Valery

Valery walked towards the ruins, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, tense but cold.

The snow crunched beneath his shoes, crushed by his weight. He entered the building, looked around briefly, and then continued on. He didn't need a map; he knew these ruins inside and out.

It was evening outside, where a snowstorm was currently raging, and because of this, the building itself was dark and quiet. Walking through the corridors, he memorized every detail so he could navigate them easily later.

Entering the main hall, he couldn't help but gaze at its beauty. The architecture was truly graceful, the magnificent columns standing as steadfastly, despite the weight of decades, as they had in their youth. However, deciding not to linger, Valery headed for the altar. There, like a timeless bud, lay upon the white, chiseled stone. The sight was captivating, beautiful, and he longed to touch it, but he resisted the urge.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw a silhouette in the hallway. Valery turned, tensed a little more, and when he looked back, the shadow was already reaching toward the flower. Either a man or a woman in robes was reaching for the scarlet bud.

He reached out to grab the man, but was too late. The man across from him took the flower, but when Valery tried to snatch it, he stepped back, preventing him from taking the ancient artifact.

However, after a few more moments of cat-and-mouse play, he finally managed to grab the bud by the stem. Suddenly, everything seemed to slow down, the bud blossomed into a scarlet flower, and then there was a flash of bright light.

When he opened his eyes, he felt a new sensation near his heart. When Valery looked down, he suddenly noticed that the place where his heart should be was glowing a muted red.

When he looked up, he saw a similar scene before him. Only now, looking at this man, he felt an equally strange thrill in his chest. Apparently, this ancient artifact he was ordered to protect had done something to them.