Peacland trekked across the plains with the weight of his journey pressing down on his shoulders. He could hear the whispers of the tribe echoing in his mind—fear, rejection, but also the flickering ember of curiosity. The village had not yet realized the extent of his departure.
His journey was taking him further from Ember Root, farther than any of the hunters dared venture. The world outside was an unknown expanse of wind-swept grass and jagged mountains. The Fire-Stone pulsed gently in his pack, a reminder of the task ahead. He wasn't just seeking knowledge—he was becoming something else.
In the distance, a line of jagged rocks loomed like the teeth of some monstrous creature. A storm was brewing in the sky above, dark clouds coiling together like the beginnings of a tornado. The temperature dropped, and Peacland pulled his furs tighter.
As he neared the rocks, the wind began to howl with increasing intensity, whipping his face with biting cold. He pushed on. His heart beat in time with the rhythm of the Fire-Stone, and when he reached the edge of the cliffs, he stopped.
There, nestled in a cavern at the foot of the jagged peaks, was the ancient ruin.
The stone was smooth and curved, unlike anything the tribes had ever built. At first glance, it appeared as if the mountain itself had shaped it. The Fire-Stone pulsed with a stronger light as Peacland approached. Something in the air hummed, electric, like the buzz of a wasp.
Peacland laid his hand on the smooth surface, and it responded. A pulse of blue light shot through the stone, and the door of the cavern slowly opened, revealing a dark interior.
Inside, Peacland found an altar of some kind, surrounded by strange markings. Glyphs that he recognized. The symbols from the vision.
It was no coincidence that he had come here.
The walls glowed with faint symbols, and in the center of the altar, a stone pedestal stood. On it rested a small, rectangular device—a key.
He reached for it, but before his fingers could touch it, a voice rang out in his mind.
"Access Denied. Protocol: Seed-Bearer must be authorized."
The Fire-Stone hummed softly. Its light flickered.
With a gasp, Peacland stepped back. He hadn't realized it, but the Fire-Stone had become an extension of himself. The device had recognized him.
The world outside seemed to blur as the device began to pulse with its own rhythm. The symbols on the walls shifted. The ground beneath him vibrated, and the walls seemed to bend inward.
"Activation complete. Welcome, Seed-Bearer."
The stone pedestal opened, revealing a small compartment. Inside was a collection of tiny, metallic devices. Peacland took one in his hand. It was warm, alive with a strange energy.
In that moment, everything changed.
He understood. The world had been built by those who came before, but the machines that once created were not gone—they were waiting. Waiting for someone to wake them.
Peacland knew what he had to do.