Maya and Sophia rushed through the ornate golden doors. As they passed, they heard the heavy sound of the doors slamming shut behind them.

"Wait, are…we trapped here?" Maya asked.

Sophia turned and banged her gauntleted hand against the door several times. But the doors didn't budge at all. "Pretty sure we're stuck in here for now."

Maya glanced around the area. "Where are we?"

"Not sure, I've never made it this far," Sophia admitted.

The room was lined with a series of imposing pillars that rose up to meet the high ceiling, creating a corridor of sorts that led straight to the stone altar at the far end. Between the pillars stood a series of statues.

The statues had bodies that resembled knights or beasts, but with their heads shaped into the likeness of the sun. Meanwhile, the ceiling was adorned with several flaming spheres, aligned in a straight line that pointed towards the altar.

"This place is giving me the creeps," Maya whispered.

Sophia glanced around. "Looks like it's just us at least."

Walking slowly and carefully through the cathedral, Maya made sure to navigate around the statues as best she could. The girl couldn't shake off the feeling that the statues were somehow tracking her movements.

Meanwhile, Sophia approached several of the statues confidently and reached out to touch them. She seemed to be searching for something, running her fingers over the smooth stone.

Upon seeing this, Maya raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Sophia glanced back at her and shrugged. "Checking things out," she replied, her attention still on the statues. "Might find something useful."

After taking in a deep breath to calm herself, Maya began to approach some of the statues herself. "What are we looking for exactly?"

"Not sure. My memory about this area is a bit blurry, but there's something we have to do with these statues."

"I'll take your word for it then."

As they ventured further into the chamber, Maya and Sophia finally reached the stone altar at its far end. The altar was made out of pitch black rock. Shimmering words were inscribed on it.

Maya leaned in closer, squinting at the engraved words, but they were written in a language that she didn't know.

Maya turned to Sophia and pointed at the strange inscription. "Can you read that?"

"I think so."

Sophia turned her head and read the inscription briefly. "It reads, 'All who come must see in three, so that the dogs of war will come to thee."

"What does that even mean?"

Sophia turned her attention back to the statues they had passed earlier. After a moment, she faced Maya again. "I think I have an idea."

"Those vague words gave you an idea?"

"I do, it's hard to explain. But I sort of just understand what we need to do."

"Right, so what's the plan?"

"I think the inscription is hinting at a ritual. We need to place three of the statue's heads on the altar."

Maya looked confused. "All the statue heads look the same though."

"That's true," Sophia conceded. "However, the bodies of the statues are different. We need to find the statues with the bodies of dogs and remove their heads."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "So, we just 'yoink' them out?"

Sophia gave a half-smile. "Pretty much."

The two cautiously walked among the statues once more. Until finally, Maya pointed to one of them. "Look, that's a dog shaped one."

"Great, I'll take a look," Sophia responded, walking towards the statue.

However, just as the Paladin was about to grasp the statue's sun-shaped head, Maya reached out to stop her. "Hold on, do we have a plan if you trigger something dangerous?"

"If a monster pops out, we'll fight it, if it's a trap then we'll just have to run I guess."

The Shapestealer breathed out a sigh. "If it turns out to be a trap, stay close to me. I can transform into a wind elemental and maybe carry you."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Sophia paused, looked at the statue and then at Maya. "Anyway, ready?"

Maya stepped back and raised both of her hands. "All yours."

The Paladin placed her hands on the statue's head and gave it a firm tug. There was a brief moment of resistance before the head came loose in her hands, surprisingly lighter than it looked.

Sophia held the sun-shaped head towards Maya with a slight grin. "See, nothing wrong."

"Okay, I got it," Maya said, gently pushing the head away.

"Now we just need two more," Sophia said, scanning the room for other dog-bodied statues.

Together, they moved through the chamber and searched again. It wasn't long before Maya spotted another statue with a canine body. She pulled its head out while Sophia found yet another statue and pulled its head out as well. Once all three heads were collected, they made their way back to the stone altar, with Maya carrying one head while Sophia carried two.

Maya looked at the altar, then back at Sophia, holding one of the sun-shaped heads. "So, do we just place these here on the altar?"

The Paladin nodded, placing one of the heads she was carrying onto the altar. "I think so."

Maya carefully set the second head down next to the first. Sophia followed suit, placing the third and final head, completing the arrangement.

Once they stepped back, Maya looked around expectantly. "Is something supposed to happen now?"

Sophia scratched her head. "I thought something would. Maybe there's a delay?"

Maya started to reply, "Thank goodness it's not some kind of-" but her words were abruptly cut off as the entire room began to shake violently. Dust fell from the ceiling, and the ground beneath their feet rumbled.

She felt herself being pulled away as Sophia pulled her behind one of the nearby pillars for cover. The two peered out cautiously, checking to see what was going on.

The heads they had placed on the altar started to glow, shifting from a warm yellow to a bright, fiery red. Then, the heads levitated slightly, their sun-shaped faces turning towards the center of the room.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Three concentrated beams of light shot out from the heads, converging at a single point in the middle of the chamber.

Maya turned to Sophia. "What's going on?"

Sophia's eyes were fixed on the converging beams. "Not sure, but I feel we're going to have to fight."

"Fight what?"

"That."

Maya and Sophia watched in awe as converging beams of light in the center of the room began to materialize into a tangible form. The air around them shimmered with an intense heat as flames erupted from the heart of the chamber.

The flames rapidly molded themselves into a distinct shape. It grew larger and more defined with each passing second, forming a thick hide and fur until finally: a three headed Cerberus emerged. The beast's three tails whipped back and forth, leaving trails of embers in their wake.

The Cerberus let out a deafening howl that resonated through the chamber. It thrashed around the room, its flaming body slamming against the ancient statues that lined the walls. Each of its three heads snapped viciously, jaws clamping down on anything within reach.

Maya's heart pounded in her chest, as she turned to Sophia. "You mind going first?"

Sophia smirked. "Sure." And with those words, the Paladin charged headlong towards the Cerberus.

Maya tried to keep up with Sophia. She darted towards the other statues in the room, using them as cover while keeping her eyes fixed on the Paladin and the monstrous creature.

Sophia raised her sword high and invoked her [Smite]. Her sword burst into radiant energy, casting a luminous sheen across the cavernous room.

Meanwhile, the Cerberus seemed to sense this new threat. Its three heads snarled in unison, spewing flames and ash.

But the Paladin soon found her moment. She darted forward and slashed at one of the Cerberus's massive legs. Her sword cut through the thick hide as if it were cloth.

A chunk of the monster's leg vaporized in a burst of radiant light, leaving behind only a searing, glowing edge where it had been severed. The beast howled in agony, its pain echoing off the stone walls, a sound so intense it vibrated in Maya's chest. The leg, now partially missing, sent the Cerberus off balance, its other legs scrambling to compensate.

Enraged, the Cerberus turned swiftly towards Sophia. Before she could react, the monster headbutted the Paladin that connected with a thunderous force. She crashed through several of the statues lining the room.

Maya's eyes widened in horror as she watched Sophia being hurled across the room. She knew she needed to act fast, but the thought of transforming into her Shadow Knight form with its sunlight vulnerability held her back.

In desperation, checked her [Relic Class Status] to see her options.

Tier 1: Wind Elemental (Requirement: Transform Mid-Air)

Tier 2: Shadow Knight (Penalty: Sunlight Vulnerability)

Her eyes darted between the two options, her mind working feverishly. The Wind Elemental form didn't have sunlight vulnerability at least. But transforming mid-air was a different issue.

She thought for a moment, until she realized how easy transforming mid-air actually was going to be. The Shapestealer jumped.

As she did so, the transformation began. A gentle gust of wind swirled around her, rapidly gaining momentum. Her body started to blur. She felt a tingling sensation, as if soft feathers were caressing her skin. She completed her transformation without ever touching the ground again.

As Maya hovered in her new Wind Elemental form, she saw the Cerberus charging towards Sophia. The Paladin seemed dazed from the earlier impact and was still struggling to rise.

The Shapestealer flew closer to the raging Cerberus. As she approached, she gathered the air around her and unleashed her [Whirlwind]. The air around her hands swirled violently, forming a mighty vortex that rushed towards the Cerberus.

The beast was caught off-guard and lost its balance. The powerful gusts pushed against its massive form, forcing it away from the prone Paladin.

Meanwhile, Sophia began to pull herself up. She grasped her sword and used it as a support to stand. Her armor clinked and clattered as she rose.

The paladin quickly cast [Heal] on herself. A greenish light enveloped her, mending her wounds.

She then charged towards the Cerberus once again. As she ran, she whispered an incantation to invoke [Smite], her sword lighting up with divine energy.

The Cerberus howled and charged towards the Paladin with renewed vigor. Its massive paws thundered against the stone floor, and its fiery breath heated the air around it.

But Maya just as the Cerberus neared Sophia, Maya unleashed another [Whirlwind]. The strong winds hit the beast squarely, interrupting its charge and sending it reeling to the side.

Stunned by the force of the wind, the Cerberus faltered, providing Sophia with the perfect opportunity. She leaped towards it, her sword raised. In a swift arc, she brought the sword down on the creature's middle head. The holy energy of [Smite] cleaved through the air, striking the head with a blinding flash of light.

The Cerberus's middle head was decimated, vaporizing in a burst of light and ash. The beast thrashed wildly in pain, its remaining heads howling in agony.

While the Cerberus was dying, Maya attempted to use [Copycat] on it. Yet, nothing happened, not even a [Target Invalid] notification. The Shapestealer mentally noted that perhaps she simply needs to be in her original form to actually use [Copycat].

Regardless, the light from Sophia's sword burned through the Cerberus, causing it to slowly disintegrate. It writhed and twisted until, finally, it burned away completely.

In the aftermath: a small, sun-shaped red gem laid where the Cerberus once stood.

Maya hovered back towards the ground. As she touched down, she allowed the wind to dissipate around her, her body gradually returning to its original form.

She quickly went over to Sophia. "Are you okay?"

The Paladin was leaning slightly on her sword for support. But she looked up with a weary smile. "I'm a bit tired, but otherwise fine,"

"That's good to hear."

"That wind elemental form seemed pretty handy."

"It's not the strongest form I have, but it was my only option back there."

Sophia chuckled. "It's fine, besides, we got something nice for our troubles."

Sophia walked over to where the small, sun-shaped red gem lay on the ground. She bent down and picked up the gem. The Paladin held it up and examined it closely "Hmm, interesting."

Maya approached Sophia to get a better look at the mysterious gem. "What's that?"

"I think this may be a Sun Stone," Sophia replied, her voice tinged with awe.

"What’s that mean?" Maya asked.

"It's a powerful magical artifact, normally, they just... well, drop from creatures like that Cerberus," Sophia explained, holding the gem up to the light.

"Can we do anything with that item?" Maya asked; her eyes fixed on the gem in Sophia's hands.

"We can use it as a catalyst for certain spells, or maybe to heal certain injuries," Sophia explained, turning the stone over in her hand to examine it more closely.

"Oh, but wait, if it’s a Sun Stone, how come I don’t feel anything from it? Shouldn't I, you know, feel some kind of pain or weakness due to being close to something like that?" Maya asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"Oh, this thing is still inactive," Sophia replied. "You need to be casting a spell or have the right equipment to activate it. Here, why don’t you try holding it?"

"I guess, but let’s get out of here after, yeah? I still have that sunlight vulnerability, and it sucks," Maya said, a note of frustration in her tone.

Carefully, Maya took the Sun Stone from Sophia's hands. As she held the item, to her surprise, the stone began to glow.

Instead of feeling pain, however, Maya felt strangely invigorated. Suddenly, a set of notifications appeared in front of her eyes, catching her attention and piquing her curiosity about the stone's capabilities and effects.

[Would you like to evolve one of your transformations? Yes/No]

"Well, would you look at that," Sophia muttered, stroking her chin thoughtfully.

"I... this has never happened to me before," Maya said, a mix of wonder and uncertainty in her voice.

"What do you mean, this notification?" Sophia asked, looking over Maya's shoulder with curiosity.

"Yeah, not sure what I should do," Maya replied, her brows furrowing as she contemplated the unexpected prompt.

"I mean, it says evolve. Can’t be that bad, right?" Sophia reasoned, trying to offer some guidance.

"I suppose I’ll give it a go then," Maya decided, a cautious yet adventurous tone in her voice.

She tentatively selected [Yes] on the notification and was immediately presented with a list of options she could choose from.

[Evolution options]

1. Wind Elemental >> Fire Elemental

2. Shadow Knight >> Blaze Knight

Sophia peered over Maya's shoulder, her eyes scanning the list of evolution options displayed on the notification. "Interesting choices you have there."

"Yeah, I think I’m going to choose the Blaze Knight. Doesn’t make much sense for me to upgrade a weaker form," Maya said aloud.

Having made her choice, Maya selected the Blaze Knight option. As she did so, the Sun Stone she held in her hand began to glow. The stone pulsed with magic energy, becoming a conduit for the transformation. Then, just as quickly as it had flared to life, the glow vanished, leaving the stone seemingly inert once again.

In the immediate aftermath of her selection, Maya was greeted with another set of notifications.

[Evolution complete]

[Blaze Knight unlocked]

[Displaying changes]

Entity Name: Shadow Knight >> Blaze Knight

Level: 16

Physique: 6 >> 7

Dexterity: 5 >> 4

Magic: 5

Unique Skills:

1. Phantom Stride

2. Overheat

Penalty: sunlight vulnerability >> Requirement: bleed

"Seems like an upgrade overall." Maya muttered, examining the notifications.

"What does 'Requirement: bleed' mean though?" Sophia asked.

"I guess it means I have to be sufficiently injured," Maya said.

Sophia raised an eyebrow. "But by how much?"

Shrugging slightly, Maya replied, "I'm not exactly sure. But we might find out sooner rather than later."

The Paladin laughed. "Let's hope not too soon."