The creature lunged once more, and just before its claws could descend upon him, the mysterious mark on Basil's hand flared to life, releasing a powerful radiance that flooded the entire chamber.
The creature froze instantly. The rage in its eyes vanished, replaced by utter astonishment as it stared at the mark with widened eyes.
"This... this is impossible! ... That mark!"
It continued staring at the mark for several seconds without speaking. Then it took a step back in shock before dropping to one knee and lowering its head, speaking in a voice filled with unmistakable respect:
"I have been waiting for you. The mark upon your hand is the Mark of Destiny, which grants its bearer the right to reach the Necklace of Al-Rashid."
It raised its head once more and continued, "I am Amtorus, your loyal servant and the guardian of the Necklace of Al-Rashid. Tell me, what is your purpose?"
Basil, who could barely speak due to exhaustion and pain, answered in a broken voice:
"I want... to become the Lord of Wishes... so that..."
Basil finished his sentence, yet his voice could not be heard, and his purpose remained a secret known only to himself and Amtorus.
Amtorus gazed at Basil with eyes full of disbelief before stepping back slightly.
"There is something extraordinary within you... something I cannot comprehend!"
Then he continued, "To reach what you seek, you must gather the Seven Babrius Stones and master the Key of the Formative Lineage."
Basil replied in confusion, "The key of what?"
At that moment, Amtorus touched the stone embedded in his forehead and tapped it twice. His body immediately began to glow until it gradually transformed into an iron gauntlet fitted with a rotating bracelet, engraved with three symbols pulsing with power and protection.
Basil approached the gauntlet, and the moment he touched it, he felt an overwhelming energy coursing through his body.
He stood staring at the gauntlet in amazement before hearing a deep voice emanate from within it:
"I have bestowed my power upon you... You shall find in me both a weapon and a shield. Beware, for the path ahead is filled with dangers, yet I shall stand by your side."
After catching his breath and slowly rising to his feet, Basil approached the platform upon which the mark had been carved. The instant he placed his left hand upon the stone slab, the wall began to descend gradually until it vanished completely beneath the ground.
Another platform emerged, and atop it rested a necklace set with a glowing gemstone that emitted a faint light, filling the chamber with a mysterious aura.
The moment Basil touched it, he felt a surge of energy flowing through his body. At the same time, a strange warmth enveloped him, followed by an immense rush of power.
Delicate golden lines began spreading from his core, winding around his fingers like living veins pulsing with life. In that very instant, a powerful beam erupted from the temple, piercing through the ceiling and ascending into the heavens like a pillar of radiant light, while the earth itself began to tremble violently.
Meanwhile, in the far north, storm clouds gathered and torrential rain poured upon a distant island while lightning struck without cease. Upon that island rose a towering mountain, and deep within its depths lay a colossal black body covered in thick scales, resting in silence as the sound of its heavy breathing echoed through the void. Then, with a mighty flash of lightning, its eyes opened, and a crimson glow ignited within the darkness.
That creature spoke.
"What is this sensation? A feeling I have not experienced for a very long time... It seems someone has inherited the power of Zyras... Whoever it may be, I shall be waiting for him."
In the far east, where the desert sands stretched endlessly beyond the horizon, the earth shook beneath a frightened flock of sheep while the winds carried vast clouds of sand, filling the air with dust.
There stood a man guiding the flock through the desert, smiling as he spoke to the sheep in a reassuring tone:
"Do not be afraid, little sheep. Remain calm. The land upon which we stand is safe. You should be as happy as it is... because his journey to become the Lord of Wishes has begun."
Meanwhile, somewhere in the far west amidst the ocean, hurricanes raged with tremendous force, massive whirlpools twisted violently through the waters, and dark clouds collided beneath relentless bolts of lightning.
At the center of this spectacle stood a majestic black palace upon the sea, surrounded by colossal pillars and remaining unmoved despite the storm raging all around it.
Inside one of its chambers, a hunchbacked figure emerged from a shadowed corner, cloaked in tattered robes, his wrinkled hands trembling. He walked with a strange stoop while carrying a golden goblet filled with a dark crimson liquid.
He approached a throne upon which a figure sat shrouded in shadows and presented the goblet with shaking hands.
"This is what we feared... The sea grows restless at his arrival."
Then he raised his gaze toward the torch hanging upon the wall.
"And the fire conceals itself in fear of him... The First Pole has appeared."
The figure seated upon the throne took the goblet from his hand and said:
"If he truly is the First Pole... then there is something beyond him!"
He drank from the goblet and looked toward him.
"The enemy of Izifira."
In the far south, a man appeared whose long hair was divided into two colors, one half black and the other white, while his eyes bore opposing shades, one black and the other white.
He was carrying a little girl and spinning her around as he laughed, saying, "At last... what a feeling filled with joy! I am eager to meet him."
Then he set the girl down, and she spoke with curiosity:
"Why are you so happy? I have not seen you this cheerful in a long time... but I am happy to see it."
He answered with a faint smile:
"I wonder... does he know as much about me as I know about him?"
While Basil remained in this state, hallucinations began to overwhelm him. He started seeing lights and indistinct shapes moving around him. His sense of time and place vanished, and everything became vague and shrouded in haze. He could no longer distinguish reality from illusion, as though his soul were wandering through other worlds.
Suddenly, he began hearing a mysterious voice echoing within his ear:
"You are on the right path now... and you may wish to turn away from this path... while you still can."
Basil froze in place, feeling a powerful inner pull—a conflict between curiosity and fear. Moments later, he stumbled out through the gateway, still trapped within his hallucinations.
As he emerged from the gate, he encountered the serpent once again. It attacked him just as it had before, yet Basil remained calm and cold. When it rushed toward him, he thrust out his left hand. The mysterious mark upon his palm shone brilliantly, and the tilted square appeared, slowly rotating before the engraved eye flipped over, revealing beneath it another eye of a darker and far more ominous hue. Blood flowed from the engraving and dripped down in heavy silence.
The serpent stopped where it stood without harming him, restrained by an unseen force from within. Basil displayed neither fear nor confusion. His eyes remained cold and unwavering, as though he held complete control over the situation.
The very same mark appeared upon the serpent's head, identical to the one upon Basil's hand. It lowered its head as if acknowledging his authority, and he climbed onto its back without hesitation. Thus, a creature that had once threatened him became one that now submitted to his command.