The shrine

[Erik's POV]

"Ah my neck hurts" I woke up. I was still lying on the stone floor. It seems like I fell asleep while resting. I still was a bit dizzy, but I stood up. I walked back on the path. "Woa!" I nearly collapsed as I looked over the edge of the path. I was so high up that I even wasn't able to see the floor clearly.

I pressed my back against the cold stone ant took a few deep breaths. I continued doing that until my mind calmed down and I felt like I could continue. I started to walk again. My stomach gave me a clear sign that I needed to eat something.

I continued waking. After a few minutes the path vanished in the clouds. I hold my hand up and touched the clouds. They felt really cold. I slowly walked and until I was in the clouds. Now it was nearly impossible to see something.

Only with the help of my hands I was able to continue. "Erik" I heard the voice of my sister. "Rina!" I screamed as I saw my sister. She looked at me. Then she turned around and walked away. "No wait!" I screamed and started running. I didn't care that I was standing on the edge of the cliff I just ran.

Then I saw my sister again. She was standing beside one of the red things. She took it and continued walking. I ran to her. "Rain wait! What are you doing?" I wanted to grab her shoulder, but she vanished before my eyes and appeared inside a tunnel which was carved out of the mountain. I could see her leaving the tunnel at the other end.

I walked trough the tunnel. On both sides were images of my parents crying besides Rina lying in her bed. "I don't want to listen to that!" I screamed. I walked out of the tunnel. I could see Rina again.

With the lantern in her hand, she walked up to a man. He wore a black robe and had a scythe in his hand. He took her hand and they started walking. "No Rina you can't go with him!" But they ignored my calls and continued walking.

I ran after them but no matter how fast I ran I wasn't able to catch up to them. And then they vanished. Now I was alone again. Standing in heavy rain. My clothes were wet, my stomach rumbled.

Right before me were stone stairs. I took the first step and fell down. My arm hit the stairs. I hurt damn much. I crawled up the stairs. My arms started to bleed but for no reason I continued.

And after what felt like hours of crawling, I finally managed to get out of the clouds.

I was lying on a stone floor heavily breathing. The sound of a small bell ringing drew my attention to it. As I stood up I saw a red wooden post. On it stood a small gulden statue of some animal. It looked like a more dangerous version of a cat. In it's mouth it held a small bell which was ringing due to the wind.

Under the statue there was the same type of gold sign which was also placed on the countless lanterns. There was something written on it. "Shrine of the goddess Ari" I read it out loud. "What is a shrine?" I looked up. What I saw was unbelievable. Infront of me was a giant stone wall. Everywhere were red wooden posts and behind the two giant doors I could see something like a fortress towering up.

It had strange roofs and was had stone walls. And some parts of the walls were completely white. The view was breathtaking. All of this was built on the top of a mountain.

[Ari's POV]

"Why can't he see me?" I asked moon who was standing besides me. I stood besides the statue of Moon which was placed over the two doors leading in the shrine. "You're a goddess and he's just a human. Why should he be able to see you? He didn't even pray!"

The boy went to the covered area on the right side of the doors. I teleported myself and Moon into the room which was on the opposite ow the window behind the praying place. Moon and me looked at the boy. He seemed pretty young.

His arms were bleeding, and he was covered in dirt.

[Erik's POV]

The floor here was made out of wood. I stood before the golden Statue of the cat like animal. Before it stood a box. A sign on it said "Offering".

"Is there really a goddess here?" I asked myself but then I thought of my sister. I took out my small bag and threw all the coins inside in the box.

I kneeled before the statue.

[Ari's POV]

"What is this" Suddenly I had an unknown voice in my head. The voice was so tired like the person had just run a 10km marathon.

"Please… Please…Please save my sister. I don't want her to die!" The voice in my head said. I turned to Moon. "Why do I have a voice in my head?" I asked him "Looks like you're hearing his prayer!" he said and laid down in a comfortable position.

"He made his prayer. Now it's up to you to decide!"