The cavern walls pressed in around them, slick with moisture and etched with faded symbols that seemed to pulse faintly as Aren's group moved deeper inside. A chill lingered in the air, and even Sharu—usually bold and inquisitive—kept his movements cautious, ears flat against his skull.
"Stay close," Aren whispered, his voice barely above a breath. The others nodded, forming a tight formation as they advanced.
A narrow passage stretched before them, widening intermittently into small chambers where moss clung to the walls and strange, luminescent fungi cast eerie green light. The echo of distant howls occasionally reached them, hinting at battles being fought elsewhere in the ravine.
Aric broke the tense silence. "Anyone else feel like we're walking into a trap?"
Dorian shot him a glare. "Keep your voice down. If there's something here, we don't want to wake it up."
Lyra's falcon circled above, keeping watch, while Liora's Ice Wolf stayed close to the ground, sniffing cautiously. Lyra spoke quietly, her tone unusually tense. "These markings… they're not just random. They form a pattern, like a map or a warning."
Aren paused, studying the wall more closely. "It's almost like the carvings in the forest ruins. Could the two be connected?"
Liora traced a line with her gloved hand. "Possibly. If the ancient beast we fought was guarding something, this could be part of the same network. A place of power—or corruption."
Before they could ponder further, a deep, rumbling growl echoed from deeper within. Everyone froze, weapons and beasts at the ready. From the shadows emerged a massive beast—a corrupted Stone Golem, its body cracked and oozing a dark, viscous substance. Its eyes glowed a sickly green, and each step made the ground tremble.
"Spread out!" Aren commanded.
Dorian's lion lunged forward, unleashing a concussive blast at the golem's legs, but the beast barely staggered. Aric's salamander spat fire at its joints, trying to weaken the thick stone.
Liora and Frost circled to the side, ice forming around the golem's feet in an attempt to slow its movements. Lyra's falcon swooped down, targeting the creature's glowing eyes with sharp, shadowed talons.
Aren summoned a surge of energy, Sharu's silver light intensifying. "Aim for the cracks! Those dark lines—if we can break them, we might disrupt whatever's animating it!"
Following his lead, Dorian directed his lion to concentrate its next shockwave on the largest crack in the golem's chest. The impact sent a splintering fissure through the stone, and the golem roared, staggering.
Aric didn't miss the opportunity. "Burn it!" His salamander unleashed a torrent of flame, heating the cracked stone until it glowed red.
Liora summoned a spike of ice, driving it into the heated crack, and the sudden temperature change made the stone explode outward, shards scattering like shrapnel.
The golem reeled but remained upright, now moving with a more erratic, desperate energy. Aren didn't hesitate. "Sharu—now!"
Sharu leapt, his form blurring with silvery light as he struck the golem's chest. A burst of energy erupted from the impact, and the dark ooze at the core of the creature burst, spraying the ground with tar-like sludge.
The golem collapsed, its energy dissipating as the corrupted core shattered. The cavern fell silent, save for the heavy breathing of the group.
Dorian wiped sweat from his brow. "That… was too close."
Lyra approached the shattered remains cautiously. "There's something here."
Embedded in the rubble was a faintly glowing shard, pulsing with a strange, almost magnetic energy. Aren picked it up carefully, feeling a warmth spreading through his palm.
"A fragment?" Liora asked, peering over his shoulder.
Aren nodded. "It must be. But… why would it be inside a corrupted golem?"
Aric shrugged. "Maybe it absorbed it? Or… someone put it there?"
Lyra frowned. "If someone's deliberately corrupting these fragments, it could explain the increase in monster attacks. Someone—or something—is triggering this corruption."
Aren pocketed the shard, determination hardening in his gaze. "We need to report this when we get back. If there's someone manipulating these fragments, it's bigger than just a test."
Dorian grinned, though his eyes remained sharp. "Still, we got one. That's got to count for something."
Liora glanced toward the deeper parts of the cavern. "We should keep moving. There might be more—either fragments or more golems. Either way, staying here isn't safe."
With a collective nod, they pushed onward, the fragment pulsing faintly from Aren's pocket. The air grew colder the further they ventured, and the cavern seemed to whisper around them, like voices trying to break free from the stone.
As they rounded a bend, Lyra suddenly raised a hand to signal silence. Ahead, faint torchlight flickered, and hushed voices could be heard. Aren motioned for the group to take cover behind a cluster of rocks.
Peering out cautiously, they spotted a group of students led by Lance Vermilion. His gryphon perched beside him, feathers sleek and alert. They were examining a series of glyphs etched into the floor, discussing something in hushed, urgent tones.
"They're looking for fragments too," Aric whispered.
Aren nodded. "But they don't seem to know about the golem. We should avoid confrontation for now. Let's take the side passage."
Moving quietly, they slipped past Lance's group, navigating the winding paths until the sound of voices faded behind them. The further they ventured, the more the strange symbols intensified, covering the walls in dense, swirling patterns.
Finally, they reached a cavernous chamber where a faint glow emanated from a central pedestal. Atop it sat another fragment, this one larger and clearer than the one Aren had found.
Before they could approach, a sound like grinding stone reverberated through the room. More golems began to emerge from the walls, their eyes fixed on the pedestal.
Aren drew his weapon, Sharu growling at his side. "We need that fragment—but we'll have to fight for it."
His friends took their positions, prepared for another battle. The cavern pulsed with a dark energy, and Aren couldn't help but wonder if they were drawing closer to the truth—or if they were simply being led deeper into danger.
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