Ruins
Evil spirits swirl through the hall of the ruins. As I play the Lyre of Atlantis, I hold the Wind Spirit’s Conch high above my head. The light emanating from the conch floods the hall, further slowing the spirits’ movements.
“Now!” I shout to the old hunter. “Destroy that black crystal!”
The old hunter responds to my words and swings his staff with all his might. A beam of light shoots straight from the staff toward the black crystal. However, the spirits stand in the old hunter’s way, trying to stop him.
Without pausing my playing, I keep the spirits at bay. Borrowing the power of the wind spirit, I summon a tornado and blow the spirits away. Taking advantage of that opening, the old hunter’s beam strikes the black crystal.
With a thunderous roar, the black crystal shatters. As the crystal shatters, the evil aura that had filled the hall vanishes, and pure air flows in. The spirits lose their power and fade away.
“We did it!” the old hunter exclaims joyfully. “We’ve managed to rid this place of the evil power!”
I, too, breathe a sigh of relief. After a fierce battle, we had emerged victorious.
“But we can’t let our guard down yet,” the old hunter says, scanning the surroundings. “There must still be something hidden within these ruins.”
I agree with the old hunter. The crystal guarded by the evil spirits couldn’t have been just a source of power. Deep within, something even more important must surely be hidden.
“Let’s go further inside,” I tell the old hunter, holding the Lyre of Atlantis. “We have to find out what’s hidden there.”
We proceed deeper into the great hall. There, we find a crumbling wall, beyond which lies utter darkness. I raise the Wind Spirit’s Conch Shell to illuminate our surroundings.
Suddenly, a section of the wall collapses, revealing a new passageway. Unlike the one we were in before, this passageway is beautifully decorated. Ancient script is carved into the walls, and the scene feels as though we’ve entered another world.
“This is…” The old hunter gasped in surprise. “Was there a place like this deep within these ruins?”
I stepped into the depths of the passageway. It sloped gently downward, and I had no idea what lay ahead. Yet, unable to suppress my curiosity, I pressed onward deeper and deeper.
At the end of the passageway, a vast space stretched out before me. It looked just like an underground palace. The ceiling was high, and countless lights shone, creating a fantastical scene. The walls were adorned with beautiful carvings, each one resembling a work of art.
In the center of the palace stood a massive altar. A radiant gem sat atop the altar, surrounded by a profusion of beautiful flowers.
“That’s…” I stared at the jewel and gasped. “Surely, that can’t be…”
Just then, a voice came from behind the altar.
“Well done on making it this far.”
The voice belonged to a woman seated behind the altar. She was dressed in a beautiful kimono, and a gentle smile played on her face.
“I am the guardian of these ruins,” the woman said to me. “You have defeated the evil spirit and liberated this place. I commend you for your courage.”
I couldn’t hide my confusion at her words. Who exactly was she? And what was the secret hidden within these ruins?
“Who exactly are you…?” I ask the woman. “And what was the purpose of building this ruin?”
The woman’s smile deepens, and she begins to speak slowly.
“This ruin is the legacy of an ancient civilization,” she says. “And I am here to protect that legacy.”
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
