Prologue : The Unspoken Bond

(A/N: This is just a prologue, as the title says, so it is not important for the story but I would suggest reading it...or Not

Who care what the author says ,if you decide to read it, read it till the end)

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dialogue:"-------"

thoughts: '-----'

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-grasp...

Gasping, I let out a sharp cry of agonizing pain, my hand instinctively clutching my chest. My head throbbed, and it felt as though my heart might leap out of my mouth at any moment.

My entire body was drenched in sweat; the pain was almost enough to make me faint. The weather around us was cold enough to blanket the area with snow, which had accumulated to reach my knees.

"Damn it!" I muttered. They say curses can help people endure physical pain, but honestly, I didn't feel any difference—it still hurt like hell. Suddenly, I felt a warmth enveloping my whole body. After what felt like an eternity, the agony began to recede, and relief washed over me.

I turned my head to the right to find her. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her worried smile remained pure and enchanting even amid the blizzard on Naimonanyi Peak in the Kailash mountain range.

"You… you don't have to do this. L-Let's go back to the camp and wait for the weather to clear," she pleaded with concern.

"No, Elena! If the clues we've uncovered through our archaeological excavations are correct, we might find the forgotten ruins of Shangri-La. We could even uncover the secrets of ancient human civilization."

Elena, unconvinced, chose to remain silent, knowing there was no way to change my mind. Soon, we found a cave covered with snow-laden rocks amid the relentless blizzard. We huddled by the rocks, our breaths forming clouds in the frigid air.

Feverish and shivering uncontrollably, I could barely move. My partner, Elena, worked tirelessly, her face etched with worry as she carefully unpacked our emergency supplies. With practiced hands, she skillfully wrapped me in layers of thermal blankets.

Amidst the storm, Elena's presence was our only anchor in this perilous situation—a beacon of hope amidst the gathering snow. Elena's hands were numb as she worked, her breaths coming in short, visible bursts.

She fumbled with the matches, her frustration mounting. "Come on, come on," she muttered, striking a match and holding it close to the tinder. As Elena struggled to get the fire going, I, weakened by fever, tried to offer encouragement from where I lay.

"Come on, Elena, you can do it," I whispered. "I know it's cold, but you've always had a way with these things."

Elena glanced at me, her face illuminated by the fire's sparks. "Ren should rest for now."

Her eyes remained focused on the fire as the match finally caught. Elena's face softened with resolve as she carefully arranged kindling and logs. A small flame grew, gradually warming the cave. Elena sat beside me, offering the warmth. Soon, the cave was filled with silence, punctuated only by the occasional crackling of the fire.

Despite the cold, Elena and I found comfort in each other's presence. We had been childhood friends, and though neither of us had ever had romantic feelings for the other, but there was an unspoken bond between us.

"Do you remember the stories you used to tell me when I was young?" Elena asked, breaking the silence.

A chuckle escaped my lips as I recalled our childhood. "Yeah, I do. Why ask now?" I was curious about her sudden interest in a topic we had left untouched since our parents died in an accident while on a business trip.

Elena's face brightened at my response. "You remember how you used to narrate the hardships faced by the main character, how hopeless he was and how he overcame them. What was the novel's name again?"

She paused, trying to remember. "Ah! LEGENDS OF THALORIA. The world contained magic and places where you could find answers to everything. It all seemed so far-fetched back then, but now we might be on the brink of discovering something extraordinary."

She looked into my eyes and said, "I couldn't help but feel that we are following a path that could change the history of human civilization."

I was momentarily lost in her gaze but quickly averted my eyes. The fire's glow revealed intricate patterns etched into the cave walls, previously hidden in the shadows. My eyes widened in amazement as I saw the ancient inscriptions.

"What do these mean?" I asked, bewildered.

Elena, seemingly lost in thought, followed my gaze. "I'm not sure," she said, tracing the symbols with her fingers. "But they seem significant."

As the firelight grew stronger, the inscriptions began to emit a soft, otherworldly glow. Elena's heart raced as the symbols pulsed with mysterious energy. "Ren, look at this! The inscriptions are glowing."

The glowing symbols seemed to respond to our presence. A low rumble echoed through the cave, and the ground beneath us trembled slightly. A hidden door, previously obscured by the rocks, creaked open, revealing a narrow passage beyond.

Elena quickly moved to support me with all her strength. As soon as we set foot on the threshold of the narrow passage, a loud screeching noise was heard. Something was rushing toward us in large numbers.

Disturbed by our intrusion, bats erupted from the darkness, filling the air with the flapping of wings. Elena instinctively ducked, pulling me closer as bats swarmed around us, their dark forms barely visible in the dim light of the fire.

"Hold on!" Elena shouted over the chaotic noise, shielding her eyes from the frantic creatures. Too weak to react quickly, I leaned heavily against her, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The bats soon dispersed, fleeing into the storm outside, leaving the cave eerily silent.

Elena took a deep breath, steadying herself as the last of the bats disappeared into the night. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

I nodded weakly, my face pale from the cold and my faint illness. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… didn't expect that."

With a deep breath, Elena stood up, offering her support as we stepped into the passage. The inscriptions began to glow, providing enough light to guide us along the path.

As we moved forward, Elena stepped on a black rock that was strategically hidden along the pathway, its dark hue camouflaged in the dim light. Trained in martial arts, I sensed something and quickly bent down with her.

Suddenly, a dozen arrows shot past us, grazing our clothes and even nicking Elena's earlobe. Alarmed, we looked at the arrows, which were glowing with a strange energy and disintegrating into small granules, leaving no trace behind.

We swallowed hard, both thinking the same thing: this place is not as simple as it seems, filled with traps waiting to claim our lives at any moment. We nodded at each other, choosing to proceed with caution, relying on our unspoken bond.

—to be continued