Chapter six: Temple of eternal night p2

Kai and Collin moved slowly and cautiously through the ancient ruins, their eyes wide with wonder as they took in the sights around them. The crumbling stone structures and weathered statues that lined their path seemed to exude an aura of profound mystery, hinting at the lost majesty of a bygone era.

Mudkip and Salandit followed close behind, their gazes darting warily from shadow to shadow, as if sensing the weight of antiquity that permeated the very air they breathed.

As Kai and Collin ventured further into the ancient ruins, they were struck by the sheer grandeur of the structures that surrounded them. Towering columns stretched towards the cavernous ceiling, their bases adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to depict battles and ceremonies from eras long forgotten.

The walls themselves were a tapestry of faded frescoes and chiseled reliefs, each one a glimpse into the lives and beliefs of the long-dead civilization that had once inhabited these halls. Kai ran his fingers along the carved figures, marveling at the level of detail and artistry that had gone into their creation.

"Look at this one," he said, gesturing towards an immense mural that dominated an entire wall. "It seems to be some kind of epic battle."

Collin squinted at the faded images, trying to make sense of the chaotic scene. Massive, serpentine forms twisted and coiled around each other, jaws agape and claws extended in a frozen moment of primal fury. Smaller figures, undoubtedly human, stood among the titans, weapons raised in defiance or reverence – it was impossible to tell.

"Those look like Pokémon," Collin murmured, his brow furrowed. "But I've never seen anything like them before. They're almost...draconic."

Kai nodded slowly, his gaze drifting across the mural's expanse. "I wonder if these were Legendary Pokémon, or maybe even gods worshiped by the ancient people who built this place."

As they continued their exploration, the pair encountered numerous statues and effigies lining the corridors and chambers, their forms twisted into a myriad of shapes and sizes. Some were clearly stylized depictions of Pokémon, while others appeared to be revered figures or deities locked in eternal vigil.

One particularly unsettling statue caught Collin's eye – a looming, multi-headed serpent coiled around itself, its numerous maws agape in a silent, eternal roar. Its scales had been painstakingly rendered, each one distinct and begging to be studied, and ruby-like gemstones had been embedded into its eye sockets in a haunting mimicry of bestial fury.

As Collin slowly circled the statue, he reached out to run his fingers along one of the serpentine necks, tracing the grooves and etchings that brought the beast's musculature to lifelike definition. Despite being carved from solid stone, he could have sworn the powerful coils seemed to subtly shift and undulate before his eyes.

"It's almost as if it could come alive at any moment," Collin murmured, his voice hushed with a mixture of awe and primal trepidation. "Like it's just waiting to strike out at anyone foolish enough to provoke its wrath."

Kai nodded slowly in agreement, unable to tear his gaze away from the statue's haunting visage. There was an unmistakable aura of malevolence surrounding the five headed monstrosity, an intangible miasma of dread that clung to the stagnant air.

"I wonder what sort of being this was meant to depict," he said, his words seeming to reverberate against the surrounding stone walls. "Some kind of legendary Pokémon, or perhaps...something else entirely?"

As if in response to Kai's musing, a peculiar sensation began to prickle at the back of his neck – the uncanny feeling of being watched by unseen eyes. He turned slowly, half-expecting to come face-to-face with another unsettling visage, but was met only by the shadows cast by the ruin's flickering torchlight.

Collin seemed to tense as well, his grip tightening around Salandit's Pokeball as the lizard-like Pokémon pressed closer to his leg. Mudkip, however, remained oblivious to the shift in atmosphere, sniffing curiously at the serpentine statue's base.

Walking away from the statue Collin found a stairwell calling Kai over as he went down the walkway. an inexplicable wave of vertigo washed over him. The chamber seemed to blur and distort around him as a deafening roar thundered in his ears. He blinked rapidly, trying to regain his senses, but the roar only intensified until it drowned out all other sounds.

Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the roaring ceased - only to be replaced by a series of thunderous impacts that made the very ground quake beneath his feet. Collin whirled around, eyes wide with fright, and felt his blood turn to ice in his veins.

There, hurtling towards him with earth-shattering force, was the very same multi-headed behemoth depicted in the statue. Each gargantuan head, lingering motion frozen in that singular moment, seemed to be locked in a ferocious roar as rows of dagger-like fangs gnashed mere inches from his face.

Collin wanted to scream, to cry out for help, but his voice was stolen by the sheer, incomprehensible dread that gripped his entire being. This was no ordinary beast, no mere manifestation of his subconscious fears. This was an ancient, primordial force of destruction given form - and he stood directly in its ravenous path of annihilation.

Just as the first of the serpentine heads prepared to descend upon him, just as those cavernous jaws unhinged to swallow him whole, Collin felt himself yanked backwards by an unseen force. The vision around him fragmented and dissolved like a shattered mirror, the thunderous impacts fading into haunting echoes as the ruin's chamber rematerialized.

He stumbled back, gasping for air, his eyes wild and unfocused as he felt a comforting hand grip his shoulder firmly.

"Collin! What's wrong? What happened?" Kai's voice cut through the lingering fog, his expression one of deep concern.

Collin could only stare at the statue looming before them, mouth agape, as he tried to make sense of the horrific vision he had just experienced. Because in those harrowing moments, in the presence of that gargantuan, eldritch manifestation, he knew he had glimpsed something far more terrifying than a mere artistic rendering.

It was a warning. A warning from the depths of time, from a long-forgotten era where gods and monsters roamed freely among mortals. Collin's heart raced as he struggled to catch his breath, the residue of terror still clinging to his every fiber.

Kai's grip on his shoulder tightened, grounding him in the present moment. "Collin, what did you see? What happened?" His voice was urgent, laced with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

Collin shook his head slowly, trying to put his thoughts into words, to make sense of the otherworldly horror that had just unfolded before him. "I saw...I saw the true nature of this place. It's not just a temple or ruins, Kai. It's a prison."

Kai's brow furrowed in confusion. "A prison? For what?"

Collin swallowed hard, his throat dry with remnants of fear. "For something ancient and powerful. Something that should have never been imprisoned we have to release it follow me".

Collin started sprinting down the stairs quicker then Kai ever saw him run before not even running for his life can make him go that quick.

Kai sprinted after Collin, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to keep up with his friend's frantic pace. The air in the stairwell seemed to grow colder and heavier, each step echoing ominously in the darkness.

Collin's voice echoed back to Kai as he called out directions, urging him to hurry. As they descended deeper into the labyrinthine ruins, Kai could feel an unsettling sense of foreboding creeping up on him, like a phantom's breath on the back of his neck.

Finally, Collin reached a large locked door at the bottom of the stairwell. He fumbled with the keys on his belt, his hands trembling slightly. "This is it," he murmured, his eyes wide with determination. "We have to set it free."

Kai hesitated for a moment, his mind was made he'd have to see this through. One question he had was where did he get those keys he didn't have them before?

Collin's hands finally found the right key, and with a sharp twist, the lock clicked open. The heavy door creaked as it swung inward, revealing a chamber steeped in shadows and mystery. A soft, eerie glow emanated from the center of the room, beckoning them forward like a siren's song.

As they stepped into the chamber, the air seemed to hum with latent power, sending shivers down their spines. Collin led the way towards the source of the ethereal light, his footsteps echoing off the ancient stone walls.

There, in the heart of the chamber, stood a massive stone pedestal adorned with intricate carvings of swirling symbols and arcane runes. Upon the pedestal rested a single, pulsating gem that radiated an otherworldly aura.

"This is it," Collin whispered, his voice barely above a breath. "The key to unlocking the prison that holds the ancient being captive."

'This is crazy what the hell is going on' Kai thought deciding enough was enough he reached out for Collins jacket and ripped it towards him, causing him to stumble back.

"What are you doing?!" Collin exclaimed, clearly taken aback by Kai's sudden aggression.

Kai's eyes were wide with fear and determination. "I can't do this. We shouldn't wake whatever's down here."

Collin's own eyes flashed with anger as he looked at Kai, "Are you seriously telling me that you're afraid?"

"I don't know what the hell we're dealing with here, and I'm not a hero, Collin," Kai replied, his voice trembling. "We're just a couple of kids who stumbled upon something we shouldn't have."

Collin's expression softened, and he let out a deep sigh. "You're right," he conceded. "This is beyond anything either of us can handle we should leave and never come back".

Pushing Kai over he darted towards the center quicker than kai could react. In the center was an obsidian pedestal on the pedestal lied a orb it was small just the size to fit snugly in someone's hand

Collin carefully picked up the orb, its surface pulsating with an energy that seemed to resonate with the very core of his being. He could feel its power coursing through his veins, a potent rush that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Collin, what are you doing?" Kai cried out, his voice laced with alarm. But Collin's mind was made up. He had to see this through, no matter the cost.

As he raised the orb above his head, the air around them seemed to ripple and distort, as if the fabric of reality itself was beginning to unravel. Kai watched in horror as shadows coalesced into sinuous, humanoid form,

distorted and grotesque, but undeniably alive.

The creature staggered forth from the darkness, its body twisting and contorting with every step, as though it were taunting the very definition of sanity. Its eyes glowed with an otherworldly malevolence, reflecting the pulsating energy of the orb held captive within its grasp.

"No..." Kai whispered, his heart pounding in his chest. "This is a mistake. We should've left it alone."

Then it solidified into a teen male. He had pale white skin with purple hair that seemed to shimmer in the dim light of the chamber. His eyes, a piercing shade of crimson, locked onto Collin with an intensity that sent a chill down his spine. The being smirked, revealing pointed teeth that gleamed in the eerie glow.

"Thank you, mortal, for releasing me," the being's voice echoed through the chamber like a haunting melody. "I have been imprisoned for far too long."

Collin's hands trembled as he tried to hold onto the orb, a sense of dread washing over him like a tidal wave. He could feel the sheer power emanating from the being before him, a power that spoke of untold destruction and chaos.

Kai took a step back, his eyes wide with terror as he watched the scene unfold before him. "Collin, we need to get out of here. This...this is wrong."

But Collin stood his ground, his eyes locked on the being before him. "What are you?" he managed to stutter out.

The man smiled and grabbed the orb from Collin. "Well i guess i could give you this one thing". He played with Collins hair his voice barely above a whisper. But Collin stood frozen in place, unable to tear his gaze away from the being that now stood before him. The teen male's smirk widened, sensing the fear that gripped Collin's heart like icy tendrils.

"I am the champion of Eternatus," the being declared, his voice resonating with a dark authority that seemed to bend reality itself to his will. "And now that I have been so kindly released, I shall go on my way to summon Eternatus once more."

Collin's mind reeled at the mention of Eternatus, a name shrouded in ancient legends and whispered tales of doom. He knew then that they had unleashed a force far beyond their comprehension, a force that could bring about the end of everything they held dear. With a flick of his hand, the being sent Collin hurtling backwards, his body crashing against the cold stone floor. Kai rushed to his side, helping him up as they both stared in horror at the being who now began to chant in a language that made the very air thrum with power. As the chamber filled with an ominous darkness, Collin knew that they were facing an enemy unlike any other, an enemy that wielded power beyond imagination. And as the being vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a chilling echo of laughter, Collin knew that their world would never be the same again.