The Bigshot's Superstar Wife

Chapter 52: Sacred Place

The night had settled over the forest, quiet except for the occasional whisper of wind through the glowing leaves.

After gathering the medicinal herbs, Athena and Mors had returned to camp, exhaustion creeping into their limbs.

Dinner was a simple meal, rations warmed over the heat generator, accompanied by sips of purified water. They spoke little, but the silence was comfortable.

Mors stretched, cracking his neck before settling against his makeshift bedroll.

"Get some rest," he murmured, throwing another log into the heat source. "We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Athena, lying nearby, gazed up at the twin moons hanging in the sky. They cast a silvery glow over the campsite, making everything look almost ethereal.

She closed her eyes, letting the fatigue pull her into sleep.

But peace was short-lived.

Sometime past midnight, an unnatural chill seeped into the air.

A dense mist rolled in from the forest, thick tendrils of fog creeping between the trees, swallowing their surroundings in an eerie white veil.

The temperature dropped rapidly, enough that Athena stirred in her sleep, shivering. She wasn’t the only one. Mors woke abruptly, instincts flaring as he registered the unnatural cold.

He reached for his weapon but paused when he saw the mist curling around them like living tendrils. "Athena," he called, his voice quiet but firm.

She groggily sat up, rubbing her arms. "Why is it so cold all of a sudden?"

Without a word, Mors reached into his pack, pulling out a thermal blanket. He draped it over her shoulders, but Athena barely noticed, a deep unease settling in her gut.

Something was wrong. She pushed the blanket aside and stood up, her breath visible in the freezing air. "This isn’t normal."

Mors frowned, scanning their surroundings. "No, it isn’t."

The mist thickened, obscuring everything beyond a few feet. The trees they had camped near were gone, their glowing branches swallowed by the white void.

Even the ground beneath them felt... different. Athena’s heart pounded. "Mors," she said slowly, "where’s the stream?"

Mors turned sharply, realization dawning in his sharp gaze. The sound of running water had vanished. So had the faint hum of the nocturnal creatures. The air was eerily silent.

They exchanged a look. Then, without hesitation, they moved.

Athena unzipped the tent flap, and Mors stepped out first, ready for anything. But when they emerged, they were not in their campsite anymore.

At the very center of the ruins, she noticed something unusual, a circular platform, embedded into the ground.

Its surface was smooth, polished, and untouched by time, unlike the rest of the ruins.

Mors joined her, standing at the edge of the platform. He crouched, brushing away dust and debris, revealing a pattern beneath.

Athena frowned. "It almost looks like..."

"A star map," Mors muttered, tracing the intricate design. "Or a seal."

Athena’s breath caught in her throat. A seal.

"What if..." She hesitated, then shook her head. "No, that’s impossible."

Mors glanced up. "What?"

She exhaled sharply, trying to organize her thoughts.

"There are myths, stories about lost sanctuaries hidden across the galaxy. Places that once held great power, sealed away by civilizations long before ours."

She gestured at the ruins. "What if this is one of them?"

Mors didn’t answer immediately. He studied the patterns beneath them, his brows furrowed.

"If that’s true," he said slowly, "then we need to be careful. Seals don’t just exist for decoration. They’re meant to keep something in."

The weight of his words settled between them.

Athena swallowed. "You think something is trapped here?"

Mors stood, eyes scanning their surroundings again. The mist had begun to recede, revealing more of the pavilion. But instead of providing clarity, it only made the place more unsettling.

"I don’t know," he admitted. "But we need to find out why we’re here."

A sudden gust of wind whipped through the ruins, sending a chorus of whispers through the air. Athena’s pulse quickened as she spun around, but nothing was there.

Nothing visible, at least. She and Mors exchanged a tense glance.

Then, as if responding to their realization, the markings on the pillars began to glow, a deep, pulsing blue, like the heartbeat of something long forgotten.

Athena took a step back. "Mors..."

He was already reaching for his weapon, his muscles coiled for action. The ruins had awakened. And whatever had been waiting for them... was finally aware of their presence.