Prologue:Demise of the Nation

"Today, I am torn between right and wrong. This discovery could be ground-breaking, but are we ready for it? The uncertainty is what troubles me most"

-Alisante Winters, Journal Entry, Year Unknown

A massive explosion rocked the research centre deep inside Mountain Doom. The ground trembled violently, and a deafening roar filled the air. People screamed, their voices blending into a cacophony of terror. The lights flickered and then went out, plunging everything into darkness. The acrid smell of sulphur and burning metal filled my nostrils, mingling with the metallic tang of blood.

This meant one thing: something happened in the laboratory that shouldn't have.

I stood up, legs shaky, pain shooting through my right arm. The loud evacuation alarm left me disoriented.

My phone…

I found it, smashed on the ground. I grabbed it, turning on the flashlight to find a way out.

The beam cut through the void - overturned furniture, shattered glass, unconscious bodies.

The door, where was the door?

Dizzy, I dropped my phone and was swallowed by pitch black once more.

Then, a flash - green. The exit sign.

I stumbled toward it and pushed the door. The hallway was in ruins - cracked walls, scattered debris, air thick with dust and smoke.

The mountain trembled again, a low rumble that seemed to come from the very bowels of the earth. The metal pillars groaned under the immense pressure, their strained sounds echoing through the corridors. I was almost there. One more corner to turn.

"Alisante!!" someone screamed from behind me. "Don't! It's too dangerous! We need to evacuate, this entire mountain is going to collapse!"

I did not turn around. I knew we were all already dead. There was no way out, and to think otherwise would be foolish. No, the one thing I could still do was protect the artifact for future generations to find. I did not feel any remorse for what had to be done.

I was a scientist, my duty was to science. A single tear fell down my cheek. "Forgive me," I whispered. Images of my husband and children flashed before my eyes. I could only hope they would understand, even though they would never know what happened to me.

I reached the main door of the laboratory and slammed the button. The door slid open with a hiss, revealing a scene that burned itself into my memory - blood and gore splattered across the walls, forming patterns like ancient runes, dripping red onto the floor.

How many people had died here? Was it worth it?

A little voice in my head whispered: It was. It was worth it. Sacrifice for the generations to come. For my children to have a better future, I would give this—and more.

My heart pounded, my hands trembled uncontrollably. Immense power radiated from the center of the room, pulsing like a living thing. A pedestal, split in two, stood there, and upon it lay the artifact—black as night, its surface webbed with vein-like patterns. It seemed to drink in the blood around it.

The sight unsettled me. And for the first time, a terrible doubt crept in.

Had I done the right thing? Would this truly bring any good into the world?

I tried to step inside, but an invisible energy field stopped me, crackling with static and raising the hair on my arms. The artifact seemed to react to my presence, its glow intensifying, and the runes around it flaring brighter. It was as if it had a mind of its own, aware of the chaos it had caused.

"What is it?" I whispered, my voice trembling. "What are you?" Black tendrils oozed from every corner of the room, writhing and pulsing with malevolent energy.

"Close the door!" someone shouted, grabbing me and pushing me against the wall outside the entrance. I turned to see Darius, his face etched with determination and regret.

"Darius," I breathed, recognizing him instantly. "What did we do?"

His eyes met mine, filled with a mixture of sorrow and urgency. "We unleashed something we didn't understand," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "It can't get out. We need to seal it now."

I shook my head, tears welling up. "We can't," I whispered. "The world is doomed as we know it. I should have seen this coming. I should have stopped it."

Darius placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm yet comforting. "Alis, we did what we thought was right. We couldn't have known."

"But I should have," I insisted, my voice breaking. "I was so blinded by the possibilities, by the promise of discovery. I didn't see the danger."

"We don't have time for regrets," Darius said, his voice steady. "We have to act now."

I wish... I did not finish that sentence. The metal constructions finally gave out, and the mountain began to collapse around us. The ground shook violently, and the walls cracked and crumbled. Dust and debris filled the air, making it hard to breathe. I could hear the distant screams of those still trapped inside, their voices blending into a cacophony of despair.

Darius grabbed my arm, his eyes wide with fear. "Alis, we have to go!"

But I knew it was too late. The artefact's glow intensified, and the runes flared brighter, as if feeding off the chaos. I turned to Darius, my heart heavy with regret. "I wish..." I whispered, my voice barely audible over the roar of the collapsing mountain.

I felt myself falling as the ground gave away beneath us.

My last thought was of my family, and the hope that they would understand. "I wish..." The words echoed in my mind as darkness enveloped me.