Chapter 6: The Awakening
Kaito gripped the key tightly in his hand, his breath shallow and quick. The walls of the chamber seemed to pulse around him, as though the very island was alive, aware of their intrusion. He turned to Haru and Yuki, their faces pale in the dim light.
"We need to leave, now," Kaito urged, his voice sharp. But before they could move, the ground trembled again, louder this time, as though the entire island was waking up. The faint voice echoed through the chamber once more. You shouldn't have come...
The key in Kaito's hand began to vibrate, and the stone altar rumbled once again. The chamber began to shift, stone walls sliding open with a deafening screech, revealing a vast underground hall. At the end of the hall stood an enormous, shadowy figure, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
"This... this is it," Yuki whispered in horror. "The island's curse... it's real."
Kaito felt a cold wave of dread wash over him. He stepped forward, drawn toward the figure. The whispers grew louder in his mind, urging him to turn back, but he couldn't.
The figure spoke in a voice that was both distant and close, You have unlocked the prison. Now, you are the guardians.
Suddenly, the key in Kaito's hand flared with bright light, blinding them all. The figure's form dissolved into mist, and the whispers stopped.
When the light faded, the island was silent. The chamber was gone. They stood on the shore once more, the train tracks in the distance.
Everything was back to normal—or so it seemed. But in their minds, they knew: they weren't the same.
The island was watching, waiting. And so were they.
End of Chapter 6.
To be continued-