Charter 26: The Last Tattoo Artist Of Stories

Calcium walked through the narrow streets of El Mora, feeling the cold air seep into her clothes. The symbols on the ice glowed with a soft blue light, paving her way.

Lian walked beside him, keeping his guard up. He kept glancing at the roofs and alleys, as if waiting for an ambush:

– I don't like it. I'm sorry – He muttered.

Calcium chuckled: – Yeah?But I like it. The city clearly wants to show me something.

Lian shot her an incredulous look: – You're talking about him like he's alive.

Calcium looked at the tattoo. She was throbbing slowly, and it felt strange, like someone was calling her name.

–Are you sure he's not alive?

Lian didn't answer.

Footsteps echoed through the dead streets, and soon the symbols led them to a ruined tower in the center of the city. Tall, black, with a broken wall, it towered like a giant half-buried in the snow.

Calcium cautiously moved closer.

–You want this? – Lian asked.

– No, but it only makes everything more interesting, right?

She took a step forward, and at the same moment, a voice rang in her head.

Quiet. Female. Full of ancient weariness.

"~You've come... finally.~"

Calcium held her breath.

Lian saw her face and tensed. What happened?

Calcium listened intently.

The wind howled, and signs that looked like writing appeared in the snow.

And the voice whispered:

"~Come in... and find out the truth.~"

The darkness of the tower opened up before Calcium

As soon as her foot touched the threshold, the icy signs around her glowed brighter, as if welcoming her. It was dark and damp inside, and it smelled of old stone and something spicy, perhaps the remains of long-decayed herbs.

But the main detail was ahead. There was a pedestal right in the center of the hall, and on it was a tablet.

Calcium tensed up.

"This is..."

But before she could touch it, the voice rang in her head again.:

"~You came. Now remember.~"

And the world went dark before her eyes.

Calcium inhaled sharply, but there was no air in her chest. Everything was gone—not the cold, not the Creeper, not the tower. Just emptiness.

And then…She was standing in a different place.High walls of black stone. Moonlit windows.

In front of her is a girl with silver hair holding exactly the same tablet as the one on the pedestal.

Calcium held her breath.

–Can you hear me? – She asked.

The girl raised her head. Her blue eyes, too similar to Calcium's, looked straight into the soul.

–You're next.

Calcium froze: –Who's next...?

The girl slowly turned the tablet over, and the words appeared on its surface:

"The story of El Mora. The last chapter. "

The world exploded with light. Calcium opened her eyes and saw the familiar vault of the tower in front of her.

She collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily. Lian leaned over to her, anxiously touching her shoulder.

–Hey! What happened?!

Calcium touched the tablet on the pedestal with a trembling hand. Her fingers traced over the old writing, and suddenly, words written in her own handwriting flashed above the surface:

"You Are The Last Tattoo Artist Of Stories."

Calcium clenched her teeth.She understood.

El Mora was waiting for her.

Calcium stared at the tablet, trying to make sense of what she saw.

Her own handwriting.Words written by her... but not by her at the same time.

–The last tattoo artist of stories...– She whispered.

Lian leaned forward, frowning.

–What does that mean?

– I don't know. –Calcium exhaled slowly. –But... it seems I'm not the first.

She carefully ran her fingers over the ancient tablet, and suddenly the lines of the system flashed before her eyes.

[The system is activated...]

[Hidden information has been unlocked...]

[Assignment received: Find the traces of the past tattoo artist of stories]

Calcium clung to the stone of the pedestal, trying to stop her hands from shaking.

"A former tattoo artist? But who is she?"

The silvery hair and sad look of the girl from the vision came back to my eyes.

Lian was watching her closely: –Did you remember something?

Calcium nodded.

–I saw her. The girl who owned this tablet before me. She was trying to say something... but I didn't have time to hear it.

Lian sighed: – So now we're looking for a ghost? Fine.

Calcium chuckled: – Not a ghost.The story.

She reached out and carefully took the tablet. As soon as her fingers touched the surface, the tower trembled, and a whisper sounded in the air:

"~ You chose your path...~"

Calcium gripped the tablet tighter. No matter what lay ahead, she was ready to find out the truth.

Calcium clutched the tablet in her hands, feeling a warm energy run through her fingers. Something clicked inside, as if a lock had opened.

And suddenly... a flash of light.

Fragments of the past appeared before her eyes, like the torn pages of an ancient book.

"She can't know…"

" But if she's the last one…"

"We can't take any chances...Seal it up."

The voices were mixed up, the faces remained blurred, but Calcium felt that they were talking about her.

The light abruptly went out, and she was back in the tower, reeling from dizziness.

Lian grabbed her arm, holding her in place.

–Did you fail again?

Calcium nodded slowly, gathering her thoughts.

–Someone... sealed away the knowledge of my profession.

She looked at the tattoo. Her patterns have changed, the fine lines have become more complex, as if they have been supplemented with a new meaning. And at that moment, the system's message popped up in front of my eyes:

[Congratulations!]

[You have gained access to the blocked skill: "Echoes of Stories."]

[Use it to unlock the past hidden in the tablets.]

Calcium froze, her heart began to pound.

"Can I reveal sealed stories?"

Lian noticed her expression: –What now?

Calcium chuckled: – Now we'll find the answers.

She looked at the tablet in her hands again. It's time to find out the truth. Calcium took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the tablet in her hands. Now she knew that it wasn't just an old artifact in front of her–it was a piece of history that someone was trying to hide.

She looked at her tattoo. The patterns now resembled a complex mandala that glowed with a soft blue light. A new skill called her to use force, to break the seals of the past.

–Come on... show me what's hidden.

She closed her eyes and concentrated.

At first, nothing happened. But after a few seconds, her palm began to throb, as if the tattoo was responding to her call.

And then…The world around us has changed.

Calcium felt darkness envelop her mind, but this time it wasn't emptiness. It was a transition. She opened her eyes and saw a completely different place.

[ The Distant Past ]

Tall bookshelves, lighted candles, walls decorated with magical engravings. The air smelled sweet, like old scrolls and herbs. The same girl stood in the center of the hall, silver hair falling over her fragile shoulders, and her eyes were deep and sad.

She was writing on a tablet, her hand trembling.

–If anyone sees this... it means I've lost.

Calcium held her breath: – Who are you?

The girl raised her head. And for a second, Calcium thought she was looking right at her.

–I'm... your predecessor. The first one to gain this power.

Calcium froze: – What happened to you?

The girl smiled sadly.

–I made a mistake. And now this world is in danger.

Suddenly, everything started to crumble.

Calcium reached forward, but the vision disappeared, and she was back in the tower.

She exhaled sharply.

Lian stood next to her, staring at her intently, –Did you fall through again?

Calcium nodded, clenching her fingers into a fist: – I saw her. The First Tattoo Artist of Stories

Lian froze: –And what did she say?

Calcium looked at the tablet.

– That this world is in danger…

//To be continued, please like and save.