Stranded Beyond Worlds

Echoes of the Unknown

The entrance to the temple loomed before them, an eerie silence hanging in the air. It was dark inside, the faint light of the day unable to penetrate the deep corridors beyond the entrance. Izuku hesitated, feeling a sense of dread wash over him as they approached. But they had no choice—whatever was going on with this island, the answers had to be somewhere inside.

"I'll go first," Izuku said, stepping forward. He didn't trust any of them to not set off some kind of trap, and besides, he had One For All to protect him.

"Knock yourself out, hero," Dabi said, leaning against a wall as if he were enjoying the show. Toga skipped after Izuku, humming softly, while Shigaraki followed at a distance, his eyes constantly flicking to the shadows, wary of unseen dangers.

The inside of the temple was cold, a sharp contrast to the humid heat outside. The walls were lined with more strange carvings, images that looked almost like a map but with symbols Izuku couldn't decipher. Every step echoed through the stone corridors, making it feel like the building itself was breathing, watching them.

"This place gives me the creeps," Toga whispered, unusually quiet for once. Her cheerful demeanor was replaced with something more somber, like she could sense the weight of the unknown pressing down on them.

"I don't like this either," Izuku admitted, glancing over his shoulder at her. "But we need to figure out what this place is, or we'll never get off this island."

As they moved deeper into the temple, the carvings became more intricate, depicting not just symbols but figures—tall, humanoid creatures with glowing eyes, standing above what looked like smaller, human-like beings. There were scenes of battles, landscapes unlike any they'd seen, and a massive spiral symbol that repeated throughout the murals.

"This isn't just some random island," Shigaraki muttered, studying the carvings with narrowed eyes. "It's like someone or something was here before."

Dabi stepped up beside him, lazily tracing a finger over one of the murals. "Yeah, but where are they now?"

Izuku's heart raced. The thought that they might not be alone on this island was both terrifying and strangely comforting. If there were others, maybe they knew how to escape. But if these creatures were hostile...

"Don't get your hopes up," Shigaraki continued, reading Izuku's thoughts. "Whoever built this place is either long gone or they're not the friendly type."

As they reached the center of the temple, they found a massive circular room. In the middle was a stone pedestal with an orb-like object hovering above it, glowing faintly. Strange symbols floated around it, shifting in the air like they were alive. The light from the orb illuminated the carvings on the walls, which seemed to shift and pulse with energy.

Toga's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "What do you think it is, Izuku? A magic orb? A trap? Or maybe..." She giggled. "Maybe it's a door to another world!"

"Don't touch it," Izuku warned, eyeing the orb warily. Every instinct told him that this object wasn't something they should mess with. It radiated power, something far beyond anything they had encountered before.

Shigaraki ignored him, stepping closer to the pedestal. "If this is the key to understanding what this island is, I'm not waiting around for you to make a decision, Deku." He reached out, his fingers mere inches from the orb.

"Wait!" Izuku shouted, lunging forward. But it was too late. Shigaraki's hand made contact.

The moment his fingers brushed the orb, the entire temple began to tremble. The symbols on the walls flared to life, glowing a bright, unnatural color. The orb pulsated, emitting a high-pitched sound that made everyone cover their ears in pain. The ground beneath them cracked, and the air grew heavy, as if the temple itself was collapsing in on them.

"What did you do?!" Izuku yelled, grabbing Shigaraki's arm and yanking him away from the orb. But the damage had been done.

The orb's light intensified, and before any of them could react, a wave of energy exploded outward, throwing them across the room. Izuku crashed into the stone wall with a gasp, the wind knocked out of him. Toga tumbled across the floor, giggling breathlessly as if she found the chaos amusing. Dabi managed to steady himself midair with a burst of flame, but Shigaraki was sprawled across the ground, groaning in frustration.

The temple's rumbling subsided, and the orb dimmed, but something had changed. The air felt different—charged, alive.

"I told you not to touch it!" Izuku growled, staggering to his feet, trying to steady himself.

Shigaraki glared at him, pushing himself up. "You think I care what you think? We needed answers."

Before Izuku could argue further, Toga gasped and pointed toward the orb. "Look! Something's happening!"

The orb, now dim, began to project an image into the center of the room. A map—of the island. It showed landmarks, rivers, mountains, but more than that, there was a mark far off in the northern part of the island, glowing brighter than the rest. Next to it, in strange, floating letters, was a symbol none of them recognized.

"That's... that's where we need to go," Izuku said, his voice barely a whisper. It was clear now—the orb had shown them something, some kind of guidance.

Shigaraki crossed his arms. "Great. We've got a destination. But we still don't know what we're dealing with here."

Dabi, leaning against the wall, chuckled. "And here I thought we were just gonna roast some marshmallows and sing campfire songs. Guess we've got ourselves a quest now, huh?"

Toga skipped toward the center, studying the map with gleeful curiosity. "This is gonna be so much fun! A whole island of mysteries! What do you think we'll find at the glowing spot, Izuku? More monsters? Maybe treasure?"

Izuku didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the map, his mind racing. The orb had given them direction, but why? And what was waiting for them in the northern part of the island? Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be easy.

"We'll head there tomorrow," Shigaraki ordered, turning away from the pedestal. "Get some rest while you can. The island isn't going to get any friendlier."

Izuku watched him go, feeling the weight of their situation settle in again. They were still enemies, still untrustworthy. But in this strange world, they were all he had.

As the orb flickered one last time, Izuku caught a glimpse of something in its light—a figure, cloaked in shadows, watching from the edges of the map. But when he blinked, it was gone.

---

To be continued...