Chapter 23: Whispers in the Dark

The tunnel stretched before them, swallowing the dim light of Eryn's lantern as they ventured deeper into the ruins beneath the city. The silence was oppressive, pressing against Karima's ears as if the very walls were listening.

Her shoulder still throbbed from where the creature had clawed her. The wound was shallow, but the lingering sting made her uneasy. Whatever they had faced back there wasn't natural. And the ring—

She clenched her fist, feeling the familiar pulse of energy beneath her skin. The ring had obeyed her command, but at what cost? She had felt it take from her, drawing on something deeper than just Aura. The sensation had been intoxicating, but also terrifying.

Haytham's voice broke the silence. "We need to stop for a moment."

Eryn shot him a sharp look. "Stopping here is a death sentence."

Karima exhaled, leaning against the cold stone wall. "No, he's right." She met Eryn's gaze. "I need a moment."

Eryn hesitated before nodding. "Fine. Five minutes. No more."

Karima slid down to sit on a broken pillar, rolling her injured shoulder. Haytham crouched beside her, his expression unreadable.

"You're pushing yourself too hard," he murmured.

She let out a dry laugh. "Kind of hard not to when monsters are trying to kill you."

He frowned. "That's not what I mean. The ring—you're using it more."

Karima turned her hand over, staring at the silver band wrapped around her finger. "I had to."

"You chose to," he corrected. "There's a difference."

She clenched her fist. "If I hadn't, we'd be dead."

Haytham didn't argue, but his silence spoke louder than words. He wasn't just worried about the ring—he was worried about her.

Eryn, standing a few feet away, exhaled sharply. "We need to move. The Council's forces will be tracking that thing's remains soon."

Karima forced herself to her feet, shaking off her doubts. "Then let's go."

The deeper they went, the older the tunnels became. The stone walls were lined with faded glyphs, their meanings long lost to time. The air grew colder, heavy with something unseen.

Karima could feel it.

The weight of something ancient, stirring beneath the surface.

Eryn stopped at a junction, scanning the two paths ahead. "Left leads toward the outskirts. Right takes us further into the ruins."

Haytham eyed the markings on the walls. "Something tells me right is the worse option."

Karima stepped forward. "Then we go right."

Eryn looked at her incredulously. "You want to go deeper?"

"There's something down here," Karima said. "Something important."

Haytham crossed his arms. "Or something deadly."

Karima met his gaze. "Maybe both."

Eryn let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. But if we die, I'm blaming you."

They took the right path.

The air grew denser the further they walked, the light from the lantern flickering as if struggling against an unseen force. Karima's skin prickled with unease. The ring's pulse was steady but insistent, like a heartbeat matching her own.

Then, they saw it.

A massive stone door, embedded in the rock. It was covered in intricate carvings—worn, but still visible. Symbols she didn't recognize, but somehow understood.

Eryn inhaled sharply. "This is—"

"A vault," Haytham finished, stepping closer. "Or a tomb."

Karima pressed her palm against the stone. The moment her skin touched it, the glyphs ignited with pale light, sending a shiver up her spine.

The ring burned against her finger.

Something was waking up.

A whisper curled around the edges of her mind, soft but insistent. Words she couldn't quite understand.

She stumbled back, shaking her head. "Did you hear that?"

Haytham frowned. "Hear what?"

Eryn was already examining the carvings. "This place is old. Older than the Council. Maybe older than the Wielders themselves."

Karima flexed her fingers, the tingling in her skin fading. "Then why does it feel like it's waiting for something?"

Eryn turned to her. "Or someone."

A chill ran down Karima's spine.

Haytham exhaled. "We should leave. Now."

But Karima couldn't look away from the door. The whisper was still there, just at the edge of her thoughts.

She reached for the ring—

"Karima, don't."

Haytham's voice was sharp, pulling her back. She blinked, shaking off the haze.

Eryn looked between them, then back at the door. "We need to seal this place. Whatever's inside, it's better left alone."

Karima nodded, but she wasn't sure she agreed.

As they turned to leave, the whisper faded. But she knew it hadn't left her.

Something in that vault had recognized her.

And it was waiting.