Blinding at first.
Aarav raised his hand to shield his eyes as he stepped fully beyond the gate. For a moment, all he could see was a brilliant glow, like stepping into sunlight after being lost in darkness for too long.
Then slowly—
His vision cleared.
And he froze.
"…This… isn't possible," he whispered.
Spread out before them was a vast, breathtaking city—hidden within a valley untouched by time.
Towering structures of white stone and gold rose into the sky, their surfaces glowing faintly as if infused with energy. Crystals hovered in the air, casting soft light across the streets below. Bridges curved elegantly between buildings, and flowing streams of shimmering water ran through the city like veins of life.
Everything felt… alive.
Rohan's jaw dropped. "Okay… I take back every complaint I've ever had. This is incredible."
Meera didn't speak.
Her eyes moved carefully across the city, alert despite the beauty.
"This place shouldn't exist," she said quietly.
Aarav stepped forward slowly, his gaze fixed on the distant towers.
"But it does."
They descended into the city in silence.
The air felt different here—lighter, but charged with something powerful.
Aarav could feel it in his chest.
Like the map.
Like the ruins.
Like everything had been leading here.
As they walked through the streets, something became clear.
There was no one there.
No movement.
No voices.
No life.
Just… emptiness.
"It's abandoned," Rohan said.
"Not recently," Meera added, kneeling beside a layer of dust on the ground. "This has been untouched for a long time."
Aarav looked around.
"But everything is still… working," he said.
The crystals still glowed.
The water still flowed.
The city hadn't died.
It had been… left behind.
They reached a large open plaza at the center of the city.
In the middle stood a massive structure—a circular platform surrounded by tall pillars covered in glowing symbols.
Aarav felt the map pulse again.
Stronger this time.
"This is important," he said, stepping closer.
Rohan followed, eyes wide. "Everything here is important."
Meera circled the area, scanning for danger. "Or dangerous."
Aarav approached one of the pillars.
The symbols on it shifted slightly as he got closer—just like the map.
He reached out slowly.
"Wait—" Meera started.
But it was too late.
Aarav touched the surface.
The world changed.
Images flooded his mind.
Flashes of the past—
The city, alive with people.
Voices echoing through the streets.
Energy flowing freely, controlled by those who understood it.
A civilization far beyond anything he had ever known.
Then—
Fear.
Arguments.
Warnings.
"This power is too great!"
"We can control it!"
"We're losing balance!"
The images shifted faster.
Chaos.
The energy growing unstable.
And then—
One figure stood apart.
Tall.
Calm.
Watching.
His presence was different.
Not afraid.
Not uncertain.
Ambitious.
"Varak…" Aarav whispered, though he didn't know how he knew the name.
The figure stepped forward, reaching toward the core of the city's power.
"They're holding us back," Varak said. "This power could reshape the world."
"It will destroy it," another voice replied.
Varak smiled slightly.
"Only if we let it."
The vision shattered.
Aarav stumbled back, gasping.
Rohan caught him. "Hey—what happened?!"
"I… saw something," Aarav said, trying to steady himself.
Meera stepped closer. "What did you see?"
"This city," Aarav said. "It wasn't abandoned—it was sealed. They were trying to protect something."
"From what?" Rohan asked.
Aarav looked up.
"From someone."
A low sound echoed through the plaza.
Not loud.
But enough to make all three of them freeze.
Meera's hand went to her bow instantly. "That didn't come from us."
Rohan glanced around nervously. "Please tell me that's just… wind or something."
Aarav shook his head slowly.
"No…"
The air shifted.
The light from the crystals flickered—just slightly.
Then—
A voice.
Calm.
Controlled.
And far too close.
"You shouldn't be here."
All three of them turned.
At the far end of the plaza, standing in the shadow of the pillars—
A figure stepped forward.
Tall.
Composed.
Familiar.
Aarav's breath caught.
"…Varak."
The man smiled faintly.
"So," he said, his voice echoing softly through the empty city, "someone still remembers."
Meera raised her bow, arrow ready. "Stay where you are."
Varak didn't even look at her.
His eyes remained on Aarav.
"You've seen the past," he said. "That means the Realm has chosen you."
Aarav frowned. "Chosen me for what?"
Varak took a slow step forward.
"For the same thing it chose me for."
Rohan whispered, "I don't like this guy."
"Good instinct," Meera replied.
Aarav stood his ground.
"You tried to take control of this place," he said. "That's why it was sealed."
Varak's expression didn't change.
"They feared progress," he said. "They feared what they didn't understand."
"They feared you," Aarav said.
A small smile appeared on Varak's face.
"Yes," he admitted. "And they were right to."
The air around him shifted—subtle, but powerful.
"Because I was willing to do what they wouldn't."
Meera tightened her grip on her bow. "And what's that?"
Varak finally looked at her.
"To use the power we were given."
The ground beneath the plaza began to hum.
Energy pulsed through the pillars.
Rohan stepped back. "Okay… that's definitely not good."
Aarav felt it too.
The same energy from the vision.
Stronger now.
Alive.
"What are you doing?" Aarav demanded.
Varak's gaze returned to him.
"Finishing what I started."
The ground trembled.
The light intensified.
And deep beneath the city—
Something awakened.