The Bigshot's Superstar Wife-Chapter 52: Sacred Place

The night had settled over the forest, quiet except for the occasional whisper of wind through the glowing leaves.

After gathering the medicinal herbs, Athena and Mors had returned to camp, exhaustion creeping into their limbs.

Dinner was a simple meal, rations warmed over the heat generator, accompanied by sips of purified water. They spoke little, but the silence was comfortable.

Mors stretched, cracking his neck before settling against his makeshift bedroll.

"Get some rest," he murmured, throwing another log into the heat source. "We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Athena, lying nearby, gazed up at the twin moons hanging in the sky. They cast a silvery glow over the campsite, making everything look almost ethereal.

She closed her eyes, letting the fatigue pull her into sleep.

But peace was short-lived.

Sometime past midnight, an unnatural chill seeped into the air.

A dense mist rolled in from the forest, thick tendrils of fog creeping between the trees, swallowing their surroundings in an eerie white veil.

The temperature dropped rapidly, enough that Athena stirred in her sleep, shivering. She wasn’t the only one. Mors woke abruptly, instincts flaring as he registered the unnatural cold.

He reached for his weapon but paused when he saw the mist curling around them like living tendrils. "Athena," he called, his voice quiet but firm.

She groggily sat up, rubbing her arms. "Why is it so cold all of a sudden?"

Without a word, Mors reached into his pack, pulling out a thermal blanket. He draped it over her shoulders, but Athena barely noticed, a deep unease settling in her gut.

Something was wrong. She pushed the blanket aside and stood up, her breath visible in the freezing air. "This isn’t normal."

Mors frowned, scanning their surroundings. "No, it isn’t."

The mist thickened, obscuring everything beyond a few feet. The trees they had camped near were gone, their glowing branches swallowed by the white void.

Even the ground beneath them felt... different. Athena’s heart pounded. "Mors," she said slowly, "where’s the stream?"

Mors turned sharply, realization dawning in his sharp gaze. The sound of running water had vanished. So had the faint hum of the nocturnal creatures. The air was eerily silent.

They exchanged a look. Then, without hesitation, they moved.

Athena unzipped the tent flap, and Mors stepped out first, ready for anything. But when they emerged, they were not in their campsite anymore.

Instead, they stood on an ancient stone path, worn smooth by time.

The ground was covered in patches of moss, and towering structures loomed in the distance, partially hidden by the lingering mist.

The air smelled different, earthy, old, almost sacred.

Athena turned slowly, taking in their surroundings. The glowing forest was gone, replaced by a place that looked untouched for centuries.

Her voice came out in a whisper. "Where are we?"

Mors scanned the area, his grip tightening on his weapon. "I don’t know."

They cautiously stepped forward, moving through the mist. As they walked, the haze began to clear, revealing more of the landscape.

And at the center of it all, standing in eerie silence, was a ruined pavilion of massive proportions. Athena sucked in a breath. "This place..."

Mors studied the structure with narrowed eyes. The pavilion, once grand, now stood in decay.

Its stone pillars were cracked, some toppled over entirely, while others remained standing, forming a massive circular formation.

Strange markings were carved into each pole, symbols neither of them recognized.

But despite its ruined state, the place felt alive. The very air hummed with energy, sending a shiver down Athena’s spine. "What is this place?" she murmured.

Mors walked forward, running his gloved hand along one of the ancient pillars. His expression was unreadable. "Some kind of sacred ground."

Athena stepped closer to the carvings, tracing the strange symbols with her fingertips.

As soon as she touched them, a pulse of energy rippled through her fingers, sending a warm yet chilling sensation up her arm.

She gasped and yanked her hand back. "Did you feel that?"

Mors turned sharply. "Feel what?"

Athena looked at her palm, then at the carvings again. The moment she touched them, something had responded, as if the stone itself recognized her presence.

"I’m not sure," she admitted. "But this place... it’s not just ancient. It’s..."

"Awake," Mors finished for her.

They exchanged a glance, both coming to the same silent conclusion. This place had a purpose. And it had been waiting.

Athena stepped further into the pavilion, the crunch of old stone and moss beneath her boots the only sound.

At the very center of the ruins, she noticed something unusual, a circular platform, embedded into the ground.

Its surface was smooth, polished, and untouched by time, unlike the rest of the ruins.

Mors joined her, standing at the edge of the platform. He crouched, brushing away dust and debris, revealing a pattern beneath.

Athena frowned. "It almost looks like..."

"A star map," Mors muttered, tracing the intricate design. "Or a seal."

Athena’s breath caught in her throat. A seal.

"What if..." She hesitated, then shook her head. "No, that’s impossible."

Mors glanced up. "What?"

She exhaled sharply, trying to organize her thoughts.

"There are myths, stories about lost sanctuaries hidden across the galaxy. Places that once held great power, sealed away by civilizations long before ours."

She gestured at the ruins. "What if this is one of them?"

Mors didn’t answer immediately. He studied the patterns beneath them, his brows furrowed.

"If that’s true," he said slowly, "then we need to be careful. Seals don’t just exist for decoration. They’re meant to keep something in."

The weight of his words settled between them.

Athena swallowed. "You think something is trapped here?"

Mors stood, eyes scanning their surroundings again. The mist had begun to recede, revealing more of the pavilion. But instead of providing clarity, it only made the place more unsettling.

"I don’t know," he admitted. "But we need to find out why we’re here."

A sudden gust of wind whipped through the ruins, sending a chorus of whispers through the air. Athena’s pulse quickened as she spun around, but nothing was there.

Nothing visible, at least. She and Mors exchanged a tense glance.

Then, as if responding to their realization, the markings on the pillars began to glow, a deep, pulsing blue, like the heartbeat of something long forgotten.

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Athena took a step back. "Mors..."

He was already reaching for his weapon, his muscles coiled for action. The ruins had awakened. And whatever had been waiting for them… was finally aware of their presence.