The weight of these memories and the new quest loomed over me like a storm cloud as I lay back on the bed, lost in thought. The room's serene calm seemed to mock the chaos of the world I had left behind. Silence hung thick in the air, almost tangible, pressing down on me like a heavy, suffocating blanket.
The soft glow filtering through the windows painted the room in a tranquil light, and the gentle caress of the breeze through the sheer curtains offered an illusion of peace. Yet beneath this calm façade, a tempest of thoughts roiled within me. I wondered if it had been wrong to leave the refuge of the one who had saved me, even as I knew that the path forward was unavoidable. My mind raced between the anticipation of the trials ahead and the memory of the man I had mistakenly saved from death. With resolve gathering like a storm, I propped myself up in bed, preparing to leave this place behind.
Suddenly, the serene quiet was shattered by a sudden, sharp chime—a sound that resonated with a mystical quality, a single, clear note that seemed to reverberate through the very fabric of reality. I looked around, startled, as the white doors scattered around the room began to glow with an otherworldly light, a soft, beckoning radiance spilling from beneath their frames.
One door, in particular, shone with a brilliant, pulsating light. It glowed with an intensity that was both mesmerizing and insistent, pulsing like the heartbeat of some great, unseen force. The pull of its light was irresistible, a magnetic allure that tugged at my very soul. It was as if a deep, primal instinct was awakening within me, urging me to take the step forward.
Rising from the bed, I approached the door with a sense of purpose. The light grew ever brighter with each step I took, and a subtle warmth emanated from it, wrapping around me like a promise, a comfort in the face of the unknown.
I took a deep breath, my heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and dread, and reached out to touch the handle. It was cool and smooth beneath my fingers, and as I turned it, a gentle creak echoed softly through the room.
The door swung open to reveal a grand expanse, a passageway leading into the heart of an arena that dwarfed all imagination. It was a colossal coliseum, a marvel of divine architecture. Pillars of luminous marble soared upwards, stretching toward an infinity of shimmering light. Multiple tiers rose in graceful arcs, each level adorned with intricate carvings of celestial battles and angelic forms. The ceiling was a vast dome of ever-changing constellations, glowing softly like a night sky strewn with stars. The floor below was a flawless expanse of polished marble, mirroring the celestial patterns above, and the entire space was bathed in a divine light that seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at once, casting an ethereal, dreamlike glow over the arena.
As I stepped through the doorway, my gaze was drawn to a figure standing in the center of the arena. Tall and majestic, they were draped in robes of shimmering silver and gold that flowed like liquid light. Their form was regal and enigmatic, their features obscured by an ornate mask that gleamed with an otherworldly brilliance. Their eyes, though hidden behind the mask, seemed to pierce through the very essence of reality, holding the weight of forgotten ages and untold wisdom.
"Welcome, Lost Seraphim," the figure spoke, their voice resonant and melodious, filling the vast expanse with a sense of reverence. It was a voice that carried the gravitas of centuries, echoing with the weight of ancient epochs.
I took a step forward, my eyes locked onto the enigmatic figure. "Who are you? And where am I?"
"I am the Keeper of the Trials," the figure replied, their voice echoing softly in the grand arena. "You stand in the Hall of Ascension, where the true path of your journey will be tested. Here, the trials that will define your destiny await, and through them, the secrets of the Dragon Treasury will be revealed."
YOU ARE READING
I Became a Ranker Before Rankers
Fantasy(REWRITING ALL CHAPTERS) Suddenly, I could see bright white lights creeping quickly towards me, so quick that I could only see what it was right before the impact. My weak body was no match for the large transportation bus that would not let anythin...
