Caelus pushed open the heavy mansion doors, and the moment they stepped inside, darkness swallowed them whole. It wasn't the kind of darkness that came from a room without light, it was deeper, heavier, like stepping into a void that didn't want them there. The air felt thick and cold, and even their footsteps made no sound.
Everyone hesitated. The mansion that had looked so alive and bright from the outside now felt dead inside. There were no flickers of lamps, no sound of wind, nothing, just a heavy, suffocating silence.
As the last person stepped in, the doors slammed shut behind them with a thunderous echo. Before anyone could react, the floor beneath their feet dissolved into nothingness. There was no time to scream or brace themselves, they were falling, endlessly, into a blinding light that swallowed their vision.
No one could move. Their bodies felt frozen, as if invisible chains were binding them in midair. Wind rushed past their ears, yet there was no sound of it. It was a fall without end, a dreamlike plunge where direction and sense no longer existed.
Then, suddenly, their fall stopped.
They landed softly, not on solid ground, but on something that looked and felt like glowing clouds. The surface shimmered beneath them, glowing faintly with a soft silver hue. Around them, there was nothing but an endless sky of white mist and faint colors, like a dream painted in fog.
Everything seemed weightless. The air smelled sweet, almost intoxicating, yet it pressed down on their chests like a heavy blanket. Their minds began to blur, their thoughts slowing, as if the world around them was trying to lull them into sleep. One by one, some of them began to sway, their eyelids growing heavy.
"This… doesn't feel right…" Alex muttered, clutching his head. His voice sounded distant, as though spoken underwater.
Adriana tried to move her hand, but it felt too heavy to lift. "It's… so hard to breathe…" she whispered weakly.
Caelus narrowed his eyes. He could feel something unnatural in the air, a force trying to drag them deeper into unconsciousness. His sword, which had always been calm in his hand, began to tremble faintly.
Then, with a sharp movement, Caelus raised his blade and swung it through the air.
A streak of light cut across the mist as the blade glowed brightly, its edge slicing through the clouds. The moment his sword connected, the world around them exploded in a burst of golden light. The clouds split apart, and the sky shattered like glass.
A blast of wind threw everyone back, forcing them to cover their faces. The brightness burned through their vision, and for a moment, there was nothing but light.
When they opened their eyes again, they were back inside the mansion.
The air returned, and the floor was solid beneath their feet once more. But even though they were awake, several of them still felt dizzy. Their hearts were pounding, their breaths short. The heavy feeling in their chests lingered as if the dream hadn't fully let them go.
Rok leaned against the wall, rubbing his arm. "What… just happened?"
Caelus took a deep breath and steadied his sword. The faint glow along its blade flickered, then dimmed. "That wasn't an illusion," he said quietly. "It was the ruin itself."
Everyone turned toward him, confusion and worry written across their faces.
"My sword, Dreams of the Fallen Leaf, was forged right here, in this very ruin," Caelus explained. His voice was calm but carried a hint of unease. "It was created by the spirit of this place. It's not just a weapon, it's a guide. Normally, it would respond to the flow of the ruin, guiding me to the heart of it. But something's wrong. The spirit isn't responding. It's like something, or someone, is twisting its energy."
Alex frowned. "You mean there's someone here who can control the ruin? Another artifact, maybe? Something made by the same spirit?"
Caelus shook his head. "If that were true, my sword would have felt it. It would have resonated. But there's nothing. Just… interference."
Alex thought for a moment. "When those intruders attacked the Captial for the Crimson Jewel," he said slowly, "they created a seal around the entire place. No one could enter or leave. If they were capable of that, then maybe they're behind this too. And if that's true…" He paused, his tone hardening. "Then they're here for the Obsidian Jewel."
The room grew tense.
Lila clenched her fists. "We can't let them get it. Those people… they'll destroy everything they touch."
Adrian's voice carried a sharp edge of anger. "They think they can do whatever they want without facing the consequences. Not this time."
The group fell silent for a moment, the weight of the situation settling on their shoulders. Then, Caelus straightened, his tone firm again. "We'll split up. Search every part of the mansion and find where the flow of the ruin is strongest. If there is something wrong here, we'll find its source."
Everyone nodded, ready to move, but before they could even take a step, something strange began to happen.
A faint hiss filled the air. It started soft, almost like a whisper, but grew louder and louder until it echoed through the hall. Dark gas began seeping into the mansion, from under the doors, through the cracks in the windows, even between the gaps in the ceiling beams. The mist coiled and swirled like living smoke, its color darker than shadow itself.
Caelus gripped his sword tightly. "No… this feeling… the ruin's energy has changed."
The air grew colder. His sword's glow faded completely, it was no longer resonating at all. The connection between him and the spirit of the ruin had been severed.
Lucien stepped forward and moved to open the main door, hoping to let the gas escape. But when he pulled it open, everyone froze.
The sight before them was nothing short of horrifying.
The bright blue sky they had seen before was gone. In its place hung a sky of black fire, where the sun itself burned with eerie, dark flames. The once-lively gardens were now wilted and twisted. The trees stood bare, their bark cracking open like old wounds. The flowers that had been so colorful and soft now dripped with dark sap, their petals turned to ash.
The bees and butterflies from before were still there, but only their bones remained. Their tiny skeletal bodies fluttered around lifelessly, their empty eye sockets glowing faintly as they moved through the air like ghosts.
The fountain in the courtyard had turned to black stone, its water black and thick like oil. The sound it made was slow and heavy, each drop echoing unnaturally in the silence.
Even the air smelled different, burnt, bitter, and sour. Every breath stung their throats.
"What… what happened to this place?" Rosa whispered, trembling.
"The ruin…" Alex murmured, his face grim. "It's been corrupted."
Everyone turned to him. His words felt heavy.
He looked out at the darkened world beyond the door. "This is no longer the dream realm of the ruin. This is its nightmare."
The members of Redwake and The Rising Heroes exchanged worried glances. They knew what this means. The peaceful dream they had stepped into had twisted into something unrecognizable, a world of decay, where even the light carried fear.
A huge challenge now is front of them, but the can back down now, they must erase this corruption before the evil takes over.