Three Days Later – The Dungeon of Echoing Silence
Darkness pulsed like a heartbeat.
Deep beneath the arena grounds lay the final challenge before the championship match: The Dungeon of Echoing Silence.
It was ancient — built in the forgotten age when gods still walked freely among mortals.
Kael and his team were selected for the final trial.
"Only one team will clear this dungeon," the Headmaster announced. "Only one will stand before the Celestial Crown."
"And only one will face the final mystery: The Sealed Room."
Entering the Dungeon
The heavy gates opened. A rush of icy wind greeted them.
Kael stepped forward, Aetherion strapped to his back, his other blade—Obsidian Edge—humming with energy.
Behind him followed:
Zara, fire magic burning steadily in her palms.
Mira, cloaked in stealth.
Selene, sensing energy pulses beyond walls.
Rayna, her gauntlets crackling.
Lyria, arrow nocked at all times.
Seraphina, glowing faintly with dark celestial magic.
The dungeon whispered to him.
Welcome back… Lost One.
Kael frowned. That voice... felt like a memory.
The Sealed Gate
After an hour of traps, puzzles, and battles with dungeon beasts, the group reached a hidden chamber. Unlike the others, this one called to Kael directly.
A pair of massive chained doors stood before them, inscribed with divine symbols.
"This isn't part of the school trial," Selene murmured.
Kael touched the door, and the symbols glowed.
"This… was a prison. One only a god could open."
With a slow grind of ancient magic, the doors unlocked.
What lay beyond made even Zara go pale.
The Goddess Revealed
In the center of the room floated a crystal orb — and inside, suspended by golden chains, was a woman with silver hair like moonlight and eyes closed in slumber.
She wore a torn gown of divine silk, her wrists and ankles bound by ethereal chains, her magic so intense the entire chamber trembled.
Kael stepped closer, heart pounding.
"No… it can't be."
Zara: "Who is she?"
Kael: "Her name is Althea… The Goddess of Memory."
"And once… she was my wife."
Flashback: A Love Forbidden
Centuries ago—before Kael was exiled and branded a heretic—Althea had stood beside him. She was not just his queen… she was the keeper of all knowledge, the one who believed in him when all others turned.
But when the Council turned against him, she had tried to speak on his behalf.
For that, they bound her… sealed her away so she could never restore his name.
"She chose me… and they punished her for it."
Kael's hands tightened into fists.
Zara looked at him, quiet for once. "We're freeing her. Right now."
The Battle: Keeper of Chains
Before Kael could approach, the chains pulsed, and a massive shadow formed.
A creature forged from the Council's hatred — a Divine Construct known as the Keeper of Chains — blocked their path.
"I am the last warden," it roared. "To touch the goddess… is to defy the Heavens."
Kael drew both blades.
"Good."
"Let the Heavens hear me loud and clear."
The battle was fierce.
The creature wielded void energy, able to suppress divine power. Seraphina faltered. Rayna's lightning barely cracked its armor.
Until Zara and Kael combined — flame and forgotten divinity.
Aetherion ignited in his hand, and with one mighty strike, Kael cut through the Keeper's core.
The monster howled and shattered into stardust.
Awakening Althea
Kael walked toward the crystal.
"You waited for me…"
He pressed his hand to the orb, and a golden pulse rippled outward.
The chains cracked.
Light erupted from the crystal like a new dawn — and slowly, Althea opened her eyes.
Her gaze locked with Kael's.
"My beloved… you've returned."
Kael knelt, overwhelmed by emotion — something rare for him.
"I'm sorry it took so long."
Tears sparkled at the corner of her eyes.
"Time didn't pass… when I remembered your name."
The girls behind Kael exchanged glances.
Zara whispered, "This is the first time I've seen him cry."
Aftermath
Althea, weakened but alive, was brought back with the team.
The Council stirred.
Another ancient power had awakened…And now Kael had reclaimed not just his sword—but his divine queen.