Castian felt the weight of Shen's words reverberate in his mind like the echo of distant thunder. "I made a mistake in bringing you here." The statement spun in his head, planting a mix of confusion and fear that he couldn't ignore. He stopped, his chest still heaving from the previous battle, but now overtaken by an anxiety that seemed to cling to the shadows around him.
"Why?" Castian broke the silence, his voice hoarse. He stared at Shen, his eyes burning with the urgency for answers. "What do you mean by 'mistake'?"
Shen, who always appeared unshakeable, hesitated. His eyes did not meet Castian's right away. The old warrior seemed to be battling something within himself, something he had tried to suppress until now. When he finally spoke, his voice was graver, almost resigned.
"The entity..." Shen began, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. "If it can communicate with you, Castian, it only means one thing. You... you are the one destined to free it."
Shen's words struck like a blow. Castian's eyes widened, instinctively recoiling. The air seemed to be ripped from his lungs, and for a moment, he could think of nothing but the terrible implication of that revelation.
"What?" Castian whispered, trying to process. "No, that doesn't make sense. I don't..." He shook his head, his eyes searching Shen's face for any sign that this was just a misunderstanding.
But Shen remained firm. His somber expression and the deep lines on his forehead told another story. He knew what he was talking about, and Castian sensed deep down that there was no mistake.
"Were we doomed from the beginning, then?" The incredulity in Castian's voice was replaced by a fierce determination. He stepped forward as if confronting the very destiny Shen had just imposed on him. "If we're here and I am that person... there's no turning back. We must stop that entity from being released."
Shen sighed deeply, observing the young man before him, recognizing the courage that, despite his youth, Castian was beginning to show. He nodded silently, understanding that the die had already been cast.
"I wish I had another choice." Shen's voice was low, almost a lament. "But what has been set in motion cannot be undone. You're right. We must move forward... and find a way to reinforce the seal."
With that, both began to walk, the silence between them as heavy as the cave's air. The darkness around them seemed to deepen with every step, and the atmosphere became more suffocating. Shen's lantern emitted a flickering light, barely illuminating the path ahead, but they continued without veering. Every sound, every whisper of wind felt laden with malice, as if the cave itself was whispering its secrets to those who dared to tread on its forbidden ground.
As they delved deeper, the air grew colder, almost icy, and the sensation of being watched intensified. Castian didn't utter a word, but his thoughts raced. "Why me?" The idea of being destined to free a malevolent entity seemed absurd, yet at the same time, something within him, something deep and buried, made sense. It was as if a part of his soul recognized that cave, those shadows.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached a wide opening inside the cave, a kind of colossal hall carved from the rock. Castian stopped at the entrance, his eyes sweeping the environment. The hall was shrouded in heavy darkness, except for a few ancient torches flickering around, casting distorted shadows on the walls.
But what caught Castian's attention were the countless writings covering the walls of that hall. Ancient words, symbols, and marks he didn't consciously recognize, yet they stirred something deep within his being. He walked closer, examining the symbols up close.
"What is this?" Castian murmured, his voice barely audible as his fingers traced the outline of one of the symbols carved into the rock. He didn't know what was written there, but something unsettled him. It was familiar in a strange and unsettling way.
Shen approached, maintaining a respectful distance but observing Castian's reaction intently.
"These writings... they are part of the ancient seal," Shen said, his voice laden with gravity. "But they are also connected to you in some way. The legend says that the destined one would have a deep connection with the entity. These symbols... they are calling to you, Castian."
Castian closed his eyes for a moment, trying to push away the growing sensation that he was losing control. But when he opened his eyes again, he saw something in the center of the hall. Something he hadn't noticed before. In the middle of the hall, surrounded by a strange pale light, there was a sarcophagus.
Castian furrowed his brow, intrigued yet frightened. The sarcophagus was ancient, covered in moss and stones, emanating an energy so heavy that the air around it seemed to vibrate. However, what troubled him most was the fact that, despite never having been there before, he felt as though he knew that object.
He approached cautiously, his heart pounding in his chest. There was something about that sarcophagus that drew him in, as if he were destined to touch it, to interact with it in some way.
"This..." Castian said, his voice trembling. "I know this, but... I shouldn't."
He stopped just a few steps from the sarcophagus, his eyes fixed on the stone lid carved with ancient runes. Shen moved closer, keeping his distance but attentive.
"What is this?" Castian asked, barely able to control the unease in his voice.
Shen, unsure how to respond immediately, remained silent. But Castian knew. Even without clear answers, something within him screamed that this chamber and that sarcophagus were somehow linked to his destiny.
And that terrified him.