Page 180 of The Last Guardian

“Fucking Hells, I am being ordered around by a coin now?” Zaid growled, and I couldn’t help but smile.

The right path was the good one. The relic flared at us when we changed direction, as if thanking us. It stopped burning my palm.

If the relic had some power to lead us to the Last Guardian, we had to follow it.

The path eventually opened onto the forest. We arrived at the foot of a gray mountain. The only way to access the mountain was through its core, through a beautiful archway.

Nestled in the rocks of the mountain range, a crumbling palace with moss-covered walls and stairs led to another archway.

The stones crumbled, roots growing through the cracks, destroying everything in their path. Taking back what was rightfully theirs. Even nature waged war against evil here.

Zaid fixed his gaze on the relic in my palm, his jaw tense.

The stone was glowing. We were on the right track.

“Why are there so many crumbling ruins of castles and temples here?” I asked.

“A long time ago, before the Elves bestowed the Guardians upon Humans, some of them lived here,” Zaid responded, cautiously placing his foot on the first step, testing its sturdiness before extending his hand to help me climb up.

The ruins were stunning, like a poetic masterpiece carved in stone. Every intricate detail was exquisite. If that was their hallmark, I wondered what Eldrandyr looked like.

“So, the temple we saw earlier? Did they build it?” I asked, carefully looking at where to put my feet as we made our way up.

“The people who lived here—the Oralys—built it. Myrh was the original sanctuary of Erath from the beginning of time. The Elves settled here to worship the gods—their presence was stronger and deeper, helping them create the Guardians. They left when Edoris banned magic. They tried to save the Guardians, but none wanted to leave their homes. The Guardians wanted to protect their lands and their humans. Once they understood that humans had abandoned them, too, it was already too late for them.”

“Well, we’re here now,” I declared, filled with determination. “We’re going to save them.”

“Thank the Ten, our princess is here to save us!” Zaid chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

I elbowed him in the ribs and smiled at him. “You should know I can be dangerous,” I boasted.

“Oh, I am quite aware of that,” Zaid whispered.

My heart missed a beat. In answer, I gave him a soft smile.

The sound of our footsteps reverberated when we reached the top. As Zaid and I entered a corridor—a dark corridor—the relic lit the hallway, guiding us further into the mountain castle.

The crackling of shattered glass came from beneath my feet, and I looked up at what had surely been one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Collapsed walls. A dim, gray light filtered through the broken windows, casting rays across the room. Dust swirled on the floor, catching the light.

A circular room with rows of broken chairs facing a giant stone in the center. It was much larger than my father’s throne room, or our Sacred Domes of Lorath.

Imposing statues towered above our heads. Their eyes of stone were watching the room. We were in a holy place, surrounded by the Ten Gods.

“The First Celestium,” Zaid murmured, noticing my observant gaze over the room, “is what we call this place.”

“Like the Sacred Domes in Perygan?” I asked.

“Not exactly. The Sacred Domes would be more like the Sanctum. Where everyone can pray to the Ten.” His voice echoed in the sacred place. “The Celestium is where the Oralys live.”

The world had become so divided that even our sacred place of worship had been transformed by the wicked souls who controlled this madness.

“When magic vanished, the Oralys relocated the Celestium to the heart of Keraneeth. The gods were no longer in Myrh.”

Sadness was not enough to describe my feelings for this world. The emptiness of this place, which should have been a place of joy and love, made me sick. Nausea washed over me—it was not a place of worship and celebration; it was nothing but a void.

“Can we go somewhere else?” My voice broke on the last word. “There’s nothing to find here. Not anymore.”