Chapter 1. Forgotten Past. Awakening

The world around seemed empty and quiet. The wind roamed through the abandoned ruins, leaving behind echoes of long-lost voices. Lilith stood atop a hill, gazing at the distant horizon where a majestic city once stood. Now, erased from the face of the earth, it had become a symbol of what had happened to humanity.

– Will I be able to find the answers? — the thought lingered in her mind. Layla knew that too much was at stake. Years of searching had led her to this place, to the borders of the dead world. The city, whispered about in legends, held secrets capable of overturning their understanding of the past.

Footsteps sounded behind her. It was Kael and Esme — her companions and friends, who, despite the dangers, continued to walk with her along this path. Their faces were tense.

— We've been here too long, — the young man said hoarsely, gripping the hilt of his sword.

— This place feels... alive, like it's watching us.

Lilith felt the same cold wind, creeping under her clothes. But it wasn’t just the wind. Her amulet glowed faintly, warning of impending danger.

— We need to move, — she said firmly.

— The answers lie deep within the ruins. If we don’t find them, no one will.

Kael fell silent, but worry was evident in his eyes. They descended the hill, stepping over the shattered remains of long-destroyed buildings. Every shadow, every crack made them stay on high alert.

As they approached the center of the ruins, Layla suddenly stopped. On the ground, among the debris, lay an ancient metal disk, covered in strange symbols. She picked it up, feeling a spark of magical energy run through her fingers.

— It’s a sign, — she whispered.

— We’re close.

But before she could say anything more, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. A deep rumble echoed from the ruins, growing louder with each passing second. Suddenly, a passageway opened before them — a mysterious entrance into the depths of the underground catacombs.

— Are we going in there? — Esme asked, gripping her weapon tightly.

Lilith looked at her.

— We have no choice. Inside, the answers await... and perhaps dangers we never anticipated.

With those words, they stepped into the darkness…

***

Lilith woke up with the sensation that something invisible had touched her shoulder. The room was almost completely dark, and only the moonlight seeping through a narrow gap in the curtains faintly illuminated the space. She peered into the dimness, when a faint glimmer fell on the wall, where the photographs were. The black-and-white images appeared dimly in the moonlight: the faces of her long-deceased ancestors and the ancient city, barely visible through the thick mist in the photograph.

Лилит подняла руки и вздрогнула, увидев странные символы, слабо, но неумолимо светящиеся на ее коже. В ее груди начала нарастать паника, но комната погрузилась в глубокую тишину, как будто весь мир замер, ожидая ее реакции. Внезапно в этой гнетущей тишине Лилит услышала слабый шорох — словно где-то перевернули страницу.

Дрожа, она медленно подошла к книжной полке, где несколько дней назад нашла древний дневник. На кожаной обложке поблескивал замок, который, как она думала, был сломан. Но теперь оно было закрыто. Нерешительно прикоснувшись к ней, Лилит услышала тихий щелчок, замок тихо открылся, и книга раскрылась на первой странице.

«Каждое поколение рождает чудо,

Где день и ночь снова встречаются,

Тот, кто обретает древние знания,

«Свет будет проведен сквозь тьму».

Эти строки словно погружали Лилит в туман, полный загадок и древних тайн. Она продолжила перелистывать страницы и нашла карту, на которой красным крестом было отмечено место, о котором она никогда не слышала. Что-то внутри нее шевельнулось: почему эта книга оказалась у нее? А что, если это связано с легендой о затерянном городе, о которой она слышала в детстве?

С холодком в сердце, но с растущей решимостью Лилит осознала, что ее жизнь изменилась навсегда. Она знала, что должна идти по этому пути, каким бы опасным он ни был.