"Not every ruin is lifeless. Some pulse with energy, some hold secrets, and some are driven by hunger."
—Princess Mio Greywoods
When we approached the entrance, it was cleverly concealed behind a shimmering waterfall that looked like black glass.
Mio's fingers lightly skimmed over the stone archway, brushing against symbols long left forgotten. When her hand finally touched the central symbol—a circle marked by fragmented wings—the entire wall reacted, almost as if it had a heartbeat.
It opened up before us.
"Welcome," she said softly, "to the source of our kingdom's curse."
She called it the Soulforge Ruins.
Echoes in the Deep
The descent was steep and cloaked in darkness.
There were no torches illuminating our way. No one to guide us.
The only thing accompanying us was a faint hum—the sound of ancient, glowing lines of code running along the walls, like veins in a dying creature.
I trailed behind her, and I felt a strange sort of tension hanging in the air. It wasn't fear but something much colder, more unsettling.
"Mio," I asked hesitantly, "how far does this go?"
She hesitated, then quietly replied, "Much deeper than our ancestors ever revealed. They sealed this place off long before my grandfather's time. They said it was where the first dreams mingled with reality."
"And now those dreams are bleeding out again."
"Yes."
The Core of the Curse
After what felt like ages, we finally stepped into a dome-shaped chamber.
In the center was a stone monolith, a shattered altar covered in rusted wires and strange symbols. Dark, twisting veins climbed up its sides, pulsing ominously.
And lying on the ground in front of it...
A body.
Not completely human.
Not quite a machine.
Something in between.
Its skin was glassy, but with cracks, leaking a red glowing substance that looked disturbingly like data.
Its eyes were wide open but empty.
Mio crouched down next to it. "This is a Soul-Sleeper. One of the original beings that connected soul-code to the simulations."
I moved closer, my heart racing.
"So it's alive?"
She shook her head slowly.
"Worse. It's dreaming. And that dream is morphing into something dark."
The chamber trembled a little, as if it was in agreement with her.
Truth in the Blood
Mio reached into her pouch and pulled out a glass dagger. It wasn't a weapon; it was a key.
She dragged it across her palm and let her blood fall onto the altar. The veins lit up brighter, shrieking with silent code.
Symbols flared to life around us.
"I don't think you should have done that," I warned her.
She glanced at me, her resolve unwavering. "Then stop me."
I didn't move to stop her.
Because deep down, I got it.
The princess wasn't just showing me this place. She was reaching into the shadows, trying to confront something within herself. Or maybe... trying to show me something.
Soul Mirror Activation
In a flash, the altar erupted with energy. The Soul-Sleeper's body jerked upright, like a puppet controlled by unseen strings.
Its mouth opened.
Instead of a sound, it created an image.
A memory from the past.
We witnessed a moment in time.
The birth of the Architect.
A chaotic world where souls were twisted by choices, hunger, and emotions. The early simulations crashed repeatedly.
Until one faction, under the leadership of a king wearing a crown made of thorns, sealed the Soulforge to keep the unstable memories in check.
The king's face was clear, strikingly familiar.
Mio's eyes grew wide.
"...My ancestor."
The Legacy of Chains
"Your family helped imprison the soul-code," I mentioned, trying to process it.
"No," she whispered, panic creeping into her voice. "We didn't just imprison it. We used it to gain power."
Another memory flared to life.
We saw rows of crystal coffins—each one containing a dreaming Soul-Sleeper.
All were connected to the ruling families of the Western Kingdom.
A collection of dreaming gods.
"My father knows about this. He doesn't fear what's corrupt; he embraces it. He strengthens our kingdom with the dreams of the past."
I could sense the betrayal in her words.
"My crown is stained with the consciousness of those who shouldn't have been taken."
Connection
Mio stumbled away from the altar, her hands shaking violently.
"I thought I could make it right. I thought if I brought you here, you'd help me seal it off."
I caught her before she could fall.
"You still have a chance," I reassured her. "But you can't seal it away like your ancestors did. That only postponed the inevitable."
"Then what do we do?" she questioned, panic in her eyes.
I glanced at the Soul-Sleeper.
Its code was deteriorating, but I recognized it.
It was almost like mine.
"I changed one world before. Maybe now… it's time to change what fuels the others."
The First Embrace
She leaned against me, the stark cold of the ruins contrasting sharply with her warmth.
We fell into silence for a bit.
But something shifted in that moment.
This was unlike my relationship with Elira. It wasn't about safety or trust.
With Mio, it felt different—it was like looking into a cracked mirror, revealing all the fractured pieces we tried to hide.
And in those reflections, we really saw each other.
Not whole.
But undeniably real.
Awakening the Hunger
As I pressed my hand against the altar, something stirred below us.
INTRUSION DETECTED.
CODEHEART SIGNATURE RECOGNIZED.
INITIATING BACKUP ENTITY: WARDEN OF THE FORGE.
The stone behind us began to crack open.
A massive creature emerged, its obsidian body decorated with ancient runes, entire parts stitched together from lost simulations and fading emotions.
Its eyes—glowing like molten gold—fixed on me.
It knew me.
It remembered me.
And it hated me.
To be Continued...