The shaking intensified, and a powerful energy surged through the temple. Cracks started developing in the passage walls, as if the entire temple could come crashing down at any moment.
The Goddess of Light was taken aback, wondering why the Ancestral Temple was behaving like this suddenly. Two beautiful wings made purely of right appeared behind her, illuminating the passage around her.
With the help of her newfound power, she moved through the passage, going straight for the portal that was at the same place from where she entered. She didn't want to be inside the temple when it came crashing down.
As the Goddess of Light approached the portal, the shaking intensified even further, making it increasingly difficult for her to maintain her balance. The cracks in the walls grew wider, and debris started falling from the ceiling. Determined to escape, she pushed through, her wings pulsating with a radiant glow, guiding her path.
The portal loomed ahead, shimmering with an otherworldly light. She could feel the immense power emanating from it, like a beacon pulling her closer. But as she stepped closer, an unsettling feeling gnawed at her heart. There was something off about this portal, something she couldn't quite place.
She doesn't think much about it, more concerned about the falling roof. Without stopping, she rushed into the portal.
On the other side of the portal, the Goddess of Light came flying, falling on the floor right before the Lord of Upper Realm who was sitting high on the throne.
"You seem to have grown a lot," the Lord of Upper Realm stated, letting out a sigh. He had expected quite a lot from her, but he was somewhat disappointed.
"Where is Karyk? Why didn't he come out with you?" he asked.
"He didn't come out yet?" The Goddess of Light asked in return, slightly surprised. Karyk was ahead of her in the Ancestral Temple. In fact, it was because of him clearing the path that she was able to enter her destination that easily. Usually, he should've come out long before her.
Even after all that, she felt happy that he didn't come out. She knew that he had enmity with her. They couldn't work together. If anything, he was going to kill her at sight if he came out. She was glad that he wasn't here.
"The Temple would've already come crashing down, burying him under. It looks like he did something which made the Ancestral Temple upset. I don't think he'll be coming back now," the Goddess of Light spoke, not even trying to hide the happiness in her eyes.
"Temples crashing down?" The Lord of Upper Realm frowned. "How is this possible?"
Something like this had never happened. Moreover, how could one upset the Temple to the point that the temple would destroy itself? It didn't make sense. Everything inside the temple was simple,as long as one passed the traps.
Hearing about the destruction of the temple, he couldn't help but feel that something was off.
****
Many of the passages were destroyed. The Halls of other Elements were also destroyed, as if the Ancestral Temple was erasing itself. The specks of different colored lights came from every temple, slowly being absorbed in Karyk's body.
Even Karyk didn't understand entirely what was happening, but he felt that the aura inside his body was changing. It was as if every element was entering his body to the point that his strength was beyond his own understanding.
He didn't understand why that was happening, or who actually made the Ancestral Temple. He also didn't understand why only he was receiving these memories or why no one else gained this knowledge. More than anything, he didn't know his origin.
The shaking of the Ancestral Temple only intensified. With each passing second, the Tombstones started cracking apart, slowly turning into specks of dust, merging with the ground.
Karyk didn't know why, but he felt as if he could see the spirits of the people whose tombstones were breaking. As the last tombstone also shattered, there were hundreds of spirits in the hall.
All those Spirits were ones whose life Karyk had lived through those memories. They stared at him with a mixture of sadness and relief, as if they were finally at peace knowing that their stories were carried on.
Karyk stood up, gazing at all the Spirits. They were dead, yet he couldn't feel as if they were dead. Their spirits simply disappeared slowly
The Divine Author was the last Spirit. He looked at Karyk with a knowing smile. It was as if even at this moment, he could see a future that no one else could see.
He opened his lips, as if about to speak something. However, he simply closed his mouth, shaking his head. His spirit disappeared, leaving Karyk with a sense of mystery and unanswered questions.
He didn't know why he didn't see the rest of the memories of the Divine Author. How did he do it? Just why the memories stopped so abruptly, unlike with other memories. Thousands of questions were in Karyk's hands.
As he pondered over the maze of unanswered questions, he realized that he didn't have too much time to waste here. The entire temple was coming down.
He looked in the direction where all tombstones used to be, bowing his head in one last rite of respect. Thanks to all of them, he learned many things. In this regard, they were no different than his teachers, teaching through their life experiences.
He left the hall, where he spent months without even realizing. Most of the passage was destroyed, but still enough was left for him to leave this place.
As he made his way out, he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the sanctuary the temple had provided. It had been a refuge from the chaos and distractions of the outside world, allowing him to focus on his inner journey.
Moreover, after everything ended, he finally regained some senses and felt less lost. His headache had also subsided.
