Chapter 15: Keeper of the Flame

**Chapter 15: Keeper of the Flame**

Jack's heart pounded as he stepped forward, the glow of the **Heart of Eldrin** casting flickering light across the chamber's ancient walls. Shadow padded beside him, his golden eyes scanning their surroundings with quiet intensity. The weight of what had just happened settled over Jack like a heavy cloak. He wasn't just a traveler anymore. He wasn't just searching for answers.

He was a Keeper.

The spectral figure remained standing near the pulsing crystal, its form wavering like mist caught in an unseen wind. "You have accepted the call," it intoned, voice hollow yet resonant. "Now you must take the next step."

Jack tightened his grip on the **Emberfang Crowbar**, its flames now subdued, yet ever-present. "And what exactly is that?"

The figure gestured toward the tunnel beyond the chamber. "Beyond lies the true test of a Keeper. The **Forge of Eldrin** must be reignited."

Jack frowned. "The Forge?"

The figure nodded. "The heart gives knowledge, but the forge gives power. The flames have been dormant for centuries. If Eldrin is to rise again, they must burn anew."

Shadow let out a soft growl, his tail flicking. Jack exchanged a glance with him, then exhaled, squaring his shoulders. "Alright. Lead the way."

The tunnel stretched ahead, narrow and winding, its walls lined with more of the pulsating runes Jack had come to associate with this place. The air grew hotter with every step, the scent of ash and something metallic thickening around them.

After what felt like an eternity, the passage opened into a vast cavern. Jack sucked in a sharp breath.

Before him lay a massive forge, its structure carved directly from the stone of the mountain. It was unlike anything he had ever seen—an intricate network of gears and pipes, now rusted with age, surrounding a central pit where molten metal once flowed like a river of fire. Above it, embedded in the ceiling, was a massive stone disc covered in ancient sigils.

But the forge was dark. Cold. Silent.

Jack stepped forward, his boots scraping against the stone. The heat that should have been present in such a place was gone, replaced by an unsettling stillness.

Shadow sniffed the ground, his ears twitching. Then, suddenly, he let out a snarl.

Jack tensed. "What is it?"

A shadow moved.

No—not just one.

Several.

Figures emerged from the darkness, their shapes flickering like dying embers. They were humanoid but wrong, their bodies twisting unnaturally. Their eyes glowed a deep, burning orange, and the air crackled with the force of their presence.

The forge was not unguarded.

Jack's fingers tightened around his weapon. **Of course there was a fight.**

The first creature lunged, its form shifting like smoke. Jack swung the **Emberfang Crowbar**, flames roaring to life as it connected. The creature shrieked, its body dispersing like ash in the wind.

But the others didn't falter.

One moved toward Shadow. The wolf-dog met it head-on, his teeth flashing as he tore into the shifting form. Another came from Jack's right, and he barely had time to spin and block the strike with his crowbar. The impact sent a jolt through his arm, but he held his ground.

Jack gritted his teeth. **I can't just fight them—I have to reignite the forge.**

Dodging another attack, he scanned the chamber, his mind racing. The stone disc above—**that had to be the ignition mechanism.** But how did he activate it?

Then he saw it.

A pedestal, positioned near the forge's center, its surface covered in dormant runes.

Jack cursed under his breath. **Of course.**

He ducked another strike, then slammed his crowbar into the ground, releasing a wave of fire that pushed the creatures back. "Shadow! Keep them busy!"

Shadow barked in response, leaping between the monsters and Jack as he sprinted toward the pedestal.

Reaching it, he placed both hands on the stone, willing whatever energy was left in the **Key of Eldrin** to respond.

The chamber trembled.

The runes flared to life, burning bright against the stone. Jack felt the power surge through him, connecting him to something ancient. The disc above began to turn, the gears grinding against centuries of stillness.

The forge rumbled.

The creatures screamed as the air ignited. Fire erupted from the pit, consuming the darkness. The heat rushed outward, forcing Jack to step back, shielding his face as the flames roared to life.

When he looked again, the creatures were gone.

The forge burned once more.

Jack took a shuddering breath, his heart racing. Shadow stood beside him, panting but unharmed. The spectral figure reappeared, watching in silent approval.

"You have rekindled the flames," it said. "The Forge of Eldrin breathes again."

Jack exhaled. "And now?"

The figure's eyes burned brighter. "Now, Keeper, your true journey begins."

Jack looked at the roaring fire, then down at his hands, which still tingled with the forge's energy.

He had come seeking answers. What he found was destiny.

**To be continued...**