The Forgotten City
Six nights ago, Tala had stood in the humble square of her village while the elder spoke of forbidden knowledge. “The Song of the Ancients,” they called it—a melody said to grant power over life and time itself. And buried with it, the story went, lay the secret to destroying the Khansa Dominion. Tala had listened, enraptured, the tattered crimson scarf at her throat billowing in the wind. It wasn’t courage that had driven her, but fury—rage at the invaders who had burned her fields and stolen her brother in the night.
“But none who enter the desert return,” the elder had warned, their milky gaze piercing through the crowd. Tala had said nothing. She had simply taken the scarf from around her neck and tied it into her belt like a warrior’s sash.
The Chase Continues
Back in the present, her lungs burned as she reached a crumbling staircase leading underground. The air cooled the moment she stepped into the cavernous space beneath the desert’s surface, the temperature drop making her shiver despite the sweat clinging to her skin. Columns carved with strange glyphs stretched into the shadows, their symmetry perfect, their craftsmanship alien. Golden motes floated lazily in the air, illuminating paths that twisted and branched like a labyrinth.
She dashed forward, her sandals slapping against the smooth stone. The sound echoed ominously in the hollow chamber. It wasn’t long before she found herself standing before the source of the golden light—a massive door embedded with jewels as large as her fist. It pulsed softly, almost as though it were breathing.
Tala’s heartbeat thundered as she reached into her satchel and withdrew a shard of translucent crystal, no larger than her palm. The gem began to hum—quietly at first, then a crescendo that made the very walls shiver. The door’s crystalline surface erupted with arcs of light, forming patterns that danced like fire across its surface. The sound of distant footfalls snapped Tala out of her trance. Her pursuers had reached the entrance.
The Song of the Ancients
Desperation overcame hesitation. Tala pressed the shard against the door, and it disappeared into the surface as though consumed by liquid glass. The door groaned, sliding back to reveal a chamber bathed in golden light. At its center stood a fountain — but instead of water, the fountain flowed with liquid melody. Music poured from its spout in visible waves, spilling across the floor and climbing the walls like ivy. It filled the air with a harmony so perfect, Tala’s knees buckled beneath her. Tears streamed down her face. This—this was the Song.
But the moment was fleeting. A black-armored figure strode into the chamber, their blade drawn. “Step away from the fountain,” the soldier ordered. Their voice was harsh, distorted by the mechanical hiss of their helmet.
Tala’s fingers brushed the curved dagger at her belt. She knew she couldn’t outrun them. Not this time. She took a deep breath and stepped toward the fountain instead. The chamber pulsed as the music seemed to grow louder, and for a fraction of a second, Tala felt as though the universe inhaled with her.
She turned to face her assailant, who paused mid-step. The look on their face—if it could be called a face—shifted as crimson light began to emanate from Tala’s body.
A Reckoning
“No one else will die,” she said, her voice steady, filled with the same light that now made her skin glow like a beacon. The words were not so much a statement as a command—a promise etched in sound and fury. The Song had chosen her, and she could feel its might thrumming under her skin, as vast and ancient as the sands of the desert.
The figure faltered, their helmeted head tilting as if listening to something Tala couldn’t hear. Slowly, inexorably, they lowered their blade.
Tala clenched her fists, the Song rising inside her like a crescendo. She walked toward the soldier, not backing down this time, her cobalt robes now luminous, her crimson sash burning like a flame against the void. She was power, she was memory, she was retribution—and through her, the ancients would sing once more.
Above, the desert sun continued its indifferent march across the sky, but beneath its gaze, in the subterranean chamber of a forgotten city, a song with the power to reshape time had been reborn.
Genre:
Fantasy Adventure
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