The shrine was befitting of the sage’s description, aptly embodying its description of being a sacrificial chamber.

Vines sprawled across every inch of the cracked limestone, splitting apart anything that wasn’t already worn down by the weather. Sandstone pillars, most of them half broken, stood at the sides of the building and framed the entrance.

The interior of the shrine fared just as well, in a similar decrepit state to the exterior structures. And yet, despite the abandoned appearance, it was difficult to shake the eerie feeling that they were being watched. Amidst all the toppled statues and pillars, it was easy for anyone to hide in the darkness.

Nikolay clicked his tongue in disappointment at the ruins.

How blasphemous to leave a sacred temple in such a state.

Whether this was said sarcastically or genuinely, Raine had no idea. Either way, he wasn’t about to challenge Nikolay’s statement. He agreed. It was sobering to see that a shrine dedicated to the gods could deteriorate in such a manner, completely lost and forgotten in time.

At the centre of the rubble was a grey stone bowl, placed atop an altar that was relatively unharmed in comparison to the rest of the structures.

A glint inside the bowl drew their attention to a clean ebony knife. It was in mint condition, without a single speck of dust on the blade. Compared to the rest of the temple, it seemed out of place.

How convenient, Nikolay noted in dry amusement.

Realisation dawned on Raine as the puzzle pieces clicked together in his mind.

Oh, no no no. We are NOT filling that bowl with our blood. We will die if we fill that entire thing.

It doesn’t look like we have a choice.

Aren’t you getting a bad feeling about this?

This is your prophecy, idiot. I can’t believe that I’m the one who has to tell you to fulfill your own prophecy.

To Raine’s annoyance, Nikolay wasn’t wrong. This was the only lead that they had on the prophecy.

Look, I’ll even do the deed in your place. If only to make sure you don’t chicken out.

Nikolay picked up the knife and inspected the blade, despite its flawless shine. Once that he was satisfied that they wouldn’t contract tetanus, he tested the knife’s sharpness against the soft skin of their palm. It was surprisingly sharp — much sharper than most regular knives, at least.

A thin red line appeared as Nikolay pulled the knife away from their skin. Blood welled up in small beads, bright red spheres clinging to the cut.

Raine hissed at the stinging that followed, powerless to do any about it.

This- This can’t be right. It’s impossible to fill that thing! That’s 3 litres, at least! We should see if there’s another option.

Let me know if you see another way to procure 3 litres of blood, Nikolay deadpanned.

In an attempt to ignore the sharp pain in their left palm, Raine cast his attention elsewhere. He followed the cracks in a nearby column, and the geometric pattern that seemed to form from the twisting lines. Except... that specific crack looked kind of like an elephant. It wasn’t long before Raine found himself guessing an animal from the abstract shapes, like a shitty version of cloud spotting.

An unnatural flicker of a nearby shadow disrupted his attentive study of the cracked pillar. It was so fast that it left Raine wondering whether it had been a trick of the eye.

Did you see that?

Nikolay sighed heavily. Distracting me isn’t going to change anything.

No, I’m being serious. There was a moving shadow-

In this abandoned building? Nikolay replied sceptically.

Nonetheless, Nikolay raised his head to scan the surrounding area, only to find that everything was just as motionless as it was earlier. Even the wind had stilled, enveloping them in a bubble of silence.

There’s nothing there. Are you sure it’s not just your nervousness?

I’m a hundred percent certain that there was something moving, Raine insisted. It was around that pile of rubble on your left, with the broken half-pillar.

Nikolay gripped the knife tighter and slowly padded towards the suspicious area. I’m trusting you.

Rookie mistake, but I appreciate the gesture.

The silence was all too apparent as they drew closer to the high pile of rubble. The harsh sound of their shoes hitting the stone floor sliced through the thick silence hanging in the air.

With bated breath, Nikolay cautiously peered behind the pillar.

There’s... nothing here.

Nothing but plain rubble met their gaze. The silence felt mocking, as though it was obvious that nobody had been there to begin with.

Raine winced at the disappointment in Nikolay’s tone. There was a shadow, though.

Mhm, Nikolay hummed disbelievingly as he walked back to the bowl. It’s common to make mistakes when you’re frightened. Something about a flight or fight response.

Nikolay inhaled sharply and adjusted his grip on the knife. The tip of the blade poked lightly into their skin, stretching it taut without breaking through.

A beat passed, but the knife was still in the same position as before.

Raine probed towards Nikolay’s consciousness. Was it possible that Nikolay was... scared? After all of his talk about duty and-

The blade easily rended through taut skin and muscle, parting like soft butter. A deep ravine formed from their palm to their elbow. Blood quickly filled the gap, welling up like a stream.

The word ‘pain’ didn’t do it justice. To have such an overwhelming, agonising sensation compacted neatly into one simple word was a cruelty.

Raine was aware that they- no, he was screaming. The sound echoed off the limestone walls, mimicking a tortured animal — which wasn’t far from the truth.

Nikolay furiously clapped his right hand over their mouth. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!

Giving a normal reaction to having your arm torn apart, Raine snapped back.

Weren’t you suspicious of being watched? That scream of yours alerted everyone within a 1km radius of our location.

Easier said than- Fuck, at least keep the blood inside the bowl while we’re arguing.

No shit, sherlock.

Nikolay gripped the edge of the bowl with his good hand, letting the bright red blood from his other hand rush out into the bowl. It was difficult to conserve every single drop, given that they had just cut through a high-pressure artery. With each pulse of their heart, a wide spray of blood gushed out from the wound. The rate of blood loss seriously concerned Raine. He was pretty sure that no matter what universe they were in, losing this much blood was not good. Even if magic and gods existed.

Hey... Are we supposed to see the muscle like that?

Nikolay didn’t reply, too occupied with clenching his teeth together to prevent Nikorai from screaming again.

It had barely even been thirty seconds, and they were already feeling lightheaded. A few more seconds later, they were leaning over on the bowl for support. Unhindered torrents of blood were still streaming out of their arm with no sign of stopping.

Through their fading vision, they saw a glimpse of figures emerging from the shadows. Raine wished that he could be happy about being right, but he only felt dread settling into his stomach.

...I- Nikolay made a strangled grunt as he attempted to stand up. Fuck-

They crashed to the stone floor, using the little energy they had left to avoid a fatal blow to their skull while falling.

Too exhausted to fuel another attempt at standing, they were at the mercy of their mysterious stalkers. Their consciousness was rapidly fading, but Raine had one more thing to say.

If it ends like this... I want you to know-

Shut up. Please.