Chapter 10: The Forbidden Vault

The air beyond the labyrinth door was unlike anything Eren had felt before. It was heavier, charged with an eerie, almost otherworldly energy. The room they stepped into was vast and circular, with a high domed ceiling that seemed to stretch endlessly. In the center stood a massive structure: a spiraling obelisk made of dark stone, its surface etched with glowing crimson runes that pulsed in time with an unseen heartbeat.

"What the hell is this place?" Eren whispered, his voice barely audible over the hum of energy.

Kaelena stepped forward cautiously, her hand still resting on the hilt of her blade. "This… this isn't part of the standard labyrinth," she said, her usual confidence replaced with unease. "I've heard whispers about secret chambers, but this... this is something else entirely."

The System chimed softly, almost as if it were reluctant to break the silence.

[System Alert: Area Identified – The Forbidden Vault. Warning: Extreme danger detected.]

Eren frowned. "Forbidden Vault? That doesn't sound promising."

Kaelena's eyes narrowed. "It's not supposed to exist. If the rumors are true, this is where the academy hides things too dangerous or powerful for anyone to control."

Before he could respond, a low growl echoed through the chamber. The sound reverberated off the stone walls, sending chills down Eren's spine. From the shadows, a creature emerged—a monstrous amalgamation of metal and flesh. Its four glowing eyes locked onto them, and its jagged, bladed limbs scraped against the ground as it advanced.

"Guess it's not just forbidden artifacts they keep here," Kaelena muttered, drawing her blade.

[System Alert: Entity Identified – Warden Construct. Threat Level: High.]

"Any chance we can talk our way out of this?" Eren asked, his voice tight.

The construct roared in response, lunging at them with terrifying speed.

"Didn't think so," he muttered, diving to the side as Kaelena intercepted the creature's attack.

Her blade clashed against its metallic arm, sparks flying as the two forces collided. Eren scrambled to his feet, his mind racing. The construct was faster and more aggressive than anything they'd faced in the labyrinth. He needed a plan—and fast.

"System, give me something!" he hissed.

The interface appeared, displaying a new notification:

[New Ability Available: Energy Disruptor – Temporarily disable constructs. Cost: 150 Points.]

"Perfect timing," he muttered, selecting the ability. The points drained instantly, and a surge of knowledge flooded his mind.

Kaelena struggled to hold the creature off, her movements growing more desperate as the construct's relentless assault pushed her back.

"Kaelena! Keep it busy!" Eren shouted, focusing on the new ability.

"Not much of a choice!" she snapped, dodging a swipe that nearly cleaved her in half.

Eren extended his hand, energy crackling around his fingers as he activated Energy Disruptor. A wave of light erupted from his palm, striking the construct square in the chest. The creature froze mid-attack, its glowing eyes flickering erratically.

"It's stunned!" Eren yelled. "Go for the core!"

Kaelena didn't hesitate. With a fierce battle cry, she drove her blade into the center of the construct's chest, shattering its core. The creature let out a mechanical scream before collapsing into a heap of lifeless metal.

The chamber fell silent once more, the oppressive energy dimming slightly.

"Nice move," Kaelena said, panting as she pulled her blade free. "Didn't know you had that in you."

"Neither did I," Eren admitted, his hand still tingling from the energy surge.

As the dust settled, their attention returned to the obelisk in the center of the room. Now that the warden was destroyed, its runes glowed brighter, casting an ominous red light across the chamber.

"We should leave," Kaelena said, her tone serious.

Eren hesitated. Something about the obelisk drew him in, a faint whisper at the edge of his consciousness.

"Wait," he said, stepping closer.

Kaelena grabbed his arm. "Are you insane? We don't know what that thing is—or what it'll do to us."

He met her gaze, his expression conflicted. "The System led me here. There's something it wants me to find."

Before she could argue, the runes on the obelisk flared brighter, and the air in the chamber grew heavier. A voice echoed in his mind, deep and ancient:

"Seeker, you have found what was lost. Prove yourself worthy, and the truth shall be revealed."

"What was that?" Kaelena asked, her grip tightening on her blade.

"I think…" Eren swallowed hard. "I think it's talking to me."

The ground beneath them trembled, and a circular platform rose from the floor, stopping just before the obelisk. In its center lay a single artifact—a black, crystalline shard that pulsed with the same crimson light as the runes.

[System Alert: Artifact Identified – Shard of Eternity. Warning: Interaction may have irreversible consequences.]

Eren stared at the shard, his mind racing. The whispers grew louder, urging him to take it.

"Don't do it," Kaelena warned. "Whatever that thing is, it's not worth the risk."

But Eren's hand was already reaching for the shard, his heart pounding in his chest. As his fingers closed around it, a surge of power unlike anything he'd ever felt coursed through his body.

The chamber around them blurred, and for a brief moment, he saw flashes of a world beyond his understanding—a world where gods and monsters clashed, where civilizations rose and fell, and where a single question loomed above all else:

Why were you chosen?

When the vision faded, he was back in the chamber, the shard glowing faintly in his hand. Kaelena's expression was a mix of fear and anger.

"What did you do?" she demanded.

Eren looked at her, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know."

The obelisk's runes dimmed, and the platform began to sink back into the ground. The chamber seemed to exhale, its oppressive energy fading into nothingness.

"We need to get out of here," Kaelena said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Eren nodded, clutching the shard tightly as they made their way back through the labyrinth. Whatever he had unleashed, he knew one thing for certain: this was only the beginning.