The Broken Cycle
Ryn barely had time to react before the ground gave way beneath him. The stone floor shattered, cascading into darkness, and he plunged into the abyss below. The hooded figure and the stranger weren't far behind, their forms disappearing into the void.
A sharp pull from within Ryn's core disrupted the freefall. The abyss inside him stirred, responding to the ancient prison's broken seal. It was as if something recognized him, yet he did not know why.
The fall ended abruptly. Ryn landed in a vast cavern, the air thick with an oppressive aura. Bioluminescent engravings lined the walls, pulsing in rhythm with an unseen force. The cavern wasn't natural—this was another layer of the prison.
A groan from his left. The hooded figure pushed himself up, shaking off dust and debris. "We're deeper than we should be. This… this wasn't just an engraving station."
The stranger chuckled, though there was little humor in it. "You're just now realizing that?" He examined the glowing inscriptions. "This place is older than anything above. And if the Keepers went through the trouble of sealing it, that means something dangerous is buried here."
Ryn barely listened. The abyss within him reacted, threads of dark energy intertwining with the engravings on the walls. He felt something pulling at his mind, a whisper growing louder.
_You are not the first._
The words sent a chill through his spine. He turned sharply, but the voice had no physical source.
The hooded figure stepped closer to one of the massive engravings, tracing a symbol with his gloved fingers. "This isn't a seal anymore. It's a warning. The prison isn't intact. Something has already begun to break free."
Ryn swallowed hard. The abyss within him pulsed, acknowledging the truth.
Whatever had been locked away here…
Was waking up.
The cavern trembled as the ancient engravings pulsed with renewed energy. A sense of anticipation filled the air, heavy with the weight of forgotten power. Ryn clenched his fists, feeling the abyss inside him stir in recognition of the force trying to break free.
The hooded figure exhaled sharply. "We shouldn't be here. Whatever was locked away, the Keepers went through great lengths to ensure it remained sealed."
The stranger, however, seemed unfazed. He traced a finger along the glowing symbols. "And yet, here we are. Fate has a way of leading people to places they aren't meant to be."
Ryn barely heard them. His mind was consumed by the voice that had spoken before.
_You are not the first._
The words echoed again, but this time they were closer.
The engravings flickered, their light distorting into shadowy tendrils that slithered along the stone walls. Then, a sound—a deep, resonating thrum—reverberated through the chamber. It was neither mechanical nor natural, but something in between, something alive.
A section of the cavern wall split apart, revealing a vast chasm beyond. From within the darkness, a presence began to stir.
The hooded figure took a step back. "Kid, whatever you do, do not engage. We don't know what we're dealing with."
But it was already too late. The abyss within Ryn responded, reaching toward the emerging entity. He felt it—an inscription older than time itself, one that predated the Keepers, the engravings, and perhaps even the world above.
A monstrous, shifting form slithered from the shadows. Its body was inscribed with runes that twisted and reformed with every movement. It had no eyes, no defined shape—only a presence that exuded ancient hunger.
The stranger let out a low whistle. "Well, this just got interesting."
The entity spoke, its voice resonating in the marrow of their bones.
_The cycle is broken. The seal is undone. Who dares awaken me?_
The cavern shuddered as the entity's words reverberated through the darkness. Ryn felt an unnatural weight pressing upon his mind, as if the voice alone sought to carve its will into his very being. His breath came in ragged gasps, but deep within, the abyss inside him did not shrink—it stirred.
The hooded figure acted first. With a swift motion, he pressed his palm against one of the glowing engravings, forcing a surge of his own power into the inscriptions. The symbols flared to life, resisting the encroaching presence. "We need to go!" he shouted.
The stranger, however, did not move. Instead, his gaze was locked onto the entity, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "No… this isn't just some sealed horror," he murmured. "This thing remembers."
Ryn barely heard him. The abyss within him reacted violently, surging forward to meet the ancient presence. Recognition. Not as a foe, nor as prey—but something akin. It was as if two fractured pieces of a puzzle had come into proximity for the first time in an eternity.
The entity shifted. Its runes pulsed, the inscriptions twisting, breaking apart, and reforming in new patterns—patterns that Ryn instinctively understood. It was communicating.
_The seal has faded. You walk the path once lost. The cycle is undone._
The cavern trembled again, the ancient symbols resisting the unraveling force of the entity's awakening. The hooded figure gritted his teeth, straining to maintain the integrity of the protective engravings.
"We don't have time for this! If that thing fully manifests—"
The stranger cut him off. "And what if this is an opportunity? If it sees Ryn as something other than an enemy, we might learn what was truly sealed away here."
Ryn was barely listening. His body moved on instinct, stepping forward as the abyss inside him surged, resonating with the ancient force before him. The symbols on his arms shifted, mirroring the runes on the entity's body. A link was forming—something deeper than understanding, beyond mere recognition.
And then, the entity spoke again, its voice layered with countless voices.
_You bear the mark of the forgotten. Do you seek to claim your place in the cycle, or to shatter it?_
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Thank you to Red_Forever for being the first to support this novel with Power Stones.
To celebrate this event there will be an additional chapter today and there will be an additional chapter starting next week on the same day as getting the first support.
Thanks to everyone who has read my novel so far.
Enjoy.