Alexander sat on the grass, his mind clear of any pain and suffering.
He held onto the ground, while his gaze disappeared into the wall ahead.
His journey had only begun, what would his father say?
He then diverted his gaze toward the girl who kept looking away.
She hadn't moved, still holding her knees against her chest as she looked away, turning her back to him.
How long has she waited?
It could've been weeks, or months. Impossible to tell, especially since magic was involved.
And asking her was a waste of time.
The only thing that had changed, was that she now didn't seem interested in watching him.
The moment he woke her up, she couldn't keep her eyes off him.
And now, that's all she did.
He shrugged it off, walking back toward the monument, truly enjoying the respite he could get from this sanctuary.
He walked around the water stream, gazing at the stone structure. It looked natural, but its rectangular shape suggested it was carved out of something bigger.
There were some odd marks on it, with a slim vertical fissure.
Alexander grabbed his chin, in thought.
He approached the structure, mindfully stepping above the stream. He laid his hand on the stone, feeling nothing but warmth and comfort.
That feeling was almost overwhelming, like something you could get addicted to.
Yet he could feel something.
Something odd.
As if the stone sucked his blood through his hand.
He tried taking his hand off. The radiant light dimmed, the light breeze stopped.
Alexander frowned, panic going through his mind as he tried taking his hand off.
It felt like something was forcefully taken out of him.
The radiant light was soon gone, darkness took over the alcove.
The particles that floated about were no more, the reflections on the walls gone.
The warmth he felt was gone, and the feelings it brought gone with it.
He could feel it through his palm.
He looked down, the mark activated once more.
Pain rushed back, a feeling his body had forgotten.
The warmth from the monument was going head-to-head with him.
And he was winning.
The stone began to slowly crack, the fissures expanding.
Crackling sounds kept resounding as the fissures turned into clean breaks.
It finally split in two.
The stone snapped, letting go of Alexander's hand. He took a step back, watching both sides fall on his left and right.
They rolled over and rested in the water while its base, attached to the ground, remained there.
Alexander brought his arm up and covered his mouth and nose. A cloud of dust floated around the shattered stone.
Through the dust and debris something kept his attention.
The pull he had felt was stronger than before.
He approached the broken structure, brushing off rubble still warm from the break.
His hand felt something smooth, yet colder than the stone around it.
Using both hands, he started uncovering it, its white color showing through .
Bit by bit, pale curves emerged from structure, he could finally see it.
A mask.
It was slim, and white as snow.
Alexander took a few steps back while holding it.
It looked simple, yet complicated.
It had no designs. No color, shapes, or anything drawn.
It had no holes to look through or breathe through. It was blank.
He turned it around, instantly dropping it on the floor.
He took a step back, his eyes still stuck on the artifact.
The white exterior was nothing compared to the dark interior.
The darkness was unlike anything he had seen — no, he had seen such darkness before.
When the sky split open… When that thing appeared…
His legs slightly shook as he took a step forward, his hand shaking while he extended it toward the mask.
It looked like its dark side was a hole, through which one could fit his hand. It looked like an abyss one could fall into, on he felt he already was a part of.
He inhaled, and grabbed it from the ground.
Slowly, he tried reaching inside it.
His hand instantly felt the hard interior, smoother than the exterior.
He exhaled while tilting his head backward and closing his eyes.
After a moment, through which he built up courage, he got the mask closer to his face.
Let's try it.
Halfway through, a hand held his shoulder, stopping him.
The girl, who had been looking at a wall for a while, stood next to him. She held his shoulder while her gaze was diverted to the ground, unwilling to look at him.
What?
He looked at the mask again, but he could feel her fingers individually clawing in his shoulder.
He looked at her once more, her expressionless face as unreadable as ever.
She thinks it's a bad idea.
He sighed and threw the mask further on the grass, hopping over the water once more.
He lay down, his eyes stuck on the ceiling.
The feeling the sanctuary brought him was gone, all its light and warmth was a feint memory.
He could feel the headache rising in his head, something he needed to re-learn to ignore.
He turned his head to the right, and watched the girl sit in the grass, her eyes set on the wall they had gone through to enter this place.
Then to his left, where the mask was.
How can I know what it does if I don't try it?
It was light and thin, and while he did feel a pull, it was nothing extreme.
If anything, the mask wanted to be worn. It needed to be worn. Why shouldn't he?
The first interesting item I find, and I shouldn't be using it? Unlike that chipped sword...
It was still laying against the wall near the entrance, carefully balanced upright against it.
There was no rush to leave, but no more reasons to stay.
The water had gone still, the air foul, the grass cold and rigid.
The paradise was gone.