A pulse of energy rippled outward, twisting the very air around them. The book's pages flared with a ghostly light as symbols shifted and morphed into patterns that defied explanation—shapes that, though unreadable, stirred something deep within them. Akhaqia gritted his teeth as an intense heat surged through his and Adinim's veins, as if fire and static had become part of who they were.
Huia gasped, eyes and mouth suddenly illuminated. "What the hell is this—?" he managed to cry out.
In the blink of an eye, the air snapped, and the ground beneath them dissolved into nothingness. Darkness swallowed everything, and a piercing ringing filled Akhaqia's ears as his vision blurred and the world twisted into something unrecognizable—a place where reality itself seemed to have given up. Now, all he felt was the suffocating weight of darkness, punctuated by a mocking, sinister laughter that came from everywhere at once.
Straining to locate the source, he only found disorienting silence amid the all-consuming black. Huia's wide eyes stayed fixed on Akhaqia as his body hit something unseen, as if he had blacked out before ever reaching solid ground. Adinim followed, his face a mask of confusion, silently asking what had become of Akhaqia.
Then, just as suddenly, the radiant light from Huia's eyes faded, leaving them with a steady, unyielding golden glow. A quiet fury simmered in Huia, but before it could boil over, Argent 47's calm voice cut through the chaos: "Remember to tell Akhaqia that Darvahn is after him." No sooner had those words fallen than Huia collapsed, and the scorching heat and crackling flames whirled around him until they coalesced into a fiery ball, its maddening laughter echoing in the void.
Adinim closed his eyes at the tumultuous descent. He opened them once again and was in a strange, dark place. He looked around, confused, and saw a young infant with its back to him. Adinim gingerly extended his hand and placed it on the child's shoulder. Adinim's heart skipped a beat as he saw his own face looking back at him as the youngster slowly turned. The scene was too unbelievable; with his heart racing, he yanked his hand away and started frantically looking for a way out.
Every step in that oppressive darkness felt weighted with dread. The only sounds were his ragged breaths and that distant, sinister laughter slithering through the void. Then, somewhere deep in the dark, a low hum began to build—a vibration that mingled with the chaotic energy of the book. Brief flashes of silver started dancing along the walls, like shards of moonlight or sparks of a memory long forgotten. In each flicker, Adinim caught glimpses of familiar faces, fleeting moments from his past, echoes of promises made in better times.
Then came a soft, insistent whisper from the gloom: "Adinim… find the key." It was his own voice, once full of hope and possibility, now transformed into both command and plea. That sound stirred long-buried memories of purpose amid his despair.
In that charged moment, a brilliant flash of light erupted, blinding him. When his vision slowly cleared, Adinim found himself standing on the threshold of a strange new realm—one that felt both alien and eerily familiar. This was the place people whispered about, the very domain where the beast of Hassa Currie was said to dwell. Though he had never been there before, something about its presence tugged at him, and now he realized he was trapped within its bounds. Nearby, he saw Huia and Akhaqia scattered about; as he glanced back at Huia, a chill ran down his spine—Huia's hair was gone, his body looked as if burned by flame, and he lay there unconscious, reeking of smoke. Adinim looked at him confused as to what had happened. He touched for a pulse; both he and Akhaqia were alive, he thought to himself. Damn that Savass agent. What the hell, Akhaqia thought, when he decided to work with those people.
Outside, the jungle unfurled before him—a living tapestry of wild, untamed beauty. Towering trees formed a dense canopy overhead, letting sunlight break through in mottled, emerald patches on the forest floor. Vines twisted around ancient trunks, and the heavy, humid air was filled with the rich smells of damp earth, wildflowers, and decay—a constant reminder that life and death danced together in every breath.
Yet beneath that breathtaking beauty, the jungle pulsed with an undercurrent of menace. It erupted with a cacophony of sound—a discordant symphony of guttural growls, deep roars, and piercing shrieks that cut through the humid air. Snapping twigs, rustling leaves, and the scrape of claws on bark blended with eerie chittering and the hum of monstrous insects. Every sound felt like a warning, as if the jungle itself was alerting intruders to the dangers hidden in every shadow.
From the shattered remnants of his old reality to the raw, primeval chaos of the jungle, Adinim's journey had led him here—to a realm that was as haunting as it was beautiful, where every step uncovered new mysteries and every sound foretold imminent danger. With trembling resolve and the echo of that spectral command urging him onward, he stepped deeper into the unknown, determined to find the key that might finally unlock his escape.
Meanwhile, he was being watched from the shadows. In the distance, a man resembling a barbarian—a rugged, imposing figure, a force of raw physical power and untamed ferocity—observed the trio. Clad in rough-hewn furs and leather, his body bore the scars of countless battles and the relentless hardships of an unforgiving wilderness. His muscular build and weathered skin spoke of a life spent surviving against all odds.
After taking in everything before him, the man turned and strode toward the jungle. With each deliberate, thundering step, his presence sent every nearby beast fleeing in the opposite direction.
Meanwhile, as the barbarian melted into the dense jungle foliage, Adinim stood silently beside the unconscious Huia and Akhaqia, both wondering—and knowing exactly—how they'd ended up there, thanks to that damn Savass agent.