The Ember Seeker

Chapter 5: Cinders of Truth

Null Tower Archives
The Profaned Airship

Adrenaline was rushing in my body as I searched for my partner. Every floor explored again, every cage rechecked, every undead pushed away, it drenched me in sweat and sped up my heartbeat, driving me closer to panic, yet she was nowhere to be seen. I arrived at the bottom floor, the archives, but she's not here either.

"ABIGAIL?" I shouted once more, in a desperate call to find her.

There is one last thing I have to explore in the tower: the engine room. The door leading to it is chained in a cross pattern. Taking a closer look, it's made of bare wood and a couple of poorly hammered nails. I kicked it repeatedly, breathing heavier with each attack, until it broke down. It revealed another layer of harder wood.

I gave it a knock, and basing from the sound, the wooden layer seemed to be made out of a familiar material. I forgot to name it, but I know this exact texture. It can resist most physical forces, yet susceptible to flames. I grabbed a torch and threw it at the broken door, igniting it in seconds.

It took under a minute before the door was completely burned to ashes. Chains are the only thing that remained, still hanging in a cross form, but it left a space big enough to be easily bypassed. I carefully fit myself in to get to the other side.

Engine Room
The Profaned Airship

Instead of torches, the engine room was lit with tiny glass bulbs that caged cinderbugs, which hung on the ceiling. I ventured deeper into the engine room until it started to become a labyrinth with an ambiance of steam engine sounds and fire, becoming more audible with every move that brought me closer to the main engines,

"Abigail?" I shouted once more as I was traversing the maze, yet continuous fizzing was the only reply I received.

I kept on going, taking random turns and strides. Left, right, forward, left, and right again, the engine sounds, like my direction, had random volumes. I was lost.

A random lightbulb dropped right in front of me, shattering into shards and releasing the cinderbug. It danced in the air and began flying slowly in a certain direction. It was suspicious for me, but what choice did I have? It guided my way along the engine room.

The cinderbug led me to a trapdoor that was distant enough from the engine noises. I opened it and went down to a dim area filled with crates, chests, and scrap paper. The trapdoor closed on its own. The cinderbug stayed idle for a moment.

"What are you?" I asked the cinderbug. "I doubt you can speak, but I need to find my partner. She's somewhere here in the engine room, I can feel it!"

The cinderbug violently shook as it moved closer to the darkness and vanished into smoke.

"I knew it. I've finally found you."

"Well done," said the Darkin Magus as he walked towards me, his right hand was extended, asking for a handshake.

"So you were Mather all along," I replied, refusing his courtesy.

"Rude of you. My name is Kadir, and yes, I am the real Darkin Magus. Mather is a name of one of the Ember Seeker's victims. He's a brave soul that died in battle, and choosing his name was wise to trigger you a flashback."