Chapter 106: Whispers of the Relic

The air inside the chapel seemed to thicken as Rodrigo's words hung in the silence. A key to the past, to the future. The weight of that realization settled heavily in his chest. The relic, hidden for generations beneath this altar, wasn't just a trinket of power. It was something far more ancient, something that could reshape the world if it fell into the wrong hands.

Dona Maria took a step forward, her eyes locked on the stone altar. "My father used to say that the relic was a piece of something greater, something that belonged to the earth itself. He never explained it fully, but I know it has the power to reveal... or to destroy."

Sebastião, always the pragmatist, crossed his arms and stared at the altar with narrowed eyes. "We don't even know what form this relic takes. Is it an artifact? A weapon? Or something else entirely?"

Rodrigo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked slowly around the altar, his mind turning over everything he had learned. The guilds, the war, the hidden power—it was all connected, somehow. He could feel it. The world was teetering on the edge of something catastrophic, and this relic might be the tipping point.

His eyes caught a faint glint of light reflecting off the floor beneath the altar. Curious, he knelt down and brushed away the dust. Beneath the dirt and grime, he found a thin crack running along the base of the stone. It was almost imperceptible, but now that he saw it, he knew it was significant.

"There's something here," Rodrigo said, his voice low.

Sebastião crouched beside him, his sharp eyes following the line of the crack. "A hidden compartment, maybe?"

Rodrigo nodded. "Most likely. But if it's been hidden this long, it won't be easy to open. We'll need to find the right way—forcing it might destroy whatever's inside."

Dona Maria knelt beside them, her expression serious. "The relic is tied to the village's history. My father always said that it responds to those who are meant to find it. Perhaps there's something more to this than just brute force."

Rodrigo considered her words, then rose to his feet. He scanned the chapel, taking in the worn murals on the walls, the flickering light that filtered through the cracked windows. The chapel wasn't just a place of worship; it was a vault of secrets, hiding something precious from those who would misuse it.

His eyes landed on a mural near the altar. It depicted an ancient scene, a figure standing before a crowd, holding what appeared to be a glowing object in their hands. The people in the mural looked both awed and afraid, as if the object held both salvation and destruction.

"This mural," Rodrigo said, pointing. "It might hold a clue. Look at the way the figure is holding the object—it's almost like it's meant to be presented, not taken."

Sebastião studied the mural, nodding slowly. "Maybe the relic isn't meant to be seized by force. Maybe it has to be earned, or offered."

Dona Maria's eyes widened. "The stories... they always said the relic would reveal itself to the one worthy of its power. Not just anyone can take it."

Rodrigo took a deep breath, standing before the altar once more. If the relic responded to worthiness, then it wasn't about strength or cunning—it was about something deeper, something tied to the heart and soul of the person seeking it.

Slowly, he extended his hand toward the altar, not to pry it open, but to offer himself. He closed his eyes, letting his thoughts quiet, focusing only on his purpose. He wasn't here to claim power for himself. He wasn't here to win a war or change the course of history. He was here because the village needed protection, and because the world needed balance.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, just as Rodrigo began to doubt, a faint hum filled the air. The altar shifted, a soft rumbling sound echoing through the chapel as the stone began to move. The crack Rodrigo had found earlier widened, revealing a hidden compartment beneath the altar's surface.

Inside the compartment lay an object, glowing softly with an otherworldly light. It was small, no larger than a fist, and shaped like a perfect sphere. The surface shimmered with iridescent colors, shifting from blue to green to gold as the light danced across it.

Rodrigo stared at it in awe. This was the relic. This small, unassuming object held the power to change the fate of nations, to tip the balance of war. And it had chosen him.

"Is that it?" Sebastião whispered, his voice hushed.

Rodrigo nodded, reaching out to gently lift the relic from its resting place. As his fingers closed around it, a warmth spread through his hand, as if the object were alive, responding to his touch.

"Yes," Rodrigo said softly. "This is it."