Chapter Three: A New World 3
Echo moved at a cautious pace, filled with a mixture of existential curiosity and deep appreciation for the beauty of this coffin, which seemed like a fallen piece from a time where human feet had never set foot. He slowly extended his hand and touched the cold metal surface with his fingertips, and at that moment, a sudden pulse ran through his veins, echoing within the recesses of his mind like the ringing of a funeral bell. He backed away hesitantly, his golden eyes scanning the dark hall around him, but the silence remained master of the situation. 'What was that?' he whispered to himself, narrowing his eyes in concentration. This coffin definitely contains something... not just solid metal.'
He tried to open it using his physical strength, but the lid was fused to the body of the coffin as if it were an integral part of it. While he was examining the corners, he was stopped by paths engraved with amazing precision and strange geometric drawings that all converged at a central point that resembled a mysterious, many-sided star. Motivated by his previous experience in worlds where blood was the only key to ancient secrets, he realized that this determination was waiting for a 'sacrifice' to be set free. He did not hesitate much; He bit the tip of his finger hard, and placed a drop of his crimson blood over the center of the star.
At that moment, the unthinkable happened; The coffin reacted frantically with his blood, and the drilled channel began to absorb the drop, turning its color from bright red into a glowing liquid gold, which ran at lightning speed through the complex paths, igniting the entire coffin with overwhelming light. Echo quickly backed away, covering his eyes with his palm from the intensity of the light, and a wry smile appeared on his lips: 'I knew that...it's that kind of beginning, huh?'
He had hardly finished his speech when a sharp, sacred ringing sound resounded deep within him, and the door of the coffin exploded flying into the air with devastating force, shattering the surrounding columns and scattering dust and debris throughout the hall, throwing Iko to the ground. He quickly regained his balance by instinct, and stood amidst the rising dust, tightening his body muscles, and his gaze froze in front of the scene before him.
From the heart of the open coffin emerged a woman of indescribable beauty; With golden hair flowing like threads of the sun, blue eyes as clear as the sky at its peak, and flawless alabaster skin that makes her look more like a doll made by a divine hand than a living being of flesh and blood. She was floating delicately just inches from the ground, completely stripped of any adornment but her own light, looking at him with a look devoid of any human emotion, like a vessel waiting to be filled.
With a gentle voice that carried the tone of ancient musical instruments, she uttered one word that shook the silent temple
- " my master "