A Symphony of Blades and Broken Stars

The temple was not built on the land. It was buried in it.

Elion stood at the edge of a wide crater. Stone steps curved downward in a spiral, leading into deep darkness. At the bottom, hidden far below the surface, stood a broken structure shaped like a giant open hand. Five sharp towers stretched from it, like frozen fingers reaching upward.

Lys stood beside him in silence.

"This place always feels like something is watching," she whispered.

Kaela placed a hand on her sword. "That is because something is."

They descended together.

The deeper they went, the heavier the air became. No wind, no sound, only the cold press of forgotten time. Strange murals lined the walls as they walked. They showed images of fallen kings, shattered weapons, and masked figures pierced through their hearts.

At the bottom, the temple's entrance waited. A massive stone mouth, dark and silent.

They stepped inside.

The hall was wide and round. The floor was polished marble, gleaming faintly in the dim light. At the center stood a small altar. On it, a single candle burned, even though it should have gone out long ago.

Elion approached slowly.

A pressure filled his chest, like something deep inside him wanted to surface.

Kaela knelt at the altar. "This is where you made your second vow. The one that started the war."

Lys crossed her arms. "He does not remember any of it."

Elion stared at the flame. "Then help me remember."

Kaela pressed her palm to the stone. The candle flared, casting golden light. The shadows danced and formed a vision in the air.

A younger Elion appeared, standing in this very room. Cloaked figures surrounded him. He held a glowing sword made of starlight. His voice echoed through the chamber:

"I vow to destroy the rule of the gods, even if it costs me my name, my soul, and my life."

The vision faded.

Elion took a step back. "I really said that..."

"You did," Kaela said quietly. "You meant every word. You were the first to defy them. And the last who lived."

He looked around the room. "What happened to the others?"

"They became ghosts," Lys said. "Some are still out there. And they remember your betrayal."

The candle flickered.

A whisper rose from below.

"You have returned."

The ground trembled. A crack split open beneath the altar. A pale hand reached upward, thin and long, dragging stone aside.

And something that had waited in the dark began to rise.