**Chapter 17 - The Ruins of the Forgotten (Part 1)**

**Chapter 17 - The Ruins of the Forgotten (Part 1)**

The tunnel stretched endlessly before them, its walls slick with moisture and the weight of time pressing in from all sides. Ethan led the way, his grip tight on Ash, the tree's roots pulsing faintly as if sensing something ahead. The artifact it had seized still throbbed with energy, an uneasy reminder of what they had left behind.

Brent exhaled sharply. "This place feels like a tomb."

Kayla nodded, her fingers brushing the rough stone as she passed. "It probably is. And if those things from the lake have more friends, we might be walking into something worse."

Ethan remained silent, focusing on the subtle vibrations beneath his feet. The path ahead opened into a vast underground chamber, the remnants of a forgotten civilization sprawled before them. Crumbling buildings, broken pillars, and statues worn down to indistinguishable forms lined the cavernous expanse. A faint glow emanated from deep within the ruins, pulsating like a slow heartbeat.

Ash's roots twitched.

"There's something down there," Ethan muttered. "Something… alive."

Brent scoffed. "Great. Because we haven't had enough ancient horrors for one day."

They descended carefully, weaving between remnants of a world lost to time. The air was heavy with the scent of damp stone and decay, a stark reminder that life had long since abandoned this place. And yet, as they moved deeper, the sensation of being watched grew stronger.

A whisper echoed through the chamber.

Not a voice, not entirely—but a presence. The same warning Ethan had felt in the monolith, only now it was closer. More distinct.

Kayla froze. "Did you hear that?"

Before anyone could answer, the ground trembled. A section of the ruins ahead collapsed, revealing a deep fissure below. From its depths, a shadow moved.

A figure emerged, draped in tattered robes, its face obscured by a cracked mask. The air around it shimmered unnaturally, distorting like heat rising from pavement.

It raised a hand, and the whisper turned into a voice. Hollow. Ageless.

"You trespass where the dead do not rest."

Ethan took a slow step forward, keeping Ash close. "Who are you?"

The figure tilted its head, the mask's fractured surface revealing the glint of something unnatural beneath.

"The last guardian," it said, its voice heavy with something more than time. "And you have awakened what should have stayed buried."

The ruins trembled again, dust cascading from the cavern's ceiling.

Something was coming.

And it wasn't alone.

---

**Chapter 17 - The Ruins of the Forgotten (Part 2)**

The ground beneath their feet shuddered, fissures spreading through the stone as the distant glow intensified. Ethan tightened his grip on Ash, the tree's roots lashing out instinctively. Kayla and Brent stepped back, their weapons raised, though it was clear bullets wouldn't be enough against whatever was waking.

The masked guardian remained motionless. "You must leave. Now."

Ethan's jaw clenched. "Not until you tell us what's happening."

A deep rumble echoed through the chamber, and from the darkness of the fissure, something enormous began to rise. The first thing Ethan saw was its eyes—burning, golden slits set deep into a shifting mass of blackened stone and tendrils. It moved with unsettling grace, as though the weight of its immense form meant nothing in this forgotten abyss.

The guardian turned its masked face toward the creature and lifted a hand, fingers splaying in an intricate pattern. For a brief moment, the air hummed with unseen energy, but before the guardian could act further, the monster lunged.

Chaos erupted.

The guardian was sent hurtling backward, crashing through a crumbling pillar. Ethan barely had time to react before the beast turned its gaze onto them. Ash writhed in his grip, its roots spreading out in a desperate attempt to shield him.

"Move!" Kayla shouted, firing a round that ricocheted harmlessly off the creature's hide.

Brent cursed, pulling a grenade from his belt and tossing it toward the beast's massive form. The explosion sent a shockwave through the ruins, toppling nearby structures, but when the dust cleared, the creature remained.

And it was angry.

The masked guardian pulled itself from the rubble, raising its hands once more. This time, the air itself seemed to fracture, rippling as symbols etched themselves into reality. Ethan felt something shift—a presence pressing against his mind, foreign and overwhelming.

Then the world twisted.

The ruins, the beast, the cavern itself—everything warped, folding inward like the pages of a book being turned. The next thing Ethan knew, they were standing somewhere else entirely.

A place between time and space, where the abyss had no end.

The guardian stood before them, its voice barely a whisper. "If you wish to live… you must listen."