Page 38 of Sins and Virtue

“It doesn’t matter. Open the gate.” Mikhail ordered as the three of us glared at one another. A tight line went through his jaw as he pressed the trigger on his gun. “Now, you eddots, before I shoot one of you!”

“Fine,” I reluctantly came forward, extending my gloved hand, my fingers brushing against the rusted gates as a heavy surge of wind rolled in, forcing the gates apart. The thud carried throughout the castle, revealing a Great Hall made of nothing more than stone.

“Good, Kostya!” He walked up from behind me, giving me a pat on the back. While he headed inside, Adrian and Sergei followed. I stood still, staring over my shoulder, on the precipice of no return, as I should have gone with my instinct and dragged them all back out, but I didn’t.

Moving in, we observed the Inner Chamber— a stone court frozen in time with the roof missing as the falling snow fell into the grounds—which now stood as a forbidden sanctum that no living soul could seek and rule.

“And to believe kings used to rule here— look how it is now!” Mikhail gloated, stepping up to the throne in the far end of the room and placing himself upon it.

We split off in each direction, kicking the rubble aside and inspecting any object that could be of use or suspicion. Yet that was not what I was drawn to. My gaze dropped to my hands, recalling the sensation of the wind, which carried the essence of something mystic. Drawn to the walls, I pressed my palm against it. Dragging my hand against the cold stone walls, noticing the brief inscriptions and illustrations engraved. A language I didn’t understand and images that were hard to decipher. Almost like hieroglyphics telling a story from a world that was different or, rather, from an ancient time.

I stopped at a column of a pillar as I looked up and noticed a statue of a flying monster hung from the top. Out of my peripheral at the other end of the room, I saw another, and I turned around and saw it was at all corners. It seemed like it was meant to scare off intruders, but it wasn't a coincidence. Knowing how deliberate humans are, a symbol wasn’t just a symbol. An insignia wasn’t just an insignia. A kill wasn’t just a kill.

They were placed there for a purpose.

To guard something.

To carry the secrets of the unknown.

To protect.

But what was it they were trying to protect?

“I found it!” Mikhail announced.

I turned around, watching the prize he had looked for so long. The gem shone brightly, emanating its luminous and illustrious polychromatic light against the angles of his face. Enhancing the greedy tint in his eyes.

Many may wonder, was the purpose of coming here, in the midst of a graveyard, to fetch that damned stone?

And well, the short answer was yes.

We weren’t ones for believing in fairytales or magic or whatever nonsense myths foretold. However, one couldn’tdeny there were things in this world that held no human explanation, and when Selene came to us with the knowledge that behind the facade of the mafia lay something darker and twisted, not just organized crime or bloodshed but creatures that existed that we never thought could, it tested our curiosity.

And well, with the recent discovery of his dead father’s journals that heavily researched the paranormal, alchemy, and various stones such as The Elaren, Aureliths, The God Shards, the Celestine Shards, and the Book of the Forsaken, it was pretty clear there was some truth to this insanity.

For a while, we searched until we found what we needed.

The Elaren. The only one of its kind. Buried time after time to hide such great power. Probably to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

Legend says that the stone could grant any wish, including manipulating destiny or granting your heart’s true desire. And although we didn’t know what we would use it for, it was better to be safe, keep this, and use it against our enemies.

Adrian’s eyes were slitted. “Do you think it’s real?” Like always, he distrusted the possibility of the impossibility.

“Of course, it’s real.” Mikhail waved the stone in his face, sarcastically saying. “Don’t you see?”

“Good, we can finally get the hell out of this place.” Sergei hummed; he tried to cover his shivering lips.

“Agreed.” I said in a hurry.

Any more time here and it wouldn’t bode well for any of us.

We moved to leave when the wind grew ravenous and rampaged as the gates slammed closed again.

“What the hell!” Mikhail groaned. “The weather is getting worse. Let’s go, boys, before we join the dead party.”

“How dare you? How dare you mock this sacred place!” A disembodied voice swept throughout, carrying the rage ofcenturies-old scorn. “You are unworthy! All of you! Now you will all pay the price!”

Before our eyes, the wind hurled, creating a vortex similar to a tornado as fire erupted from the statues, flames arose in the center of the room, taking form into a creature we’ve never seen. A lash-like tail, spurred with long thorns, covered its skin as its wings coiled behind the beast as it stood before the sacred throne.