The Ruins of Kel-Vahr

The wind blew fiercely, carrying with it heavy, threatening clouds.
Kael and Eryn had crossed mountains and deep valleys for two days, their destination still unclear, guided only by the silhouette of ruins that appeared on the horizon.

Finally, after crossing a ridge, they arrived at an unexpected viewpoint: a remote valley, encircled by jagged, shattered mountain peaks. There, at the center, lay the remnants of a once grand city.

Kel-Vahr.

A legend to many. A place where magic merged with the earth, where the arcane of the Aether was mastered like nowhere else. But it had been centuries since the city had fallen into ruin, buried beneath the ashes of war and the mistakes of the ancients.

— Here, Eryn said in a dry tone. — Kel-Vahr.

She paused for a moment, staring at the shattered buildings and black stone structures twisted by time and devastation.

Kael watched in silence. An odd unease gripped him. The place had a strange aura, almost oppressive. The air felt heavier here, as though the ruins themselves were still breathing.

— We need to go in, he said after a long silence.

Eryn nodded, her eyes piercing through the debris of the collapsed towers. She seemed indifferent to the place, as if she was used to being around ruins, but Kael couldn’t ignore the almost tangible presence of ancient magic in the air.

They moved cautiously through the ruins. The stones were cracked, covered in black moss and thick grasses. The old cobbled roads had collapsed, swallowed by vegetation, but fragments of glyphs and runes engraved in the stones were still visible, emitting a faint, almost imperceptible glow. Distant echoes reverberated between the shattered walls.

— This is where forbidden magic was experimented with, Eryn murmured, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

Kael wasn’t sure he understood.

— What do you mean by “forbidden magic”? he asked.

Eryn turned to him, her gaze darkening.

— Kel-Vahr wasn’t just a learning center for mages. It was a laboratory, a place where powers beyond human understanding were manipulated. Dangerous experiments. Magics that devoured everything. Even those who practiced them.

She paused for a moment, staring at a broken door ahead of them, as if trying to recall something.

— It’s said that part of this magic was sealed away. It was made inaccessible, but… there are still traces of it, remnants.

Kael shuddered. He had no idea what Eryn meant, but he felt that the danger was very real.

— And you think we’ll find answers here, in these ruins? he asked, more to himself than to her.

She shrugged, her expression distant.

— Answers are never where we seek them, Kael. But… clues. Yes. There are clues. Maybe what you’re looking for, what we’re looking for, is buried beneath these stones and ashes.

They crossed the heart of the ruins, venturing through a maze of empty corridors and collapsed rooms. Each step seemed to echo through the stones, and the atmosphere grew heavier. The air seemed to vibrate, as if ancient magic was still present, waiting to be released.

They eventually entered what seemed to be an old library, though the shelves were now broken, mere corpses of what they once were. The books were torn, their pages reduced to dust. But on one of the walls, a series of symbols carved into the stone caught Kael’s attention.

— What are these? he asked, pointing at the strange marks.

Eryn approached, her eyes scrutinizing the symbols with an attention that revealed a deep knowledge of ancient magic.

— Locking glyphs, she said. Those who designed this library wanted to protect something here. Something important.

She touched one of the symbols, and, unexpectedly, a faint burst of light shot out of the rune, casting a pale glow on the walls. Kael took a step back, impressed.

— Can you open them? he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity and caution.

Eryn closed her eyes, and her hands slowly traced a circle in the air, speaking words in a language Kael didn’t understand. The glyphs began to glow brighter, and a low sound filled the air. A crackling noise, as if something heavy was being undone.

Finally, the rune gave way.

The wall in front of them slowly parted, revealing a hidden room. Inside, at the center, stood an ancient stone table. Above it, a black crystal sphere, imbued with magic.

Eryn moved forward cautiously, her fingers brushing against the surface of the crystal. A green glow seemed to rekindle within the sphere, and an ethereal whisper escaped.

— This is it, Kael, Eryn whispered, a shiver running down her spine. This is where it all began. And here is where we’ll find what you’re searching for.

Kael stepped forward slowly, a growing fear tightening in his chest. This sphere… this object, this artifact… he didn’t know why, but he had the feeling it was far more than he had imagined.

He touched the crystal.

And everything froze.