The air was thin.
Every breath felt like a battle, every step like dragging chains through ice.
Priya's legs trembled, her vision blurred. The climb had taken **everything** from them—blood, warmth, strength. And now, finally, they stood at the **top of the mountain**.
The peak was **silent**, untouched by time, as if the world below had never existed.
The sky stretched endlessly above them, a vast, uncaring void. **Mars's two moons, Phobos and Deimos, hung like watchful eyes, their pale light casting long shadows.**
Priya exhaled sharply, her breath curling like smoke.
"We made it," she whispered.
Manav, beside her, barely reacted. His eyes were fixed ahead, his face unreadable.
He wasn't celebrating.
He wasn't relieved.
He was **waiting**.
And then—
The **statues returned**.
---
### **The Warning of the Forgotten**
The air **shifted**.
A low, rumbling sound echoed around them, vibrating through the frozen ground. Priya's chest tightened as the shadows stretched, **twisting into familiar shapes**.
**They had come back.**
The faceless **statues** stood before them once more, rising from the ground like specters of the past. Their stone bodies cracked and groaned, yet their presence felt **stronger** than before.
Priya's stomach churned.
Manav, despite his exhaustion, **stepped forward**.
"What do you want?" he growled, voice rough.
The statues didn't move.
They didn't attack.
Instead—**they spoke**.
*"You have defied the warnings. You have stained this sacred path with blood."*
Priya's hands clenched into fists. "We didn't come here to fight," she said. "We came for immortality."
Silence.
Then—
*"Then you are fools."*
A sharp **gust of wind** howled through the summit, but Priya could barely feel it anymore.
Manav **stared them down**. "Step aside."
The statues did not.
Instead, one of them took a slow step forward.
*"Do you know what you seek?"*
Manav didn't answer.
*"Do you know what will happen if you take it?"*
Priya swallowed.
She knew this was more than just a test. More than just another trial.
This was something **bigger**.
Something **far worse** than what they had faced before.
But Manav?
He **did not care**.
He lunged.
His dagger, chipped and soaked in dried blood, **tore into stone**.
The first statue **crumbled**.
The others did not move.
Not even when Manav staggered, his body betraying him.
Priya gasped as he **collapsed to his knees**, his breath ragged, his strength finally **giving out**.
Manav tried to push himself up. Tried to raise his dagger again.
But his **arms wouldn't listen**.
His **legs wouldn't obey**.
For the first time since they started this journey—**Manav fell**.
The statues did **not** attack him.
They simply **watched**.
And then, **they spoke again**.
*"Priya."*
She froze.
*"If you take this gift…"*
The wind howled louder.
*"Something unbearable will happen."*
The statues' voices **layered over one another**, as if speaking from different points in time.
*"Perhaps in 100 years."*
*"Perhaps in 500."*
*"Perhaps in 1,000."*
Priya's throat was dry. "What… what will happen?"
The answer came in a whisper.
*"It may destroy this planet."*
Her heart **stopped**.
The storm died down. The mountain held its breath.
And then—
**The statues turned and walked away.**
Not defeated.
Not broken.
Just… **leaving**.
Manav, still on the ground, clenched his fists.
His body shook as he forced himself to his feet.
His eyes burned with something **unnatural**.
And then—he spoke.
*"We will gain immortality."*
His voice was **hoarse** but **absolute**.
The statues did not turn back.
Did not argue.
They only gave a final whisper—
*"Then go. And be lost."*
And just like that, they **faded**.
Priya didn't realize she had been **holding her breath** until her lungs burned for air.
Manav stepped forward, his strength returning.
Priya **hesitated**.
For the first time, she felt something **new** in her heart.
Something she never thought she'd feel.
**Fear.**
But Manav didn't stop.
He **kept walking**.
Kept moving **forward**.
And she had no choice but to **follow**.