Chapter 21: Echoes of the Forgotten

The ruins stretched before them, a maze of broken stone and overgrown vines. The battle against the Shades had left them weary, but they had no time to rest. The air was thick with the remnants of dark energy, as if something ancient had been disturbed.

Eliam sheathed his sword, his breathing still heavy. "We keep moving," he said, his voice firm. "Whoever sent those things isn't done with us."

Seraphine's eyes flickered in the dim light, the markings on her arm still pulsing faintly. She could feel it the Hollow One's presence lingering, its whispers curling in the back of her mind. Go deeper. Seek the truth.

Valen was already scouting ahead, his form blending into the shadows. "This place isn't just some ruin," he muttered. "There's something here. Something old."

Seraphine ran her fingers along the nearest stone wall. Beneath the moss and decay, she felt carvings runes unlike any she had ever seen. As her fingertips brushed against them, a sudden jolt of energy shot through her arm, causing the markings on her skin to pulse violently.

She gasped and staggered back.

Eliam caught her before she could fall. "Seraphine? What is it?"

She gritted her teeth, her vision blurring for a moment as whispers filled her mind echoes of voices long dead. They spoke in a language she didn't understand, but the weight of their meaning pressed down on her like a tidal wave.

"This place," she murmured, her voice distant. "It remembers."

Valen cursed under his breath. "That doesn't sound good."

Eliam narrowed his eyes at the runes. "What are they saying?"

Seraphine exhaled slowly, steadying herself. "I don't know. But something… something was sealed here."

At those words, a low rumble shook the ground beneath them. Dust fell from the crumbling stone, and a gust of cold air swept through the ruins, carrying with it the scent of decay.

Valen instantly drew his daggers. "We need to move. Now."

But before they could take a step, the earth split open.

A deep, guttural growl echoed through the chamber as something crawled forth from the darkness below.

Eliam immediately unsheathed his sword, stepping in front of Seraphine. "What is that?"

A pair of glowing, violet eyes stared back at them from the fissure.

Then came the sound of claws scraping against stone.

And finally a voice.

"You should not have come."

The creature that emerged was unlike anything they had encountered before. It was humanoid, but its limbs were elongated, its fingers ending in razor-sharp talons. Its skin was dark as shadow, shifting and writhing like living smoke. The runes on the walls pulsed in response to its presence, as if recognizing it.

Seraphine could feel its power. Ancient. Boundless.

Valen was already moving, his daggers flashing in the dim light as he lunged at the creature. But before he could strike, it moved.

Faster than a blink.

It caught Valen mid-air, gripping his throat and slamming him into the wall. He let out a strangled gasp, his weapons clattering to the floor.

Eliam reacted instantly. His sword ignited with radiant energy as he swung at the creature's arm, forcing it to release Valen. The moment its grip loosened, Valen twisted away, landing in a crouch with a pained grimace.

The creature tilted its head, studying them. Then its gaze settled on Seraphine.

"You bear the mark," it said, its voice deep and layered, as if multiple beings were speaking at once. "You are bound to the Hollow One."

Seraphine felt the energy inside her surge, as if responding to the creature's words. She clenched her fists. "Who are you?"

The creature took a slow step forward. "I am the Forgotten. The last guardian of this place."

Eliam held his sword steady. "Guardian of what?"

The creature's eyes gleamed. "The truth."

The ground trembled again, and suddenly the walls of the ruins began to shift. The runes glowed brighter, illuminating an enormous stone doorway that had been hidden beneath centuries of decay. It was covered in the same markings as Seraphine's arm.

Seraphine's breath caught.

This is what the Hollow One wanted me to find.

The creature raised a clawed hand. "You seek answers." Its gaze bore into Seraphine. "But some truths cannot be undone."

Eliam moved closer to her, his voice low. "Seraphine, we don't know what's behind that door."

She swallowed hard. "I know."

Valen rubbed his throat, his voice hoarse. "But we don't exactly have a choice, do we?"

Seraphine hesitated only for a moment before stepping forward. The markings on her arm pulsed in sync with the runes on the door, and as she reached out to touch the stone, the creature did not stop her.

Instead, it spoke one final warning.

"If you open this door, your fate will be sealed."

Seraphine's fingers brushed against the stone.

A blinding light erupted from the doorway

And the world went dark.