Chapter 156: The Forgotten Ruins

The fire crackled softly in Oryn's cottage as he unrolled a weathered map on the table before Lilith and Elian. His hands, gnarled with age, moved with surprising precision as he traced lines on the faded parchment, marking out paths and forgotten places that had long since fallen into legend. The room was thick with the smell of parchment, ink, and age-old herbs, giving it an air of mystery.

"This," Oryn said, pointing to a small mark on the map, "is where you must go first. The Ruins of Valcris. They're ancient—older than the villages, older than even the temples that once stood as symbols of balance across this land. Whatever power was sealed away long ago, Valcris is one of the keys."

Lilith leaned closer, studying the map. Valcris was deep in the wilderness, far from any village or known path. The ruins themselves seemed to sit at the convergence of several ancient lines, faint traces that Lilith assumed represented some kind of magical or natural ley lines.

"And these ley lines," Lilith asked, her finger hovering over the faint markings, "they're tied to the seals?"

Oryn nodded. "They are. The ancients built their temples and seals along these lines, using the natural energy of the land to reinforce the seals. But over time, as those who understood the old ways passed on, the knowledge was lost. The seals have weakened, and the energy that once flowed through these lines has become corrupted."

Elian glanced at Lilith, concern flashing in his eyes. "If these seals break completely…"

Oryn's voice dropped, grave with warning. "If the seals break, the balance will be lost. The forces beneath the land will rise, and the darkness will spread unchecked. Villages like Greystone and Keldan will be just the beginning. The whole land will be consumed."

Lilith felt a chill run down her spine. The stakes were higher than she'd imagined. The shadows and the ancient forces beneath the villages weren't isolated threats—they were part of a much larger, far more dangerous puzzle. One wrong step, and everything could fall apart.

"We'll go to Valcris," Lilith said, her voice steady but filled with determination. "We'll find the answers we need there and figure out how to stop the seals from breaking."

Oryn studied her for a long moment, his sharp eyes seeming to see deeper than the surface. "You'll face dangers there you're not prepared for," he said softly. "The ruins are home to more than just the remnants of ancient power. Dark things linger there—shadows of the past that are not easily banished."

"We've faced darkness before," Elian said, his jaw set. "We'll handle whatever we find."

Oryn sighed, a tired sound filled with the weight of years. "I hope you do, young ones. For all our sakes."

He handed the map to Lilith, who rolled it carefully and tucked it into her satchel. With a few final words of advice, Oryn bid them farewell, warning them once more of the dangers ahead. His cottage, filled with the echoes of ancient knowledge, felt like a place where time stood still, but Lilith knew they couldn't stay.

As they mounted their horses and rode out of Aelmir, the sky above had grown dark with heavy clouds, casting the world in a dim, brooding light. The path ahead of them was long and treacherous, but Lilith felt the weight of purpose settle over her. There was no turning back now.

***

The journey to the Ruins of Valcris took several days, the terrain growing wilder and more unforgiving as they traveled further from civilization. The forest that surrounded Eldoria and the northern villages gave way to jagged cliffs and thick, tangled woodlands that felt almost hostile, as if the land itself was warning them to stay away.

Lilith and Elian traveled mostly in silence, both of them too focused on the task ahead to talk much. The air grew colder as they approached the region marked on Oryn's map, and a sense of foreboding settled over them like a cloak. Even the birds and animals seemed to avoid this part of the wilderness, leaving the forest eerily quiet.

When they finally reached the edge of the ruins, the sun was sinking low in the sky, casting long shadows across the ancient stones that jutted up from the ground like the bones of some long-dead creature. The Ruins of Valcris were half-buried by time and nature, with moss and vines creeping over the crumbling structures, but the air here was thick with the lingering energy of the past.

Lilith dismounted her horse, feeling the weight of the place settle over her. The air was still, unnaturally so, and the ruins seemed to pulse with a faint, dark energy that reminded her too much of the pit in Keldan.

"This place…" Elian said quietly, his voice tense. "It feels wrong."

Lilith nodded, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "Whatever power was sealed here, it's still strong. And I don't think we're alone."

They moved cautiously through the ruins, their eyes scanning the twisted shapes of the stone structures that had once been temples and homes. The ground beneath their feet was uneven, broken by centuries of neglect, and every step seemed to echo in the silence.

As they ventured deeper into the ruins, they found themselves standing before what appeared to be the remains of a great hall. The structure was partially collapsed, but enough of the walls and columns remained to suggest that this had once been a place of great importance. At the far end of the hall, half-hidden beneath rubble and overgrown vines, was an altar much like the one they had seen in Keldan.

"This must be it," Elian murmured. "One of the seals."

Lilith approached the altar cautiously, her pulse quickening as she felt the dark energy radiating from it. The stone was cracked and weathered, but the symbols carved into its surface were still faintly visible—ancient runes, written in a language long forgotten.

Before Lilith could examine the altar further, the ground beneath them began to tremble, a deep, low rumble that seemed to come from the earth itself.

"Elian!"

Lilith shouted, drawing her sword as the rumbling grew stronger. The ruins around them began to shake, and cracks spread across the ground at their feet.

From the shadows, dark shapes began to emerge—figures twisted and warped by time, their forms barely human. They moved with an eerie, unnatural grace, their hollow eyes glowing with a faint, otherworldly light.

"We need to stop this!" Lilith shouted, stepping in front of the altar, her sword at the ready. "The seal is breaking!"

Elian unsheathed his blade, positioning himself beside Lilith.

"We can't let them reach the altar!"

The figures drew closer, their movements slow but deliberate. The dark energy in the air seemed to thicken, pressing down on Lilith like a weight. She tightened her grip on her sword, her heart pounding in her chest.

"We stop them here," she said, her voice steady despite the fear rising in her throat.

And with that, they braced themselves for the battle ahead, knowing that the fate of the land hung in the balance.

Whatever happened next, they couldn't afford to fail.

Not here.

Not now.