Chapter 11: The Passages of Oblivion

The echo of the huge stone slab sliding shut above their heads rumbled through the darkness with a deafening roar. The opening of the entrance had taken them completely by surprise, but what they had not expected was for the massive stone to slide back into place, trapping them inside the pyramid. For a few moments, there was complete silence. The intense blue light from outside was no longer there to guide them, but fortunately, the darkness did not last long.

—Don't worry! —exclaimed little Yazzi, a spark of excitement shining in her melodic voice.

With a quick movement, she raised her crystal branch. Instantly, its tiny leaves began to glow with a bright fuchsia light, bathing the walls of the passage. At the same time, small phosphorescent blue lights flickered to life along the sides of the staircase, as if they had been waiting for their arrival.

—The air is clean, and the ground is solid, —said Ramsi, tightening the straps of his large explorer's backpack as he carefully made his way down the steps.— But stay alert. No one has walked through these depths for many cycles.

The group descended in single file. Iris walked beside Ramsi, her sky-blue robe gently brushing the worn runic steps, her calm presence helping everyone feel more at ease. Behind her came Deri, ears raised, sniffing the currents of air rising from the darkness below, while Willity and Sixsevenin brought up the rear, amazed by the underground architecture.

As they ventured deeper into the heart of the pyramid, the carvings on the walls began to change. Sixsevenin stopped and gently ran his fingers over the stone reliefs.

—Willity, look at this, —whispered the Master Apprentice.

—This writing... it's almost identical to the one we found on Deri's stone in the Plain of Echoes—the one that spoke about the Blue Planet.

—You're right, —replied Willity, opening his large dark eyes wide.— But look at those symbols farther ahead. They look like... little drawings. Birds, eyes, curved lines...

Iris stepped closer and examined the new carvings. 

The light from Yazzi's crystal branch revealed a script that had been forgotten for countless cycles.

—These are the hieroglyphs of the First Builders, —she explained calmly.— A sacred writing that was erased from the databases of the outer cities. They tell stories about portals, stars... and connections with distant worlds.

Before anyone could say another word, a faint sound interrupted her.

Click.

It came from beneath Deri's front paw.

The little gliding feline froze, one paw lifted in the air, his membranes stretched tight. A deep vibration spread through the stone walls.

—Get back! —roared Ramsi with unexpected power, placing himself between Yazzi and the danger.

A massive row of sharp stone spikes crashed down from the ceiling, blocking the passage only a few centimeters from Deri's nose. Once again, the little creature's incredible reflexes saved him. The falling spikes stirred up a cloud of gray dust. But before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, the floor beneath Willity and Sixsevenin suddenly cracked. The stone slab beneath them gave way, tilting like a ramp toward a dark pit.

—Sixsevenin! —cried Willity as he lost his balance.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Sixsevenin grabbed Willity by one leg just as he began to fall.But the weight of both of them pulled them toward the abyss. Seeing the danger, Deri did not hesitate. He spread his gliding membranes, soared over the pit, and grabbed hold of Sixsevenin's robe with his tiny claws, anchoring him in place. At the same time, Ramsi stretched out from the solid edge of the passage. Grasping Sixsevenin firmly by the shoulders, he pulled all three of them to safety with incredible strength.

They collapsed onto the solid floor of the lower gallery, covered in dust and breathing heavily.

—Excellent teamwork, explorers, —said Ramsi, offering one of his large hands to help them back to their feet.

Willity hugged Deri tightly, and the little creature answered with a comforting "Miiiauu!" Meanwhile, Yazzi illuminated the chamber into which they had fallen. As the dust slowly settled, the fuchsia light from her crystal branch revealed a vast hidden chamber.

In the center of the room sat the remains of the ancient inhabitants of S7 upon beautifully carved stone thrones. They were perfect skeletons, silent guardians of time, each holding a dark crystal sphere in its bony hands. The first fright was enormous. But after a few moments, everyone recovered surprisingly quickly. Looking more carefully, the skeletons were not frightening or horrifying. Instead, they gave off a sense of dignity and mystery that fascinated Willity and his friends.

The ancient sages of S7 seemed to be silently guarding the pyramid's final great secret.

​—Do not be afraid, —said Iris, approaching one of the thrones with deep respect.— These are the ancient sages of S7. Perhaps they remained here to protect the pyramid's final secret.

The hieroglyphs covering the walls of the chamber were even more detailed than before. To Iris, they looked remarkably similar to writings she remembered seeing in ancient documents preserved in the archives of S7.

Willity slowly walked toward the far wall, drawn by an unusual glow. Set into the stone was a huge circular metal door with a mechanism of runic gears. But what caught his attention most was the carving at its center. It showed a planet covered with continents and clouds, surrounded by an inscription written in the same language they had found in the Plain of Echoes. This time, it was Iris who translated the words.

—The Blue Nexus.

Like Sixsevenin, Iris had direct access to the ancient languages stored in her memory. All Sixevenians possessed this ability thanks to the AI integrated into their minds.

—It's the door... —whispered Willity, his heart pounding.

Suddenly, a deafening crash shook the hidden chamber. The pyramid's traps had fully reactivated after detecting the intruders. Cracks spread across the ceiling, and massive blocks of stone began crashing down around them, sealing the passage through which they had entered.

—The way back is blocked! —shouted Sixsevenin as he dodged a falling rock.

The ground beneath their feet began to shake violently, threatening to bring the entire chamber down on top of the skeletons—and on the Sixevenians themselves. They were trapped deep inside the pyramid. With every passing second, the danger grew greater. The walls themselves seemed to be closing in around them. Their only possible escape was a mysterious sealed mechanism that none of them knew how to activate.

To be continued...