Dawn Of Twilight

Chapter 16 : The Deity of Untimely Death (Part 2)

A katana taller than most men, resting diagonally on a smooth, dark plinth. Its sheath was pure obsidian black, carved with symbols of forgotten tongues and clawlike ridges running along the spine. Gold accents hugged the guard in the shape of a dragon's open maw, and the handle was bound in a darker blue cloth that looked too ancient to remain whole-yet somehow, it had.

Dawn tilted her head. "Why's something like that just... lying there? Shouldn't it be in a museum or something?"

Ruoxi grinned, walking ahead. "It can't be stolen. No one can lift it without help-five or six people, minimum. And it's never been unsheathed. Not in recorded history."

She led Dawn deeper into the shrine with a flashlight, toward the sacred inner chamber where the deity of Azarath was enshrined in stone and gold. Their voices faded into the corridor.

Erevin stayed behind.

Lightning cracked, brief and sharp, slicing through the open windows with white light. It flashed across the blade, illuminating it like it had just woken from centuries of slumber.

Erevin reached out. His fingers hovered, then touched the cold metal of the sheath.

A shiver crawled up his arm.

It was calling to him.

It had always been calling.

━⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅━

The storm had deepened by the time they crossed into the inner chamber.

Dawn pulled her jacket tighter around her, the air sharp with cold and the heavy scent of rain. The wind howled through the broken edges of stained-glass windows, weaving an eerie, breathy song that rattled through the empty corridors. Every step echoed too loudly, as if the shrine itself were awake and listening. Shivers raced up her spine.

Ruoxi led the way with her flashlight, her usual chatter quieter now, subdued by the heavy mood of the place. Dawn's heart thudded as she stepped into the chamber where Lord Azarath's deity stood, towering and silent at the far end.

The statue loomed in the dark-larger than life, both distant and almost watchful. Dawn's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't even see his face properly; only the outline of his regal form cut against the deeper black.

She lifted her flashlight, desperate to glimpse more-but Ruoxi grabbed her wrist, firm.

"Don't," Ruoxi said, voice low but urgent. "Never shine light directly on his face. It's forbidden."

Dawn froze.

Something about Ruoxi's tone-the way it trembled just slightly-made her lower the flashlight immediately.

So close.

She was so close to finally seeing him. Her chest tightened with frustration. She bit her lower lip, the faint taste of rainwater lingering on her mouth. The shadows swallowed him whole, keeping the mystery just out of reach.

A wave of disappointment pulled at her.

Maybe it was foolish to expect anything. Maybe... maybe it really was just-

Suddenly-

A deafening crack tore through the air, followed by a searing flash of light.
Lightning struck, close-too close-and for a blinding second, it was as if the entire world had been peeled open.

The chamber exploded in silver brilliance.

And Dawn saw him.

Azarath's face-no, not just a carving, not just a statue-him.