The Lyre of Atlantis
I approach the evil spirit while playing the Lyre of Atlantis. Though the melody slows the spirit’s movements, its malevolent power shows no sign of waning. The old hunter holds his staff aloft, barely fending off the spirit’s attacks, but his face is contorted with pain.
“I’ll distract it—attack while it’s distracted!” I shout to the old hunter.
Holding the Harp of Atlantis high, I charge toward the spirit. The melody grows even more intense, spreading ripples of light around the spirit. The spirit glares at me, trying to hurl its black wind at me.
I twist my body and dodge the spirit’s attack. A blade of wind grazes my cheek, sending a jolt of pain through me. But I do not flinch; I swing the lyre overhead and smash it into the spirit.
The moment the lyre touches the spirit’s body, a blinding light erupts. The spirit let out a scream, and its black wind began to dissipate. The old hunter seized the opportunity and thrust his staff into the spirit.
The spirit writhed in agony, its body turning into light and vanishing. All that remained was the faint sound of the wind.
Breathless, I clutched my lyre. The old hunter leaned his staff against the ground to steady himself.
“Did… we do it?” the old hunter murmurs in a weary voice.
“Yes, somehow,” I nod. “But we can’t let our guard down yet. There might be other evil spirits out there.”
The old hunter scans the surroundings, remaining vigilant. “You’re right. Let’s stay alert. The ancient ruins are just ahead.”
We start walking again. The surrounding landscape remains as desolate as ever, but the tension from earlier has eased slightly. The sound of the wind feels, if only in my mind, a little gentler.
After walking for a while, a massive stone structure appears before us. This is the ancient ruins the old hunter guided us to.
The ruins have weathered over the long years, and crumbling sections can be seen here and there. Yet, their majestic form speaks to their former glory.
“So this is the ancient ruin…” I am overwhelmed by its sheer size and find myself speechless.
“Ah, this is the place,” the old hunter says with a sense of nostalgia. “Once upon a time, this was a sacred site dedicated to the Wind God. But now, it has become a den of evil spirits.”
The entrance to the ruins is sealed by a massive stone door. Patterns symbolizing the wind spirit are carved into the door, but its surface has turned black, giving off an aura of evil.
“To open this door, we must borrow the power of the wind spirit.” The old hunter says this and turns his gaze toward me. “Traveler, do you have the wind spirit’s shell?”
I took out the Wind Spirit’s shell and showed it to the old hunter. “Yes, I do.”
“Good. Hold that shell up to the door and offer a prayer to the Wind Spirit. If you do, the door should open.”
I held the Wind Spirit’s shell up to the door and closed my eyes. In my heart, I spoke to the Wind Spirit.
“Spirit of the Wind, please lend me your strength. I wish to open this door and reach the sacred site of the God of the Wind.”
Perhaps my prayer was heard, for the Wind Spirit’s shell began to emit a dazzling light. The light illuminated the Wind Spirit’s pattern carved into the door, purifying the parts that had turned black.
Eventually, the stone door begins to open slowly. A cold wind blows out from beyond the door.
“The door has opened…” The old hunter cries out in surprise. “Come, let’s go inside. But we must not let our guard down. We don’t know what awaits us.”
Holding the Lyre of Atlantis, I step into the ancient ruins alongside the old hunter. Darkness envelops us, and an unknown adventure is about to begin.
