Chapter 3
The Monument
Dawn was breaking, the light of the sun creeping from below the earth slowly but surely lighting the grave I was cast into. I could now see that there was a large grate above me however it was too heavy to move and way too small to be able to creep out, there was no escape! By the time dawn had fully broke my body had healed, I was able to move once more. The time to venture within the depths of the monument, there had been many legend of the great monument on how light came from its very heart, and how the dead rise to defend it, also how no-living creature has ever survived a day within the monument, but it seemed more of a crypt then anything.
There was a small passage way leading into a dark room, I could not help but think “should I stay here or venture deeper? Either way I’m dead… I may as well have some adventure whilst I do it!”
I than proceeded down the passage to find a large corpse, it was bigger than anything I had ever seen if this thing died here I don’t know how I’m meant to survive? At a closer inspection of the corpse there was a small book, it was torn and burnt but I could work out a word, it was in the old world empire language ‘Soul’ after a short time of reading the words that I could decipher they started to form a sentence ‘Soul of the Demon’ all though there was a lacking of understanding and structure. I wondered if that is what I am? Am I a Demon? Or just have demonic presence? But there was no time to waste on questions. I decided it was time to move deeper within the crypt. I came to a small labyrinth, not much of mystery here though there was a large whole right through the middle with fresh scorch marks and fetid corpses raised lifelessly almost as if they were waiting for something or someone. There was also a book near the far door on a pedestal, there were also three words in the old language however when I deciphered them they were a complete other language I had never heard before however each word was glowing red, blue or white in the walls. I moved to the red glowing word, the glowing seemed to be from energy similar to that of mine. the word read ‘anima ardor conbustum’ as words left my mouth my energy began to leap around my hands, large bolts starting to spark I could feel my hands beginning to burn, fire was emerging, it seemed more I concentrated the bigger the flames got, I pointed my hand toward the corpses and said once again ‘anima ardor conbustum’ As the last word left my mouth a huge wave of pure energy propelled itself from my hand, ripping the very life from the corpses, tearing flesh from bone whilst incinerating the corpse to nothing but pure ash.
As I began to master my new skill I remembered my dad when I was a child before they were taken from me, he always used to say “keep your anima strong son” and now it would seem that he knew this old language or knew of words, maybe he was a demon or a demonic? Maybe I have inherited this from my father? But why did he not protect me as a child if he knew of this, maybe it was his fault!? Just maybe, he was the reason they were taken? But then he loved my mother, why would he let her be taken, why would he let my sister be stolen from us? But again there was no time to rest, if I let the past catch up with me I will be worried and notable to focus, it’s time to move through this labyrinth.
As I proceeded through the door on the other side of the labyrinth there was an even larger room with cells on each side two stories high with ramps although each cell was empty they all had their own coffin or memorial of where it was clear a body used to occupy but other than the small amounts of flesh in the coffin and near the memorials there was no trace of any movement outside of each cell, almost as if they just disappeared without any trace of existence. On the far wall on the ground floor there was a doorway like a cave there was a word glowing blue on the wall similar to the one in the labyrinth however this one read “Lupus Longe Oculos” as I read the last word I had a huge pain in my head, it was so intense that I passed out. I then awoke to find I could see a small trail of a bright blue line across the floor, it was like blood, a very thing strip through the door I awoke next to, It would seem the trail of the disappearing corpses had appeared, I now knew where they went and I could trails, there was also a small red line very faint but it would seem the corpse was following or being dragged by this person or creature, this would also be why there was no trace of them to any normal person.
I began to follow the trail through several rooms exactly the same as the first every detail exactly the same as the last, it was as if I was caught in a bad dream, room after room there were no corpses and no trace of any presence, however the line kept in the same direction, all there was all there could ever be was a small line, that line which I was following in hope it would lead me to freedom or any sign of hope. After what I seemed like an eternity of pain, hundreds of rooms the same, I came to a room with a slight difference. On one side there were cells like all the other however on the other side there was a cell missing instead it was a solid wall, the lines followed into this door, it was as if the disappeared however I could see hand prints red and blue, the room had blood splatter around it, it was like someone or something had tried to get in before and was killed. In the room there were lacerations in each wall and arrow fletching’s spread around the floor, it was almost as if a medieval battle had commenced here a long time ago however there were fresh scorch marks similar to the ones from the labyrinth, there was also a small hole in the wall with a red glowing outer. As I peered inside there was a small button that needed to be forced back to be pressed however I could not reach the button with my hand.
The red scorch marks made me think of ‘Anima Ardor Conbustum’ the ancient words from the labyrinth however I feared if I used my energy to press the button I may incinerate it instead of just pressing it. If there was any sign of hope I would need to open this door and if my demonic presence is the only way then so be it. As I stood far back I fell into deep concentration before I said “Anima Ardor Conbustum” and I concentrated more and more the flames grew large my energy raised itself exponentially I reached my limit or as focused as I could become. I opened my eyes and pointed my hand at the button behind the wall and then in a quiet voice I said once again “Anima Ardor Conbustum” as the beam of energy left my hand it began to grow, the beam from my hand filled the whole room with scorch marks, as the force was beginning to push me back, the wall around the button was torn away, behind the wall was a large mechanical system that consisted of many cogs, it would seem the button was only a decoy, there was a small piece of what it would seem metal that absorbed the energy I had released and then projected it to jump start this huge machine. The wall to my side then opened and it would seem I was free to enter, however as I entered the room what I saw I could not believe the room was huge, everything seemed to be powered by the machine I had charge with my energy, it was amazing, such a prehistoric outer hiding the mysteries within.
