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We round a corner and stop dead in our tracks. Before us lies a massive chamber, easily the size of a small city. But it's what's inside that takes my breath away.
Swirling, iridescent energy fills the space, moving in complex patterns that defy logic. It's as if we're standing at the edge of a living nebula, colors shifting and blending in a hypnotic dance. The walls of the chamber are covered in pulsating runes, some familiar, others completely alien.
"Kairos," Naia breathes, her voice filled with awe and fear. "What is this place?"
I shake my head, struggling to comprehend what I'm seeing. "I think... I think we've found it. The portal."
The magical energy whirls around us, tendrils of power reaching out as if to touch us. I can feel it pulling at something deep within me, awakening parts of my magic I never knew existed.
Naia gasps, her body tensing. "I can feel it too. It's... it's calling to me."
I pull her closer, my arm wrapping protectively around her waist. "Stay with me, little one. We need to figure out what this is before we do anything rash."
I scan the chamber walls, my eyes drawn to a series of intricate inscriptions carved into the stone. They're unlike any language I've seen before, yet somehow familiar.
"Naia, come look at this," I call out, my voice echoing in the vast space.
She approaches, her fingers tracing the strange symbols. "I... I think I can read this," she says, her voice filled with surprise.
"What? How?"
She shakes her head, bewildered. "I don't know. It's like... like the stone is translating for me."
I watch as her eyes move over the inscriptions, widening with each passing moment. "It's talking about stones," she says. "Magical stones hidden on different worlds."
My heart races. This is it – the key to understanding the portal's nature. "Go on," I urge.
"It says these stones were created by... one of the dark elf gods. The Deceiver," Naia continues. "They're spread across multiple realms."
"Fuck," I mutter. "That explains the pull I felt from Galmoleth."
Naia nods, still focused on the inscriptions. "The stones are connected, forming a network that allows travel between worlds. But it's not just one or two planets – there are more out there."
My mind reels at the implications. "So my theories were right. There are other realms beyond what we know."
"That's not all," Naia says, her voice growing tense. "The stones are what keep the portal stable. Without them, the connections between worlds would collapse."
I run my hand over the rough cave wall, feeling the thrum of magic beneath my palm. "So these stones are like anchors, holding the fabric of reality together where it's been pierced."
Naia nods, her face pale in the ethereal light of the chamber. "But Kairos, there's more. The inscriptions warn that removing or destroying even one stone could have catastrophic consequences. It could destabilize the entire network."
I curse under my breath, the weight of this revelation settling on my shoulders. "So we're standing at the center of a cosmic web, held together by these hidden stones. And if anyone were to find and tamper with them..."
"It could tear reality apart," Naia finishes, her voice barely above a whisper.
12
NAIA
Istare at the inscriptions, my heart pounding. This is it. The gateway to another world—to countless worlds, if Kairos is right. The thought both thrills and terrifies me.
"Little one?" Kairos's deep voice breaks through my trance. "What troubles you?"
I turn to face him, taking in his obsidian skin and those piercing silver eyes. How did I end up here? A few days ago, I was a slave in the Dark Market. Now I'm standing at the edge of everything I've ever known, with a demon who's turned my world upside down.
"I—" My voice catches. "This is all so much. Another world? I've barely seen Protheka."
Kairos steps closer, his presence both intimidating and comforting. "Change can be frightening, but it can also lead to great things."
