Aedric stood at the threshold, staring into the yawning abyss of the newly revealed staircase. The cold wind that escaped from below carried a scent of damp stone and something older—something almost metallic, like dried blood.
Seris tightened her grip on her sword, stepping beside him. "We should reconsider this," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the eerie silence.
Tessa's expression was grim. "If that door was locked, it was for a reason. We have no idea what's waiting for us down there."
Aedric knew they were right. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to turn back, but the fragment in his possession had reacted to this place. This wasn't a coincidence. Something—someone—had led him here.
"We need to see what's down there," he said firmly. "If we don't, we'll never understand what this place is."
Tessa exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "I hate that you always say things like that."
Seris gave Aedric a long, searching look before nodding. "Fine. But we move carefully. No unnecessary risks."
With that, they began their descent.
---
The staircase spiraled downward endlessly, each step creaking with age. Their lanterns flickered in the darkness, casting shadows along the rough stone walls. The deeper they went, the colder it became, and soon, their breath was visible in the dim light.
The silence was oppressive, pressing down on them like a heavy weight. There were no sounds of insects, no distant drips of water—nothing but the soft echoes of their own footsteps.
After what felt like an eternity, the stairs finally ended, opening into a vast chamber.
Aedric stepped forward cautiously, raising his lantern. The light pushed back the shadows just enough to reveal the size of the room—massive, almost like an underground temple. Pillars carved from the very stone stretched high into the unseen ceiling, their surfaces adorned with ancient inscriptions and faded murals.
At the far end of the chamber, an altar stood. It was old, cracked from time, but there was no mistaking the purpose of the object resting atop it.
A sword.
It was unlike any weapon Aedric had ever seen. The blade was blackened, almost like it had been burned, yet it shimmered faintly under the lantern light, as though resisting the darkness that surrounded it. The hilt was wrapped in what looked like dark leather, the pommel engraved with strange symbols.
Seris and Tessa exchanged wary glances.
Aedric took a slow step forward, drawn to the sword in a way he couldn't explain. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
Something moved.
The air in the chamber shifted, a faint whispering sound brushing against the edges of his hearing. Shadows stirred at the corners of the room, coalescing into something more than just darkness.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Step back," Seris said sharply, raising her sword.
Tessa cursed under her breath, daggers flashing into her hands. "I knew this was a bad idea."
The shadows moved again, and this time, they formed.
Figures emerged—tall, humanoid, but wrong. Their limbs were elongated, stretched unnaturally, their faces devoid of any features except for hollow, empty eyes. They moved like smoke, their bodies shifting and flickering like candlelight.
Aedric felt something press against his mind—whispers, ancient and unintelligible.
His vision blurred.
A battlefield, soaked in blood. The same sword, gripped in a hand wrapped in dark gauntlets. A name spoken in agony, lost to time. A war that should never have been fought.
The vision vanished as suddenly as it had come.
Aedric staggered back, his breath ragged.
The shadows advanced.
Seris didn't wait. With a shout, she lunged forward, her sword cutting through one of the figures. The blade passed through with little resistance, but the creature recoiled, its form flickering like a disrupted illusion.
Tessa moved in tandem, her daggers slicing through another, forcing it to retreat.
Aedric knew they couldn't fight these things forever.
His gaze snapped back to the altar—to the sword.
Somehow, he knew. This was why he had been led here.
Ignoring the warnings screaming in his mind, he surged forward. His fingers wrapped around the hilt, and the moment he touched it, a jolt of energy coursed through him.
A wave of power exploded outward.
The shadows shrieked.
The force sent them reeling, their forms distorting wildly before dissipating into the darkness. The chamber trembled as if in response