I stand in the midst of the ruins of the once-magnificent Evernoir castle, my body still trembling from the cold, but the deeper chill lies in my heart. Before me, the statue of Goddess Oriana stands tall, despite the cracks that mar its surface, a silent witness to all the destruction that has unfolded. Her gentle voice still echoes in my mind, filling the emptiness I had allowed to stretch for so long.

"I'm sorry, Archemidas," her voice speaks again, laced with regret. "I know I failed to keep my promise to protect you. I could only watch, trapped by the laws of this world that I couldn't disrupt. Yet, I have never turned away from you… never abandoned you."

I remain silent, caught in a whirlwind of anger, disappointment, and a flicker of hope that has unexpectedly ignited in my chest. "If you never left me," my voice rasps, "then why did everything fall apart? Why did I have to lose everything?"

A long silence stretches between us before Oriana answers, her tone heavy with sorrow, as if carrying an invisible weight.

"Because I lacked the power to combat the technological forces wielded by your enemies. The faith of your people in me was not enough to face that threat. They came with unchecked power, and I couldn't stop them. I regret it, Archemidas… I am so deeply sorry."

I sigh, the blend of sadness and anger overwhelming. "So what does it matter now? Everything is in ruins. My parents are gone. Lily and Ellora—I don't even know where they are. What hope is left?"

Oriana's voice returns, softer yet more resolute. "Because I can still give you something, Archemidas. Something you have yet to discover. Beneath my statue… beneath this place, there is a hidden passage that has been concealed for centuries. This path can only be opened with the remaining faith and trust of the Evernoir people—and I will channel all my remaining strength for you as my final apology."

I take a step back, my gaze fixed on the statue of Oriana. A hidden passage? I've never heard of such a thing before, yet something deep within me feels it makes sense. A forgotten path, perhaps the only way left to salvage something from this wreckage.

Suddenly, the statue of Oriana begins to glow faintly. A magical light slowly brightens, enveloping the statue with an elegant, sacred aura. The cracks in the statue begin to mend, as if being rejoined by a force beyond logic.

"With this, Archemidas," Oriana continues, "I will open that path for you. This is the last of my power… and after this, I will no longer be able to remain with you. I can only guide you, and the rest will be your task to uncover the truth and sacred strength that will help me return."

My heart races. "What do you mean? You're leaving?" I ask, my voice trembling. Somehow, despite my anger and disappointment, the thought of Oriana leaving feels like a loss. Even though my faith in her has faltered, she has always been my last hope.

"I can no longer maintain my astral form in this world. Everything I have done to protect you has drained my strength. But remember, Archemidas, you are not alone. There is more in this world than you have ever imagined. This secret path will lead you to the truth that has been hidden, and perhaps… just perhaps, you will find a way to restore my power."

As Oriana speaks, I see a large crack open beneath the statue. The once-solid floor begins to splinter and tremble, revealing an entrance to a long-hidden underground tunnel. A soft light flows from within, as if beckoning me to enter.

I gaze at the entrance, my heart filled with doubt. Is this real? Can I truly find something down there? "What will I discover down there, Oriana?"

The voice answers, gentle yet firm. "You will find the lost power and answers to many of your questions. This is your first step… to revive what has been lost."

I stare at the dark entrance, then back at the softly glowing statue of Oriana. "Will this bring back everything that's gone? Will this help me find Lily and Ellora?"

"I can't promise anything, Archemidas," she replies, sadness lacing her words. "But I know one thing—if you give up now, everything will truly be lost. However, if you continue to fight, there is hope, no matter how small."

I clench my fists, feeling tears welling in my eyes once more. Hope. It's something that has long been absent from my life, yet somehow, in this moment, her words make me want to believe again. "I will try," I reply softly, but with conviction. "I will try… for them."

"That is all I ask of you," Oriana whispers. "Thank you, Archemidas. Thank you… for choosing not to give up."

And in that moment, slowly, the light from Oriana's statue begins to fade. The time that had stopped starts to flow again. The rain that had frozen in the air begins to fall once more, droplets trickling down from the sky. The wolves that had been suspended in midair resume their movement, but strangely, they no longer charge at me. They retreat, as if afraid of something unseen. In moments, they vanish into the shadows of the ruins.

I remain standing there, frozen, feeling a small warmth in my heart. Although the world around me is still dark and full of threats, for the first time, I sense a path forward. A door has opened before me, and though I don't know what awaits me below, I know I must step through.

With a heavy but newly found courage, I step toward the secret door. As I descend the stairs into the depths, Oriana's voice echoes in my mind once more, faint but meaningful.

"Keep living, Archemidas. Your journey has only just begun."

"Never forget you are not alone; I know you haven't been alone all this time."

And with that, I look ahead into the darkness and take my first step forward.

***

The staircase descending into the depths seemed endless. Darkness engulfed everything around me, except for a faint beam of light emanating from the damp walls of ancient stone. My footsteps echoed in the narrow corridor, and the eerie silence was broken only by the sound of water dripping from above onto the stone floor.

Yet, I didn't feel entirely alone. There was another presence accompanying me, not from outside, but from within.

"Surprising, isn't it?" The voice suddenly spoke, familiar yet foreign in my head. "You heard the goddess Oriana directly. I can even feel it… she knows I exist, Arche."

I managed a small smile, as if I were used to such conversations. "You sound more emotional than usual. Feeling acknowledged by a goddess, huh? Does that sting a bit?"

"It's not about being acknowledged," my other voice replied. "But she… she feels pity for me. I can sense it. It's as if my presence is just a minor nuisance in her plan to 'help' you." The voice sounded annoyed, almost like someone angry at being looked down upon.

I sighed, my pace slowing as the corridor grew darker. "Well, maybe she does feel that way. After all, you're a part of me that has grown from my loneliness, fears, and sorrows. You're the embodiment of everything I couldn't handle on my own, so it's only natural Oriana sees you with pity."

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"Don't talk as if I'm just a shadow or a parasite!" The voice suddenly sharpened, and I could feel a surge of anger behind it. "I've been with you for years! I'm the one who kept you from jumping off that cliff. I'm the one who whispered to you to keep going when you almost gave up in front of the ruins of this castle."

I stopped walking and stared into the darkness ahead. "I know. I've never denied that."

A moment of silence passed. My other voice seemed to ponder for a moment before continuing. "And I… I'm grateful you listened to me earlier. When we were about to give up completely, I was scared… scared of losing myself with you. If you die, I die too."

I listened quietly, sensing the honesty behind those words. I knew that this other part of me, though often felt like an annoyance, was also my friend. A friend who was always there when I was alone, when faced with unbearable solitude. In fact, I couldn't remember when exactly it started speaking to me—maybe after that first night I fled Evernoir, or perhaps even before that, when I began to feel the world leaving me behind.

"You've always been there," I said softly, continuing my steps. "And maybe I wouldn't be here without you."

"Finally, you admit it," it replied, its tone sounding relieved yet still holding a hint of sharpness. "But honestly, I feel a bit… envious. Oriana spoke to you as if you were the only one who mattered, as if I didn't exist."

I chuckled lightly. "Because she spoke to me, not to you. After all, you are a part of me, aren't you?"

"Yes, but you know I'm more than just a voice in your head, Arche. I'm the part of you you never show to anyone else. I'm you holding onto the anger, fear, and sorrow that you can't express on the surface."

"And you're the one who's always angry, cynical, and complaining all the time," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"That's not entirely wrong," it laughed, a sound that mirrored mine. "But I only complain because our situation is indeed pathetic. You remember, right? Years on the run. Running from one town to another, always being chased by hunters wanting to claim the remnants of the Evernoir kingdom."

I fell silent for a moment, recalling those dark days. "Yeah, I remember. We kept moving, hiding in the countryside, forests, even among the refugees. They thought we were dead, but I'm still alive—we're still alive."

"And we survived it all because I forced us to stay alert. I'm the one who always told you when something felt off, or when we needed to run faster than usual."

I couldn't deny it. Amid the anger, fear, and doubt that often surrounded me, this other part of me was what kept us alive. It wasn't just a dark shadow; it was the reason I could still walk through this underground corridor.

"But, honestly," the voice continued, "I didn't expect you to listen to Oriana. All day, I've been trying to convince you not to end it all, yet in the end, it was the goddess who succeeded. I didn't think you still had any hope left."

I smiled, a bit bitterly. "I'm not sure it's about hope. Maybe I just wasn't ready to give up… or maybe I still want to know what's at the end of this journey. After all, I haven't found Lily and Ellora yet. I can't die before knowing their fate."

The voice fell silent for a moment before speaking again, this time in a more serious tone. "You know, I want to know what happens next too. Maybe there's something in this secret passage, something more than just answers. Maybe, just maybe, we'll find something that makes this journey worthwhile."

I continued walking, nodding in silence. The darkness ahead still felt endless, but I knew one thing—I wasn't truly alone. I had a voice within me, an unseen presence that was always there. This voice had accompanied me for years, helping me endure, even when we often clashed.

"Well," I finally said, breaking the silence, "let's see where this path leads us."

My other voice chuckled softly, this time without sarcasm. "You're right. Let's face whatever's at the end of this road—together, as always."

And with that, I kept walking, alongside the other part of myself, toward the destiny waiting beneath this long-fallen kingdom.

The seemingly endless staircase finally reached the bottom. Before me stretched a corridor different from the previous one—colder and quieter. But what truly stopped me in my tracks was the massive door at the end. This door was unlike anything I had ever seen.

The surrounding walls were still made of ancient damp stone, as if they had been there since the time of my ancestors. But the door… it was a modern object made of gleaming metal, its design looking futuristic and alien. Its color shimmered in a soft purple light that seemed to emanate from the door itself, even though there was no visible power source or electrical flow.

"This is... strange," my thoughts drifted toward my other self. "There's no way something like this originated from Evernoir. It… feels as if it's from another world."

"I agree," the voice replied, sounding cautious. "It doesn't even look like any technology we've encountered. The light… feels like magic, but not entirely. And how could something so foreign be here, in this hidden passage beneath our castle?"

I approached, carefully touching the cold surface of the door. There were no handles or buttons in sight, but as my hand made contact with the metal, the door began to move. Quietly, it opened smoothly, revealing an even stranger sight.

The room beyond the door was illuminated by purple crystals embedded in the walls. The crystals glowed brightly, but not with an eye-piercing light. It felt more like natural light flowing from the crystals themselves, as if they were alive and breathing. There were no visible wires or modern technology, but this room clearly wasn't something that had ever existed in Evernoir castle. This… was something else entirely.

In the center of the room stood a large glass tube, solidly mounted on a black metal base. Inside the tube was something that left me utterly speechless. A metallic structure shaped like a human spine, glimmering in the crystal light.

"What is this…?" I asked myself, but my other self quickly answered.

"It… looks like a spine, but not from a living creature. The metal seems so advanced. Do you see the details? This isn't just any object."

I stepped closer to the tube, examining it more closely. The spine appeared to be carved with high precision, each vertebra shining softly under the purple light. There was something almost… mesmerizing about it, as if the object had a life of its own.

"This… could be some kind of weapon," my other voice said, its tone tense. "Or something more than just a weapon. Could this be what Oriana meant? This path will reveal something about her holy power, right? But I'm not sure how this object relates to that power."

I stared at the object, my brow furrowed. "I don't know either. But one thing's for sure—this isn't an ordinary item. This… might not even be from this world."

"Maybe," my other self murmured, then shifted to a more skeptical tone. "But do you feel like this could help us? Help you find Ellora and Lily? Help restore what has been lost?"

I swallowed hard, bringing my face closer to the glass tube. It felt as if something was pulling me toward the object, though I couldn't quite identify what it was. "I don't know. But if this is a piece of the puzzle left by Oriana, maybe there's something deeper here. Something I need to understand before we go any further."

"Or maybe this is a trap." The voice in my head spoke cynically. "Think about it, Arche. This secret passage has been hidden for centuries. And suddenly, you find an object like this, so modern and advanced? Doesn't that feel too easy?"

I took a step back, gazing at the glass tube with the doubt that was now beginning to grow in my heart. My other self might have a point. Why was this object here, in such a hidden room? Did Oriana truly mean to guide me here?

"But if this is a trap," I said slowly, "then why is there no visible danger? No threats. Just this object, standing here as if it's waiting for me."

"That's what makes it more suspicious," my other voice replied. "Often, the most dangerous things aren't the ones that are immediately visible. This object could be something more than what it seems. It could change your fate… or end it."

I stood there, pondering in front of the glass tube. In my solitude, the voice in my head kept spinning, offering warnings and doubts. But there was something intriguing about this object, something that made me feel I needed to dig deeper for the answers.

"Arche," the voice in my head sounded more serious now, "whatever this is, I just want to make sure you understand the risks. You've already lost so much—your kingdom, your family, even yourself. Don't let something foreign erase what's left of you."

I took a deep breath, my hands trembling slightly as I brushed my fingers along the surface of the glass tube. Its temperature was cold, but not biting. The object seemed so tranquil, yet it contained extraordinary secrets. Maybe this was what I needed to do, to get answers, or perhaps there was something more than this.

"I understand," I finally replied. "But I have no other choice. If this is a clue left by Oriana, I have to trust it. This is the only path I have now. If there's a way to gain that holy power, or to find a way to save Ellora and Lily… then I have to push further."

The voice fell silent for a moment before finally saying in a gentler tone, "Alright. But whatever happens, I'll be with you."

I looked at the metal object shaped like a spine once more. Whatever it was, I knew one thing—this decision would change everything. I took a deep breath, then began searching for a way to open the glass tube.

This journey wasn't over yet. But perhaps here is where I would find the truth I had been searching for all along.

***