Relic

Roger paced back and forth on the white surface.

The torch in his hand sent shadows clinging to every surface, dancing as if to mock him. The only upside to his current situation was that the infernal mist did not cross the top step, instead swirling just a few feet away.

Roger didn't know what to do now that Lila was gone.

She had been behind him not too long ago, he knew that for sure.

Or did he?

As he climbed the steps, he focused more and more on making it to the next one, leaving no time to worry about her. She could have been lost hours ago.

'What am I going to do now? The one person with information about Earth and Avar decided to get herself lost! All she had to do was follow the only light source in this forsaken ruin!'

With every passing second he grew increasingly upset at Lila for not staying near him.

'It's not like I was moving very fast! It was impossible to with all that pressure! Why couldn't she keep up? I've seen her run through the forest at breakneck speeds, but a couple of marble steps in a foggy room is too much for her?'

Despite his anger, he knew exactly why she hadn't followed him.

The mist.

Roger had realized early on that it was having an impact on his mind, which allowed him to direct his attention to a goal instead of the endless fears bombarding him.

If Lila didn't make the same connection, she would've grown too afraid and turned back, racing down the steps and running who knows how far back the way they came.

They only had one torch, too.

'Great, so she is probably sitting in the dark without any light scared half to death. Once I find her, I am never letting her live this down!'

He sighed deeply.

Although he was still upset, it was far less than how he had felt just a moment prior. Knowing it wasn't her choice to leave him all alone brought him more relief than he had expected

Ever since his adoptive parents had willingly turned him in to the government, he had gained an irrational fear of abandonment.

When he had turned around to find her gone, he had assumed she fled without telling him, not caring if he would die or get lost.

Roger knew it was a stupid fear, her opinions shouldn't have mattered in the first place. He should have laughed at her being gone, content with the knowledge that any treasures he found would be his alone.

'In the future, greed first, anger later. She isn't worth it, Roger. Remember that she is a noble who would turn you into the government the first chance she got!'

Confident in this worldview, he turned away from the edge of the stairs and began to continue forward, eager to find what had been so well guarded.

The platform continued for many meters in every direction, causing Roger to walk without pause for a few moments. Without the effects of the mist felt calming to move so freely.

Holding the torch out in front, he managed to stop just as a new object entered the edge of his vision.

A few meters away, a short plinth stuck out of the marble and seemed to glimmer in the torchlight.

'Wow, that's really pretty.'

Roger cautiously approached, wonder clear on his face as it glittered more and more the closer he came. 

The plinth appeared to be made of a white gemstone, and curved in on itself like an hourglass. Resting on top was a frilly white cushion holding an object he recognized instantly.

'The crown in the markings!'

It appeared to be the same item depicted throughout the ruin, always worn by the enigmatic man the tomb had been built for.

It was a simple white circlet with one long prong extending from the front, holding a spherical gem. The stone was opaque in color, but Roger thought he saw it constantly moving, as if it was made of the same mist he fought on the way up.

He stepped forward, warily looking from side to side to see if any defenders struck out at him.

Seeing nothing attack, he made it within reach of the regal item and stuck his hand out to touch it, greed flashing in his eyes.

'I'm finally going to get those riches I was promised!'

His fingers slowly approached the stone of the crown, and a smile split his face.

Once he made contact, he felt a sharp pain in his hand, causing him to gasp and fall to his knees.

A burning sensation unlike anything he had ever felt raced through his arm, crossed his shoulder, and shot toward his heart, which was where Roger knew his soul resided.

His eyes widened in fear, but it was too late, as the foreign energy made contact and sent fresh waves of agony rolling through his body. He gasped as his muscles began to seize, spasming in rapid bursts and causing him to lose all motor function.

Roger fell face-first onto the marble floor and began to shake, foam dripping from his mouth.

With the few scraps of willpower he had left, he pulled his tongue back to avoid biting it off. He then rode the seizure out, accepting there was little he could do to fight it.

***

After an indeterminate amount of time, Roger felt himself regain consciousness.

His wet clothes were stuck to the floor, causing them to make a wet snapping sound as he pulled himself up.

Patting the ground, he was overjoyed to feel himself grab the torch that was mercifully still burning despite being dropped, followed by his sword not long after.

'I bet I just used up all my luck for a century by having this thing stay lit. I don't know what I would have done if it was extinguished.'

Rising to a knee, he used his sword as a crutch and heaved himself to his feet, swaying awkwardly with the motion.

'I really am making a habit of fainting. My brain must be all kinds of unhealthy.'

Drunkenly grinning at his own dark humor, he turned to face the crown that had caused him all that pain, and disappointedly noticed it looking unchanged.

If anything, it seemed to be even more beautiful now, with the plinth shining brighter than it had before.

He was about to curse it out when he realized something remarkable.

'I don't feel any pain anymore. Not even a headache!'

Every other time he had fainted, there had been some kind of reminder when he woke up, whether it be a headache or sore muscles.

This time, however, there was nothing. He felt like he would at any other ordinary time.

Just as he was beginning to question why he lacked the usual punishment, the System decided to help by offering the answer he was searching for.

A screen appeared in front of his eyes, causing him to jump back in surprise, raising both the torch and his sword to defend himself.

[Soul Bonding Process Complete]

[You have successfully bonded with a Relic: Crown of Mists]

'What?'

His jaw had gone slack, causing his mouth to hang open. 

'Soul bonding? Relic? Crown of Mists?'

The words held no meaning to Roger, with Lila having never mentioned anything relating to any of them. They were completely foreign to him, which seemed to be a theme of the System.

And Avar as a whole.

Hoping to learn more, he focused on the message and a new prompt appeared, causing him to smirk in satisfaction.

'Now that's more like it!'

[Soul Bonding]

[Description: Certain items on Avar may be bonded to a mage's soul, allowing them to be accessed anywhere. They are similar to artifacts in how they operate but differ in that they may be transferred to others through a ritual.]

[Current Soul Bonds: Crown of Mists]

Roger felt himself grow increasingly smug as he read the description.

'Well, guess who just earned his own artifact! Sort of! I bet Lila will regret running away from the mist now! I bet this thing is far stronger than her sword, it's a crown after all!'

Rubbing his hands together greedily, he dismissed the prompts and turned towards the cause of his recent developments.

"Alright Relic, time for you to reveal your secrets to me!"