Chapter 1

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Well something went wrong.

"So Zehra... wanna go today?"

Hearing that question, the unicorn sighed, shaking her head as she stared at the jellyfish in front of her.

"I have a store to attend to..." she said, her voice trailing off as she reached out a hand to her lunch box. The jellyfish man glided through the water, lazily propping himself up from the water as he looked at her with half-lidded eyes.

"I know... but you're always busy. Me and Bengi already explored like... sixty percent of the forest by ourselves," he said, pouting as he leaned closer to Zehra.

She took a bite of the bread before turning over to Bengi, who sat with their legs tucked in beneath them. They continued staring at the both of them before realizing she was looking at them.

She watched as they shifted in their seat and cleared their throat, "You should come, as a break." Their tone was quiet and voice raspy from disuse, but otherwise as monotonous as she'd been familiar with.

Zehra sighed again, her gaze still fixed on the jellyfish. She knew they were right; she'd been working non-stop, and maybe she did need a break. But the thought of leaving the store unattended made her uneasy. She couldn't afford to disappoint her customers, not now when business was finally starting to pick up.

But then again, a break might do her some good.

"Umm... alright," she relented, a nervous smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she looked at the duo in front of her. "I'll come."

"Finally-" He said as he spun out of the water, his tentacles billowing around him. The bell on his head turned into a large dark hat as he landed on the shore, his oral arms on the bottom of his body transforming into baggy pants for his newly made legs.

Bengi hummed, nodding in agreement as they too stood up from the ground, bat wings unfurling as they stretched. "Me and Seti will show you the interesting spots."

Zehra smiled at the pair, grateful for their company and excited for the adventure ahead. She finished her lunch and stood up, dusting off her clothes as she did so.

As they began their trek through the forest, Zehra couldn't help but marvel at the beauty that surrounded them. The trees were tall and lush, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. The ground beneath their feet was soft and spongy, the earthy scent of the damp soil filling her nostrils.

Seti led the way, their confident strides a stark contrast to Zehra and Bengi's cautious steps. The jellyfish seemed to know exactly where he was going, weaving through the dense foliage.

"Hey, Bengi?"

Their ear twitched at the sound of Zehra's voice, prompting them to turn their head towards her, nodding.

"Did the doctor say anything?"

"Huh? Are you sick or something?" Seti interjected, turning his head to look at them with a curious expression.

Zehra shook her head, the pink flower adorning her mane swaying with the motion. "No, not me. I meant Bengi. They went to the doctor for a check-up recently."

They nodded in confirmation, their face staying the same.

"It's nothing serious. I went to get checked up because I've felt strangely tired recently."

Seti raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting from Bengi to Zehra. "Tired? That doesn't sound good."

Zehra's smile faltered slightly, worry etching its way onto her features. "Yeah, I've been worried about them."

Bengi let out a soft huff, shaking their head. "It's nothing to worry about. The doctor said it's probably because of the day-night cycle and that I just need to adjust my sleeping habits."

Seti nodded, but Zehra's expression remained worried. As they walked, Seti noticed the concern etched on Zehra's face and decided to change the subject. "Hey, we found a weird old temple yesterday. You guys wanna check it out?"

Zehra looked up at Seti, her expression brightening a bit. "A temple? That sounds interesting. Is it far from here?"

Seti shook his head. "No, it's not too far. We'll be there soon."

"Well, let's go check it out then."

As they made their way to the temple, Zehra began to get worried again.

"You guys know the way out, right? I don't want to get lost in the woods."

Seti chuckled, waving his hand. in dismissal. "Don't worry, Zehra. We've been in these woods plenty of times before." He then turns to Bengi, pointing at them. "And your sibling here has night vision AND echolocation, so... I'm pretty sure it'll be fine."

Bengi nodded.

"If anything goes wrong it's all your fault," Zehra said, her voice slightly teasing despite her worry.

Seti just grinned at her, leading the way through the woods.

The group continued down the path, the dense foliage of the forest surrounding them. The air was thick with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the buzzing of insects. Zehra couldn't help but pause now and then to admire some of the flora that caught her eye.

As they walked closer to the temple, the air grew colder, and the sweet scent of flowers was replaced with the smell of damp earth. The group fell into a comfortable silence, each focused on their thoughts as they made their way through the dense woods. Finally, they emerged into a small clearing, where the temple stood in the center, surrounded by a ring of tall trees.

The temple was old and weathered, its stone walls covered in vines and moss. The wooden doors hung off their hinges, creaking in the light breeze. As they approached, Seti pushed open one of the doors, revealing a dark and musty interior.

Zehra hesitated for a moment, not wanting to risk going inside the temple alone. She glanced at Bengi, silently communicating her concern, and was relieved when they nodded in response. Seti, on the other hand, seemed unfazed as he strode into the darkness, beckoning them to follow.

The inside of the temple was even colder than the outside, sending a shiver down Zehra's spine. The air was thick with the scent of old, musty books and she could see cobwebs in the corners of the room. Seti seemed excited by the prospect of exploring the temple and began rummaging through the old books and artifacts.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Zehra spoke up, her voice echoing through the empty hall. Seti turned to look at her, a cocky grin on his face as he held up an ancient book for her to see.

"What? It's not like anybody's gonna come here anymore."

"Those are old relics! They should be treated with respect, not just rummaged through like they're nothing!" Zehra huffed, her eyes flashing with annoyance. Bengi nodded in agreement, though they remained silent.

Seti rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Instead, he flipped through the pages of the book, coughing when the dust rose from it.

"Aren't you curious why random temples have been abandoned? I mean- no big organizations are here to protect them, so there must be a reason why they were left behind," Seti said, looking up from the book.

Zehra hesitated for a moment, but her curiosity got the better of her. She moved closer to Seti, her eyes scanning the pages of the old book. The text was written in a language she couldn't understand, but the illustrations caught her attention.

The drawings depicted a creature that resembled a mix between a dragon and a serpent, with scales that shone like diamonds and wings that spanned twice the length of its body. The most eye-catching part was the giant sun behind it, radiating a warm and inviting glow.

"What is this thing?" Zehra asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Bengi walked over and looked at the picture curiously. They turned back to Zehra and shrugged.

"Me and Seti saw the same-looking creature in other relics before, so it's a reasonable guess that it had worshippers."

Seti nodded in agreement, his eyes still glued to the book.

"Huh." Zehra hummed, keeping her eyes on the illustration before glancing around the abandoned temple.

"I wonder what kind of worship this creature demanded from its followers."

Seti chuckled. "Maybe it demanded bloody sacrifices to satiate its thirst for blood!"

Zehra frowned.

"That's not funny, Seti," she scolded him. "These temples hold cultural and historical significance. We should respect that and not make light of it."

Seti held his hands up defensively. "Hey, I'm just joking. But seriously, who knows what kind of rituals they performed back then?"

Bengi was quick to interject. "We shouldn't speculate on things we don't know for sure."

Seti rolled his eyes but didn't argue further. Zehra nodded in agreement before turning back to look around the temple. As she walked further in, she noticed something glinting in the corner of her eye. She walked towards it, curious what it could be. As she got closer, she noticed that it was a small, golden amulet, intricately carved with the sun on the side.

Zehra picked up the amulet and examined it closely. It was surprisingly light, and the carving was delicate and beautiful. She turned it over in her hand, admiring the way the sun glimmered in the light.

"Are you interested?"

Zehra spun around, eyes speeding across the room to find the source of the voice only to find nobody there. She frowned, confused, before looking at the amulet in her hand. Was it...talking to her?

Realizing the idea, she tossed the amulet away with a harsh clink, feeling a sudden sense of unease. Seti and Bengi noticed her distress and rushed over to her.

"What's wrong, Zehra?" Bengi asked, concerned.

"I...I thought I heard a voice," Zehra admitted, feeling embarrassed.

"A voice? From the amulet?" Seti raised an eyebrow.

Zehra nodded, still feeling uneasy. "I-I know it sounds crazy, but I swear I heard it..!"

Bengi hummed, examining the amulet carefully. "It's definitely strange. Maybe we should take it with us and have someone look at it."

Seti shrugged. "Sure, why not? It might actually be special."

Zehra reluctantly agreed as she hesitantly took it, still feeling unnerved by the strange experience.

'I'll return it...'

As they continued to explore the temple, Zehra couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched. She kept turning around, but there was no one there. Bengi and Seti didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, or if they did, they were very good at hiding it.

As they walked deeper into the temple, the air grew thick and humid. The trio's footsteps echoed loudly against the stone walls, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Bengi stopped in his tracks, causing Yeti and Zehra to do the same.

Their ears perked up as Bengi listened to the silence, whipping their head around to scan their surroundings.

"Hey- are you okay?" Zehra asked, placing a gentle hand on Bengi's shoulder. Bengi's eyes widened and their pupils dilated as they listened.

"...Strange," Bengi muttered to themselves as they continued to listen.

Zehra and Seti exchanged a worried glance before turning their attention back to Bengi.

"What's strange?" Seti asked, breaking the tense silence.

Bengi paused for a moment before sprinting off down the corridor with Zehra following close behind while Seti struggled to keep up.

"H-hold on!" Seti panted, trying to catch his breath.

Zehra and Bengi skidded to a stop, turning around to face Seti. Bengi's eyes were wide and frantic while Zehra wore a look of concern and confusion.

"What's going on?" Seti asked, still trying to catch his breath.

Bengi immediately pointed down the corridor, waiting for Seti to catch up.

Seti stepped into the corridor, and his confusion gave way to terror as he saw what had caused Bengi's panic.

Seti stared through the interminable passageways, his senses dulled by the profound power emanating from the rocks. The walls seemed to hum with an ancient energy, and a dread unlike any known before filled the air. The rooms were winding in a maddening pattern, twisting and turning as if alive, and Seti couldn't help but feel as if they were being led deeper and deeper into the belly of the temple.

Zehra and Bengi exchanged a worried glance before turning back to Seti.

"I think... we should leave."

Seti nodded in agreement, feeling the hairs on his skin stand on end as they began to make their way back towards the entrance. But as they turned around-

"AHHHHH!"

Zehra screamed as something grabbed her from behind. Seti and Bengi whipped around, terror etched on their faces as they saw Zehra being dragged away by a pitch-black hand that had appeared out of nowhere.

Without a moment's hesitation, Bengi sprung into action, flying towards Zehra with lightning speed. Seti followed close behind, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to keep up with Bengi.

Zehra gritted her teeth and she was slammed onto the ground, her hands scrambling to dig her nails onto the floor.

Bengi descended upon the arm, ramming their hooves into the black flesh. Seti followed suit, wrapping his tentacles around the arm and trying to sting it with his poisonous barbs. But the arm only tightened its grip on Zehra, causing her to cry out in pain.

She flipped herself over as a beam of light shot out from her horn, illuminating the entire corridor. The light enveloped the arm, causing its hold to loosen. With a final burst of magic, Zehra pushed the arm away from her and scrambled to her feet, breathing heavily.

Before they could fully recover, a multitude of long, black tendrils burst forth from the walls and took hold of Seti instead. Seti was completely immobilized as the tendrils slithered around his limbs, tightening their grip with each passing second. He struggled to free himself, trying his best to pull away from the tendrils, but his little progress only made them coil tighter around him.

Zehra and Bengi exchanged a quick, frantic look before they both sprang into action. Bengi lifted into the air with a powerful flap of their wings, darting towards Seti. Zehra followed closely behind, her horn glowing as she unleashed a barrage of magic at the tendrils. The tendrils writhed and squirmed under the assault, but they refused to loosen their grip on Seti.

Bengi landed beside Seti and began to claw at the tendrils, trying to pry them off with their sharp hands. Zehra joined in, slamming her hooves into the tendrils with all her might. Despite their combined efforts, the tendrils continued to hold onto Seti, and he let out a pained groan.

Seti's mouth opened in a silent gasp as he stared up at his friends with wide, fear-filled eyes. Zehra's heart sank as she saw her friend's eyes widen in fear, and she knew they had to act fast before things got worse. Bengi continued to scrape at the pulsing tendrils with ferocity, but it was no use; they only seemed to thicken and grow more powerful with each passing second.

"Do you need help?"

That disembodied voice sounded from behind Zehra, causing her to whirl around in surprise only to see nothing again. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind, and refocused her attention on Seti.

"Put it on."

Zehra looked around in confusion, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Save your friend. Put it on."

Zehra glanced back at Bengi, who was still clawing at the tendrils. Seti's eyes were starting to glaze over, and his struggles were growing weaker by the second.

The amulet. It was the only thing that came to her mind.

Zehra reached into her satchel and pulled it out.

"I'll lend you some help."

Zehra hesitated, unsure of how the amulet would help in this situation. She looked over to Bengi once more, who was still struggling with the tendrils. With a deep breath, she began to lower the amulet down-

She was knocked over as a sudden force pushed her from behind. Zehra tumbled to the ground, her satchel flying open and scattering its contents across the pavement, the amulet out of her hands.

A thud echoed through the air as a figure landed in front of her, causing the ground to shake beneath her. A swarm of bright butterflies enveloped the tendrils, dissolving them into nothingness.

"Stand up! Do you want to die?!"

Zehra scrambled to her feet, her heart racing as she heaved a breath.

"Take your friend and follow me!"

She looked back and saw Bengi carrying the unconscious jellyfish over their shoulder. Seti's body was limp, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow. Zehra hesitated, unsure of whether she should trust this stranger or not.

The stranger bolted forward like a lightning streak, and Zehra was filled with fear as she followed in pursuit.

Every muscle in her body seemed to be on fire from the sheer force of her running, yet still, the stranger stayed ahead of her, racing faster than she ever thought possible.

The room seemed to ripple and expand beyond its physical boundaries, stretching into a distorted reality. The walls warped in impossible angles, the floor rolling up and down like an ocean tide. Time and space folded upon themselves in a chaotic maelstrom of madness.

The stranger moved with an unnatural fluidity, each step seeming to take them further and further away. They were a blur of motion as if they were performing a strange, ethereal waltz. With each outstretched hand towards them, they seemed to vanish into thin air, while the blinding blades around them sang their deadly symphony.

With a burst of magical energy, the area around them shattered into a million pieces, revealing a vast open space beyond, the familiar winds gusting hot and heavy against their faces. The stranger came to a halt, turning to face the group with a sharp glare.

"I-I'm sorr-"

"Give me the amulet."

Zehra's mind raced as she tried to process what had just happened. The stranger's sudden display of power had left her feeling equal parts terrified and awed.

"What..?"

"Are you deaf-" The stranger sighed, dragging their pink hand down their face in frustration. "The amulet. The one in your hand. Give it to me."

"What do you..?"

Looking down, the amulet that she dropped appeared in her hands.

"HUH!?-"

"It's dangerous, just give it to me."

The stranger then took a peak behind, eyeing Seti as the jellyfish lay unconscious on the ground before flipping a strand of white hair away.

"Unless you want to delay this more and cost your sea friend's health."

"O-oh..."

Bengi, who had been watching the whole scene unfold, stepped forward, their eyes focused on. They stepped between Zehra and the stranger, their wings spreading out to shield their sister.

"Explain."

A groan escaped the stranger's lips as they stepped back, their azure eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"You want me to explain everything or else you won't give me the amulet?" The stranger scoffed, their tone dripping with condescension.

"Fine- yousteppedintosomeoldgod'stempleandgotwedgedbetweenourandtheiedimension- got it? Great-"

Immediately they tried to reach for the amulet, only to be blocked by Bengi again.

"Actually explain."

The stranger glared at Bengi, their frustration growing with each passing moment. But they knew they couldn't afford to waste any more time, not with another life on the line.

"FINE!" they yelled, lifting the gold-trimmed lantern in front of them.

Before they could process what was happening, the bright sunshine around them dimmed and the musty scent of chemicals and decaying paper filled their lungs. The trees that had been standing before them were now replaced with enormous shelves filled with ancient books.

They found themselves in a small, cluttered room with piles of books and paper stacked up to the ceiling. The stranger walked towards a hallway before entering a room, muttering to themselves.

"Bring your friend in here unless you want them to dry up!"

Bengi and Zehra exchanged a quick look before gently lifting Seti and carrying them into the room.

There, the stranger had the faucet turned on, pouring water into the bathtub. Seti's body was placed into the water and to everyone's relief, Seti's breathing slowly returned to normal as his eyes flickered open. He looked up at the stranger for a moment before smiling sheepishly.

"...Shouldn't have done that, huh...?"

The unicorn sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm never listening to your ideas ever again..."

Bengi nodded, keeping the same blank expression.

Zehra hung her head and glanced at the stranger. Her eyes were heavy with guilt and remorse. "I'm so sorry. We didn't mean to get you involved in all of this."

The stranger stepped closer and glared at the three, a deep crease appearing between their eyebrows. They sighed heavily, resignedly, as if deciding to let them pass.

"You're lucky I was nearby, or else you all would've probably died in there."

"Sorry..."

He sighed again.

"Alright, I don't really care. Just tell me your address and after this whole ordeal is over I teleport you three back to your place."

The three exchanged another quick look before Zehra spoke up.

"We really appreciate it. Thank you...?"

The stranger frowned, scoffing as they answered.

"Roshin Dahi Younis."