The Rise Of Selene

Selene moved quietly through the dense underbrush, her heart beating steadily in her chest. The trail was narrow, barely more than a shadow under the heavy canopy of trees. She had left the safety of her office, the comforting walls of familiarity, and now she was alone, deep in the forest with only the faint light of the moon to guide her. The silence around her felt suffocating, yet somehow liberating. She couldn't shake the pull of the temple, the way it had lodged itself in her mind, twisting and turning until it had become an obsession.

Why am I doing this? she thought, her boots crunching softly underfoot. What do I hope to find here?

The question lingered, but she didn't have an answer. There was something about the temple, something she couldn't explain, that had drawn her in. Every detail—the carvings she'd studied, the stories that danced just beyond her understanding—it felt unfinished, as though the final piece was just out of reach.

Maybe it's just a relic. Maybe it's just stone and dust, waiting to crumble like everything else. But I can't stop thinking about it. I need to see it for myself.

The forest seemed to respond to her thoughts, the rustling of leaves becoming louder, the shadows around her deepening as if pressing in. Selene quickened her pace, her breath quickening, the adrenaline beginning to surge through her.

Keep it together, Selene, she thought. Just get there. Look around. Then you can leave if it's nothing.

But even as she told herself this, she knew it was a lie. She wouldn't leave unless she understood it. If there was something there, something that could reveal the answers to the questions gnawing at her, she couldn't walk away. Not now. Not after everything she'd sacrificed to get this far.

Minutes stretched into what felt like hours, and just as she began to doubt whether she was heading in the right direction, the trees began to thin. The forest opened up, revealing the clearing she had been searching for. The temple stood before her, ancient and towering, the stone walls covered in layers of moss and ivy, the carvings barely visible but still hinting at the grandeur they once held.

Selene stopped for a moment, taking it all in. This is it. This is where it all began.

The temple loomed, its forgotten power pressing down on her like a weight. She could feel it, the energy in the air, a quiet hum that seemed to come from the very stones beneath her feet. She couldn't explain it, but the sensation was undeniable.

She could almost hear whispers, like the temple itself was speaking to her. It was a strange sensation, unsettling in its intensity. Get it together, Selene, she admonished herself. You're here to study, not to get swept up in some legend.

But the pull was stronger than her doubts. She stepped forward, moving toward the massive doors of the temple. The carvings on the door, worn from centuries of exposure, seemed to shift in the dim light. The gods they depicted, the battles, the victories—everything she had read about seemed to converge in this moment. This place wasn't just ancient; it was a vessel of history. It held stories she had yet to learn.

What if… Her breath caught in her throat. What if this is the key?

The door creaked as she pushed it open, the sound reverberating through the stillness. A rush of cool air greeted her, the smell of old stone and earth mixing with something she couldn't place. The interior of the temple was dark, save for the light of the moon filtering through cracks in the stone. It felt… sacred, as though no one had set foot here in centuries.

She hesitated for a moment. What am I really expecting to find here? She shook her head, as if clearing the question. Don't think about it too much. Just focus.

Her flashlight flickered on, cutting through the dark. The beam revealed a labyrinth of carvings on the walls, their intricate details still discernible despite the wear of time. Each symbol, each figure seemed to pulse with meaning. She stepped closer, her fingers itching to trace the lines, to understand what they meant. 

Selene didn't know what she was searching for—not really. She had been drawn to the temple by something she couldn't name, something in the way the place felt so untouched, so abandoned. It didn't make sense. A temple, so elaborate, yet lost to the world, left to decay in silence. She had spent weeks studying the area, and there was something about the place that felt wrong—unnaturally empty, as though it were waiting for someone to uncover its secrets.

Her fingers traced the weathered carvings on the walls, the ancient symbols half-buried in moss and age. There was no rhyme or reason to them, at least not one that made sense to her at first. Each stone she touched hummed with a faint energy, as though it had once been part of a greater whole, now fractured and scattered. She moved along the structure, her curiosity growing.

Her eyes drifted across the room until they landed on something massive—a rock taller than her, its surface covered with strange symbols and lines. The patterns seemed to pulse and shift under her gaze, almost as if they were alive. She couldn't resist. Her hand moved instinctively, tracing the lines as she followed them with her fingers, noting the slight warmth radiating from the stone. The pattern felt familiar, though she couldn't place why.

It was then that her finger found something—something that wasn't just a symbol or marking. It was a small indentation, almost like a button, cleverly disguised in the intricate carvings. A sense of unease flitted through her chest. What if it's dangerous? she thought, her mind racing with the possibility of triggering something terrible.

She paused, heart pounding. Why not? The thought pushed through her. What if this was the key to understanding the temple's strange presence? What if, for once, the risk was worth it?

Without fully thinking it through, her finger pressed the button.

A split second of silence hung in the air, thick with tension. And then it happened.

The temple had changed.

The walls seemed to throb with energy, the carvings now glowing faintly, the very stone alive with the pulse of ancient power. She could hear a low hum, a rhythmic beat that reverberated through her chest, echoing the tremor of her heartbeat. The air itself felt charged, alive, as if something was awakening within the temple—something that had been dormant for centuries.

A gleam of light shot out from the rock, a blinding flash that seemed to cut through the very air. It felt as though the ground itself shook, a force so powerful it reverberated through her chest. Before she could react, a shockwave burst from the stone, throwing her backwards with unrelenting force.

She crashed into a large boulder nearby, the air knocked out of her lungs as the force of the impact rattled her bones. The world spun for a moment, and for a heartbeat, she couldn't breathe. The light from the rock flickered, and the hum of magic filled the air, more intense now, swirling around her in an almost tangible vortex.

What have I done? Her thoughts scrambled, panic setting in. She struggled to push herself up, her body heavy, as if the weight of the magic pressing down on her was too much to bear. Slowly, she managed to sit up, her heart racing.

Selene struggled to sit up, her mind a blur as dizziness gripped her. The impact from the shockwave had been brutal, and her head throbbed violently. She blinked, trying to steady herself, but the world around her spun in dizzying circles. Her hand reached for the large boulder she had crashed into, but before she could get a grip, the blackness closed in.

Her vision blurred, and everything went dark.

In that darkness, she felt herself drift—no longer in the temple, no longer in the physical world. She was suspended, weightless, as though she had been lifted into a different plane entirely. It was a dream, or something like it, but it felt so real.

Stars. Stars everywhere. They filled the sky, countless points of light shimmering against a vast, inky expanse. She felt the cold breath of the cosmos against her skin, and yet, she was warm. Safe. Protected. It was as if the stars themselves were watching over her, as though they were alive and beckoning.

Then, she felt it—a presence. Someone was holding her, cradling her gently. She turned her head, her senses sharp despite the fog of confusion clouding her thoughts. A man, so large he seemed to fill the entire expanse, was holding her close. His form was like that of a celestial giant, with an aura that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly light. His eyes—those eyes—were unlike anything Selene had ever seen. They gleamed like molten gold, swirling, liquid pools of warmth and power.

He didn't speak, but there was a sense of reassurance in the quiet way he enveloped her. His gaze never left her, as if he could see her soul. As if he could sense the questions spiraling inside her.

Before she could voice her thoughts—or even form them—a woman appeared, stepping gracefully from the shimmering veil of stars. Her beauty was otherworldly, like something out of a myth. Her hair was a vibrant red, as deep and rich as blood, cascading down her back in waves of flame. Her skin, in stark contrast, was dark—no, not dark, but rich, the color of gold, smooth and radiant. Her presence was commanding, but there was a softness in her gaze.

She bent down to Selene, her hands outstretched with an almost maternal care. "She needs to be fed," the woman said, her voice melodic and sweet, as though it had been carved from the very stars themselves. There was a tenderness in her words, but also an undeniable strength, a quiet power that seemed to hum in the air.

The man didn't argue. He slowly released her, but his golden eyes never left her face. Selene felt a strange tug in her chest, as if a part of her didn't want to leave the safety of his arms.

The woman gently lifted Selene, cradling her in her arms as though she weighed nothing at all. The scene around them shifted, and the stars began to blur into the soft glow of golden light. Selene's head rested against the woman's shoulder as she was carried toward a magnificent structure—no, not a structure, but a throne room.

The throne room was unlike anything Selene had ever imagined. It was a place that defied reality, a room bathed in light so pure and brilliant that it felt as if they had entered the heart of the universe itself. The walls shimmered with a soft glow, as though they were made of stardust, flickering with every movement. Columns, tall as mountains, reached toward a ceiling that was lost in a sea of endless sky, as though the room stretched on forever.

In the center of the room, a throne sat upon a dais, gleaming with an ethereal light. It was made of materials Selene couldn't even comprehend—metal that gleamed like liquid silver, adorned with jewels that sparkled like galaxies. The throne itself was crafted with intricate designs that seemed to move and change, as if alive with the magic of the place.

Seated upon the throne was a figure—regal, powerful, and serene. A crown of light rested upon their brow, casting rays of brilliance across the room. But even as she gazed at the throne, the sight of it almost overwhelmed her. The air itself was alive with energy, with power, with something that was beyond her comprehension.

Selene barely had time to take in the scene before she felt a sharp tug, a pull, as if something was drawing her back, unwilling to let her remain in this place of divine beauty. The warmth of the woman's embrace faded, the glow of the throne room dimmed, and the stars began to scatter. The golden-eyed man's gaze lingered for a moment longer, and Selene thought she saw something in his eyes—something like recognition, or perhaps longing—but then it was gone.

And just as suddenly as it had begun, everything collapsed. The stars, the throne room, the woman and the man—all of it vanished.

She gasped for air, the weight of reality crashing down on her. She was back in the temple, her head spinning and her body aching. Her fingers instinctively touched the spot where she had been thrown against the boulder, but everything felt… different.