'Wait, the forest whispered...'
Alex felt his emotions calm down as he analysed the poem he heard in his sleep.
'Whispered... The Whisperer!'
He immediately made a link.
'The Whisperer, is this the effect of his abilities? Did he do this to me? Does he know where I am?'
Alex had a myriad of questions that were left unanswered, as his concern grew.
If the Whisperer found out that Alex was here to assassinate him, and even knew his location, then successfully completing this trial would be impossible.
'Wait! Maybe he wants me to find him!'
But Alex hadn't given up hope yet.
The whisperer mentioned something called a 'Temple of darkness', and he doubted he said that just to fuck with Alex.
"It has to have some meaning, maybe it's a location? Better yet, maybe it's where The Whisperer is located!"
Although this may have been a trap, Alex still felt excited that he had finally gained at least a clue, even if it would turn out to be a dead end.
He would rather spend his time doing something useful rather than waste away for the next 6 days having achieved nothing.
***
The next morning, Alex followed the 'instructions' of the poem.
Or rather, he walked aimlessly until the environment started to slightly change.
The trees thinned, and the mist slowly started to dissipate.
And there it stood — an ancient temple, its stone façade crumbling, its entrance veiled by ivy and vines.
To his surprise, the small clearing actually had some green to it, as it looked like this was the last place with vegetation that wasn't withered and dead.
'This must be it, the Temple of darkness.'
Alex felt confident in his guess — what else could this place be?
Everything in this trial had a purpose, and if there was an ancient temple surrounded by greenery in the middle of a dead, grey forest, then it was definitely important.
'I can't enter yet.'
It landed with a soft thud, echoing through the empty corridor.
But there was no reaction so far.
Encouraged, Alex tossed another rock, then a twig. Again, nothing. The temple seemed eerily silent, as if waiting for him to take the next step.
'No traps triggered by weight or movement so far. Good.'
Alex tightened his grip on his makeshift spear and cautiously stepped into the temple. As he stepped past the veil of light, the corridor swallowed him in darkness, the faint light from the entrance quickly fading behind him.
He moved slowly, his eyes straining to adjust to the dimness.
'Stay calm. Keep moving.'
The air inside was cool and damp, carrying a faint, musty smell.
Alex's footsteps echoed softly, the only sound in the oppressive silence.
He felt along the walls, their cold, rough surface guiding him forward.
The temple's interior was like a labyrinth, a maze designed to disorient and trap the unwary.
Alex's sight, deprived of the enhanced sight he once possessed, struggled to pierce the darkness.
As he ventured deeper, the corridor branched off into several passages.
Alex paused, listening intently for any signs of movement. The temple seemed deserted, but those torches couldn't have been lit themselves.
Speaking of...
'Finally!'
Multiple sources of light met his eyes.
He recognised these light sources from a glance, they were from the torches he saw through the gaps in the temple's roof when he scaled the trees.
'Which way?'
Alex decided to follow the strongest glimmer of light he could see, hoping it would lead him to a clue or somewhere actually useful.
He moved cautiously, his senses on high alert. The corridor he chose led to a larger chamber, its high ceiling lost in shadows, with the sunlight peeking through a few gaps here and there.
'What is that?...'
There was something in the middle of the chamber.