Chapter :- 118

Arc 7 - Chapter 3: Into the Forbidden Ruins

The wind howled through the narrow mountain pass as Jae-min and his team pressed forward, their footsteps crunching against the frost-covered ground. The sky above was a deep shade of gray, heavy with clouds that threatened an impending storm. The Forbidden Ruins lay ahead, veiled in mist, their jagged spires clawing at the heavens like the remains of a forgotten god.

Jae-min tightened his grip on his sword. The Council's warning echoed in his mind—something ancient was stirring. Something beyond human understanding.

Seol-ah walked beside him, her sharp eyes scanning the terrain. "I don't like this," she muttered. "The air is too still."

"It's the ruins," Dae-hyun said from behind them. "Legends say the place devours sound, swallowing even the voices of the dead."

Jae-min exhaled, his breath visible in the cold air. He had read about the Forbidden Ruins before—sealed away centuries ago after a great catastrophe. No one knew what lay beyond its crumbling gates, only that those who entered never returned.

And now, he was walking straight into its maw.

The entrance came into view, a towering archway of blackened stone. Strange symbols covered the walls, glowing faintly as they approached. The moment Jae-min stepped forward, the ground beneath his feet trembled. The air shifted, thick with an oppressive force that pressed down on his chest.

A whisper brushed against his ear. Low. Haunting.

"You have come at last."

Jae-min's hand flew to his sword as the voice slithered through the air. Seol-ah froze beside him, her fingers twitching toward her dagger.

The ruins had been expecting them.

Dae-hyun muttered a curse. "Tell me someone else heard that."

Before anyone could answer, the archway erupted with a blinding light. The symbols along the walls pulsed violently, and the mist ahead swirled, revealing a massive, shadowed figure standing just beyond the threshold.

Jae-min didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, eyes locked on whatever lay ahead.

No turning back now.

The ruins had called them.

And he would answer.