The Beninging

Chapter 4

She walked deeper into the mountains, her steps heavy with exhaustion. The fight had drained her, but the victory felt hollow. The stone's power still pulsed within her, a constant reminder that her journey was far from over. The words of the masked figure echoed in her mind. She had won, but his warning lingered like a shadow.

The landscape around her was becoming more barren, the vegetation sparse, the air thin. She could feel the amulet hanging around her neck, its weight a constant presence against her chest. The relic's power amplified her abilities, but it also deepened the connection to the stone. She feared what that connection would bring in time.

As dusk approached, she found a small cave nestled in the side of a cliff. It offered some shelter from the cold wind, and she decided to rest for the night. Inside, she sat by the entrance, staring out at the horizon as the sun set behind the jagged peaks, painting the sky in deep shades of red and gold.

She couldn't help but wonder about the others the masked figure had mentioned. The others who fell to the stone. Were they like her, once? People who had sought to control the power, only to be consumed by it? She shuddered at the thought.

As the night deepened, the stone began to pulse more insistently, as if it was responding to something nearby. She frowned, reaching up to touch the amulet. The pull was stronger now, and though she couldn't see anything out in the darkness, she knew something was there.

She rose to her feet, moving cautiously to the cave's entrance. The air was still, unnervingly quiet. Then she saw it—a faint glow, far in the distance. It wasn't the light of a campfire or any natural source. It was something else, something... alive.

Her instincts screamed at her to stay hidden, to avoid whatever that light was. But the stone had other plans. The pull was too strong to resist, and before she could stop herself, her feet were moving toward it, her body drawn by the unseen force.

The closer she got, the more the energy around her seemed to shift. The glow became clearer, flickering like a beacon in the night. As she reached the top of a ridge, she looked down into a valley and froze.

At the center of the valley stood a large, ancient monolith, its surface etched with strange symbols that glowed faintly in the darkness. Surrounding the monolith were figures—cloaked, hooded figures standing in a circle, their hands raised toward the sky. The air around them buzzed with energy, the same energy she felt within the stone.

Her breath caught in her throat as she realized what they were doing. They were channeling the power of the stone, drawing it from the monolith, amplifying it.

And they weren't alone.

A figure stood at the base of the monolith, his arms outstretched, his voice rising in a chant that sent chills down her spine. His face was hidden in shadow, but the power emanating from him was unmistakable. He was like her, but stronger, more in tune with the stone's dark energy.

She crouched low, watching from the ridge, her heart pounding. This wasn't just a ritual—it was something more. Something dangerous. The stone inside her reacted violently, its pulse syncing with the monolith's energy. She felt it thrumming through her, pulling her closer, as if it wanted to be part of whatever was happening below.

No, she thought, fighting against the pull. I'm not letting you take me.

But the stone wasn't listening. It was hungry, desperate to be reunited with its source. She could feel it now—the monolith wasn't just a relic. It was part of the stone's origin, part of the power that had created it. And the figures below were trying to unlock that power.

Suddenly, the figure at the base of the monolith turned, as if sensing her presence. His eyes, glowing with the same eerie light as the monolith, locked onto hers. A cold smile spread across his face, and with a wave of his hand, the energy around the valley surged.

The cloaked figures began to move, their chanting growing louder as the monolith pulsed with power. She felt the force of it hit her like a wave, nearly knocking her off her feet. Her hands clutched the amulet instinctively, trying to hold back the flood of energy that threatened to overwhelm her.

"Come," the figure called to her, his voice echoing in her mind. "Join us. The stone has chosen you."

She shook her head, gritting her teeth against the onslaught. "I'm not like you," she growled, trying to steady herself against the surge of power.

"You are like us," he said, stepping forward, his voice smooth and seductive. "You've felt it, haven't you? The hunger. The power. It's yours if you take it."

She backed away, her eyes narrowing. "I'm not here to take power. I'm here to stop you."

The figure laughed, the sound dark and hollow. "Stop us? You can't even stop yourself from being drawn to the stone. It calls to you, just as it calls to all who bear its mark."

Her hand tightened around the amulet, the energy swirling wildly inside her. She could feel it now—her control slipping, the power inside her straining against her will. The stone wanted her to join them. It wanted her to give in.

But she wasn't about to surrender.

"I won't let the stone control me," she said, her voice firm. "I'll destroy it before I let that happen."

The figure's smile faded, his eyes narrowing. "Foolish girl. The stone is beyond your understanding. You think you can destroy what you barely comprehend?"

"I'll die trying," she said coldly.

His eyes gleamed with anger now. "Then you shall die"

With a sharp gesture, he commanded the cloaked figures to attack.

They moved as one, their hands raised as waves of dark energy shot toward her. She barely had time to react, throwing up a shield of power around her, the force of the blasts pushing her back. The ground trembled beneath her feet as the valley erupted into chaos.

She knew she couldn't hold out for long. The figures were too powerful, too many. But she wasn't about to give up. Summoning every ounce of strength, she pushed forward, the amulet glowing with a fierce light as she unleashed a blast of energy that sent several of the cloaked figures flying.

But the leader remained, his power untouched.

"Enough!" he shouted, his voice ringing out across the valley. The ground shook, and the monolith pulsed brighter, sending shockwaves through the earth. He raised his hand, and the energy coalesced into a blinding beam of light aimed directly at her.

For a split second, everything seemed to freeze.

Then the beam hit her, and the world exploded in white.