As her friends left, Lilith made her way home. Normally, she would have taken to the skies, letting the wind carry her effortlessly above the city. But tonight, she chose to walk.
She wanted to take in the sights, to feel the energy of the city at night—the way the lanterns flickered like stars, the laughter of strangers drifting through the streets, the way the moonlight painted silver patterns on the cobblestone paths. Flying would have been quicker, easier, but something in her urged her to stay grounded, to experience the world with her feet on the earth.
At first, it was peaceful, even mesmerizing.
But then, at the edge of the city's center, everything shifted.
The air thickened, pressing against her chest, suffocating but unseen. It wasn't just heavy—it was unnatural, an oppressive force that pinned her in place. Lilith tried to step forward, to push past it, but her limbs felt sluggish, weighed down by something she couldn't see. Panic flickered in her chest, but when she glanced around, she saw the world carrying on as normal—people walked, talked, laughed, oblivious to the suffocating pressure closing in on her.
- It's just me. What is happening?
She swallowed hard, her breath shallow as she turned.
And then she felt it.
A strange pull—an undeniable force that made her spine straighten, her body tense. It was coming from the mountain.
Her gaze locked onto it instinctively, and the pressure eased slightly, as if it—whatever it was—was guiding her, demanding she follow.
Lilith whispered under her breath, more to herself than anything else.
- it wants me to go there? -
Her pulse quickened. The temptation to move, to obey that strange pull, gnawed at her. She knew what was waiting at that mountain—or at least, she thought she did.
But she also knew him.
Azareon was furious. She had defied him once before, and the consequences had nearly been unbearable. If he discovered she had gone there again, his wrath would be unmatched.
Her hands clenched into fists.
- I can't. Not now. Not today. If Azareon finds out… -
She tried to convince herself, but the words felt hollow.
Because despite the fear, despite the danger—Lilith's heart was beating like a drum, louder, faster, demanding her to move.
The answers could be ahead.
Her throat was dry as she took a cautious step forward, the force pulsing in response. It wasn't letting her go.
She was trapped between what she should do and what she needed to do.
And Lilith knew deep down—this battle had already been lost.
- I will go -Lilith decided, her voice barely above a whisper.
She glanced around, searching for a hidden spot—somewhere the prying eyes of the city wouldn't catch her. When she found one, tucked between the towering stone buildings, she took a steady breath.
With a faint shimmer, her angelic wings appeared, their ethereal glow contrasting against the dim night. Without hesitation, she ascended into the sky, the city quickly shrinking beneath her as she soared toward the mountain.
Upon reaching her destination, she didn't land at the summit. Instead, she descended at the start of the ancient bridge that led there. Her feet touched the ground lightly, her wings folding behind her as she surveyed her surroundings.
- I want to see if something has changed on the way - she murmured, her gaze fixed ahead, the path stretching before her like an unanswered question.
The path was illuminated, soft glows spread across the bridge and the grass, casting an almost surreal light against the night. It wasn't eerie—it was oddly serene, untouched by the suffocating presence she had felt earlier.
Lilith took slow, measured steps as she advanced, her senses sharp, expecting something—anything—to be different. Yet, as she moved further along the bridge, everything remained the same.
Peaceful. Unchanged.
Her brows furrowed.
Why?
She had felt the force pulling her, urging her here with a presence too strong to ignore. But now, nothing stirred. No signs of danger, no shifts in the air, no hidden truths revealing themselves.
Lilith came to a halt, scanning her surroundings with growing confusion.
- Did I misinterpret it? -
The pressure had been suffocating before—but now, there was nothing. Only silence, only the quiet hum of the magic-infused lights on the bridge.
She pressed her lips together, her heart still restless despite the calmness around her.
Something had to be here.
She wasn't imagining it.
Was she?
Lilith continued her ascent, each step pushing her closer to the mountain's peak. "I sensed it… I'm not going crazy, am I?" she murmured to herself, trying to lighten the unease clawing at her thoughts. The joke fell flat—even though she said it aloud, she wasn't entirely convinced.
Then, at last, she reached the top.
Her excitement, her anticipation—it vanished in an instant.
Nothing.
The summit was silent, empty, untouched. The same wind brushed over the rocky surface, the same eerie stillness sat heavy in the air. No answers. No presence. No force calling to her.
Lilith blinked, her heart sinking. Had she misinterpreted everything? Had she followed an illusion?
And then—just as her doubt took hold—the world shifted.
It wasn't a sound or a sudden movement, but a feeling, a shift in the very fabric of reality. The space around her warped, bending as if she had unknowingly stepped through an unseen threshold.
A pulse of energy rippled through the air, and just like before, it returned.
The suffocating presence. The unseen force.
Lilith inhaled sharply, her eyes darting around, her pulse thundering in her ears.
She hadn't imagined it.
It was here.
"Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" Lilith shouted, her voice fierce against the raging wind.
The moment the words left her lips, the storm-like force intensified, swirling around her in a violent dance. Then, suddenly—a rupture. A crack in the air itself.
Before her, a portal appeared, pulsing in rhythmic waves of deep red, its surface shifting like molten energy—alive, breathing.
Lilith stepped back instinctively, but the force holding her in place made retreat impossible. The portal throbbed, as if responding to her presence, its energy reaching out to her.
The wind howled louder, whipping her hair across her face, but she barely noticed. Her eyes locked onto the chaotic void in front of her, her breath shallow, her pulse hammering. Lilith has never see anything like this before, no one never told her about these kind of powers
What was this?
Why had it called her here?