Chapter 400:Going into the unknown.
He retrieved a small crystal from his robes and placed it against the stone beside the entrance. The ancient doorway began to glow as afaint vibration traveled through the ground.
Atheline felt the air change. Itwas subtle, almost as though the ruin had noticed them.
Lilith’s eyes narrowed.
"You feel that?"
Atheline nodded.
"Yes."
The attendant stepped back.
"Once you enter, the entrance will remain accessible from this side."
"Meaning?"
"You may return whenever you wish, provided the ruin allows it."
Atheline smiled.
"That’s an interesting choice of words."
The attendant didn’t answer; instead, he bowed.
"May your exploration be successful."
Atheline stepped toward the entrance. Just before entering, Atheline looked back at the other ruins. He stepped across the threshold.
"Be careful," She quite said.
Atheline nodded and smiled back at her.
"I will."
The moment they did, the world behind them disappeared. Atheline stopped. There was no sound, no wind,no temperature, no smell, even the feeling of Aether was strange.
Atheline slowly looked around. He were standing in a vast stone corridor with nothing decorating the walls. Just smooth stone extending into darkness.
Atheline closed his eyes. He tried to feel the surrounding Aether, still nothing.
"That’s strange."
He walked forward, his footsteps echoing twice between it disappeared into the darkness. He continued deeper even though he didn’t know what waited ahead. But unlike the elemental ruins, this one offered them no clues. The mystery made the Unaspected Ruin feel far more ancient than the others.
As he disappeared into the darkness, the entrance behind them slowly faded from sight. He noticed the faint symbol that briefly appeared on the wall.
A symbol that looked strangely familiar, almost like an eye.
.
.
.
Lilith stood before the entrance of the Unaspected Ruin and watched Atheline disappear into the darkness beyond it. For several seconds, she remained completely still.
The ancient doorway had swallowed him without the slightest resistance. There had been no flash of light, no violent reaction, and no indication of what waited beyond the threshold. One moment Atheline had been standing beside her, and the next he was simply gone.
Lilith narrowed her eyes.
She couldn’t sense him. That was the first thing that bothered her.
Usually, even when they were separated by considerable distance, she could feel traces of his presence through their connection and her own perception of Aether. But the moment he had crossed into the ruin, everything had disappeared.
It wasn’t that his presence had been suppressed. It was as though the ruin had simply removed him from the world she understood.
Lilith took one step toward the entrance, then stopped. She stared at the darkness. She could enter, she knew she could. There was nothing physically preventing her.
But she remembered the attendant’s words. The Unaspected Ruin was different. Nobody understood what was inside. Nobody knew what trials existed there. And, most importantly, Atheline had chosen to enter alone.
Lilith’s fingers tightened slightly.
"Atheline..."
There was no answer.
She stood there for another few moments before finally turning around. The attendant who had brought them here looked surprised.
"Your Majesty?"
"I’m leaving."
His eyes widened.
"You’re not waiting for his Majesty?"
"No."
Lilith glanced back toward the doorway.
"Do you possess ruins of all the elements?"
"Yes, your Majesty. They were created by our ancestors to help us train."
"I see."
The attendant hesitated.
"Then... shall I escort you back to the capital?"
Lilith nodded.
"Yes."
As they began walking away from the ruins, Lilith remained unusually quiet. She wasn’t afraid that Atheline couldn’t protect himself.
If anything, she knew better than almost anyone how powerful he had become.
He had reached the peak of the Mystic rank. His body had survived the violent increase in power caused by the mysterious orb.
He possessed multiple elements.
His Wind Aether alone was enough to make him extraordinarily difficult to fight, while his mastery of the bow and sword gave him options at almost every distance.
She knew he could take care of himself but that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that she didn’t know what the ruin was. And there was nothing more irritating to Lilith than an unknown variable involving her husband.
By the time they returned to the Dragonic Palace, she had already made up her mind. She wasn’t going to sit in their room and wait.
If Atheline was going to explore an ancient ruin, she would find a way to become stronger herself. And fortunately, she knew exactly where to start.
.
.
.
Lilith went directly to Draco.
The Draconic King was in one of the private chambers overlooking the mountains when she arrived. He was speaking with several attendants, but the moment they announced her presence, he dismissed them.
Draco looked toward her.
"Something happened."
Lilith walked into the room.
"I want another token for the darkness ruin."
Draco raised an eyebrow, his expression changing.
"You want to enter it now?"
"Yes."
"You already received permission to explore the island."
"I know."
"Then why do you need a token?"
"Because the ruin isn’t mine to enter."
Draco stared at her for several seconds, then he understood.
"You want to follow Atheline."
Lilith didn’t deny it.
"He entered the Unaspected Ruin, and you remained outside."
"Yes."
Draco leaned back in his chair.
"I see."
He was silent for a moment, then he shook his head.
"Lilith, I don’t recommend it."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why?"
"Because you’re doing this for the wrong reason."
"I want to become stronger."
"That’s not what I mean." Draco stood. "You aren’t considering the Darkness Ruin because you have suddenly developed an interest in studying your element."
Lilith remained silent.
"You want to enter because your husband walked into something you couldn’t follow him into."
Lilith’s expression remained composed but Draco smiled.
"I understand." He walked toward the window. "Still, I advise against rushing into the Darkness Ruin simply because you’re worried."
"I’m not worried."
Draco glanced back at her.
"You are."
Lilith sighed.
"Perhaps a little."
"There’s nothing wrong with that." He looked toward the distant mountains. "But the Unaspected Ruin is unlike the others. You cannot assume Atheline is in immediate danger simply because you cannot sense him."
"I know."
"He may spend several hours inside."
"I know."
"He may even leave without gaining anything."
Lilith’s expression became slightly irritated.
"That is precisely what concerns me."
Draco chuckled.
"You want to be beside him."
"Yes."
"Even if there’s nothing there?"
"Yes."
"Even if the ruin does nothing?"
Lilith paused, then she smiled faintly.
"I would still rather be stronger."
Draco studied her. He gestured toward a map hanging on the wall.
"The Darkness Ruin." He pointed toward one of the marked locations. "You can enter it."
Lilith looked at him.
"You’re giving me permission?"
"Yes."
"Without the Dragon Ring?"
"I am the King of the Dragons."
Draco smiled.
"I can authorize access when I choose."
Lilith considered that.
"But you advised against it."
"I advised against entering a ruin because you were afraid for Atheline." He turned toward her. "I’m not advising against entering the Darkness Ruin for your own growth."
Lilith remained silent.
Draco continued.
"You have extraordinary control over darkness."
"Yes."
"But from what I’ve observed, your actual specialization is shadow magic."
Lilith nodded.
"My shadows are derived from darkness."
"Exactly."
Draco walked toward the map.
"Shadow is one expression of darkness. A useful one. An extremely powerful one, judging by your abilities."
He tapped the map.
"But it is still only one aspect."
Lilith’s eyes narrowed with interest.
"The Darkness Ruin would allow you to explore the broader nature of your element."
"How?"
"That is what ruins are for." Draco smiled. "You have spent years refining shadow techniques. Teleportation through shadows. Shadow manipulation. Concealment. Constructs. Suppression."
Lilith nodded.
"Those are all branches of what you control."
"But darkness itself is larger."
His words made Lilith thoughtful. Draco continued.
"Darkness can conceal, but it can also consume. Darkness can suppress, but it can also distort. Darkness can create shadows, but shadows are merely the absence or manipulation of light."
He paused.
"If you learn to understand darkness beyond shadows, your abilities may change."
Lilith looked at the map again.
"How much?"
"I don’t know."
That answer interested her more than certainty would have. Draco smiled.
"That’s the point."
Lilith remained quiet. For a moment, she imagined what it would mean. She had always treated darkness as a means to strengthen her shadow magic.
Her shadows were versatile.
They could become weapons, hands,chains, blades, and portals. She could move through them, hide within them, and manipulate them. But perhaps she had been looking at darkness through too narrow a lens.
Perhaps shadows were only the beginning. And if she could reach another level of understanding... Lilith’s eyes became sharper.
"How dangerous is the ruin?"
"Very."
"Can I handle it?"
Draco didn’t answer immediately, then he smiled.
"You’re a Peak Mystic."
"So are you."
"I’m a Sovereign."
Lilith rolled her eyes.
"That isn’t an answer."
Draco laughed.
"No, it isn’t." He became serious again. "But yes. I believe you can handle it."
Lilith studied him.
"Then I’ll go."
"There’s one condition."
"What?"
"If the ruin becomes too dangerous, you leave. I do not wish to have the death of a monarch in my hands."
Lilith smiled.
"Agreed."
"And you don’t attempt to force your way through a trial simply because you believe Atheline might be in danger."
"I won’t."
Draco stared at her. Lilith sighed.
"Fine. I promise."
"Good."
He turned toward the door.
"Come."
Lilith followed.