Page 72 of The Wind Dancer
“The violators have been eliminated. The quarantine measures are concluded. It is recommended that the bearer proceed to the Control Chamber to activate their credentials.”
One of the walls parted, revealing a new passage. The glowing entrance beckoned inside. Its walls were covered with symbols that moved as if they were alive.
“And if I refuse? What would you do to me?”
“The bearer may leave if they so wish. The Sanctuary awaits the bearer’s decision.”
Getting out of here obviously wouldn’t be easy, so the words felt ridiculous, but I felt the wind pushing at my back, urging me to go inside.
So I did.
Every step I took echoed through the empty hallway. A narrow line of light glowed exactly five steps ahead, illuminating my path.
The hall opened suddenly and I found myself in a massive hall carved out of black stone. The smooth walls, which were dotted with flickering symbols that looked like moving streams of light, rose to a ceiling so tall it was impossible to see. Tall columns, carved with spiral patterns, rose up, disappearing into the darkness. The stone beneath my feet was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting lights that didn’t exist.
I took a step, and the floor beneath me shook, as if something ancient had awakened deep underground.
Colossal statues of dragons carved out of obsidian, their eyes flickering scarlet like glowing coals, stood in the very center of the room. They seemed to be looking directly at me, appraising me, judging whether to kill me or claim me as one of their own.
The voice spoke again:
“Identification completed. Bearer: Feng Lao. Status: Asleep. Access: limited. Activate awakening?”
I looked at the amulet. It glowed in sync with the runes on the walls, as if they were breathing in unison.
“What happens if I activate it?”
“The Ascension protocol would be initiated. You would need to enter the Awakening Chamber to fully activate your body.”
“What is the Ascension protocol?”
“Those who sleep are denied full access.”
“And how do I stop being a sleeper?
“Activate the Ascension protocol.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Deactivation. The sanctuary would be sealed again. The bearer may leave if he so wishes.”
The wind whispered to me that I must embark on the path of Ascension. It was time to wake up.
“I agree to activate the protocol.” As soon as I said that, the strange voice said:
“The Ascension protocol has been activated. Initialization of the purification stage.”
I didn’t even have time to process the words before things began to flow from the walls. They formed eerie creatures, as if made of broken, iridescent symbols and liquid black metal. Their shapes shifted constantly, distorting the space around them. Two of them sprang up right in front of me. I felt their gazes on me, even though they had no discernible faces. And it made me want to run.
“Bearer, resistance is futile.”
I took a step back, but the creatures’ hands closed around my wrists. Their touch was so cold it burned, and the fingers were digging, flowing into my skin, connecting to something deeper than just my body. I tried to pull away, but the pain seared through my nerves like lightning strikes. A shiver ran down my spine.
The world turned upside down in an instant. I was being pulled into the air like a rag doll. The space distorted, the walls receded. I fell into a vat.
The liquid engulfed me.
It was thicker than blood. I could feel it seeping into me through my pores, getting into my eyes, mouth, and lungs. Its taste was a mixture of metal, ash, and something impossibly ancient. Panic rose in my chest. My body jerked, the instinct to survive urging me to escape, but the strange creatures kept me still. Their grip went past my skin and into my muscles. I was like a puppet on a string, completely unable to move unless they willed it.
