𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒

Sacrificium

As Regan approached the ancient sword, her hands trembled from anticipation. She knew that she had to do this. She had to find her mother, for once and forever.

With a deep breath, she reached out to the sword, which lay on the pedestal. Her hand stopped in mid air and then, finally, she placed her hand on the hilt, feeling an unknown energy washing through her.

The sword was heavy and as she pushed it from the pedestal, the blade glowed in a blue color. Regan felt confused, having no idea how she was going to open the portals of Oblivion.

She glanced around the room again, the air was cold and chilly. The guardian's voice wasn't heard again and she didn't know what to do. She swung the sword around, feeling its weight, but nothing really happened. Then, she looked at the floor, seeing a whole mosaic under her feet. She hadn't even noticed it before.

The mosaic was made of countless blue tiles, each bearing a symbol Regan didn't recognize. She placed the sword on one of the tiles and it glowed in blue light.

"Maybe that's how the portals are open?" Regan whispered to herself, her heart racing. She tried to make sense of the symbols. Walking around the room, she noticed that the symbols formed a pattern on the floor. As she followed the pattern, it was a figure of what seemed like a mythological animal. Regan couldn't really describe it but it had the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the tail of a serpent.

Carefully, she placed the sword on the tiles that formed the pattern. The sword glowed brighter and a powerful energy surged through the room. The tiles glew each by each, and the animal on the floor began to glow as she reached the end of the pattern. As she stepped back, the chamber began to shake and the air grew thick with magic. Regan leaned on the pedestal, clearly scared and unsure of what to expect.

The shaking intensified, and a mass of blue air seemed to form in front of her, twisting and coiling like a snake. The energy emanating from the sword grew so powerful that Regan could feel it coursing through her veins, making her heart race and her breath come in short gasps. As she watched, transfixed, the blue mass swirled with an ethereal glow, and she knew it was the portal.

Trying to steady herself, the chamber began to calm and the energy flowing through Regan began to subside. She took a deep breath and stepped forward into the swirling blue mass. As she did, the portal swallowed her whole, and everything went dark.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a misty, dull gray landscape. The air was cold and sharp with the smell of unknown herbs. In the distance, she could make out a massive mountain range, their peaks shrouded in clouds. As she turned around, she saw some dead trees and the occasional rock protruding from the ground. The sky above was filled with dark, brooding clouds.

"Is this another underworld?" Regan muttered to herself, feeling shivers run down her spine. She glanced around, noticing a mist slowly rising from the ground. The mist swirled around her legs, making it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead. She had no idea how she was going to find her mother here.

She took a step forward, feeling the cold, damp hair blow her hair. The wind was cold and menacing, the sky threatening to release a torrent of rain at any moment. As she walked, the mist grew thicker, obscuring her vision. It was as if she was walking on carbon dioxide, her lungs burning with every breath. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional crack of a twig under her feet.

She felt her heartbeats rapid, her breathing growing shallower as she continued to walk through the mist. The cold air bit at her skin, making her muscles ache. She had no idea of what to think about this place. She had been in the underworld of rouges before but there at least were some creatures around, some signs of life. Here, everything was silent and deathly still.