Chapter 18: Shadows of the Forgotten

The air inside the ruin remained heavy with residual energy from the entity's presence. Elliot's mind raced as he and Seris pressed forward, leaving the shattered altar behind. Each step echoed in the silence, the whispers from his shard growing fainter but never truly vanishing.

Seris moved ahead, her dagger still drawn, her eyes scanning every shadow for movement. "That thing was different from anything we've faced before."

Elliot nodded, gripping the shard in his palm. "It knew me. It called me Keybearer, but it spoke like it understood more than I do."

Seris glanced over her shoulder. "We need to figure out why. And fast."

They continued through the ancient structure, the walls now marked with deep gashes—signs of past battles. Strange symbols lined the stone, glowing faintly as they passed. Elliot paused, running his fingers over the markings.

"These symbols… they weren't glowing before."

Seris halted beside him, tracing one with her own fingers. "They're responding to something. Maybe to you."

Before Elliot could respond, the ground trembled beneath them. Dust rained from above, and a deep, guttural growl rumbled through the corridor.

Seris immediately took a defensive stance, her body coiled like a spring. "We're not alone."

Elliot stepped back as shadows began to stretch unnaturally along the walls. A chill crept up his spine as figures emerged from the darkness—wraith-like creatures with hollow eyes and elongated limbs, their forms shifting like liquid.

Seris wasted no time. She lunged forward, her dagger slicing through the nearest wraith. The blade met resistance, but the creature shrieked, dissipating into wisps of black mist.

Elliot gritted his teeth and raised his shard. The golden energy pulsed, forming into a blade-like extension around his hand. He swung at the nearest entity, his strike cutting through the swirling mass, causing it to wail and recoil.

"They're weak to the shards!" Elliot called out.

Seris smirked, dodging another attack before driving her dagger into the next creature's chest. "Good. Then let's end this fast."

The wraiths moved in a coordinated assault, their numbers growing with each moment. Elliot and Seris fought back, their movements synchronized—a deadly dance against the creatures of the dark.

Elliot ducked beneath a swipe, pivoted, and slashed upward with his shard-infused blade. The wraith screeched, its form flickering before vanishing. Another lunged at him from behind, but before it could land its attack, Seris drove her blade into its head, sending it crumbling to nothing.

"Stay sharp!" she warned, breathing heavily.

Elliot nodded, his heart hammering. Just as he thought they were gaining the upper hand, a deafening roar shook the ruin. The remaining wraiths suddenly retreated, melting into the darkness as if summoned away.

Then, the temperature dropped. A presence, overwhelming and suffocating, filled the chamber.

Seris tensed. "Something worse is coming."

From the far end of the corridor, a hulking figure emerged—its body wrapped in broken chains, its eyes burning with an unnatural, ghostly light. Unlike the wraiths, this entity was fully formed, its armor twisted and decayed, as if it had been trapped for centuries.

Elliot's breath caught in his throat. This was no ordinary guardian.

Seris raised her dagger. "A Warden."

The Warden lifted a massive, rusted greatsword and pointed it at them. Its voice echoed like a chorus of lost souls. "You trespass upon the sanctum of the forgotten. Leave now, or be judged."

Elliot gritted his teeth. "We can't leave without the shard."

The Warden stepped forward, the weight of its presence alone making the ground tremble. "Then you will face the fate of all who defied the past."

Without warning, it charged.

Elliot barely had time to react as the Warden's greatsword came down. He rolled to the side, the impact shattering the stone where he had stood moments before. Seris moved like lightning, dashing forward and striking at the gaps in its armor. Her dagger met resistance, but the Warden barely flinched.

Elliot knew they needed more than just speed. The shards had reacted before—maybe they could again.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the energy within the fragment. It pulsed, then flared to life, wrapping his arm in golden light. He could feel it now—a connection, an understanding. This shard had belonged to someone once… a warrior. A leader.

The knowledge surged into him, and instinct took over.

When he opened his eyes, the golden energy had formed a shield around his arm.

The Warden swung again. This time, Elliot raised his arm and met the blow head-on. The golden barrier absorbed the impact, sending a shockwave through the chamber. Seris took the opening, vaulting onto the Warden's back and driving her dagger into the exposed area beneath its helmet.

The Warden roared in agony, its form flickering between solid and spectral. Elliot seized the moment. He lunged forward, his shard-infused blade piercing through its chest.

A deep, guttural sound escaped the Warden, and then—

It shattered into a burst of ethereal light.

Silence followed, the weight of battle still thick in the air. Elliot stumbled back, his breath ragged.

Seris landed beside him, gripping her dagger tightly. "That was too close."

Elliot nodded, staring at the spot where the Warden had stood. He could still feel the energy lingering, as if its presence had never truly left. Then, something glowed within the remains. A new shard.

Seris bent down, picking it up carefully. "This one's different."

Elliot reached out, and the moment his fingers brushed against it, a vision flashed through his mind—memories of a warrior, a battle long lost, and a choice that had sealed his fate.

He gasped, pulling away. "This shard… belonged to him."

Seris frowned. "Then he wasn't just a guardian. He was a prisoner."

Elliot clenched his fist. "We need to understand why. And who imprisoned him."

Seris nodded, slipping the shard into Elliot's satchel. "One step at a time."

As they moved forward, the whispers from the shards began again.

And this time, they carried the echoes of the past.