The Hidden Temple Beneath Renard’s House

Gazing downward, Phini’s eyes fell upon the stone stairs that descended into the unknown. Her expression slowly turned solemn.

Truthfully, she had never imagined Renard’s hut harbored such a concealed staircase, let alone one that plunged so deep underground!

Her heart brimming with questions, Phini began her descent, step by careful step. The stairs themselves were remarkably sturdy and pristine, a stark contrast to the rapidly decaying state of the room above. Yet, the thick layer of dust coating each tread suggested this staircase had remained untouched for a considerable amount of time.

Interestingly, as Phini moved a certain distance down, the candles mounted on the walls would automatically flicker to life, casting a dim glow to illuminate her path. Guided by this faint light, she continued downward.

Within the winding, yellowish spiral of the staircase, Phini lost all sense of time. She descended for what felt like an eternity.

Finally, she reached the end.

The stairs terminated in an artificial passageway, clearly hewn from bedrock. Candles lined both sides of the corridor, and as if sensing her arrival, they too ignited, chasing away the oppressive darkness. The passageway’s walls were adorned with white tiles, and its floor was paved with white stone bricks. It exuded an aura of profound significance.

Phini paused, stroking her chin in thought for a moment before resuming her journey deeper into the path.

After another twenty minutes of walking, Phini emerged from the passageway and stood before an imposing door. Crafted from solid marble, it appeared exceptionally heavy and formidable.

Two stone statues flanked the entrance. Their forms, perhaps eroded by the passage of centuries, were now unrecognizable; only half-weathered bodies and their bases remained, standing sentinel before the grand door. Above the archway, a goat’s head was carved into the stone, its mouth slightly agape. A flickering flame burned within the goat’s maw.

“Is this a temple?”

After a quick assessment of the door’s structure, this was the conjecture that formed in her mind. The scene before her bore a striking resemblance to the ancient temples she knew of.

And this wasn’t the first time Phini had encountered such a place. Not only was it not her first encounter, but the memory of such temples was seared into her very soul.

It was in a place just like this that her little sister had been impaled through the chest by that man’s sword.

Recalling that harrowing scene, Phini clenched her fists, the flames of rage within her chest burning even more fiercely. However, despite her hatred, she hadn’t forgotten the purpose of her current investigation. She shook her head slightly, momentarily suppressing the vengeful thoughts that threatened to consume her, and looked up at the door again.

“Does this temple belong to the ancient dragon?”

Upon seeing the temple, Phini’s first thought was of the dragon. No, not just a dragon, but Bahazard—the kin of the Four-Sided Kings.

Why would Phini think this? Because Renard’s family were the secret guardians of Bahazard’s legacy. Given Renard’s identity, and the temple being hidden beneath his house, it wasn’t difficult to connect the two.

With this thought, Phini instinctively approached the door. She reached out and pushed.

“…”

The heavy stone door remained utterly unyielding, as if fixed in space, refusing to budge a single inch. Of course, Phini knew this wasn’t just a matter of weight. She understood that the door must require some special condition or mechanism to unlock.

Phini shifted her gaze and scanned the area around the entrance, hoping to find a method to open it. Yet, no matter how meticulously she searched, she could find no obvious mechanism.

Perhaps only Renard knew how to open it?

As this thought crossed her mind, Phini subconsciously looked up at the carving above the door.

“…”

Upon looking up, a rather absurd notion suddenly flashed through her mind. The goat’s mouth contained a burning flame, but the goat’s eyes were deeply recessed, as if hinting at a hidden secret.

Feeling as though she had stumbled upon a clue, Phini quickly scanned her surroundings for a tool. While she could have used a fireball to strike the goat’s head, considering the explosive destructive power of her magic, she abandoned that idea. What if her fire went out of control and blew up the carving, permanently sealing the door? That would be counterproductive.

Carefully inspecting the floor, it only took Phini a few seconds to find something suitable: a moldy wooden stick, likely a broken piece of a torch stand.

Phini picked up the stick and walked over to one of the burning wall candles, using its flame to ignite the wood. Holding the burning stick, she raised her head to face the goat carving above.

After a silent calculation, Phini flung the burning stick toward the goat’s eye.

Her aim was remarkably precise. The burning end of the stick landed squarely in the recessed socket, successfully igniting whatever was hidden inside. The goat’s eye flared to life. However, because the socket was shallow, the stick merely transferred its flame before falling back to the ground.

Seeing one eye now alight, Phini became even more convinced of her hypothesis. She picked up the stick, reignited it, and threw it again.

This time, however, she wasn’t as fortunate. She threw it several times, failing to hit the second eye. After more than twenty attempts, Phini finally struck the second socket, successfully igniting it as well.

The moment both of the goat’s eyes were lit, the flame within its agape mouth extinguished.

Simultaneously, a rumbling sound, like massive stones shifting, echoed through the underground passageway.

“So, it truly is like this…”

Hearing the sound, Phini lowered her gaze. She watched as the stone door began to slowly slide open, splitting down the middle. As the door parted, the room that had been sealed within came into view.

Once the entrance was fully open, Phini leisurely stepped inside.

The chamber within was incredibly dilapidated, as if untouched for centuries. Her gaze swept across the interior, and her attention was immediately drawn to a statue standing proudly in the center of the room.

Beneath the statue lay a circular structure resembling a dry fountain. The statue itself depicted a magnificent dragon, its wings spread wide in mid-flight. The carving was so lifelike, it almost gave the impression that the colossal beast might stir to life.

“Is this Bahazard?”

Gazing at the statue, Phini recalled the name Renard had mentioned. Bahazard, the kin of the Four-Sided Kings, who once protected these skies.

Who were the Four-Sided Kings? The common folk might have forgotten about them over the centuries, but Phini knew. And it was all thanks to the man hailed as the Savior, Altorias. If not for the ancient books Altorias possessed, Phini truly might not have known who the Kings were, nor their kin.

But these were extraneous matters for now.

Shaking her head slightly, Phini shifted her gaze away from the statue. Her eyes landed on the far end of the room. There, a raised platform stood, accessed by several steps. Upon this platform lay an altar.

The moment she saw the altar, Phini instinctively ascended the steps and approached it.

On the stone rested a closed book, inscribed with characters Phini could not decipher. The tome was ancient, its edges gilded, and the dust covering it seemed to whisper tales of how long it had remained unopened.

“…”

Staring at the book, Phini subconsciously reached out, intending to open the inscrutable tome. Yet, no matter how much force she applied, the cover showed no inclination to lift. It remained sealed, as if fused together.

“It doesn’t want me to open it?”

Realizing she couldn’t force it without destroying it, her gaze grew more intense. After a moment of silence, Phini finally gave up the idea and withdrew her hand.

Aside from the altar and the central statue, the room’s walls were adorned with many vivid murals. The murals depicted a giant dragon battling something. However, what was the dragon fighting?

Phini didn’t know, nor could she clearly discern it. Many of the images had weathered away, making their original forms indecipherable. If not for some barely recognizable outlines nearby, Phini wouldn’t even have known that the entity battling the unknown foe was the dragon.

The giant dragon was undoubtedly Bahazard. So, what could have battled Bahazard?

It was likely a Calamity Scar.

But what kind of Calamity Scar could contend with an Ancient Dragon and be worthy of being immortalized in a mural? Phini found it hard to believe. After all, the kin of the Four-Sided Kings were not mere ornamental vases; they were akin to gods. If not for the sneak attack and betrayal by the first King of Ravenraphael, Bahazard might never have been killed.

At this thought, Phini entertained a bold and audacious idea. Perhaps the village’s curse was related to whatever Calamity Scar had battled Bahazard in the past?

However, whether this conjecture was correct would likely need confirmation from someone who knew the local legends better—Angela.

With this thought, Phini had no reason to linger in the temple any longer.