Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 684: Foreboding ()
The mighty chains sealing the hallway dropped to the ground with a clang sound that echoed through the tower, how far the echoes would reach, Xenon was not certain and he did not truly care.
Xenon retracted his hand, dispersing his flames that had melted through the seal. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he once again contemplated his actions.
But there was already no retreat, the hallway had been unsealed. And within it, he would either find a way back home or... something terrible.
Xenon ventured into the dark hallway, his eyes squinted to adjust to the darkness but it did not need to. In just a moment, a torch flickered on on either sides of the walls, precisely where Xenon stood. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
Xenon glanced over, fit into the torch were the same red glowing gems that lit up the part of the tower they had occupied for this long.
The further down the hallway Xenon went, the torches lit up in progression until Xenon was out of the hallway and stepped into a large, central hall, almost as large as the audience hall of Dragon Keep.
There were sights that filled the heart with an extraordinary thrill, a rare exhilaration, making one’s heart beat faster and leaving a feeling of breathlessness,
This was the fond and familiar feeling, that would lay hold to Xenon’s heart at every moment he caught even a glimpse of Neveah’s rare smile.
Not the cynical or mirthless smile that was more frequently found on Neveah, but a true, genuine smile, in which her eyes would light up in excitement.
It was ironic that in this moment, Xenon found himself reminiscing on such a fond and beautiful feeling, and just how great of a contrast it was to what he felt in this moment.
Just as there were unforgettable pleasant sights, there were sights that left a bitter feeling in the gut and a deep sense of despair and it was at such a sight Xenon currently stared.
What lay beyond the sealed hallways of the shadow tower, one might wonder? Too many horrors that were better forgotten... Xenon realized it in this moment, why these halls were better left sealed, never to see the light of day again.
The air was thick with an oppressive silence, broken only by the distant echoes of dripping water.
The hall was dimly lit by flickering torches that cast eerie shadows on the stone walls, and the very walls exuded an aura of foreboding.
The walls were adorned with intricate carvings depicting scenes... horrible scenes of the slaughter of countless dragons, in such exact details that their soulless eyes carved into the wall appeared so real, they seemed to be staring at Xenon.
Xenon’s stomach churned but it was quickly suppressed, Xenon did know and had witnessed his fair share of the horrors of that dark age.
But after so many centuries, seeing it like this, proudly displayed on the walls like, it was a sight that gave Xenon rare chills.
There were dozens and dozens of such scenes, covering every inch of every wall. Scenes of dragons pulled down from the sky by shadow beasts, scenes of dragon battling dragon for sport and the amusement of the dark sorcerers,
Scenes of dragons crushed under the collapse of mines, scenes of dragons ending their own lives... the list was endless.
Xenon’s clenched fists tightened, his claws pierced into the skin of his palm. As his gaze moved from one scene to the other, each one was worse than the former.
"This is..." Xenon trailed off, unable to complete his own words.
’The soul hall of the shadow tower.’ One of the spectral voices related to him, a melancholic undertone accompanying the words.
"Soul hall..." Xenon whispered quietly, his gaze still roaming around the large hall.
Xenon had heard rumours of it, in a time so long ago, his memories could not be trusted to be entirely accurate, but from the little Xenon recalled, this very hall was known to be highly ranked amongst the most horrible acts of the dark empire.
"The soul hall...it was said to be a place where the souls of thousands were sealed away by the dark lord’s necromancer... depriving the true relief of death to his victims." Xenon trailed off.
’Your knowledge of the shadow tower is accurate.’ The second spectral voice approved.
Xenon’s gaze finally settled on a large altar, it was at the centre of all the horrible sights and divided into countless columns.
On each column, a small chest was left, sealed up. But Xenon could trace the intense aura of foreboding he felt to that point in particular.
Xenon walked up to the altar, reaching for the closest chest, he opened it, his brows furrowing slightly when he found a torn piece of a spectral wing within.
"This..." Xenon began again, still unable to utter the words completely.
’To seal the soul of the dead amongst the living, a piece of them that contains their life essence is required... for the Fae, a piece of their wing would do.’ The first spectral voice confirmed Xenon’s suspicions.
Xenon reached for the next chest but he paused midway, his eyes now fixed on another entirely.
Xenon reached for the chest that had caught his eyes instead, it was much higher up on the columns than the first one and so Xenon had to climb up the short steps by the sides.
The chest was soon within reach and Xenon lifted up the lid, his eyes growing wide as he saw what was contained within.
It was an orb, a quite familiar orb too...it was a gem, refined and forged by a dragon, the kind they never gave out unless to express a great debt of gratitude. But for some reason, the orb was a plain white and cloudy colour, rather than taking the colour of the dragon’s scale.
’For dragons, their gems or scales hold the greatest portion of their essence... hence it serves, as a soul seal.’ The first spectral voice explained again.
