Origin

CHAPTER 24

**Kristy**

"We are in Aedan? As in the dimension of fire?" Holden asked with wonder and I nodded in return. I looked around me as I realized it was exactly the same scenery as before. I could hear Holden murmuring behind me.

"How did we get here?" I wondered.

"The Phoenix probably brought us here with the last of its strength," Holden speculated. "But why are we here in the first place?"

"To find Hepheos," I continued. "He told me to come and save him. The other Phoenix helped me get here. Now all I have to do is find him."

"Do you have any idea where that Phoenix could be?" Holden asked as he took a long look around.

"He should be somewhere around here." As I was walking, my foot got tangled up on something. I fell to the ground and hit my nose on a stone. I let out a gasp of pain and I rubbed it.

"You okay?" he asked as he came over and helped me up. My left foot, however, wasn't released. I looked down at it only to discover in horror that a snake was wrapped around it. I slapped Holden's arm and pointed to the animal.

Quickly, he caught it by its tail and flew it off immediately. I saw it crawl around but stopped dead on its track at the small crack on a marble. It looked right at me. For a second, I thought it called me by name to get there.

Following my instinct, I took the steps needed until I was one foot away from the serpent. I heard Holden telling me that what I was doing wasn't safe but I didn't listen. The snake slipped through the opening and I rushed to pick the marble up. Unfortunately, it was too heavy for me to lift alone. Holden sighed and helped me push it up. Once it was off, a large stairway leading underground was revealed.

"You have brought us along this far, so you go ahead." He gestured for me to walk ahead.

Taking a deep breath, I began climbing down the stairs. Once I had reached the end and stepped on the ground, the candles placed on the walls were suddenly lit. I looked in awe as one by one they brightened the room and made it possible for us to see the paintings on the walls.

"The paintings are so beautiful," Holden exclaimed and I nodded.

We didn't stop to look more closely at them, we kept walking. I had a good feeling as to where this path would lead us. My instinct told me that I would meet Hepheos soon. Before long, we ended up on a dead end. I looked around trying to find a clue as to where I would go next.

The search brought me in front of a part of a wall. I couldn't place my finger on it but I had a feeling about this part of the wall. It let out a strong sense of power. I laid my hand there and moved it along. When I found the exact spot where it felt right, I pressed down on it. It was just my luck that where I was pressing was part of a camouflaged door.

"How the heck did you do that?" Holden asked as walked over to where I was standing.

I shrugged and went through the door. I felt him walking behind me. Inside, the walls were made of good and the floor from marble. In the middle were stands with various items, mostly jewelry, on them, like necklaces and rings. The most important looking collections was the one of the crowns.

"Are you sure this place is safe? What if we anger a spirit living here?"

"Please tell me you aren't scared." I laughed at his squeaky voice even though he was still hiding behind me. "Why are you like this?"

"I just don't like being on a dimension that has been thought destroyed and wandering around its palace. There could be danger hanging around here and we wouldn't know a thing," he explained.