Keystone

Belo led them through a tunnel, past a large door, covered by rubble. They cleared it, then continued through. Sarah had heard them when they landed, disturbing her expedition site, and because of curiosity, she decided to tag along.

"Where are we going?" She asked the Chief.

He looked back at her, as he led the way, with a brightly lit fireball in his palms. "A place only permitted on special permits and a site for pilgrimage for some. There used to be a second entrance, but it was destroyed during the invasion. It is called the Armaya."

Cobwebs lined the walls, as geckos, mice, and other small insects scurried around the descending tunnel. There was a sharp turn, then a left. After a dozen more meters, they stopped, at a large room. Dimly lit, by a faint ray of light. However, just before they entered, Tobi helped Belo light the room.

They were shocked by the ancient drawings and glyphs, fading around the room. In the middle, was a black cube taking up about a fifth of the room and glowed with the glyphs of ancient writing, on all four sides. as if placed there intentionally.

The cube had streams of lava, flowing through its cracks, like a network of rivers. On the cube's surface were writings, written in foreign handwriting and ink. The entire cube seemed to shimmer every so often. At the bottom right of it, a fist-sized hole, outlined by a black metal and cushion-like casing, seemed placed there at the last minute, throwing off the whole aesthetic.

"Woah! No way something like this is down here. Sarah, we gotta take a picture of this." Tobi tried reading what was on the cube, but it was written in an ancient language. He looked at his brother, squinting his eyes at the texts on the massive cube. "Can you read this?"

Osei shook his head. "I can, but it's written in very old writing, making it hard for me to interpret."

Tobi looked once more at the cube. The words started to translate slowly into English, with the help of his contacts. Belo walked in front of both of them, then called Sarah's attention, who was busy, taking professional pictures of the entire room.

"If I may... These texts are from, ancient times. Last updated about 2 million years ago." Belo, started, once they were all ready.

Tobi, Osei, and Sarah were shocked. Sarah spoke up, in disbelief. "How's that possible? The earliest writing system, for our species, wasn't developed until 3500 B.C.E, with the Sumerian Cuneiform, also, what material can survive for that long? Are you saying, there were civilizations, capable of passing down complex knowledge as far as 2 million years ago?"

Belo smiled. "All I know is what's been deciphered, through these texts." He touched the stone, as his handprint showed up, then disappeared. "These stones were not only meant to pass down knowledge but also to warn of the Dark One. A being, that wiped out the ancient empire and broke up the galaxy."

Tobi shook his head. "The Dark One. Why am I hearing so much about them? Shouldn't it be dead by now?"

Belo shook his head and chuckled. "Some believe it to be a fable or a myth but the Dark One is not a creature of the earth like us, or the children of Atlas. It is said to be roaming the universe, hoping to make itself whole once more."

He sensed more questions incoming but raised his finger to continue. "There's more. Before its destruction, the leaders of the ancient kingdom constructed these cubes, called Keystones, made out of versillium, blood, and other contents lost through time, all to preserve these texts and lead the chosen ones, to the Alcore. A supposed piece and important part of the dark ones soul, that can grant the owner immense power and any of their wishes."

He paused to take a breath and walked over to the hole on the bottom right of the cube. Before he could speak, Tobi blurted out. "There's no way, we got all of this, just from one cube?"

Belo laughed, lightly. "No. I've been interested in ancient history since I was a child. Rennayan historians and archeologists got together, with scientists from other planets and because of those nations, sharing their keystones, we were able to piece together and maintain the true history."

He pointed at the hole. "Those chosen by the people must gather at least 200 keystones. Of which, 10, like this one, will lead you to the Alcore."

Saphyra was baffled by all of this information. She was surprised that there was no mention of the keystones in any hard drives that they had seized from the children of Atlas. As well as from her future self.

"That must be Atlas's goal. Picking out 200 guardians, like his children for the keystones." She said, after mulling things over.

Belo nodded at her words. "It's possible since your followers will have to trust and believe in you, to want to thrust their arms inside, to unlock the seal for the Alcore."

Osei stepped back in disbelief. How had he gone on for so long, without such knowledge?

Jelani was ecstatic to hear all of this, once again, but she had never been down below, to personally see the keystone. She was entranced by its design and constant glow.

Tobi walked closer to it. Almost able to read about sixty percent of texts written across the stone. "Wow, if this was all part of some book, it would be an epic for the ages."

A voice paralyzed them, from up above. "A true epic, it would be indeed."

Descending slowly out of the hole, letting out the faint ray of light, was a being they dreaded facing this early on. Atlas, the Cerian Emperor had arrived...