After hours of searching through the abandoned village, the group grew restless, their movements slow and cautious as they scoured every corner. The silence was thick, broken only by the occasional rustle of wind or the distant cry of a bird. SteelArm, trying to be careful as he adjusted a cup on a dusty table, accidentally nudged it just a little too far.
In an instant, the ground trembled beneath them, a low rumble that quickly escalated into a deafening roar. The earth beneath the mountain groaned as if waking from a long slumber. Rocks began to shift, and dirt flew into the air as the mountain itself seemed to come alive. The sky darkened, and a massive temple, glowing with an eerie light, materialized in the skies above, hovering ominously. As the temple descended, a trail of stairs, shrouded in an unnatural darkness, formed from the mountain's base, leading up to the temple suspended in the sky. The air was thick with power, and the very atmosphere felt charged, as if the mountain itself was holding its breath.
Stiles stepped back, eyes wide as he looked at the temple. "Well, damn... this sure is one amazing 'family vacation'," he muttered, his hand instinctively reaching for his weapon.
Aria stood still, watching the unfolding spectacle with a somber expression. "This is it," she murmured. "The temple has finally been revealed."
Dante's gaze never left the stairs leading to the temple. "Let's go. We came this far."
The group moved cautiously toward the dark stairs, the air grew colder with every step they took toward the entrance, the darkness around them almost suffocating. Once they arrived at the base of the stairs, Aria took the first step onto the shadowed stairs. The moment her foot touched the first stair, the atmosphere seemed to shift, a low hum vibrating through the air. Her eyes glowed faintly as she continued her ascent, the others following closely behind her.
As they stepped onto solid ground in front of the temple, Stiles squinted up at the ominous structure looming in the sky. "How the hell do we get in?" he asked, scanning the stone walls for any sign of an entrance.
Aria paused, turning back toward them with a soft smile playing on her lips. "Patience," she said quietly, then walked directly toward the temple. Her movements were graceful, almost reverent, as she approached the ancient stone.
With a steadying breath, she placed her hand on the cold surface of the temple. The moment her mana met the stone, a deep rumble reverberated through the air. The ground trembled beneath them, and with a groan of ancient stone, a hidden passage revealed itself. The temple shook, the surrounding darkness receding as a grand staircase appeared, descending deep into the heart of the temple.
Aria glanced over her shoulder, her smile now more confident. "Come on," she said softly, her voice echoing faintly in the space. Without hesitation, she began walking down the stairs within the temple.
The others glanced at each other before taking a step into the temple and continuing down the steps. Each step they took was loud, echoing off the walls as they descended.
After only a few minutes of walking, the group came across a weathered wooden door. Aria's face brightened as she spotted it, and she hurried toward it, pushing it open with a sense of purpose. The moment the door creaked open, a rush of memories flooded her mind, vivid and overwhelming. "This... was a nice place," she whispered softly to herself, her voice tinged with nostalgia as she stepped inside.
The others followed her into the room, but Aria barely noticed. She scanned the space briefly, her gaze quickly locking onto a broken wooden bookshelf in the corner. It was a ruin, but on the third row, a small section remained perfectly intact, untouched by time. Without hesitation, Aria walked over, her fingers brushing against the smooth edges of the stone tablet resting there.
As she carefully pulled the tablet from its place, the entire bookshelf trembled and, with a final, heavy groan, shattered into splinters, the remains collapsing to the floor in a pile of broken wood. Aria held the tablet carefully, her eyes softening as she looked down at it, a mixture of relief in her gaze.
"Finally... part of my power will be returned to me," Aria murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, as she began reading the stone tablet aloud. As the words spilled from her lips, the entire room darkened in an instant, swallowing the group in pitch-blackness.
"Everyone alright?" Dante called out, his voice laced with concern.
"Yeah, I can't see for shit, though," Stiles replied, trying to find his way around the room.
"I mean, besides being blind, I'm fine," SteelArm replied sarcastically, before a chuckle escaped him.
Despite the swirling blackness, Aria's voice remained steady as she continued to read from the tablet. The ground beneath them rumbled, and suddenly, the mountain began to shake violently. A surge of dark energy rushed through the temple, and the air crackled with power.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, the darkness faded, and their vision returned. But what they saw was even more unsettling.
Aria stood at the center of a swirling vortex of dark energy, her body completely engulfed by it. The power surged around her like a storm, the atmosphere heavy with a terrifying presence.
Before anyone could react, a pulse of raw mana exploded from her, and in the blink of an eye, they were all teleported away, crashing back into the familiar world outside the temple.
As their eyes locked onto the temple, it began to crumble, its structure disintegrating into dust, consumed by a swirling black vortex. Before anyone could speak, the dark mist wrapped around them, and in an instant, they found themselves back in Dante's room at the guild.
The silence stretched for a moment before Aria, calm as ever, bowed to them, her eyes warm with gratitude. "Thank you all," she said softly, her voice gentle. "There was a requirement to get this. I needed four people at the mountain, people with a bond stronger than death. Considering everything you've been through together, you were the only ones who could help me regain this."
With that, she left the room, her footsteps quiet as she made her way back to her room in the guild. She paused for a moment, her smile softening as she turned toward the door. "I guess I'll stay for a while longer," she mused, her tone almost wistful. "Things might get... interesting soon."
The others stood in silence, each processing what had just transpired.
"Well, that was… something," Dante said, breaking the silence. He let out a sigh, the weight of everything that had happened finally catching up with him. "I have no idea what to make of it. One moment we're in a crumbling temple, and the next, we're back here."
Stiles rubbed his eyes, trying to get the blurry feeling out of them. "Yeah, that was one hell of a trip. Not exactly the kind of day I had planned." He chuckled half-heartedly, though it was clear he was still processing everything.
Suddenly they were interrupted by the familiar sound of their phone buzzing. Dante quickly glanced at it, seeing a message from Halstein.
"Dante, Stiles, SteelArm, meet me in my office. We need to discuss something important."
"Guess we're being summoned," Dante said, standing up and motioning for the others to follow him. The trio exchanged quick glances before making their way through the guild, navigating through the bustling halls until they reached Halstein's office.
As they approached the door, they could already hear the faint murmur of voices within, but it was clear the message had been meant just for them. Dante knocked, then opened the door.
Halstein, sitting behind his large wooden desk, motioned for them to enter. "Come in," he said, his tone unusually serious. He gestured for them to sit before placing a single folder down in front of them.
"What's this?" Stiles asked, taking a seat and leaning forward.
Halstein opened the folder without a word, revealing a single sheet inside. The header read: SS-Rank Dungeon
Halstein gave them a sharp look. "I need you three, along with any others you want to bring, to clear it."
The three of them exchanged a glance, the weight of the task ahead already sinking in. Stiles let out a heavy sigh. "Another long couple of weeks..." he murmured, grabbing the folder as they all silently agreed to move forward with the mission.
Halstein, offered them a warm smile. "Good luck. Stay safe out there."
With that, they left his office, and after a few hours of travel in Dante's truck they arrived at the beach, now cordoned off from the public. The air was thick with the tension of uncertainty.
Dante scanned the area, noting the absence of any other hunters. "I guess this is it?" he said, a faint frown tugging at his lips as he looked around.
SteelArm glanced at the horizon, then turned to the others. "We should probably recruit some more people to join us. The more hands, the better."
Stiles, however, shook his head, his eyes narrowing with quiet confidence. "Nah, we've got this," he said with a grin, before stepping toward the shimmering portal that loomed ahead, an eerie glow pulsating from within. Without a second thought, he crossed the threshold and disappeared.
SteelArm and Dante exchanged a brief look before following suit.