Chapter 52

The deeper into the ruins that Wil delved, the less he encountered other people, or signs of the Guilds manipulations of the structure. The higher levels had additional supports, rooms for rest, runes for guidance, obvious signs that the Guild was caring for the upper ruins.

After Wil left the chamber with the portal to another plane, those things became a rarity.

The oppressive weight of stone and earth above him felt stifling, and he was aware of just how deep below the surface he had gone. Three weeks of explorations had brought him far away from the entrance to the surface.

Although it took a lot of time and effort to traverse the trapped rooms, confusing hallways and difficult to navigate chambers below, he had still traveled miles below the surface.

Wil came to the realization that not many people made it this far in the test. They either failed long ago or stumbled upon a token to pass. Even he had found 3 silver tokens in the last few days, hidden in chests, or presented as rewards for solving a puzzle, defeating an enemy or surviving a trap. He ignored them, pushing on, seeking either a gold token, or the end of the ruins.

He had a strange feeling driving him, something unknown in the depths that called him forward. Whether it was his own curiosity, or a need to prove himself, he suspected that he wouldn’t stop before he came to the last chamber, the final light at the end of the tunnel, the last secret buried deep beneath the surface.

Scoffing at his delusional idea that anything beside a dusty and bare chamber waited at the end of these ruins, Wil pressed on.

He came to a vast chasm, deep beneath the earth. At the bottom, he saw the hazy, red glow of magma, the heat rising to hit him in the face. The temperature down here was searing, and he had been forced to protect himself with a layer of mana as he walked across the scorching stones, a haze of heat disrupting the glow of the orb of light that followed him diligently.

From his reckoning of time, he was in the last few days of the test. Nearly a month he had spent underground, and his experience here had honed his sense for danger in a way that he thought lost since Aachen. He could feel that he was coming to the end, only a little more before his goal was in sight.

Coming to the edge of the chasm, he sent the light ahead, seeking the other end in the darkness. The little light traveled as far as his mana could reach, until it was only a small, pinprick of light, but he still couldn’t find the other edge.

Recalling the orb, he closed his eyes, reaching out with his senses, stretching his awareness to its absolute limits as he searched for the path forward.

“There!” Wil whispered, his voice cracking from the dry heat. His water had run out earlier that day, and the last pool of fresh water that he had found was days away and miles above. It didn’t matter anyway, he felt that the end was in sight.

He had felt a faint something, a dim pulse of mana, a flash of life in the darkness and a strange sense of calm that called out to him. He had learned to trust his senses, although he found it hard to put into words the things he felt as he explored.

That sense of calm, however, meant safety and security. He had felt the same from the ‘safe rooms’ above.

Whatever was out there, in the darkness, it wasn’t a danger to him.

Determined, Wil reached into his bag of holding, pulling out the Clockwork Owl. He hadn’t had a need to release his companion since the test started, the underground ruins had never provided him an excuse to fly.

Channeling his mana into the metal bird, its eyes fluttered open as the green light in the center of its chest flared to life. With a fierce shake of its feathers, it took to the air, flapping its wings as it circled around him, hooting loudly into the darkness.

“I’m sorry about not letting you out sooner. But look around, this isn’t exactly the wide-open skies you’re used to.” Wil said softly, as the Owl settled on the ground next to him. With a whining sound, the gears within it twirled as the Owl enlarged, towering over Wil.

With a leap, Wil settled on the Owl’s back softly before it took to the air, the heat rising from the chasm easily keeping it aloft. Holding up a hand, Wil focused his mana into his palm. The orb of light drifted down from above, resting in his hand as he forced more mana into the spell.

The white orb of light became as bright as the noonday sun, and Wil threw it into the air above as the Owl soared ahead. Brighter and brighter, it glowed, driving back the darkness. But, despite the intensity of the light, Wil could see nothing but darkness for miles, even the ground was gone, replaced by a river of molten lava, flowing far below him.

For long minutes, Wil flew through the darkness, his eyes straining to see anything in the black. The owl, however, seemed to know exactly where it was going as it flew unerringly over the chasm, until, in the distance, Wil spotted the rough stone of the cavern wall. And in the center, with no ledge or balcony, was a single door, made of wood with a silver knob.

Wil had seen enough peculiar things in the ruins that this was just another to add to the pile, so he didn’t even question it as the Owl hovered next to the door, allowing Wil to reach out and turn the silver knob.

Inside was a wide room, opulently furnished with chairs and tables, couches and desks. All around the walls of the room were bookcases. It seemed like the study of a wealthy academic or scholar.

Not spotting any dangers, Wil hopped off the Owl, standing in the doorway as it shrunk once more and settled comfortably on his shoulders.

Aside from the expensive furnishings and the shelves full of books, the room was dominated by a large painting of a woman. Walking closer, Wil peered up at her. The painting was incredibly detailed, the artist obviously skilled.

The woman was beautiful, with a warm smile and kind eyes.

“Congratulations.” A voice spoke from behind him. Faster than thought, Wil’s sword was in his hand as he spun around, the blade held horizontal and pointing at the person who spoke.

It was an older woman, standing behind him, the blade inches away from her face. If she was shocked at his reaction, she didn’t show it as she appeared completely unfazed.

Wil recognized her, it was the mage who gave a speech to his group, before they entered the ruins. He could feel the mana swirling around her, the traces of a teleportation spell fading rapidly.

“I apologize, Magus.” Wil said, falling back on the respectful term of address he had learned at the academy as he withdrew the sword and slid it back in its scabbard. The owl on his shoulder studied the woman, its head tilted as it let out a soft ‘hoot’.

“Not necessary. It’s understandable to be jumpy after spending nearly a month in the ruins.” She said, brushing the apology aside with a wave of her hand. She studied him for a moment, taking his well-worn armor and Ursine cloak, the Clockwork Owl on his shoulder, and the bag of holding slung across his chest.

“What is this place, is this the end?” Wil asked, looking around at the room.

“One of them. There are many paths through the ruins, some of them converge here. This could be considered a end of the ruins, but not the end.” She explained, stepping pass him to take a seat on a nearby, plush chair.

“As for where we are, this is the mad wizard’s personal study.” She finished, gesturing at the room.

“Not very accessible for a study.” Wil said, lifting an eyebrow as he pointed at the chasm just pass the door. Taking a cue from the mage in front of him, he settled down on a couch, sitting on the very edge of the seat.

“The conflict caused significant…changes, to the structure of the tower. Over the years, some have gotten considerably worse than others. I’m sure it was quite different when it was first built.” She said, smiling at his statement.

Nodding, Wil found his attention going back to the painting. He could see that there was a faint sheen of mana over it, some kind of preservation enchantment to protect it from time. He couldn’t help but find something disturbingly familiar about the woman, a thought on the edge of his mind.

“Abaddon’s wife. He cared for her a great deal, and it was her death that led him to his experiments. He was looking for a way to bring her back to life. He killed thousands in increasingly gruesome ways, all for her.” The woman said, looking at the painting as well.

“Did he succeed?” Wil asked, although he already suspected the answer. Resurrection of the dead was possible, he had seen it himself firsthand, in Aachen. But it was rare, and the rules for bringing back the dead were complicated.

Natural causes, disease, and suicide, any of those deaths couldn’t be undone. There were also significant…consequences, for defying the heavenly order and reversing death. A life for a life, the balance having to always be maintained. The Lich in Aachen was returned to life, only to die again.

‘Balance restored.’ Wil thought, before shaking the thought from his mind.

“No, he did not. And his actions unleashed a plague of death that killed tens of thousands. I understand you have spent considerable time in Aachen?” She asked, before continuing after seeing Wil’s nod.

“Then you are more aware than most that some doors are better closed, that certain knowledge should not be pursued.” She finished, her eyes piercing into his.

Wil was taken back to the dead city, the hordes of undead, and the Lich that could kill with a single word. He shuddered, a chill creeping down his back, before he nodded. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing something, an errant thought, buzzing in his subconscious.

“Now, as much as I enjoy discussing history and imparting wisdom, that is not the purpose of our meeting. You have ventured much deeper than most, and as such, you will be rewarded.” The mage lifted her hand, making a grasping motion towards the empty air, pulling a gold token into existence.

With a wave of her hand, the token drifted forward, hovering in front of Wil. Taking a hold of it, he studied it for a moment, before putting it in his bag of holding.

“You will have access to our vault prior to the beginning of the next test. Based on your results here, I have no doubt that you will become a full member, Wilhelm Brookmoor.” She said, smiling at him, before standing.

“I expect you would like to leave, yes?” The mage asked, holding her hand out to him as mana swirled around her, a spell matrix covering the floor of the study.

Standing to join her, Wil reached forward, grasping hold of her hand as the magic erupted around them. In a flash, they were gone, the study empty once again.

The painting of the woman, Abaddon’s wife, long dead, was engulfed in darkness once more as the light faded with their passing. If Wil had more than a moment to study the painting, he would have remembered that he had seen her face before, with red lips and wearing a crimson dress…