Free Book - Prequel of The Chronicles of Canes Venatici

Boreas Planet 2 (Part 9.1)

Part 9.1 – The Last Expedition

The world is dark. Your senses slowly return, but everything is distant—muffled, as though you are underwater. Gradually, the ringing in your ears fades, replaced by the low, haunting howl of the Whispering Winds. You open your eyes to a scene of utter devastation. The chamber where you once stood—the one that housed the mysterious Ancient One—has partially collapsed, with massive chunks of ice and stone scattered across the floor. The glowing glyphs that once pulsed with energy now lie dormant, their light extinguished.

You struggle to your feet, your body aching from the fall, and look around. The members of the excavation team lie scattered across the chamber, some still, others groaning in pain as they attempt to move. Kael, the once-ambitious scholar, is nearby, his face pale and his eyes wide with shock. He stares blankly at the remains of the obelisk, the realization of what he has unleashed dawning on him like a weight too heavy to bear.

The air in the chamber is cold—colder than anything you've experienced before. It bites at your skin, freezing your breath in the air as soon as it leaves your mouth. The Ancient One is gone, its massive form vanished, leaving only the sense of dread hanging in the frigid air. The ground beneath you trembles periodically, subtle reminders that the planet itself has not yet settled after the disturbance.

Galen is the first to speak, his voice a hoarse whisper. "We've woken something terrible," he says, his eyes scanning the room as though expecting the Ancient One to reappear at any moment. "The winds tried to warn us... and we didn't listen."

As the reality of the situation begins to sink in, panic sets in among the surviving members of the team. They scramble to gather their equipment, their voices raised in fear and confusion. The atmosphere in the chamber is thick with tension, and the howling of the wind outside grows louder, echoing through the tunnel like a warning.

Kael finally moves, his hands trembling as he reaches for the nearest piece of equipment. "We have to get out of here," he mutters, more to himself than anyone else. His face is pale, his eyes hollow, as though the weight of his actions has drained him of all strength. "We can't stay here. It's not safe."

The excavation team, now battered and shaken, begins their ascent back toward the surface. The trek is slow and arduous, the air growing even colder as they climb, as if the planet itself is trying to freeze them in place. The once smooth, ice-covered walls of the tunnel have begun to crack and shift, the tremors from the awakening having destabilized the entire structure.

As you ascend, you notice the whispers in the wind growing louder. They are not the same as before—they are frantic, urgent, as though trying to convey something vital. You glance at Galen, who walks beside you, his face tight with concentration as he listens. "The winds..." he says, his voice low. "They're telling us to hurry."

The weight of the Ancient One's awakening hangs over the group like a shadow. No one knows where it has gone, or what its intentions are, but the sense of danger is palpable. As you near the surface, the Whispering Winds reach a fever pitch, their voices almost screaming in your ears. The sky above is dark, the clouds thick and oppressive, and the wind cuts through the ice like a blade.

When you finally emerge from the tunnel, the scene that greets you is one of chaos. The Glacial Sentinels, once silent and still, now hum with energy, their towering forms vibrating with a low, resonant sound. The ground trembles beneath your feet, and the air is thick with an unnatural chill. It is as if the entire planet is reacting to the awakening of the Ancient One, its long-dormant power now rippling through the frozen landscape.

"We've disturbed something we cannot control," Kael whispers, his voice shaking with fear. "We were never meant to find this place."

Future Glimpse!
The final expedition to the heart of Boreas will uncover the truth behind the planet's extreme environment. The team will find evidence of a catastrophic event that nearly destroyed the planet eons ago, and they will realize that a similar disaster is on the horizon unless they can prevent history from repeating itself.

Olav J. Insight:
"The journey into the unknown is always a gamble. We set out to discover, to understand, but there is always the risk that what we find will undo us. Boreas is a reflection of our own hubris—the belief that we can conquer nature without consequence. The last expedition will test not just the resolve of its explorers, but the very future of the world they inhabit."