Once Theo scanned over his new skills, he heard the wind howling once more, but this time it went deeper into the ancient temple. He looked in that direction and saw a door, but there were no cracks, no mold, and no vines on it.
Walking up to the door, he looked it up and down with a raised eyebrow. There were all kinds of runes written on said door, though none were faded, which meant either they were recently written or some magic was at play here. After all, what type of door wouldn't be worn out after so many years?
There wasn't even a door handle. Sighing to himself, Theo placed his hands on the door, intending to push them. However...
***
Theo was sitting against the door, drenched in his own sweat, and he was utterly exhausted. The door's weight was questionable. Even with his superhuman strength, he still couldn't open the door. So instead of just using his strength, he tried something different. Using his new skill, Body Control, he made the muscles in his forearms denser.
Theo's forearm looked the same, but there was clearly a difference; it felt like there was so much power whenever he flexed it.
Pressing his hands against the door once more, he pushed with all his might. The door dragged against the floor with a screech. He winced from the sound but kept pushing.
Slowly, green light began to fill the area. It was both beautiful and terrifying.
The door was open, and from his view, Theo could see a flame.
It wasn't just any flame. It was a green flame, which would normally be produced from borax or copper sulfate once heated. Once Theo stepped through the door's frame, a shiver went down his spine.
The door behind him shut with a bang, making him jump. The dark room was illuminated by that same green flame. It was unpredictable. The flames were dancing in the very middle of the room, surrounded by a cage.
The cage was rusted and looked as if it were ready to fall apart. Walking up to the cage made him grow hot.
And yet he couldn't help but want to touch these flames.
Be consumed by the flames and turn to ash.
Nothing but ash and dust.
The system echoed into his ear, but he couldn't care less, all he wanted was to be consumed by these flames
[Warning! Mental intrusion detected!]
[Initiating safety measures]
[Error! Error! Error! Unable to enable safety measures]
[€£¥&# has interfered!]
Before Theo could take one more step, everything went black.
***
Deep within his very soul lurks a massive beast. The beast appeared to be at least 12 meters, if not more.
The beast was black, its eyes green, and within it seemed to reside an enormous bloodlust and a desire for chaos and destruction.
Its claws were sharp and deadly as if they could cut through the universe itself.
The beast's gaze was directed downwards.
Standing in front of the massive beast was Theo. He appeared here the moment he passed out from the mental impact of the green fire shot at him.
Looking up at the horrendous wolf, Theo glared at it. All types of thoughts were running through his mind.
Taking an involuntary step back, he thought.
'Where am I and why is this wolf so huge?'
Just the massive wolf opened its wide maw.
'You.. Reek of Divinity," It said, its voice echoing in Theo's vast soul.
"And so what if I do?" He replied
"It's strange, really, you smell Divine and yet you aren't even 1/3 of it. Why is that?" It said.
"Why should I answer you, huh?" He said
Theo's voice didn't shake.
It surprised him more than the beast. The creature's emerald eyes narrowed, not in anger… but in curiosity. Like a predator that just realized its prey had teeth. For a moment, silence stretched. Heavy. Suffocating. The kind of silence that felt like it had weight.
Then—
The wolf laughed.
Not a normal laugh. It was deep, jagged, like mountains grinding against each other.
"You stand in my domain," it rumbled, its voice pressing against Theo from all sides, "and still you bare your fangs?"
Theo clenched his fists. His instincts screamed at him to run, to kneel, to disappear. He did none of those things.
"I asked you a question first," Theo shot back, forcing steel into his voice. "Where am I?"
The beast's tail flicked once. The ground beneath Theo trembled slightly.
"You are nowhere," it said. "And everywhere. This…" it lowered its massive head, bringing its glowing eyes closer, "…is your soul."
Theo's breath hitched.
"My… soul?"
"And I," the wolf continued, lips curling just enough to show rows of blade-like teeth, "am what sleeps inside it."
A pause.
Then softer, almost amused—
"Or perhaps… what was sealed inside it."
Theo's mind raced. The green flame. The voice. The system failing.
"Was that you?" he asked. "The flame… the voice calling me?"
The beast didn't answer immediately. Instead, it began to circle him. Each step was slow. Intentional. Like it was studying him… measuring something unseen.
"That flame," it finally said, "is merely a key."
Theo turned, keeping his eyes locked on it. "A key to what?"
The wolf stopped behind him.
For a split second—
Theo felt it right at his back. Close enough that if it wanted… He wouldn't exist anymore.
The words crawled down his spine like ice. Theo forced himself to turn around.
"If you're sealed inside me," he said, "then that means you can't get out."
A gamble. A dangerous one.
The beast's eyes gleamed.
"Can't?" it echoed.
Then suddenly—
It moved.
In an instant, the massive wolf was inches from Theo's face. No warning. No sound. Just an overwhelming presence.
Theo froze.
"Don't mistake patience… for inability," it whispered.
For the first time—
Theo felt fear truly grip him. Not surface-level fear. Something deeper. Ancient. The kind of fear written into bone and blood. But even then…
He didn't look away.
"…Then why talk?" Theo said quietly.
That made the beast pause.
"Why not just take over? Burn me. Break the seal. Whatever it is you're planning."
Silence again.