The morning after the promise beneath the oak tree began before sunrise.
⸻ Arthur was already awake.
⸻ Naturally.
⸻ Most people would have spent the morning thinking about the future.
About dreams.
About the promises they made.
⸻ Arthur spent it stuffing supplies into a travel bag.
⸻ Food.
Water.
Rope.
A spare shirt.
⸻ And a wooden training sword.
⸻ Priorities.
⸻ He quietly moved toward the front door.
⸻ Almost free.
⸻ Almost successful.
⸻ “You’re going.” ⸻ Arthur froze.
⸻ His grandfather sat exactly where he always sat.
A cup of tea rested beside him.
⸻ The old man didn’t even look up.
⸻ Arthur sighed.
⸻ “…Maybe.” ⸻ “You packed enough supplies for three days.” ⸻ “…Maybe.” ⸻ “You sharpened your knife.” ⸻ “…Maybe.” ⸻ The old man finally looked at him.
⸻ Neither spoke.
⸻ A long silence passed.
⸻ Then his grandfather sighed.
⸻ “At least try not to die.” ⸻ Arthur grinned.
⸻ “No promises.” ⸻ The old man immediately regretted saying anything.
⸻ The Expedition Arthur expected to leave alone.
⸻ That plan lasted exactly seven minutes.
⸻ “Going somewhere?” ⸻ Arthur groaned.
⸻ Rowan stood in the road carrying a satchel full of books.
⸻ “How did you know?” ⸻ “You’ve been talking about those ruins for three days.” ⸻ Fair point.
⸻ Before Arthur could respond— another voice interrupted.
⸻ “If you’re exploring ancient ruins, I’m coming too.” ⸻ Lyra appeared from the top of a nearby fence.
⸻ Arthur blinked.
⸻ “How long were you up there?” ⸻ “Long enough.” ⸻ Arthur wasn’t sure if that answered the question.
⸻ Then a fourth voice joined them.
⸻ “Someone has to keep you three alive.” ⸻ Nira approached carrying a basket filled with medicinal herbs.
⸻ Arthur looked around.
⸻ Then sighed dramatically.
⸻ “So much for my solo adventure.” ⸻ “You were never going alone.” Rowan replied.
⸻ “Why not?” ⸻ “Because you’re Arthur.” ⸻ Everyone nodded.
⸻ Even Arthur.
⸻ That was unfortunately a valid argument.
⸻ Into the Forest The deeper they traveled, the quieter the forest became.
⸻ Birdsong faded.
⸻ The wind grew weaker.
⸻ Even the insects seemed absent.
⸻ Something about the area felt different.
⸻ Older.
⸻ Ancient.
⸻ Rowan noticed it first.
⸻ “The trees.” ⸻ Arthur looked around.
⸻ “What about them?” ⸻ “Their age.” ⸻ Rowan pointed toward one of the massive trunks nearby.
⸻ “These shouldn’t exist.” ⸻ The tree looked enormous.
Far larger than anything near the village.
⸻ Almost impossibly old.
⸻ As though this section of the forest belonged to another era.
⸻ Nira frowned.
⸻ “I don’t like it.” ⸻ Lyra smiled.
⸻ “I do.” ⸻ Nobody was surprised.
⸻ The further they traveled, the more signs appeared.
⸻ Broken stone markers.
⸻ Weathered statues.
⸻ Fragments of roads buried beneath roots.
⸻ Ruins.
⸻ Evidence that people once lived here.
⸻ Long ago.
⸻ Very long ago.
⸻ Eventually the trees opened.
⸻ And the four friends stopped.
⸻ A massive stone structure stood before them.
⸻ Half buried beneath centuries of moss and vines.
⸻ Ancient stairs descended into darkness.
⸻ The entrance alone dwarfed anything they had imagined.
⸻ Nobody spoke for several moments.
⸻ Then Arthur grinned.
⸻ “This is amazing.” ⸻ Rowan looked horrified.
⸻ “This is terrible.” ⸻ Lyra looked impressed.
⸻ “This is amazing.” ⸻ Nira looked exhausted.
⸻ “We haven’t even gone inside yet.” ⸻ Arthur approached the entrance.
⸻ The stone beneath his fingers felt strange.
⸻ Warm.
⸻ Almost alive.
⸻ For a brief moment— he thought he felt something.
⸻ A pulse.
⸻ Then it vanished.
⸻ Arthur frowned.
⸻ “Did anyone else feel that?” ⸻ The others exchanged looks.
⸻ “No.” Rowan answered.
⸻ Arthur slowly stepped back.
⸻ Strange.
⸻ Very strange.
⸻ Yet before he could think about it further— something else happened.
⸻ The darkness below seemed to shift.
⸻ Only for an instant.
⸻ Then everything became still again.
⸻ As if the ruins themselves were waiting.
⸻ Watching.
⸻ Somewhere Else Far beyond the reach of the mortal world.
⸻ Far beyond time.
⸻ A golden void stretched endlessly.
⸻ Silent.
⸻ Motionless.
⸻ Then a ripple disturbed its surface.
⸻ A distant sensation.
⸻ A familiar sensation.
⸻ Within the endless light, a young woman slowly opened her eyes.
⸻ “…Huh?” ⸻ She sat upright.
⸻ The golden prison around her remained unchanged.
⸻ The same prison.
⸻ The same silence.
⸻ Yet something felt different.
⸻ A presence.
⸻ Far away.
⸻ Approaching.
⸻ Her expression slowly became suspicious.
⸻ Then annoyed.
⸻ Then concerned.
⸻ All within a few seconds.
⸻ “…Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling?” ⸻ The sensation remained.
⸻ Growing stronger.
⸻ Closer.
⸻ For the first time in centuries— something was changing.
⸻ And she wasn’t sure she liked it.
⸻ The First Step Back within the forest, Arthur lit a torch.
⸻ Orange light illuminated the ancient staircase.
⸻ The darkness below seemed endless.
⸻ Unknown.
⸻ Ancient.
⸻ Waiting.
⸻ Rowan adjusted his grip on his satchel.
⸻ Lyra rolled her shoulders.
⸻ Nira sighed.
⸻ Arthur smiled.
⸻ The same smile he always wore before doing something reckless.
⸻ Then he took the first step downward.
⸻ His friends followed.
⸻ And deep within the ruins— something ancient began to awaken.
End of Chapter 2