The stairwell spiraled deep into the mountain, the air growing colder and heavier with each step. The only light came from the relic fragment in Kalious's hand, casting a pale glow that painted the stone walls in silver. Dust clung to their clothes, and the scent of long-sealed time filled their lungs.
After several minutes of descent, they reached a chamber.
It was round, wide, and silent, too silent. No echo answered their steps. The walls were covered in faded murals: grand battles, radiant figures in cloaks of light, and towering beasts twisted in shadow. At the far end stood a statue, ten feet tall, carved from obsidian and white quartz.
It depicted a man holding a complete staff, the very relic now broken in Kalious's hand. The statue's eyes were closed, its face stern and regal.
Malious circled it slowly. "The first king?"
Kalious nodded. "It has to be. The Sovereign who led them before the flood."
At the base of the statue was a shallow basin, filled with black water. Kalious stepped forward, compelled by something he couldn't explain. As he approached, the relic fragment grew warm.
"Be careful," Malious warned, but didn't stop him.
Kalious knelt beside the basin and stared into the water. His reflection stared back, then shimmered, twisted. The surface rippled without touch.
Then he saw him.
A throne of marble and storm. A voice that could split mountains. The Sovereign King, robed in white and gold, standing before a council of warriors. He spoke words in an ancient tongue, and though Kalious did not know the language, he understood the meaning.
Balance must be kept. Light must not conquer. Nor shall Shadow rule. We are not gods, we are guardians."
Kalious gasped, falling back from the basin. The vision faded, but the warmth of the relic remained.
Malious was already at his side. "What did you see?"
Kalious swallowed. "Not a memory. Not mine. His. The king's. It was like… like the relic showed me his truth."
Malious helped him stand. "Then we're not just carrying his weapon. We're carrying what he left behind in his will."
As they turned to leave, the chamber shifted again. A portion of the mural cracked, revealing a hidden doorway just behind the statue.
From beyond, a breeze escaped, warm, dry, and humming with power.
Kalious exhaled. "There's more."
Malious grinned. "Then let's find it."
They stepped through the wall and into the next trial, the echoes of a king guiding their every step.