The ruins grew darker the further he went.
The broken stone beneath his feet gave way to a more intact path. The walls around him were less damaged, the carvings clearer.
Xu Tian slowed his steps.
"…This place wasn't small," he murmured.
The deeper section felt different.
Older.
Heavier.
The object in his hand pulsed faintly, as if guiding him forward.
Xu Tian followed that feeling.
The children were quiet again.
The boy rested weakly.
The girl remained awake, her eyes moving as if she could sense something as well.
Xu Tian glanced down briefly.
"…You feel it too?"
No answer.
But he didn't expect one.
He continued forward.
The path narrowed, then opened again.
This time, into a much larger chamber.
Xu Tian stopped.
The space in front of him was intact.
Completely untouched by the collapse above.
The floor was smooth.
The walls were covered in clear carvings.
And at the center of the room stood something else.
A structure.
Not broken.
Not worn.
Perfect.
Xu Tian's eyes narrowed.
"…So this is the core."
He stepped closer.
The air grew heavier with each step.
But his body didn't resist it.
Instead, that feeling inside him responded again.
Stronger.
More stable.
Xu Tian stopped in front of the structure.
It was simple.
A tall stone pillar.
But the surface was covered in symbols.
Different from the ones before.
Clearer.
More complete.
Xu Tian raised his hand slowly.
Then paused.
"…This feels wrong."
Not dangerous.
But important.
He could feel it.
If he touched it, something would change.
Xu Tian looked down at the children.
They were still.
Unaware.
"…No choice," he said quietly.
He reached out.
The moment his hand touched the pillar-
The entire chamber reacted.
A low sound filled the space.
The carvings along the walls began to glow faintly.
Xu Tian's eyes widened slightly.
"…So it's this kind of place."
The energy around him shifted.
Not attacking.
Not resisting.
Acknowledging.
Xu Tian's body tensed.
That feeling inside him surged again.
Stronger than ever before.
For a moment, he couldn't move.
Then it settled.
Not wild.
Not unstable.
Controlled.
Xu Tian slowly lowered his hand.
The glow faded.
The chamber returned to silence.
But something had changed.
He could feel it clearly now.
The power inside him was no longer faint.
It was real.
Present.
And steady.
Xu Tian looked at the pillar again.
"…So this is where it starts."
He turned slightly, scanning the room.
Nothing moved.
No threats.
But the pressure hadn't disappeared.
It had simply changed.
Xu Tian adjusted his hold on the children.
"…We're not done here," he said.
Because now he understood something.
This place wasn't just ruins.
It was something left behind.
Something meant to be found.
And he had found it.
But that also meant others might come looking for it too.
Xu Tian looked toward the entrance.
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"…Then I need to get stronger."
The mountain outside was still dangerous.
The world beyond it, even more so.
Xu Tian turned back to the pillar one last time.
Then stepped away.
For now, this was enough.
But it wouldn't be the last time he returned.
Because whatever this place was-
It had already begun to change him.