"How... how is that possible? The world is vast, not small..."
The old Titan’s voice faded into a low, hollow mutter. He was no longer speaking to the brothers; he was tumbling backward through time, lost in memories buried centuries ago.
Ash glanced from the priest to Max, who seemed equally lost in thought.
Exhaling sharply, Ash broke the silence.
"Alright... we’re getting off track here. Old man. Are you executing me or not?"
The Titan blinked, snapping out of his trance.
"What? No. Why would I harm the one sent by my lord?"
Ash’s brows furrowed. He turned on his heel.
"Max. We’re done here."
Max blinked in surprise.
"Huh?"
Ash was already walking toward the exit. Max called out, taking a few quick steps to catch up.
"Hey, wait! Where are you going?! At least hear him out!"
Ash said without looking back.
"I’ve heard enough. He claims I’m some chosen hero, and I told him he has the wrong guy. If he doesn’t want to listen, we can’t do anything to cure that delusion of his."
The priest raised a hand, his raspy voice carrying over the stone floor.
"Please... you must believe my words. My god does not lie! You are the one. You see, he—"
Ash whipped around, interrupting him.
"Yeah, sure! Even if I am the one you’ve been waiting for, I want no part in whatever garbage your god put into your head."
He turned back toward the doors, his boots scuffing grit against the floor, his voice turning cold and flat.
"I have one goal. I want to die. A man who wants to die doesn’t need a prophecy. He doesn’t need a future. All this destiny nonsense—"
Ash waved a dismissive hand behind him.
"—is just fate setting me up for another sick joke."
Max reached out.
"Come on, Ash. Just hear him out. It might be important."
"No."
Ash snapped, never slowing his pace.
"Because if fate wants me to hear it, then staying ignorant is the only way I can win."
Reaching the massive entrance, Ash pressed both palms against the cold, dark stone.
’What if even this reluctance is part of fate’s grand script?’
Shaking his head to clear the thought, he glanced over his shoulder.
"You came here looking for what Apex was doing here, Max. Instead, you’re chatting with an old priest waiting for a storybook savior. This isn’t your mission, it’s a distraction. Tyrin is out there right now, probably trying to dig us out... and we’re in here playing along with this nonsense."
He shoved against the gate with all his weight. Nothing happened. The stone didn’t even budge.
Ash turned around, glaring up at the throne.
"So... Are you going to let me out? Or are we trapped until we talk?"
The old man nodded gravely.
"Indeed. Though that door was not sealed by my command. In truth, I do not control this sanctuary."
Max narrowed his eyes.
"That explains why it opened on its own... without anything triggering it. But if it isn’t under your control, then whose?"
His eyes flicked to the slumping colossus against the far wall.
"Is it him?"
The priest let out a soft laugh.
"No. Nor is it the guardians outside. These stone giants are merely golems, crafted by human hands and given life."
Max stared in disbelief.
"Crafted? You’re telling me someone built these monstrosities? How? Is something like that even possible without technology?"
"Please do not refer to them as monstrosities."
The old priest gently chided.
"They are quite sensitive."
Max stared.
"Are you implying they possess true sapience? A mind... and a soul?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes."
A sudden, sharp grin broke across Max’s face.
"So... it is possible to create synthetic souls."
The old man chuckled.
"Oh, no. Not created. Transferred."
Max froze. His hand twitched toward his left wrist out of habit, reaching for his audio recorder, but his fingers only met torn fabric and crushed wiring, courtesy of Ash’s earlier demolition. He shot Ash a poisonous glare, then forced his focus back to the Titan.
"Transferred? You’re telling me someone extracted actual souls and bound them to inorganic vessels? How?! That should be impossible."
The priest’s shoulders sagged slightly under the weight of the question.
"That... I cannot tell you. My lord entrusted that secret to only one of us. That apostle departed long ago, after breathing life into the golems..."
His hollow eyes drifted over the cavernous architecture.
"...and into this very temple."
Max looked around the vast, looming cathedral, the realization clicking into place.
"That explains everything... But why would the temple let us in?"
Ash, suddenly intrigued despite himself, turned back toward the throne.
The old priest allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.
"That... I cannot say for certain. The temple is mischievous, but gentle. She took pity on my endless solitude and began admitting travelers, even when I warned her against it. This time, however, I am deeply grateful for her disobedience."
Ash gritted his teeth.
"If the building is your friend, why don’t you ask her nicely to open up?"
The Titan spread his hands in a helpless gesture.
"As I said, young lord... she does not obey me."
"Then compel her!"
Ash demanded.
"I saw you control the giant. Use the same trick."
The priest sighed heavily.
"Young lord, please. You are the one my god spoke of. He also told me—"
The priest abruptly froze. His eyes narrowed as something long forgotten surfaced in his mind.
Max caught the shift instantly.
"Told you what?"
The old man’s gaze flickered, settling firmly on Ash.
"Ah... yes. I recall now. My lord foretold that the young lord would resist. That he would mock fate, rail against his destiny... exactly as you are doing now."
He gestured toward Ash’s guarded posture.
"So he left me something to... persuade you."
Ash rolled his eyes hard.
"Oh, of course. Now your god not only predicted my arrival, but also scripted this exact conversation word for word. What’s next? Is he going to recite my childhood medical records?"
Max exhaled.
"Ash, please... stop provoking him."
Ash shot Max a furious look.
"Are you serious?! Have you forgotten he tried to erase us five minutes ago? Why would I extend courtesy to him?!"
In truth, Ash wasn’t truly angry about the attack. He was furious because another golden opportunity to finally end his life had been ripped away by something this absurd.
The old priest remained unflinching.
"He did. I can prove it if you agree to hear me out. I swear it will not bind you to this place. At least... I pray it will not."
Max groaned, dragging a palm down his face.
"Old man... you’re not helping your case."
Ignoring Max, the priest kept his focus locked onto Ash.
"If you are truly not the one, I will permit you both to leave immediately. I despise coercion. But if you are the one, young lord, you will have no choice. I have waited far too long."
He glanced toward the sealed gates.
"And the temple will not open until she is certain. You could be trapped here forever, and judging by your demeanor, I know you would hate that more than anything."
The priest’s gaze shifted briefly to Max.
"Besides... you have another brother waiting outside, do you not?"
Ash’s eyes turned lethal.
"Are you threatening me?"
The priest dipped his head respectfully.
"I apologize, young lord. But if I do not force your hand, you will never listen, and I will never be free."
Ash exhaled a slow, heavy breath.
"Fine. Let’s get this over with. If I really am ’the one,’ I’ll hear your pitch, as long as it doesn’t interfere with my personal goals. Say your piece."
The old man straightened his posture, his raspy voice echoing through the silent hall.
"Young lord... I mean no offense, but you are the Wretched Seeker. Am I correct?"
Ash froze.
His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before the glare returned.
’How...? How could he possibly know that?!’
No one knew that title existed. He had only recently acquired that soul root. Not even Max knew the specifics of it!
The questions tore from his throat.
"Who is your god, and what does he know about me?! Do you even know what that Soul Root is?! What the hell is this ’Root’ thing supposed to be?!"
The priest smiled serenely, his knowing expression far more unsettling than his silence.
"Good. That reaction... those questions... they prove more than any denial ever could. No, I do not know how my lord learned of your existence, nor do I comprehend the nature of your path. But—"
He rose from his throne with astonishing, effortless grace.
"—if he intended you to inherit what he left behind, then he understands you better than you understand yourself. He trusts you."
The Titan walked between two of the massive thrones, pressing his pale, elongated palm flat against the black stone wall behind them.
The stone didn’t crack or slide. It rippled under his touch like water disturbed by a falling leaf, then simply... dissolved.
Where solid bedrock had been, a vast passage appeared, stretching into a darkness that defied the physical dimensions of the ruins. It was like stepping into a void where space itself had been erased.
The priest turned, bowing deeply, his arm extended toward the dark threshold.
"Please, young lord. This way."