Chains of the Abyss

The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly, its walls narrowing as Liam, Mara, and Elise pressed forward, the faint glow of the Aether Shard in Liam's pack casting a soft light on the slick stone. The air grew heavier, the scent of decay replaced by something sharper—something metallic, like rust and old blood. Liam's Enhanced Perception picked up a faint hum vibrating through the stone, a warning of what lay ahead. The Architect's words from the last trial echoed in his mind: "Sacrifice was demanded, but not given." His Echo Sync sat at 72%, the system's warning—"Resonance Stabilized… for now"—a quiet unease he couldn't shake.