Ice Crystal: Chaos Storm (book 2) Finished

Chapter 18

The underwater temple was still in ruins when I passed by it. Years of wear and tear on the caverns had finally caught up to it. Three hundred years ago when Scion was in power, he turned my temple into a citadel of power. I'm thankful that I wasn't awakened at that time. It's a wonder how one blessed to be the Goddess' heir chose to follow the path of Chaos. Iceltic hadn't even been born yet, but the people fought against a tyrannical ruler hellbent on plunging the world into darkness.

As I walk down the dilapidated stairs once more, engraved runes glow faintly as I pass by them. Whoever buried Scion down here, didn't want anyone finding their way down. The runes are designed to disorient and distort the area around would-be treasure hunters and adventurers. Some are explosive traps or portal traps. I wonder if it was the past Chosen One who came up with this idea.

Deep down, I find the massive underground citadel. I wonder how Scion and his underlings didn't find my sealed tomb. They had to have explored every corner unless my Father had used some sort of camouflage spell. Come to think of it, my Father could've been the one who set up the runes and spells along the walls, but how would Scion have come down here? Another entrance possibly; one lost to time?

I trace my hand along the smooth cavern walls until I find a damaged portion of it. It's possible that during the last war, the entrance was destroyed during the fighting. As I move the rubble aside, I'm hit with the sudden realization that this is the same cave that I had seen in my head. If I'm correct, then I should see a stone tablet written in the language of the God's and the tomb in which I was sealed in. I let out a shaky breath and head inside the pitch black tunnel.

No torches, no spells, no way to see where you're going at all. Eventually, the tunnel grows colder as it descends even further down. Faint traces of Chaos flows towards me and wraps itself around my fingers as I follow the wall. I hear the humming of magic as I turn a corner and into a massive, but empty, chamber. Braziers light up the path towards what used to be where I was held. This is where it all started. Fallen thorny vines descend from the ceiling and reach from the ground. It seems that I was held in between these vines.

I touch one and it moves away from me. I wonder how Nefal removed them from me. Maybe Father wasn't expecting anyone to find me and never put any wards around the area.

"I was the one." A ghostly person appears out of the air. An air of hostility and mystery surrounds it. The wound on his chest is still present even in his death. He wears light armor that's adorned with royal etchings of the past. It's Scion, the one who drove the world to the brink of destruction 300 years ago, "I was the one who let this place rot and weaken."

"Why?" I watch the ghost carefully as he paces the area in front of me.

"I was manipulated by my own thoughts of conquest and glory." His voice is cold with no emotions. Was this man as strong as they say? "I found the ancient girl as the war was reaching the Citadel. I knew if I could awaken her, she'd be unstoppable and my enemies would tremble before us. I would raise her as my own, but she would only be a weapon. Little did I know, I wasn't strong enough to lift the seal. As I prepared the last of the ritual, even risking my own life to awaken you, the wards were lifted and the vines came to life. My chest was pierced and my own corruption weakened the seal even more. More so, that when that man found the chamber, he was able to awaken you with ease. At that point, I saw...I saw what was to happen to this world. I attempted to keep all of them inside, but all but one made it out alive. To see that you have returned, only fills me with grief that the God's have come for me finally."

"It is true, that you must atone for what you have done to the world, but if I wasn't awakened, this world would have ceased to exist and another one would've been born." I walk towards the stone tablet. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you Father. I promise to protect this world as you had protected me."