POV Achous Phantomwing

My eyes stay locked on the hazy outline, off in the distance. With that damned mist finally out of the way, I can finally try to see my surroundings. It is still dark all around me, like an eternal night lingering on way past its welcome.

I’m struggling to properly discern the building's shape, this heartless darkness only adding to my mounting frustrations. But, the mere outline of this unnatural structure, is enough to capture my complete attention. The world around me becomes meaningless as I divert all my attention towards this strange curiosity.

My eyes linger for a full minute, strangely drawn towards the building. As if commanded by fate, I start walking step by step, my service boots wading their way through the soft blue grass. The tall trees rustle in a chaotic manner, like excited children waiting to see something exciting. I continue to ignore my surrounding, only focusing on my destination.

In, what seems like the blink of an eye, I arrive within meters of the building. I’m stunned by its size, with walls over ten meters tall and a large moat-like river running around it, the place feels like a genuine fortress. Smooth, seamless granite walls, akin to a single large block of granite, rather than a constructed wall, surrounds the structure. The only way past the moat is a single stone bridge two meters across.

Other than the large, looming front door there seems to be no other entrance into this place. I could try to climb the walls, but that seems impossible. I won’t be able to get any handholds in this wall that’s as smooth as a jade block. My wings are still slightly paralyzed, leaving flying in out of the question, but I can leave it as a backup plan when my wings eventually recover.

With slightly hesitant steps, I near the large door. As I approach, I study the door with increasing curiosity. The door seems to be composed of some unknown metal, that’s emitting a faint glow, only adds to the mystery surrounding this structure. Within seconds, I’m standing an arm’s length away from the door.

My eyes study the intricate carvings covering every corner of the door. Each carving depicts colossal beings roaming an endless island. They slowly transition to a single lonely giant roaming on his own, then they all morph into a final carving situated in the very center. This carving depicts the lonely giant looking at the setting sun, but next to him another person stands. Looks like he wasn’t fated to be alone forever...

This whole tale only further increases my already astronomical amount of questions. Well, there’s only one thing I can do right now. I take two seconds to steel my resolve. As I release a deep breath, I knock on the door with all my might. The door doesn’t even budge, seemingly akin to an immovable mountain. Unfortunately, the only thing that greets me is the echoes of an empty interior.

The forest starts to grow even more restless, I turn around and I finally realize the gravity of my current predicament. The mist around the structure makes it impossible to see anything, I’m only able to hear the ruckus of the surrounding forest. The sound isn’t what really scares me, but what it represents scares me.

Panic suddenly grips my body, rising from the primordial place that houses every animal’s instinct. I knock again, using every ounce of my strength. Seeking refuge here is my only hope for survival. The seconds pass, but no one answers. The movement of the trees is only growing louder.

With the failure of the last knock, my last hope of salvation is dashed. A dispirited laugh escapes my mouth. Almost robotically, I turn to face the wall of mist, my face forming a hopeless frown. My knees buckle under my weight, giving up any resistance to this unknown threat. With my back leaning against the giant door, my heart feels empty.

Some may stand up, ready to fight whatever is approaching, but not me… I’ve always been a coward. Some may wonder how I manage to be an explorer because of this, but that’s only due to my desperate circumstances. Usually, people won’t pin me as a coward, but the truth is, I’ve only learned to hide it better than others.

My mind flashes with images of all the horrible creatures that could be lurking in the mist. With a last self-deprecating laugh, my head sinks into my knees. I close my eyes, waiting for the inevitable. My only wish is that it won’t hurt or be over quick at least.

What foolish thought pushed me into exploring this island? Was it for fame or was it something else? Well, it doesn’t matter now, everything will be over soon. It’s not like I expected anything different, just surviving my first exploration mission was already a blessing most won’t ever receive. To expect the same sort of luck for my second mission was a fool’s dream.

Each passing second feels like an eternity. Slowly the passing seconds turn into minutes, eventually a full ten minutes pass. In disbelieve, I open my eyes, signs of dried tears still linger on my face. It’s still dark around me but the noise has stopped, returning to its usual eerie silence. A happy laugh flows freely from my throat, looks like my time has not come!

“Seems like you’re happy that those loud fellows have finally calmed down. Like, I can understand their excitement but there’s no reason to be rude about it, right? Truth be told, even I was excited there at one point. Anyway, did you have a nice nap?” A voice next to me asks. I stand up in shock, quickly looking around me but there’s no one else on the bridge or the ground in front of me!