MTLNOVEL Chapter 6: The Forbidden Archives
We stood at the ruins of the Gate of Reflection, my chest heaving up and down, the echoes of the Shadow Dragon's roar still ringing in my ears. The shattered mirrors lay scattered around us, their fragments reflecting haunted thousand versions of my face.
Yue Ling's hand rested on my shoulder, her touch bringing me back to reality. "That was no ordinary trial," she said, her voice tight with concern. "That dragon… it was part of you."
I looked down at my pendant, its dark light now dim, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat. I had felt its power during the battle, its shadows merging with my inner Qi energy. It had saved me… but at what cost?.
"What did you see in the vision?" Yue Ling asked, her eyes searching mine.
"Who was that man?" I hesitated slightly, the image of his cold, empty eyes flashing through my mind.
"I don't know," I admitted, my voice hollow. "But he wore a pendant… just like mine. And his shadows… they were stronger… darker."
Her gaze flickered to the pendant, unease, twisting with her face features.
"We need answers. This power… it's dangerous, Li Tian. If we don't understand it, it might consume you."
I knew she was right. The shadows were growing stronger, their whispers louder. And the more I used them, the more they felt like a part of me… a part I couldn't control.
"We need to find someone who knows about this," I resolved. "Someone who understands the shadows… and the man in my vision."
Yue Ling's eyes widened. "I hope you are not thinking about… the Forbidden Archives, are you? Legend says it is hidden right here in the sect, but to reach it, is difficult seeing we just gained entrance into the sect!"
The name sent a chill down my spine. The Forbidden Archives? A hidden library within the Celestial Lotus Sect, guarded by ancient spells, and curses. It was said to contain forbidden knowledge, including the secrets of shadow arts, and lost histories that the sect didn't want anyone to know.
"If there are answers anywhere, they'll be there," I said, determination flaring up again.
"But we'll have to be careful. No one's allowed in… and the guardians are merciless." She grinned, her eyes blazing with excitement.
"When have we ever followed the rules?"
I laughed, my fear easing. "Then let's find the truth… together."
*******
The moon was high as we crept through the the darker places of the sect, the sect's palaces looming above us. Most of the disciples were asleep, their spiritual energies low, but the elders' presence could be still be felt. It weighed heavily in the air, their auras like invisible chains.
The Forbidden Archives were hidden beneath the Hall of Ancients, guarded by stone sentinels made with magic enchantment to kill intruders.
But Yue Ling's sword flames were made by her grandfather to be undetectable by normal senses, and my pendant shadows allowed us to slip through the cracks, moving unseen.
We reached the hall's entrance, its massive doors engraved with celestial beasts. Their eyes seems to glowed, secretly watching us, their growls vibrating through the air.
"There," Yue Ling whispered, pointing to a side passage. "That's the way in."
We moved quickly, my pendant shadows masking our presences. The passage is a spiral shape, downward, the air growing colder, and ancient energies pressing in. My pendant grew warm, the shadows within it the hall seems to be stirring it, eager… and hungry for more power.
At the bottom of the passage, we faced another door, this one is made of black stone, covered in symbols that pulsed with dark light. I felt my pendant shadows respond, resonating with the door's power.
Removing my pendant, I stepped forward, my hand trembling as I placed my pendant it on the cold stone. The symbols glowed, and the door vibrating. It recognized my pendant power… it recognized me.
With a low rumble, the door slid open, revealing the Forbidden Archives and, we stepped inside.
Rows upon rows of ancient scrolls, and tomes filled the massive chamber, their covers drawed with forbidden symbols. The air inside the hall was heavy, and the pendant shadows alive, whispering secrets older than the sect itself.
"Look at this place…" Yue Ling breathed, her eyes wide. "It's like the history of the world is hidden here."
I walked down the aisles, the pendant shadows curling around me, guiding me to a pedestal at the center of the chamber. On it rested a book bound in black leather, its cover engraved with the same dragon symbol as my pendant.
"The Codex of Shadows," I whispered, my heart pounding. I reached out, my fingers brushes the cover of the book. Suddenly, power surged through me, my vision slowly blurring.
The pendant shadows wrapped around me, pulling me into darkness. And I heard voices… echoes of the past.
*****
I found myself on a battlefield, the sky torn apart by angry lightning. Armies of cultivators clashed below, their swords, and spells tearing through the earth. And above them, two figures fought, their powers shaking the heavens.
One was the man from my vision, his body wrapped in black shadows, and his pendant glowing with dark light. He would control the shadows like blades, tearing through his enemies, his face cold, and merciless.
His opponent was a woman with golden hair, and eyes that blazed like the sun. Her aura was pure, radiant, and her power blinding. She fought with a celestial sword flames, her sword blazing with blue light.
As they clashed like darkness, and light colliding, their powers ripping through the heavens. And the sky shattered, fragments of space like stars, rained down, each one filled with the worlds, and time itself.
"The Primordial War," a voice echoed, ancient and weary.
"When the God of Shadows defied the Heavens… and the Goddess of Light was betrayed." I turned sharply, facing an old man in tattered robes, his body flickering like smoke.
"Who are you?" I demanded.
"What is this?" He looked at me, his eyes hollow. "I am but a memory… a guardian of truth. You bear the Mark of Shadows, just as he did. You carry his curse… his legacy." I staggered slightly, my blood freezing.
"You mean… the man from my vision… the one with the pendant… he was the God of Shadows?" The old man nodded.
"Once, he was the strongest of the celestial gods, the ruler of darkness. But ambition consumed him, and he tried to rewrite fate itself… to defy destiny. For his defiance, the heavens shattered his soul, scattering his power across the realms."I looked down at my pendant, its light growing darker now.
"Then… this power… these shadows… they're his?"
"They are yours," the old man said, his form fading. "You are his Descendant. You are the Heir of Shadows. And your fate… is to decide whether his curse brings salvation… or destruction." Suddenly the vision shattered, and the shadows released me. I fell to my knees, gasping loudly, the weight of the truth crushing me down.
"I was the heir of the God of Shadows?. The darkness that haunted me… it was my destiny?".Yue Ling ran to my side, her face going pale.
"Li Tian! What happened?"I looked up, my eyes reflecting the darkness swirling within.
"I know who he is… and who I am. The shadows… they're not just a curse. They're a legacy." I said slowly.
Her eyes slowly widened, fear and understanding dawning in.
"Then… what will you do?"I clenched my fists, my resolve going up.
"I'll master them. I'll break his curse. And I'll rewrite my fate my own way."But as the pendant shadows keeps on whispering, I wondered… could I really escape my destiny? Or was I doomed to repeat his sins?.