The temple wasn't actually as large as his small body had made it seem. In less than half an hour, he had already explored every corner. Only the center remained. The previously populated area he had avoided until now.
The center of the temple was almost empty by now. Only a handful of people remained, kneeling before a roughly cut stone.
That stone was massive, shaped like a wide pillar and covered in carvings. The mural appeared to depict the life of someone. From its birth to… something Sylas couldn't quite understand.
As he traced the carvings with his eyes, the pain behind his temples grew sharper with each step. He forced himself not to dwell on the meaning. Only to look, not to remember.
Eventually, he reached a particular part of the mural, one that made him stop.
It showed a colossal gate bound in thick, unbreakable chains. A towering figure stood before it, cloaked in a mantle woven from darkness itself. Its face was concealed behind a demon mask. Jagged fangs, and three twisted horns forming a sinister crown.
Silk observed the mural with renewed curiosity. She had seen it countless times from afar, but never this close. Only now did she notice how the figure was both fearsome and strangely alluring.
Sylas couldn't tear his gaze away from the mask's hollow eyes. Not out of fear or admiration, but from a deep, uncontrollable desire. One he had never felt before.
A desire that clung to his mind like barbs, sinking so deeply that he didn't even notice his nose beginning to bleed again.
Unaware of his own movements, he extended his hand toward the carved mask, as though something unseen were guiding him. His small body couldn't reach it. Perhaps that was a blessing. Because when his eyes drifted past the mask and to the chained gate behind it, everything inside him collapsed. He fell to his knees.
Something broke open in his mind, spilling darkness into his thoughts. A voice hissed in a tongue he couldn't comprehend, every syllable clawing at his skull. Golden strands in his eyes warped into lines of black void and then everything snapped back to normal.
Silk, unaware of the turmoil in his mind, never took her eyes out of the mural. Enchanted by the figure.
"What are you doing?" A muffled voice called from behind him.
Still kneeling, chest heaving, he forced himself to turn toward the source of the voice. A figure wearing the same demon mask stood behind him.
If Sylas had any strength left, he would have run. Before he could even react, the figure stepped forward.
"I told you to rest."
The figure said, pulling off the mask. Anna's furious face was far scarier than the demon mask itself.
"Why did you leave your room?"
'Why… Why did I leave?'
He searched his memories, but they slipped away like mist. His stomach growled sharply, answering for him. Anna heard it too.
Anna sighed as she hung the demonic mask on her waist.
"Right… I forgot you hadn't eaten anything."
Anna's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Ascending had changed her habits—she no longer needed food the same way, and she often forgot that others did. Especially Sylas, who had a tendency to lose himself in his studies.
She took a deep breath, letting her anger fade. Only then did she notice the two red streaks beneath his nose, the unnatural pallor of his skin, and the cold sweat soaking his small frame.
"By the Gods… you're going to make me lose my mind."
She lifted his arm over her shoulders and helped him stumble toward the nearest bench. Forcing him to sit, she took a small cloth from beneath her tunic and cleaned his face.
"What happened this time?"
she asked, then shot a glance at Silk, who was curled up against his cheek.
"And why are you carrying one of the temple spiders?"
"I—"
"Save it,"
Anna interrupted.
"Let's get you something to eat first."
She took his hand and led him outside the temple. They stepped back into the same boat they had used before. With a single word from Anna, it glided away from the temple and toward the city.
They didn't speak during the trip. Sylas was far too hungry to think of anything to say, and Anna was too worried to make him waste what little energy he had on pointless conversation.
Now that Sylas was somewhat sober, he could finally see the city of Weave in more detail. The floating city stretched out in layers and districts. Some were filled with homes, others lined with fruit trees, and a few bustling with city-ships drifting between the artificial islands.
Unfortunately, hunger dulled his focus. Beyond those first impressions, he couldn't take in much else.
The boat glided to a halt before a squat stone building. A wooden sign hung over the double doors, its words written in a language Sylas didn't recognize.
As he climbed off the boat, Sylas could feel Silk's excitement to explore the city.
'At least one of us is enjoying this' he mused.
Anna took his hand, and together they entered the building. Warm air instantly washed over him, carrying the rich smell of cooked grains, roasted fruit, and something sweet he couldn't name.
The interior was bright compared to the streets outside, lit by floating orbs of pale light. Wooden tables filled the room, occupied by people chatting softly over steaming bowls.
It was a restaurant. Simple, cozy, and blessedly warm. Sylas's stomach growled again, louder this time.
Anna gave him a side glance.
"Yeah, yeah. I heard it."
She guided him toward an empty table. As they walked, the people inside began to notice them. One by one, they rose from their seats and bowed deeply to Anna. She returned each bow with a brief nod before continuing forward.
'Seems like she is more important than I imaginated.'
Only now did he realize he knew almost nothing about her. Not her past, not her role here—he wasn't even sure of her name in the first place. But that didn't matter right now.
As they sat in their seats, a woman, at the peak of her age, was prompted to attend them.
"Hello Anna. Having dinner with your little brother, I see."
Her gentle green eyes rested on Sylas. Her brown hair and bright smile radiated a comforting warmth.
"Hello, Abbie. Can you bring me a portion of everything on the menu?"
Anna asked, not even glancing at the board. Clearly she'd done this many times before.
"Coming right up,"
Abbie said, then disappeared through a door behind the counter.
Silk descended from Sylas's cheek and slipped through his clothes, eventually reaching his hand where it rested on the table. She looked around at the immensity of everything surrounding her, her eight eyes sparkling with the ecstasy of discovering something new.
Anna watched the little jumping spider closely.
"Weird… it's never happened before that one of the spiders would cling to someone."
She extended a finger and gently petted the little spider, who leaned forward happily to receive it.
"You two look alike," Anna said with a soft chuckle.
Sylas raised an eyebrow.
'Which part of me looks like a spider? Do I have eight eyes and arms?'
It didn't take long before the food arrived. The first dish was a big bowl of steaming stew.
Sylas had no idea what was in it, but at that moment it smelled like heaven. Silk jumped off his hand, sensing something was wrong. Sylas, meanwhile, grabbed the wooden spoon and attacked the stew like he hadn't eaten in years.
'Fuck, this is the best thing I ever ate.'
Perhaps if it weren't for the taste of boiled vegetables and the soft meat he couldn't identify, Sylas might have cared more about the disapproving stares people around them were throwing his way. But the stew was too good and he was too hungry to bother. Thankfully, Anna didn't seem to care at all. She ate her own stew calmly, somehow managing to match his pace despite eating slowly and with perfect manners.
More and more dishes kept coming. Roasted meat from some creature that tasted like crab, soft roots seasoned with sharp spices, and a creamy porridge with a sweet, smoky aftertaste.
Everything was foreign, but surprisingly pleasant. Even Silk had her share, though she didn't eat much. After that feast, Sylas felt as though his stomach would explode if he moved too suddenly. Slumping down in his chair, he let out a small burp.
"I think I've never been this full in my whole life," he said. 'Despite not being able to remember it.' he added silently.
Seeing that Sylas had finally calmed down, Silk crawled onto his hand, then climbed up his clothes until she settled comfortably on his cheek once again.
Anna watched him with a smile; an embarrassing number of empty dishes sat piled in front of her far more than the ones in front of him.
"So…" she began, "now that you're all fed… care to explain what happened? Why were you bleeding while staring at the Weaver's Mural?"
He ran a hand through his hair.
"I'm not sure. I was exploring the temple when I came across the mural. I kept walking along it, and eventually reached that part…"
He paused, swallowing hard, doing everything he could not to picture the chained gate again.
"When I saw that figure and that gate, my head started hurting again… What is that gate? Why is it wrapped in chains? Who is that person? And why do you have a mask like his?"
"You forgot even that…" she said with a long sigh. "Now where do I begin…" she mumbled, thinking for a few moments.
"Ok. Listen up."
She began, her voice turning into a professorial tone.
"That column is a relic brought to Weave by our elders. Is one of the greatest relics of Weaver. The mural depicts his deeds, from birth to the bestowal of the Nightmare Spell and the inception of the idea of the Nightmare Spell.
According to the legends, after the gods sealed the primordial void, Weaver was the only one of those who had entered the eternal abyss and managed to return alive. That door that you saw is, theoretically, the door to the eternal void. No one knows what he saw there, but it's said that whatever he saw, got frozen forever into his eyes.
Now, why do I have a mask like this is pretty simple; Every priest of the Nightmare Spell receives one, a memory one at least, you can buy a normal replica at almost any store."
Sylas's head throbbed more with every word she spoke. Maybe it was because he was full and no longer exhausted, but this time the headache didn't completely overwhelm him.
Still, there was a lot to take in.
Of everything Anna explained, what truly caught Sylas's attention wasn't Weaver and his descent into the eternal abyss, nor the mystery of what Weaver had seen inside it.
It was the Nightmare Spell.
The moment he heard those words, something inside him twisted.
A cold, hollow tug pulled at the back of his mind like he was forgetting something extremely important, something vital… Something he should never have forgotten.