Free Web NovelChapter 17: The Mysterious Door
The heavy reinforced wooden doors opened with a long, ancient, and almost painful creak.
The sound reverberated, causing several members of the Order to hold their breath. Gabriel wanted to see what lay beyond them.
All those present, with their varied masks, turned their gaze toward the opening. Some let out sighs of satisfaction, others murmured reverent praises.
"Finally..." someone whispered to his left.
Gabriel paid even closer attention. He remembered perfectly the rumors that the abandoned church attracted with its natural allure.
Voices that belonged to neither NPCs nor players. Now he was about to find out if they were real.
At the leader’s command, everyone advanced in an orderly line. The man with the eclipsed sun mask walked at the front with majestic steps.
Before allowing them to cross the threshold, he raised a pale hand, almost translucent under the dim candlelight. One by one, he touched the masks of those present with his fingertips, as if performing a deep inspection.
When he reached Gabriel, his cold fingers brushed the surface of his mask. The contact lasted barely a second longer than normal.
Gabriel held his breath, but the Dark Jester’s Ring on his finger seemed to emit a faint warm pulse. The leader detected nothing strange and continued.
"Pure..." the leader murmured before moving on.
Gabriel entered with the group and was momentarily impressed.
The interior of the abandoned church was completely different from what its ruined facade suggested.
Despite the years of visible abandonment from outside, the inner space retained a disturbing artistic beauty. Carved columns with baroque details rose toward a vaulted ceiling where faded frescoes depicted celestial figures falling into darkness.
Dust and cobwebs covered the corners, but they couldn’t completely hide the original splendor.
The light from the candles created long shadows that danced in the gloomy interior.
"It’s not just an abandoned building... it’s a temple that breathes," Gabriel thought, forcing himself not to become captivated.
He kept a cool head and observed the actions of the other cultists. They all shared the same genuine curiosity.
The leader positioned himself in front of the main altar, which gleamed like polished obsidian. On it, he placed a small drum made of taut skin and dark wood.
He began to beat a slow, steady, almost hypnotic rhythm. His voice rose in a reverent chant in words Gabriel didn’t recognize, but which resonated in his chest as if vibrating with something primitive.
All the members fell into solemn silence. Gabriel perfectly imitated the posture: head slightly bowed, hands crossed over his chest.
The atmosphere began to change. An invisible weight settled in the air, as if gravity itself had grown denser.
Gabriel felt intrigue growing inside him. He tried to remain as discreet as possible, keeping his Shadow Illusion active in the background so as not to stand out.
The drum rhythm accelerated slightly and then stopped abruptly. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
The leader raised his arms.
"Brothers."
Everyone moved in unison. They embraced each other, repeating the word like a mantra:
"Brother... Brother... Brother..."
When it was Gabriel’s turn, he hugged several members.
The contact was strange. Beneath the robes, their bodies felt cold, and their scents were unnatural: a mixture of damp earth, iron, and something sweet that was very abnormal.
None of them smelled like a normal human. Gabriel felt nauseous for an instant, but he suppressed it.
Once the embraces were over, the leader began to speak. His voice was eloquent, deep, and full of natural charisma.
He told an old story, an ancient tale about the creation of the heavens, from the era of myths and legends.
"As you know, we have all been deceived," he said with passion.
"Divinity has transformed, losing its ancient natural reverence. Because, brothers, divinity is conquered... It is torn away. And we deserve it; our path, through sacrifice, is the natural one. We will make the world tremble... And our side will be the right one when the Ancients awaken!"
His words were proactive and convincing. Several members murmured with fervor.
Gabriel felt a knot in his stomach. This wasn’t just a group of eccentric NPCs. He could see genuine conviction in their expressions... and that made them dangerous.
The leader took a black lamp whose flame burned with a bluish tone and smelled strongly of wax. He led the way.
"Follow me."
Everyone obeyed. Gabriel walked among them. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
The leader touched a specific section of the side wall and a hidden passage opened with an ancient mechanism.
The walls of the tunnel were carved stone with the same symbols Gabriel had seen outside. The passage extended much farther than seemed possible from the exterior, descending gradually.
The air grew colder and denser.
Finally, they arrived at an enormous sealed iron gate. The surface seemed to move slightly, as if breathing.
Symbols pulsed across its cold iron surface. The leader stopped before it with extreme devotion.
"This is the Door of Death and Rebirth," he announced, his voice trembling with emotion.
"Only those who dare to cross the veil may continue in our sacred purpose. Sprinkle some of your blood upon it. Let the Door recognize your sacrifice."
Gabriel noticed the strangeness immediately. The gate didn’t seem like an inanimate object.
It represented a deep temptation that drew him in. Whispers began to emerge in his mind: fleeting visions, murmurs of riches and absolute power.
For a moment he saw young Liran smiling at him, then his face rotted away.
[Warning! Your sanity has decreased by 8 points. Possible mental hallucination effect detected.]
The system message pulled him out of the trance like a bucket of cold water. Gabriel blinked rapidly, regaining control.
He immediately knew this mystery was extremely dangerous. He hesitated for several seconds, weighing the risks.
But then his quest updated:
_________________
[New Quest: Explore the Mysterious Door!]
Objective: Offer your blood and observe what lies beyond the veil.
_________________
He couldn’t hesitate now. It would be suspicious to stay behind.
Gabriel was one of the first to step forward. He drew his dagger and made a deep cut in the palm of his left hand.
His blood fell onto the iron surface. For an instant, the gate seemed to absorb it greedily. The symbols glowed with greater intensity and the whispers grew louder.
The leader let out a deep, satisfied laugh.
"Brave ones! The bold are the ones who change the world. Tomorrow, when the moon is full, we will open the veil completely. Prepare yourselves, brothers. Tomorrow we will make history... Tomorrow the world will begin to tremble."
Those present murmured with excitement. Gabriel took a step back, pressing his wounded hand.
He felt his pulse racing. But the ceremony soon ended.
The leader guided them back through the same passage, and one by one they left the church with instructions not to speak to anyone about what had happened.
Gabriel left the place with his mind in turmoil. The night was deep and cold.
The wound on his hand was already closing thanks to his improved recovery, but the sensation of his blood being absorbed by the door remained in his memory.
He didn’t know what kind of changes or risks the quest would bring. But one thing was clear: tomorrow, under the full moon, he would be there.
Because something told him that once that Door opened completely, there would be no turning back for anyone.
