The city had grown eerily quiet over the past few days, and with every passing hour, the air around us felt heavier.
The key was in Seonwoo's possession, but no matter how many doors or gates we tried, none of the keyholes matched. We had the key, but now the real question was: where did it go?
I sat on a broken pillar, staring into the city's ruins. My hands gripped the edges of the book, still hidden in my pack, the weight of it heavy in my thoughts. I hadn't opened it in days.
There was no point. It felt like it had stopped updating, like the answers it gave me were no longer useful.
"We need to leave," I said, breaking the silence and standing up. The others glanced at me, waiting for more.
Seonwoo, ever the skeptic, was the first to speak.
"We've been over this. We can't leave without the key fitting somewhere."
He held the key in his hand, inspecting it once more, turning it over as if the answer was hidden within its form.
I met his gaze.
"I know. But the problem is, we've tried it on every lock and door we've come across, and nothing fits. This key is supposed to open something—but where?"
Elar, who had been silently observing, frowned.
"That's strange. The key should fit somewhere. It's meant for this city, isn't it?"
Kaelen joined the conversation, his voice low and thoughtful.
"We've been looking all over, but there's no clear place to use it. We could be missing something—an obvious clue, or maybe it's hidden in plain sight."
I nodded, staring out at the looming structures around us.
"The city is massive. Maybe we're thinking too small. Maybe it's not about a door or a gate at all."
Seonwoo tightened his grip on the key, frustration clear on his face.
"So, what, you think we just walk around until we stumble upon the right place?"
I met his eyes.
"Maybe not. But we need to start looking for a bigger, more central place. A place where something important is locked away, and this key—this key—fits."
Elar perked up, his excitement returning.
"What if it's a massive lock? Like, something at the heart of the city? Maybe the city is one giant mechanism. The key could be the missing piece!"
Kaelen glanced toward a massive, towering structure in the distance, its silhouette cutting through the dim light.
"That could be it. It's the tallest thing in the city, and it's the most imposing. Maybe it's more than just a building. Maybe it's the keyhole we've been searching for."
I turned to face the group, determination in my eyes.
"We're going there. It has to be the center of everything. If we don't try, we'll never know. Let's move."
Seonwoo hesitated but then nodded.
"Alright. But if this key doesn't fit, we'll be stuck here forever."
Elar slapped him on the back with enthusiasm.
"I'm not worried. It's gonna fit. I just know it!"
Kaelen gave a small, thoughtful nod.
"We need to stay sharp. We can't afford to make any more mistakes. Let's go."
With the key in hand, we moved toward the towering structure, the city sprawling out around us like a maze. Every step felt heavier, the uncertainty of what lay ahead pressing down on us. But one thing was certain: the key was meant for something in this city. We just had to find where
The plaza was eerily quiet, the sounds of our footsteps echoing off the cold, marble stone beneath us. I glanced around, the architecture around us both grand and unsettling, as if frozen in time.
The buildings rose high, their design intricate yet decayed, giving off the impression of a city that had once been alive—perhaps even thriving—but was now abandoned, waiting.
"Where do we even start?" Kaelen asked, his voice cutting through the silence.
I shrugged, my eyes scanning the horizon.
"We keep looking. We know the key fits somewhere here... it has to."
Seonwoo, ever watchful, scanned the area, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"We should be careful. We've no idea what else is here. This place feels like it's been forgotten for a reason."
Elar, who had been walking quietly beside me, broke his silence with a laugh.
"Careful? We're probably safer here than in the barren " His voice was light, but his eyes were sharp, darting around as he surveyed the space.
"Still, there's something... strange about this place. It feels like it's holding its breath, waiting for us to unlock whatever's hidden here."
I nodded, taking a deep breath. The atmosphere around us was oppressive, like the air itself was heavy with secrets. I could feel the weight of the key in my hand, as if it had become a part of me.
We walked further into the city, the tall, looming buildings narrowing our path, forcing us to stay close together. Every corner we turned led to another empty street, another silent courtyard.
There were no signs of life, no creatures, no other travelers. Just the constant hum of our own steps and the distant sound of water, still flowing from the fountain behind us.
"How can something this big be so empty?" Seonwoo muttered, his eyes flickering nervously as he took in the desolate streets.
I didn't have an answer for him. The silence felt suffocating, like the city was hiding something from us—something we weren't ready to find. And yet, the key seemed to pulse in his palm, urging us to move forward.
We kept walking, moving toward the distant spire that loomed over the city like a beacon. It was tall, impossibly so, and the closer we got, the more imposing it became.
The stone beneath our feet began to change, becoming smoother, almost polished, as if it had been cared for while the rest of the city had been left to decay.
"There," Kaelen said, pointing toward a large archway that led into the base of the spire. "That looks like a place of importance. It might be where the key belongs."
I nodded. "Let's see if it fits there."
As we approached the archway, the tension in the air grew thicker. The space felt... alive. But not in the way a living thing would.
More like something ancient, waiting for a moment of awakening. The key seemed to hum, as if it recognized the place.
When we reached the entrance, Seonwoo stepped forward and held the key up to the stone, wondering if it would fit. The archway was smooth, but it was clear that it was built with purpose. There was an indentation in the stone, the perfect shape for the key.
He slid the key into the lock, and the moment it made contact, the entire archway trembled. A low hum filled the air, and the stone began to shift, grinding against itself. The sound echoed through the city, loud enough to send a chill down my spine.
"It's happening," I said, barely above a whisper.
The lock turned with ease, and the archway slowly began to open, revealing the darkness within. It was unlike anything we had seen so far—beyond the stone arch was a vast chamber, its walls lined with strange symbols, their meaning unknown. But what caught my eye was the massive, ornate lever at the far end of the chamber.
"This is it," Elar said, his voice filled with excitement. "This is where it ends. We're about to find out what this city is hiding."
I felt the weight of his words, but the feeling of uncertainty lingered. We were about to open something, but was it truly what we were looking for? Or was it something we weren't ready for?
As the archway opened wider, the air inside the chamber stirred, and for the first time since we arrived, I felt like we weren't alone. The city may have been abandoned, but it wasn't empty.
There was something here, something that had been waiting for us to find it.
I glanced at my companions, their faces tense, but determined.
"Let's go," I said, taking the first step into the chamber.
We crossed the threshold, each of us feeling the pull of the unknown. Whatever lay at the end of the corridor, it was waiting for us to unlock it. And with that, we continued our journey, no longer sure of where it would lead, but knowing we had no choice but to find out
iThe room seemed to hold its breath. We reached and pulled the lever, it clicked into place, the symbols on the walls began to glow brighter, lighting up the chamber in an eerie, otherworldly way.
"Are you sure?" Kaelen's voice broke the silence, his tone uncertain.
Seonwoo didn't answer him immediately.
The moment all the symbols glowed the world seemed to explode. A burst of light filled the room, and I could feel the force of it pushing me back. My eyes burned as I shielded them from the blinding light, hearing the others call out, but their voices were muffled, distant.
I wanted to look at Seonwoo, but the light was too much. I heard the floor tremble beneath me, and for a moment, I felt weightless—disoriented. When the light faded and the rumble stopped, I dared to open my eyes.
The room we had been standing in was gone. In its place was an entirely new world. A strange, vast expanse stretched out before us, with a glowing portal standing in the center. The air felt different, heavy with anticipation.
"Where... where are we?" Elar's voice was filled with awe as he stepped beside me, his gaze fixed on the portal.
Seonwoo was already moving toward it, his eyes focused, his steps determined.
"It's the way forward," he said, but it didn't sound like he was speaking to anyone in particular. It was like he was convincing himself.
Kaelen looked at him, his brows furrowed. "You're sure?"
"It's the only way," Seonwoo replied. He turned to face us then, his gaze sweeping over the group. "We have to go through."
There was no hesitation in his voice. No fear. Just determination. But something about the way he said it made me wonder if he was hiding something.
There was always something about him—something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
I didn't know what to feel as I stood there. We had crossed so many lines already. And now we were about to cross into something even stranger.
I glanced at Kaelen, then at Elar. They didn't seem to have the answers either. It was like we were all just along for the ride.
"Harin?" Seonwoo's voice broke through my thoughts. "We have to go. There's no time."
I nodded, even though I wasn't sure why I was following him. But something inside me told me that we had no other choice. And in that moment, I realized I had trusted him without fully understanding why.
I stepped forward, my feet carrying me toward the glowing portal, each step heavier than the last. I could feel the others behind me, following in my footsteps.
We were doing this. Together.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more at play here than any of us realized.
And for the first time, I wondered... Why was I here? Why was I a part of this?
The moment I crossed the the world went dark.....