The Abyss Awakens

The air around them trembled, the remnants of the shattered obelisk dissolving into the ground like molten gold. Adira clutched her blade tightly, her body still trembling from the fight. Her companions formed a loose circle around her, their faces reflecting the same mix of relief and wariness.

But the victory felt incomplete. Beneath their feet, the earth shifted again, and the chasm pulsed with an unsettling rhythm. The energy that had filled the obelisk now seemed concentrated within the fissure, its glow deepening into an ominous black-red hue.

"It's not over," Rhea said, her voice hollow as she stared into the depths.

Finn swore under his breath. "Of course it's not. Nothing ever just stays dead, does it?"

Kael stepped closer to the edge, his sword still drawn. "Whatever's left down there... it feels different. Stronger."