Chapter 7 - The Forgotten Artifact

Lucius wandered deeper into the woods, the dense trees surrounding him, their branches stretching towards the sky. The air smelled of damp earth and the faint scent of moss. His feet had taken him to this remote area without him quite knowing why. A part of him felt drawn here, as if something was calling to him. His senses sharpened, and he noticed an old stone pedestal half-covered in ivy and moss.

The pedestal was unlike anything he'd seen before in the forest. It looked ancient, worn by time, but there was something unmistakable about it. A faint glow came from the center, where a small medallion rested. Lucius, feeling an overwhelming pull, approached it slowly. His heart raced. As he touched the medallion, a surge of energy coursed through his fingers, up his arm, and into his chest.

A voice, low and powerful, echoed in his mind. "You are chosen."

Lucius froze, his breath caught in his throat. The medallion, now warm in his hand, hummed with magic, and the voice spoke again.

"This is no ordinary artifact. It is an amplifier, a source of power granted to those destined to face the greatest of challenges. You, Lucius, are the one who will stand against the Demon King when he returns."

His heart pounded faster. The Demon King? A dark legend from the past. Lucius had heard the stories—how the Demon King had conquered the world centuries ago through force, spreading fear and darkness across the land. But a hero had risen, defeating him, and sealing him away. The demon was said to have been destroyed, but there were whispers of his return, of a time when his power would once again threaten everything.

"I… I am chosen?" Lucius whispered to himself, unsure if he truly understood what was happening.

Before he could process what the voice was telling him, the medallion began to shift in his hand. It pulsed with an ethereal glow, then suddenly, as if alive, it melted into his skin. He tried to pull his hand away, but it was too late. The medallion sank into his flesh, becoming part of him, an unremovable mark.

"It has chosen you as its bearer," the voice continued, "and you will soon understand the full extent of your power. The Demon King's return is inevitable, and only you can stop him. Your strength, Lucius, will be amplified by this medallion. But first, you must grow stronger—physically and in your mastery of magic."

Lucius stumbled back, his hand instinctively reaching for the place where the medallion had entered his skin. The area was warm, almost as if the artifact was still alive inside him. He could feel its power thrumming in his veins, and though it frightened him, there was also a strange sense of purpose that settled within his chest.

He clenched his fists. "I must become stronger… I must be ready." The weight of the responsibility that had been thrust upon him was immense, but Lucius knew he had no choice. The world was in danger, and if he was to face the Demon King, he had to prepare for the trials ahead.

Lucius stood there, the echo of the voice fading from his mind, but the knowledge it had given him remained. His destiny was now intertwined with the medallion and its power. It was an amplifier, yes, but it was also a key, a key to something far greater than he could imagine. And the voice had said it was up to him to unlock that potential, to wield the power he had been given and become the hero the world desperately needed.

The forest around him felt oddly silent, as if it too was aware of the shift in the air. Lucius felt both terrified and empowered. But one thing was certain—this was the beginning of something much larger than himself. The medallion had chosen him, and now, he would have to rise to the occasion.

As he turned back to head home, a sense of urgency stirred within him. The Demon King's return wasn't a distant possibility anymore—it was a certainty, and Lucius knew he couldn't waste any more time. He had to train, to grow, to master his abilities. And the first step in that journey had just begun.