After a grueling battle, we had finally succeeded. The demon lay before us, significantly weakened; slumped against the wall was nothing but a pale, female-shaped husk.
Meanwhile, I was trying to recover from the astronomical amount of miasma I had absorbed. The pain persisted, sharp and unrelenting. I could barely stand, every breath was a labor, my vision was blurry, and my mind was foggy.
"You did it! I didn't know you were suicidal," Estris teased as he helped steady me.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, that's how it is," I managed to reply, my voice hoarse.
The others joined us, battered and covered in wounds.
"Nico! Are you okay?" Raysley asked.
"You could say that..."
"I don't know if that was courage or stupidity, but you succeeded. That's what matters," Hiyro chimed in, patting my back with a sly smile.
"Once we get to the nearest town, you'll need a detox. It's safer," Estris advised.
"Can we think about that when we get there? My mind isn't really in it."
While we were talking, Karla had remained facing the monster, sword held high, ready to strike at the slightest movement. Her instinct was right. The creature stirred. Barely a tremor, but enough for Karla to prepare to lunge. Before she could pierce the motionless form, my voice echoed in her mind.
"Karla, stop!"
She halted abruptly, turning to me with a flash of anger on her face.
"Why are you stopping me?"
"It's already over."
The demon's body slid off the blade Estris had planted in its abdomen and crashed to the ground. The flesh seemed to desiccate, crumbling into dust. Gradually, another skin appeared beneath, smoother, paler, almost pearlescent.
Finally, a young girl emerged from the ashes, with long hair as white as snow and a warm complexion. Karla promptly covered her body with a piece of canvas we used as a blanket during our expeditions. It was rudimentary, but it would suffice.
"I don't understand what's happening anymore!" Hiyro exclaimed.
"I have to admit... it's unsettling," Estris conceded.
"What do we do with her?" Karla asked.
"Maybe she's harmless now," Raysley suggested. "Perhaps it was the miasma that transformed her."
"Let's wait for her to wake up to get some answers," I proposed.
"Hmm! Hmm!" Rayzo grunted in approval.
As we debated, the girl began to move. Slowly, she sat up, rubbed her eyes, and opened them. Iridescent azure-blue irises fixed on us. She appeared to be a human girl of about eighteen to twenty years old.
As soon as she saw us, panic seized her. She jerked back, clutching the fabric around her, as if vainly trying to transform one last time.
"Tell me who you are," I asked, articulating slowly, accompanying my words with simple gestures.
"What are these ridiculous movements?" Karla mocked.
"Nothing says she understands us. Better to use signs."
A clear, foreign voice then resonated in the hall.
"I can hear you perfectly well. Don't take me for a fool."
"So you can speak?" Estris said, surprised.
"I have nothing to say to you. Leave this place. You are not welcome."
Her voice seemed familiar to me... It was the one I had heard earlier, in the fog of battle.
"You don't have to be so rude! We saved you, at least show some gratitude!" Estris retorted.
"I warned you. Get out. There is nothing here for you..."
She was stubborn. I decided to ask the questions directly.
"What is your name? And what happened in this place?"
"I have nothing to tell you..."
"I think you're trying to protect something... But what? Perhaps your mistress, locked away somewhere here?"
My words made her eyes flash. A cold, almost murderous hostility.
"Who are you, exactly?"
"Answer my question first!"
She closed her eyes, sighed long and deep.
"My name is Senerith. My mission is to protect this place... And thank you for freeing me from the miasma."
She finally seemed to be opening up.
"Who are you? And how do you know about my mistress?"
"No need to beat around the bush. I see the frescoes on the walls. I know the history of this place. And I want explanations. You must know a lot."
At the mention of the frescoes, her surprise was palpable.
"What!? You can see them?"
"I articulated clearly, didn't I?"
"It's impossible... Only those connected to my mistress can perceive her power. How could a human do that?"
"Actually..."
I told her what had happened to Raysley and me upon our arrival in this world. Her astonishment grew, and her guard lowered even further when I asked Raysley to show her sphere. As soon as she saw it, Senerith rushed forward, taking it delicately in her hands.
Upon contact with the sphere, tears streamed down her cheeks, silent and heavy with nostalgia. The moment was imbued with an awkward but necessary solemnity.
"You received one too?" she whispered.
"Yes. It's because of it that we were teleported here."
"That's all well and good, but could you explain what happened? And why you were corrupted?" Karla pressed.
She wiped her tears, searching for words.
"Alright..."
Sitting facing us, she began her story.
According to her, this temple was erected over two millennia ago to venerate Gilliin, the Goddess of Abundance, the seventh of the nine deities governing this world. She also told us that eight other temples were scattered across the world.
"Nine deities?!" Karla exclaimed.
"Why is that shocking?"
"The Holy Church venerates only one: Alios, the all-powerful Creator God," Estris explained.
"Sorry, but I've never heard of him," Senerith retorted.
"Who are these nine gods?" Hiyro asked.
She listed them: Rajan, God of the Void; Kafka, Goddess of Creation; Eneris, God of Desire; Thanifa, Goddess of War; Nifilia, Goddess of Time; Jinoka, God of Destiny; Gilliin, Goddess of Abundance; Ethilos, God of Wisdom; and Xalan, God of Existence.
"But that doesn't make sense! And what proof do you have that you're telling the truth? I never really believed in those deity stories," Karla objected.
"Follow me. I'll show you something."
She led us to the center of the hall, placed her hand on a small circle engraved in the floor, and infused it with mana. The floor, ravaged by the battle, was unstable, littered with craters.
The circle glowed faintly, then the ground began to tremble violently. A phenomenon similar to our entry into the temple.
The floor cracked, fragmented, before finally giving way beneath our feet.
"What!?"
We plummeted into the void, a dizzying, soundless fall.
"What did you do!? Are you trying to kill us?!" Karla screamed.
As we struggled not to succumb to panic, Senerith remained strangely calm, as if assured of the outcome.
Suddenly, a white light surged from the depths, filling the chasm with a blinding brilliance. When we reopened our eyes, we were still alive. And we were no longer in the same hall.
Surrounding us stretched an ethereal sanctuary, with walls of pale marble engraved with glowing runes, bathed in a soft, supernatural light. We had reached the hidden heart of the temple.