Gacha Summoner: Pulled into Another World

Chapter 34: Whispers of the Forgotten

Chapter 34: Whispers of the Forgotten

The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy, casting soft, golden rays across the forest floor as Yuuji and his companions trudged forward. The air, once heavy with the presence of the void, felt clearer now, though an eerie stillness remained. The void-born had retreated, but Yuuji knew they were far from safe.

The path ahead led deeper into the unknown. They had no map, no guide other than the fragment of the Heart of Eterna, which pulsed faintly in Yuuji’s chest. It gave him direction, an instinctual pull, but little else. The others followed in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

After hours of walking, the archer finally broke the quiet. “So, what’s the plan? We can’t just wander around the forest forever.”

Yuuji hesitated, unsure of the answer himself. He’d felt the Heart stir, but unlocking its full power? That was still a mystery. “The Heart will lead us. I don’t know how, but I trust that it will.”

The knight frowned, his eyes scanning the trees. “We’ve trusted the Heart this far, but we need more than blind faith. What if the next encounter with the void is worse?”

The mage, walking beside them, interjected. “We’re missing something. The Heart’s power is there, but we’re not connecting with it fully. There must be something or someone who can help us.”

Yuuji nodded, but his thoughts drifted to the vision he’d experienced beneath the Heart’s sacred tree. The voice had said that the Heart would test him, that it wasn’t just a weapon but a force of creation. If he was going to truly unlock its power, it wouldn’t be through fighting alone. But what did that mean?

As they pressed on, the forest began to change. The trees grew taller and more ancient, their trunks gnarled and twisted as though they had borne witness to countless centuries. Strange, glowing symbols were carved into some of the bark, and a soft, almost imperceptible hum filled the air.

The mage’s eyes widened as she examined one of the glowing marks. “These symbols… I’ve read about them. They’re remnants of the old world, long before the void ever appeared. This place must have been part of the ancient realms.”

Yuuji looked closer, tracing the symbol with his finger. As his skin made contact, a faint vibration pulsed through him, and for a brief moment, he heard something—a whisper, soft but clear, echoing in his mind.

"The Forgotten still watch. They await the one who will awaken the Heart."

He pulled his hand back, startled, and glanced at the others. “Did you hear that?”

The knight raised an eyebrow. “Hear what?”

Yuuji frowned. “A voice. It said something about ‘the Forgotten.’”

The mage looked intrigued. “The Forgotten? They were an ancient people, said to have been the original guardians of the Heart of Eterna. Some believed they were the first to wield its power, but they vanished long ago.”

Yuuji’s heart quickened. “Then maybe they left something behind. Something we can use.”

The archer glanced around warily. “Well, if they’re still around, they’re doing a good job of hiding. This place feels… off.”

Yuuji nodded, but the pull in his chest had grown stronger. The Heart was leading him toward something, and it was no coincidence they’d stumbled upon this ancient place. “We need to keep moving. I think we’re close to finding whatever it is.”

As they ventured deeper, the symbols grew more intricate, glowing brighter with each step. The hum in the air intensified, a low resonance that seemed to reverberate through their bones. It was as if the forest itself was alive, responding to their presence.

Finally, they emerged into a clearing unlike anything they’d seen before. At its center stood a massive stone structure, half-buried in the earth, covered in moss and vines. Towering pillars of stone encircled the clearing, each one etched with the same glowing symbols they had seen on the trees.

But what caught Yuuji’s attention most was the enormous altar at the center of the structure. It radiated with a faint, ethereal light, and at its center was a massive, spherical crystal—an artifact unlike any they had encountered.

The mage stepped forward, her eyes wide with wonder. “This… this is it. This is an ancient altar of the Forgotten. It must have been used to channel the Heart’s power.”

Yuuji felt the Heart’s fragment pulse intensely, almost pulling him toward the altar. He took a step forward, his hand reaching out instinctively.

“Wait!” the archer said, holding up a hand. “We don’t know what it does. Be careful.”

Yuuji paused, but the pull of the Heart was too strong. “We have to trust it. This is what we’ve been searching for.”

With a deep breath, he placed his hand on the altar.

The moment his skin touched the cold surface, a blinding light erupted from the crystal, and the air around them seemed to ripple. Yuuji’s vision blurred, and once again, he was pulled into a vision—this one far more vivid than the last.

He found himself standing in a vast, endless expanse of light. The sky was white, the ground beneath his feet shimmering like liquid energy. And before him, towering and majestic, stood the Heart of Eterna in its full form, glowing with a power so immense that it made Yuuji feel small, insignificant.

The woman from before, the one who had spoken to him beneath the tree, appeared again. This time, her expression was serious, almost stern.

“You have come far, Yuuji. But you are not yet ready to wield the Heart’s true power.”

Yuuji frowned, frustration bubbling up within him. “What do I need to do? How do I unlock it?”

“The Heart’s power is not something to be unlocked like a weapon,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “It is a force of balance, of creation. To wield it, you must understand its nature. It is not enough to fight with it. You must learn to heal with it, to restore what has been broken.”

Yuuji clenched his fists. “But how? The void is spreading. It destroys everything. How can I possibly fight it with creation?”

The woman’s eyes softened. “The void and the Heart are two sides of the same force. One destroys, the other creates. But they are not enemies. They are in balance. To defeat the void, you must restore that balance, not destroy it.”

Yuuji’s mind raced. Restore balance? How could that be the answer when the void-born were tearing the world apart? But even as doubt filled him, a small part of him began to understand. The void couldn’t be defeated by brute force alone. It was deeper, more intricate than that.

“You will face a choice, Yuuji,” the woman said, her form beginning to fade. “When the time comes, remember that the Heart is not a weapon of war. It is a beacon of hope, a force of healing. Only by embracing that truth will you be able to awaken its true power.”

Before he could respond, the vision shattered, and Yuuji was pulled back into the present.

The altar’s light dimmed, and the crystal now glowed faintly, as if it had given him everything it could. His hand dropped to his side, his heart still racing from the intensity of the vision.

“What happened?” the knight asked, concern in his voice.

Yuuji took a deep breath, steadying himself. “The Heart’s power… it’s not just about fighting. It’s about restoring balance.”

The archer frowned. “Balance? How’s that supposed to help us against the void?”

Yuuji looked toward the horizon, where the darkness of the void still loomed in the distance. “I’m not sure yet. But if we’re going to stop the void, we need to do more than just fight it. We need to heal what’s been broken.”

The mage nodded slowly, understanding dawning in her eyes. “The Heart of Eterna is more than we thought. If we can figure out how to use it… we might stand a chance.”

With renewed determination, Yuuji and his companions prepared to leave the clearing. The path ahead was still uncertain, but Yuuji knew one thing for sure: their fight against the void was not just a battle for survival. It was a battle for the soul of their world—a fight to restore balance before it was too late.