, their very normalcy a stark contrast to the desolate ruins that surrounded us.

But some visions… they were different. Whispers of something… more. Voices laced with fear, with urgency, with… desperation.

“…no time… before the door closes…”

“…they took something… from the Temple…”

“…we shouldn’t use it! We were warned…”

“…it’s our chance… a chance to obtain… God’s tool…”

We watched, listened, the fragments of memory swirling around us, each one a piece of the puzzle, a clue to the city’s fate, its secrets. This wasn’t just a ruin; it was a time capsule, its story buried in the dust, in the shadows, in the shimmering light. And all the clues… they pointed to one place. The Temple.

We continued our trek, our footsteps echoing in the silence, the ruins stretching before us, a desolate landscape of broken pillars, crumbling walls, floating debris, a bridge suspended in mid-air, frozen in time, a snapshot of the city’s final moments. But one structure remained intact, its walls still standing tall, its presence… commanding. The Temple.

It stood at the center of the ruins, a massive stone structure, its walls thick, its foundations strong, its entrance adorned with a large, faded pattern, a testament to its former glory, its importance. Time and disaster had ravaged the city, but the Temple… it had endured. As if… it held something… something precious, something… dangerous.

“The Temple…” Luna whispered, her voice hushed with awe. “We go in… Noah?”

I looked at the massive doors, their surface weathered and worn, yet still… imposing. And then, a faint light flickered at the entrance, and another vision appeared.

Two guards, their forms shimmering, translucent, stood before the Temple doors, their armor gleaming faintly in the dim light, their spears held ready.

“The people are restless,” one whispered, his voice barely audible.

“Of course they are,” the other replied. “This has never happened before.”

“We must be cautious. Even speaking of… such things… is… dangerous.”

I looked at Yuri, at Luna, the guards’ words echoing in my mind, a chilling confirmation of our suspicions. This city… it revolved around… a god. And something had happened… at the Temple. Something that had… changed everything.

But what? What happened here? And how is it connected to… the city’s fall?

The guards’ voices continued, their words faint, fragmented.

“…what did the High Priest say…?”

“…he said it was… God’s will…”

A pause, then a whispered question, laced with fear.

“…can we truly… seal… a God…?”

The word… seal. My heart pounded in my chest. They sealed a god? Here? In the Temple? But why? And how?

My hand tightened around the metal plate, its surface cold against my skin, the words etched into its surface burning into my mind.

That day, we put the God to sleep.

The vision faded, the guards disappearing, the Temple doors silent, still.

“Noah,” Yuri said, her voice quiet, “are we… going in?”

I looked at the doors, the faint light emanating from within, a sense of… anticipation, of… dread, building within me.

“Yes,” I said, my voice firm. “We have to. I think… the way to the tenth floor… is in there.”

We approached the Temple doors, their massive size dwarfing us, their presence… overwhelming. The city around us lay in ruins, but the Temple… it still held an aura of power, of… something… ancient, something… sacred. The ceiling was partially collapsed, revealing a glimpse of the starlit sky above, cracks running through the walls, debris scattered across the floor. But the massive pillars still stood tall, the wind whistling through the open doorway, a silent invitation… or a warning.

The doors… they were open. Not broken, not forced, but simply… open. As if… waiting for us.

I looked into the darkness beyond the doorway, a faint light flickering within, a sense of… something… watching us, waiting.

I took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

“Let’s go.”

The air within the Temple was different, colder, stiller, the silence heavy, oppressive, as if time itself had stopped. Faintly glowing patterns adorned the walls, some simple, geometric designs, others complex, indecipherable. They pulsed with a soft light, as if… alive.

The floor, too, was covered in patterns, faint circles, distorted lines, a long, central axis, not just decorations, but… something more. Ritualistic markings? A place of… power? It felt as if… something had happened here. Something… important. And the ritual… it wasn’t over.

I looked around, my senses on high alert, a growing sense of unease settling over me. This place… it was still… alive.

“Noah…” Luna tugged at my sleeve, her small hand trembling. “Something… here…”

I turned to her, and the air shimmered, a transparent wave rippling through the space, a faint form coalescing, taking shape. Movement.

And then… the memories… awakened.

Figures cloaked in black, their faces hidden in shadow, stood in a circle around the central chamber, their gazes fixed on… something. And in the center of the circle… a lone figure, kneeling, their hands bound.

It’s him. The man from the square. The sacrifice.

But… he wasn’t sacrificed in the square. He was… here. In the Temple. A trick? A hidden truth? Or… a different person?

But no. It was him. The same slumped shoulders, the same dust-covered face, the same… aura of… something… powerful, something… otherworldly.

I stepped forward, drawn by an invisible force, and their voices, low, hushed, echoed through the chamber.

“…the time has come…”

“…there’s no turning back… we must choose…”

“…seal the God… or open the door…”

A moment of silence, the tension in the air thick, palpable, the cloaked figures motionless, their faces hidden in shadow, their motives… unknown.

“…if the door is opened… we face… oblivion…”

“…but to seal a God… is not our right…”

“…the choice is made…”

One of the figures stepped forward, raising a hand, their voice echoing through the chamber.

“…by the will of God… we begin… the sealing…”

And the Temple shook, the air shimmering, distorting, the past… bleeding into the present, the ritual… beginning anew.