Chamber of Secrets

***Chapter 13: Chamber of Secrets***

The sight was unlike anything Paul had ever seen—a relic of a lost civilization, hidden deep within the wilderness.

"What… is this?" Paul whispered, his voice filled with awe.

He stepped closer, his golden eyes wide with wonder.

For the first time in a while, Paul found himself feeling a whole lot of emotions at once.

Dumbfounded, Shock, and More.

He knew, He just knew that this discovery just changed everything.

-----

The air inside the spaceship's inner chamber was heavy, with the scent of ancient metal and decay.

The walls glowed faintly with strange symbols, their light casting eerie shadows across the room.

Paul stepped forward, his golden eyes scanning the chamber with a mix of caution and curiosity. Behind him, Maxim leaned heavily on his axe, his side still bleeding from the earlier fight with the rabid beasts.

Alfred trailed behind, his small hands clutching the metallic map device they had found earlier.

"This place gives me the creeps," Maxim muttered, his voice echoing in the vast space. He winced as he adjusted his grip on his axe, his face pale from the pain. "Can we just grab whatever we need and get out of here?"

Alfred, ever the curious one, ignored Maxim's complaints and scurried ahead, his wide eyes darting around the chamber.

"Master, look at this!" he called, pointing to a pedestal at the center of the room. On it rested a book, its cover worn and its pages yellowed with age.

Paul approached the pedestal, his heart pounding as he reached for the book. 

The moment his fingers touched the leather-bound book, a strange energy surged through him, sending a shiver down his spine. He hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to be cautious, but his curiosity won out. He opened the book, his golden eyes scanning the pages.

The journal was written in a language Paul could somehow understand, and the symbols and diagrams were clear enough to convey their meaning. 

It spoke of an ancient civilization—the Oni—a race of small, humanoid beings with glowing eyes that had advanced technology. 

The Oni had once thrived, their interstellar civilization spanning vast planets in space with their achievements unparalleled. But their downfall had been orchestrated by the Abyssals, who had corrupted their land from within, turning their slaves against them.

As Paul flipped through the pages, the chamber around him seemed to come alive.

Holographic projections flickered to life, showing images of the Oni's rise and fall.

Towering cities of gleaming metal, vast fields of glowing crops, and skies filled with flying machines—all of it was swallowed by darkness as the Abyssals spread their corruption.

The final image was that of a single Oni scientist, his glowing eyes filled with sorrow as he sealed the journal and placed it on the pedestal.

As Paul read the final entry, a sudden force gripped him. His body stiffened, his golden eyes glazing over as he was pulled into a trance.

The journal's energy surged through him, flooding his mind with visions of the Oni's final days. He saw the scientist working tirelessly to create something possibly a weapon of some sort, his hands trembling as he inscribed the final instructions into the journal.

He saw a gigantic stalker beast, destroying the spaceship the scientist was in.

 Lastly,he saw the weapon itself—a massive, glowing device hidden deep within the wilderness, waiting for someone to unlock its power.

"Paul!" Maxim's voice cut through the visions, sharp with panic. "What's happening to him?"

Alfred rushed to Paul's side, his small hands shaking as he tried to pull the journal away. "Master! Master, can you hear me?" he cried, his voice trembling with fear.

But Paul could not respond to their calls even if he could, his body was frozen in place as the images continued to play in his mind.

The final line of the journal echoed in his mind, its words seared into his memory: 

"The weapon is our last hope. With this our race can be re-established"

---

Maxim stumbled forward, his axe clattering to the ground as he grabbed Paul's shoulders. "Paul! Snap out of it!" he shouted, his voice desperate.

But Paul didn't move, his golden eyes kept staring blankly ahead.

Alfred's mind raced as he tried to think of a way to help. "We need to get him out of here," he said, his voice trembling. 

"This place… it's doing something to him."

Maxim nodded, his face pale with fear. 

"Help me carry him," he said, his voice strained. Together, they tried to lift Paul, but his body was rigid, unmovable. 

"What do we do?" Alfred asked, his voice breaking. "We can't just leave him like this!"

Maxim clenched his fists, his blue eyes filled with frustration and helplessness. "

I don't know," he admitted. "But we can't stay here. If those rabid beasts or Shifter finds us…"

The chamber grew colder, the air thick with tension as Maxim and Alfred stood over Paul's frozen form. Alfred's small hands trembled as he clutched the metallic map device, its faint hum the only sound in the chamber.

"We have to do something," Alfred whispered, his voice barely audible. "We can't lose him."

Maxim's jaw tightened, his mind racing for a solution. But before he could speak, Paul's body suddenly jerked, his golden eyes snapping back into focus. 

He gasped for air, his hands clutching the journal tightly.

"Paul!" Maxim and Alfred shouted in unison, their voices filled with relief.

But Paul's expression was grim, his golden eyes filled with a mix of awe and dread.

"I saw it," he said, his voice low and urgent. "The weapon. The Oni's last hope. But… this world is not what we think. It's dangerous. More than we ever knew."