the sun burns (7)

She hesitated, her instincts warning her of unseen dangers. But desperation silenced her doubts. The descent was steep, the stairs uneven and crumbling in places. She lit a torch, its flame feeble compared to the sun’s blaze but enough to pierce the darkness.

The carvings continued here, more vivid and preserved. They depicted a figure wreathed in light, their face obscured by a radiant halo. Solis, she guessed. Around them, people knelt in what seemed to be both worship and fear.

Further along, the tone of the carvings changed. Flames engulfed cities; the figure of Solis loomed, arms outstretched, as mortals fled or fell to their knees.