Chapter 2: The Mysterious Artifact

The night was eerily silent, save for the faint ticking of Raj's bedside clock. He lay still, his breaths slow and steady, but his mind was anything but at peace. Strange dreams consumed him—visions of ancient cities crumbling into dust, towering figures with glowing eyes, and a voice calling his name from the darkness.

"Raj... you have been chosen..."

The words echoed through his mind, distant yet familiar. He saw flashes of battle, swords clashing, the sky split by lightning, and a shadowed figure watching from the distance. Just as the dream reached its peak, Raj's body jolted awake, drenched in sweat. His breath came in short gasps as he scanned the room, his heart pounding.

The amulet sat on his bedside table, glowing faintly. He hadn't imagined it.

Raj hesitated before reaching out, his fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against the cold metal. The moment he touched it, a strange warmth pulsed through his skin, sending a tingling sensation up his arm. He yanked his hand away, staring at the object in disbelief.

What the hell was that?

Shaking his head, he forced himself to relax. Maybe it was just his mind playing tricks after the weird encounter with the vendor. He picked up his phone, checking the time—3:47 AM. Too early to wake up, too late to fall back into restful sleep. He turned on his bedside lamp and studied the artifact closely.

It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The carvings on its surface were intricate, swirling symbols that seemed to shift when he wasn't looking directly at them. The metal was dark, yet it reflected light in unnatural ways, giving it an almost liquid appearance. At its center was a small gemstone, deep blue with golden flecks that pulsed like tiny stars.

A sudden knock at his window made him jump. His eyes darted toward the source of the sound, but there was nothing outside except the dark, empty streets. He exhaled sharply, shaking off the paranoia.

"Get a grip, Raj. It's just an old trinket. Nothing special."

Trying to distract himself, he placed the amulet back on the table and grabbed his laptop, deciding to do some research. Maybe he could find something similar online.

He typed in keywords: "Ancient glowing amulet," "Mystical artifacts," "Symbols on unknown relics."

Most of the results were fantasy-related—lore about lost civilizations, myths about objects of power. Nothing concrete. After an hour of searching, he was about to give up when one particular link caught his eye.

"The Relics of Ascension: Forgotten Artifacts of the Lost Era."

Clicking on it, he was directed to an old-looking website, the text barely readable against a dark background. It spoke of eight legendary relics scattered across realms, each holding immense power and connected to an ancient prophecy.

Raj frowned. The descriptions were vague, but one passage made his skin crawl:

"The bearer of the Mark shall awaken when the first relic finds its master. Destiny cannot be denied. The path to power is fraught with trials, but the chosen must rise, lest darkness consume all."

His fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure what to make of it. Was this coincidence, or was there something more to this amulet than he thought?

Suddenly, his screen flickered. For a brief second, his reflection in the dark monitor wasn't his own—it was someone else. A man with sharp, piercing eyes, draped in regal armor, his face marked with glowing symbols identical to those on the amulet.

Raj's breath caught in his throat. He blinked, and the image was gone.

His heart pounded violently. He pushed his laptop aside, rubbing his temples. Maybe I just need sleep.

But as he turned off his lamp, the amulet flared to life, its glow illuminating the entire room. The warmth returned, stronger this time, wrapping around his fingers like an unseen force.

Before he could react, a surge of energy coursed through him, and the world around him shattered like glass.

---

A Different Realm

Raj gasped as he found himself no longer in his room. The air was thick with an energy he couldn't describe, and the sky above was an impossible shade of violet, swirling with stars too bright to be real. The ground beneath him was solid, yet it felt weightless, as if he were standing on the edge of existence itself.

"What... where am I?" he whispered, turning in circles, his breath visible in the cool air.

Before him stood a massive stone door, carved with the same shifting symbols as the amulet. The carvings pulsed, as if responding to his presence.

Then, a voice rang out from nowhere. Deep, ancient, and powerful.

"You have been called, Raj. The first step has begun."

Raj spun around, trying to locate the source of the voice. "Who's there? What is this place?"

The air shimmered, and from the void emerged a figure clad in flowing silver robes, his face hidden beneath a hood. Though Raj couldn't see his eyes, he felt them piercing into his soul.

"The world you know is merely the surface of something greater. The relic you hold has awakened your path, and now, there is no turning back."

Raj took a step back, his pulse racing. "I didn't ask for any of this! I was just... I was just going for a walk!"

The figure raised a hand, and Raj felt his body freeze—not physically, but as if something was holding his very soul in place.

"Destiny does not ask, Raj. It calls. And now, you must choose."

The massive stone door groaned, beginning to part in the middle. Beyond it was a void of shifting light, like the fabric of space itself.

"Step forward, and claim your fate. Or turn away, and let the world you know crumble."

Raj's mind raced. Everything about this screamed danger, yet something deep within him stirred—a feeling he couldn't place, something ancient and familiar.

He looked down at the amulet still clutched in his hand. Its glow pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat.

He had always wanted more from life. Adventure. Purpose. Something greater than spreadsheets and morning commutes.

Maybe this was it.

Swallowing hard, Raj took a deep breath and stepped through the door.

The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the world exploded into light.

And then, everything went dark.