Episode II — The Sah’s Pyramid

Chapter 2: The Revelation

Ember lets out a sigh of relief. “I wonder, where did Specter Mike go . . .?” She cuts off with a shriek.

Michael turns around, only to find himself face to face with the Self, standing just behind the barrier, less than a foot away from them. The entity stares at him with its cold eyes.

Meanwhile, Gebmar remains static, observing the forest with confusion. He takes a deep breath and says, “This place is the Terra Realm, from the Elemental Kingdom.”

“The Terra Realm?” Michael exclaims, intrigued.

“My domain back home, from which all the terrestrial and earth elementals come. It just looks like this. Mike, have you ever been to the Elemental Kingdom?” asks Gebmar.

“Of course not. You know it’s forbidden for humans to go there, ever since the war ended. It’s just a place I like to escape to in my mind when I’m stressed. I’ve dreamed of this place for as long as I can remember,” says Michael. A soft breeze comes out of the woods and gently plays with Michael’s hair. “This place gives me so much peace. Do you think I can access the Elemental Kingdom through dreams?”

“Technically, that’s impossible. The entrance has been sealed completely for physical beings, especially humans. So, I don’t understand how this place could exist in your subconscious,” says Gebmar, carefully analyzing his surroundings.

“So, where to now, Mike? Can we finally leave this crazy place?” asks Ember.

Michael closes his eyes, searching deep within himself. He feels the magic flowing out of him once more. Opening his eyes, he sees the golden strings again, leading deep into the forest.

“That way!” Michael confidently points in the direction shown by the strings. He ventures into the forest, followed by his companions.

Ember’s eyes sparkle with excitement as she captures videos of the surreal environment on her phone. Gebmar follows, his mood serious, his focus solid on Michael. As they step forward, the surreal forest begins to morph and transform into an abstract neon reality, filled with pyramids, mysterious crystals suspended in the air, and intricate shapes from sacred geometry.

“This place . . . it feels oddly familiar. Almost like home,” Michael adds as he slowly spins, carefully observing the world around him.

“This is the Ethereal Realm, the land of Transcendental Elementals, the most distant region of the Elemental Kingdom. It’s been eons since the last time I came here . . .” Gebmar stares at the landscape with a mixture of nostalgia and sadness. He slowly sits on the mirror-like floor, quietly stares at his reflection, and murmurs to himself, “This has to be one of the most bizarre adventures I’ve ever participated in. It just keeps making less sense.”

Michael approaches Gebmar, concerned.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, noticing the way Gebmar avoids eye contact.

“These places stir up memories, both good and bad. Please, find whatever this place is hiding,” Gebmar replies, his gaze fixed on the ground.

Michael nods solemnly. “I’ll do my best to expedite things.”

Lost in his thoughts, Gebmar contemplates the significance of the place, the peculiar birthmark on Michael’s chest, and the intense gaze the mage exchanged with Rigel a while back. Could it all be a mere coincidence? Is this why the Deities entrusted me with the role as Michael’s mentor and guardian?

Scanning the area, Michael spots the golden strings enveloping a massive enigmatic sculpture, resembling a humanoid figure, crafted from quartz clusters.

“I think I’ve found what we’re searching for,” Michael shouts eagerly, rushing over.

He places his palm on a cluster of quartz, setting off a chain reaction of cracks that rapidly spiderweb across its surface. They watch in awe as the crystals begin to collapse. A blinding light erupts from the top of the sculpture, causing them to shield their eyes. When they dare to look up again, they behold an infinity sign glowing brilliantly above the head of the crystal statue, unveiling the shape of an ancient deity.

Ember and Michael stare in awe at the statue and the infinity sign.

“No way . . .” Gebmar mutters to himself.

Driven by an inexplicable magnetic force, Michael approaches the statue and places both hands on it. Mesmerized by what’s unfolding, Ember pulls out her phone and snaps a photo of him before returning her attention to the statue, watching him with intent focus.

After a moment of silence, the figure begins to glow with neon violet light and the infinity sign splits into two, forming an inverted S-shape on either side of the deity’s head. With a deep breath, Michael absorbs the entire statue and the shapes. In response, his own body begins to glow brightly.

“Well, that felt . . . incredible,” Michael remarks, turning to his companions, who stare at him in astonishment. “What?”

“What happened to you? Your hair, eyes, skin?! And what are those things on your head?” asks his sister, flabbergasted.

Michael gazes down at his reflection in the mirrored floor, taken aback by the dramatic transformation. His hair is now violet in hue, and his skin has taken on a bluish-lavender tone. His eyes gleam an intense magenta, verging on red. Hovering above his head, glowing S-shapes emit a powerful, magenta-colored divine aura.

“What are these things?” he wonders, reaching up to touch them. As he does, a surge of magic and power courses through him, eliciting a smile. “I feel . . . complete. It’s as if I’ve found a missing part of myself. I just hope this isn’t permanent; I look so strange.”

As Michael looks up, he sees Gebmar approaching, his eyes wide with awe. The deva tenderly touches the floating S-shapes, his expression becoming emotional.

Ember moves closer, curious to inspect them as well.

“Wow, so cool . . . ouch!” she yelps as a sudden spark jumps from one of the shapes and jolts her finger. Rubbing it, she pouts, “That hurt! Hey, why can you touch those things without getting shocked?”

Ignoring her question, Gebmar continues to gaze at the S-shapes, his voice barely above a whisper. “Aethryon’s Crown . . .?”

“Aethryon’s crown?” Ember repeats.

“Aethryon?” Michael falls silent for a moment, a flash from this morning’s dream rushing back to him. “I’ve heard that name before, in a dream. A dream I had this morning!” The memory floods his mind, bringing with it a sense of confusion.

Gebmar’s attention suddenly sharpens on Michael as he wipes away his tears, regaining his composure. “A dream? What else do you remember?!”

“It gets foggy each time I try to remember, so I don’t recall much, except for the name, Aethryon,” says Michael.

Gebmar’s eyes glaze over as he falls to his knees. “Could it be? No, it can’t be. But it’s the only way this can make sense.”

“Make sense of what?” Michael asks, intrigued by Gebmar’s cryptic comments.

Gebmar remains quiet as he struggles to compose himself. Finally, after regaining his composure, he replies, “We need to talk, a long talk. But first, let’s get out of here. Is there anything else you need to do to finish this darn test?”

“Not sure,” Michael answers back, looking around them anxiously. Gebmar is about to speak again when the barrier around them suddenly collapses. In the blink of an eye, the Self stands behind the deva. Michael and Ember catch a clear view of its malicious smile, and the sight sends shivers down their spines.

Thank you for reading Chaos’s Key.

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