45.- The hall of Echoes

The air on the third floor was dense and oppressive, as if an invisible force were compressing it, making each breath feel labored under an intangible weight. The walls, draped in black moss that seemed to swallow the light, were etched with ancient symbols that glowed with a faint greenish shimmer, flickering like invisible eyes watching the intruders with silent malice. The stench of dampness and ancient stone permeated the atmosphere, mingled with a metallic undertone that recalled dried blood, while a sepulchral silence—broken only by the hollow echo of their own footsteps—heightened the sensation of being watched. The group of adventurers advanced cautiously through the gallery, flanked by rows of statues depicting warriors from forgotten eras, their stone armor weathered by time and their rusted weapons held in eternal guard. Between the statues, niches in the walls held objects that radiated magical energy: a silver-bladed sword inscribed with green runes, a black bow with strings that seemed made of liquid shadow, and a small orb glowing with spectral white light. They had survived the first two floors, but the echo of the shadow leviathan's visions still reverberated in their minds, and they knew the worst was yet to come.

Eliana, the mage in a blue robe, extended a hand forward, murmuring a detection spell. A soft light emanated from her fingers, illuminating the runes on the walls, their pulsing energy seeming to respond to her magic with a low, ominous hum. "This isn't normal," she said quietly, more to herself than to the others, her face tense as she tried to decipher the vibrations. "The energy here… it's different. It's like we're being watched—not just by the dungeon, but by something… someone."

Thalric, the warrior in silver armor, nodded gravely, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword with a force that betrayed the tension building within him. "Keep your positions," he said, his voice steady but edged with caution. "If this dungeon is being controlled, then we're walking straight into an ambush."

Anya, the agile thief, slid her daggers between her fingers with practiced ease, her sharp eyes scanning the floor for traps as she moved with the grace of a predator. "I don't see anything obvious, but that doesn't mean there's no danger," she said, pausing as her gaze caught the glow of the objects in the niches. "Those treasures… do you see them? They could be useful, but they might also be a trap."

The five adventurers exchanged tense glances. Kael, the young scout, clutched his bow with trembling hands, his face pale as the visions from the second floor—his mother's bloodied face, her screams—flashed through his mind, causing his breath to hitch. Mael, the veteran tracker, watched the statues with suspicion, but his attention shifted to the treasures, his eyes gleaming with greed as he assessed the silver sword and the bow of shadows. "Those objects… they've gotta be worth a fortune," he muttered, his voice thick with ambition. "And look at that sword—the runes are glowing. It could give us an edge."

"This… this is too much," Kael said, his voice shaky as he took a step back, his eyes darting to the shadows. "We should turn back and report to the guild. We're not prepared for this."

Mael shot him a look of contempt, his scarred face twisting into a sneer. "Coward. You gonna let fear control you?" he snapped, pointing at the treasures in the niches. "Look at that! We're on the verge of discovering something huge! Think of the rewards, the fame! Those weapons could make us unstoppable! We can't turn back now!"

"But… what if it's a trap?" Kael insisted, his voice breaking as his hands shook around his bow. "We could die here! Those visions… I can't get them out of my head."

"There's always risks, kid," Mael replied with a cruel smile, stepping closer to Kael and gripping his shoulder with a force that made the younger man wince. "But the greatest rewards come with the greatest risks. You gonna let fear stop you from achieving glory? That sword could make you a hero."

Thalric stepped in before the argument could escalate further, his commanding presence silencing them as he raised a hand. "Enough. We can't waste time arguing," he said, his tone authoritative as he eyed Mael with caution. "Those treasures might be useful, but they could also be cursed. Eliana, can you sense anything?"

Eliana approached the niche holding the sword, her hand trembling as she extended her magic toward it. A low hum emanated from the weapon, and a haunting whisper slithered through her mind—a voice telling her she had failed, that she would always fail. "It's imbued with powerful magic," she said, stepping back as she shook her head to clear the echo. "The sword projects whispers that disorient enemies, but it can affect the wielder's mind. That bow… it fires shadow arrows that immobilize, but it drains the user's energy. And the orb… it lets you see through illusions, but it exposes the user to their own fears. They're valuable weapons, but dangerous."

"Valuable," Mael repeated, his eyes gleaming as he stepped closer to the sword, ignoring Eliana's warning. "This is exactly what we need! With these weapons, we can overcome anything this dungeon throws at us."

"We don't know what price we'll pay for using them," Thalric said, his voice low as he looked at Mael with a mix of distrust and pragmatism. "But… we might need them to survive. Take the weapons, but use them carefully. Mael, lead the way. Kael, keep your senses sharp. We need your keen eyes to spot any danger."

Kael nodded, though the knot in his stomach tightened, the weight of his fear pressing down on his chest like a stone. Mael, with a satisfied smirk, grabbed the Sword of Whispering Echoes, feeling a surge of power in his hands as the whispers began to seep into his mind. Anya took the Bow of Eternal Shadows, her expression tense as she noticed how the string seemed to absorb the light around it, and Thalric picked up the Orb of Spectral Vision, its white glow casting a cold light across his armor. With meticulous care, they navigated past the statues, their stone eyes seeming to bore into their backs as they moved forward. The air grew colder with each step, the silence heavier, until they reached the end of the corridor.

There, a massive dark wooden door blocked their path, its surface adorned with grotesque carvings of twisted creatures—beasts with too many limbs, faces with hollow eyes that seemed to scream in silent agony. The wood itself looked ancient, its grain blackened as if scorched by an unseen flame.

"This must be the way out," Thalric said, approaching the door cautiously, his sword ready as he scanned for traps, the orb in his hand casting a glow that revealed hidden runes on the wood. "But stay alert—it could be another trap."

Before Thalric could touch the door, the ground beneath their feet trembled violently, a deep, resonant hum vibrating through the chamber. The statues lining the gallery shuddered, faint cracks in their stone surfaces emitting a soft creak, as if something within them stirred. The whispers emanating from Mael's sword intensified, and Anya's bow began to vibrate, its shadow strings humming with a tone that raised the hairs on their arms. The orb in Thalric's hand glowed brighter, projecting fleeting visions of his brother that made his breath catch. A chorus of whispers filled the air, low and unintelligible, weaving through the shadows like a haunting lament. And then, with a groan that echoed like a dying beast, the door burst open, revealing a nightmare made manifest.

It wasn't a physical creature, but a specter born of the dungeon's ancient magic—a guardian of echoes, its form a shimmering mass of shadow and light that seemed to flicker in and out of existence. The entity took the shape of a warrior clad in spectral armor, its face a hollow mask of anguish, its eyes glowing with a sickly green light that pierced the darkness. Tendrils of shadowy energy writhed around it, each tipped with a rune that pulsed with the same verdant glow as the symbols on the walls. The guardian's presence filled the chamber with a suffocating dread, its voice a cacophony of overlapping whispers that clawed at their minds: You… will… fall…

"A specter!" Eliana exclaimed, her voice a mix of awe and fear as she raised her hands, a faint glow of magic gathering at her fingertips. "It's a guardian of echoes—animated by the memories of the warriors entombed here. It'll attack our minds more than our bodies… be ready! And those treasures… I think they're amplifying its power."

"What do we do now?" Mael asked, his usual bravado faltering as he drew his dagger, his eyes wide as the specter's whispers burrowed into his thoughts, dragging up memories of fallen comrades he thought he'd buried long ago. The sword in his hand vibrated, its whispers growing louder, an echo of his own voice whispering that he had failed his companions. "We can't fight something like this!"

"We have to try!" Thalric replied, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands as he raised his shield, the specter's glow reflecting off his armor. The orb in his hand projected visions of his brother, accusing him of betrayal, but it also illuminated the runes on the specter, revealing its core. "If we give up now, we'll die here!"

Kael, gripped by terror, stumbled back, his bow slipping from his grasp as the whispers dragged him into a vision of his childhood village burning, his mother's screams echoing as he stood frozen, unable to save her. "No! This is madness!" he cried, falling to his knees as tears streamed down his face. "We should turn back! Report to the guild! We can't handle this!"

Mael grabbed his arm with a force that jolted him out of the vision, his grip bruising as he yanked Kael to his feet. "Are you insane? We're not turning back now!" he snapped, his face contorted with a mix of frustration and desperation as his own vision—a battlefield strewn with the bodies of his comrades—flashed through his mind. "Look at what we've got! These weapons will make us heroes! Think of the glory!"

"It's a specter!" Kael sobbed, his voice breaking as he tried to pull free, his body trembling. "We can't fight memories!"

Eliana, who had been studying the specter with a focus born of desperation, spoke up, her voice cutting through the chaos despite the strain in her tone. "It's not invincible. There's a core—an anchor tying it to this plane. Look for a rune or symbol that glows brighter than the others. If we destroy it, the specter will dissipate!"

The specter advanced, its shadowy tendrils lashing out as the whispers grew louder, each one dragging the adventurers deeper into their worst memories, amplified by the treasures they carried. Thalric saw his brother again, but this time the vision shifted—his brother's accusing gaze turned to one of betrayal, whispering that Thalric had always been a failure as a leader, the orb in his hand intensifying the images. Eliana saw her mentors, but now they blamed her for the academy's fall, their voices accusing her of weakness as the sword's whispers echoed in her mind. Anya relived a moment from her past—a betrayal by someone she trusted, the sting of a dagger in her back—and the bow of shadows in her hands seemed to feed off her fear, draining her energy with each movement. Mael saw his fallen comrades rise, pointing at him with hollow eyes, blaming him for their deaths, the sword's whispers amplifying his guilt.

Thalric gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus as he raised his sword, the weight of his brother's words cutting deeper than any blade. "Focus!" he roared, his voice cracking as he fought to push the vision aside, the orb in his hand helping him see through the illusions. "Find the core!"

Eliana scanned the specter, her hands trembling as she channeled her magic to see through the illusions. There, at the center of its chest, where the shadows were darkest, a single rune glowed with a brilliant green light, pulsing like a heartbeat. "There!" she shouted, pointing as she gathered her energy for a spell. "The core—it's in its chest!"

Anya and Mael moved in tandem, dodging the tendrils as they attacked the specter, their weapons bouncing off its ethereal form but distracting it long enough for Eliana to prepare her spell. Anya fired an arrow with the bow of shadows, the projectile transforming into a shadowy tendril that wrapped around one of the specter's tentacles, immobilizing it momentarily, but she felt a drain in her energy that made her gasp. Mael swung the sword of whispering echoes, each strike accompanied by whispers that disoriented the specter but also amplified his own guilt, making his vision waver. Thalric shielded Kael, who was still on his knees, sobbing as the visions overwhelmed him, his hands clawing at the ground in a desperate attempt to ground himself.

Eliana unleashed her spell, a lance of searing light that streaked through the air and struck the rune dead-on. The specter let out a wail that shook the chamber, its form flickering violently as cracks of light spread from the core. But it wasn't enough—the specter lashed out with renewed fury, its tendrils wrapping around Eliana and lifting her off the ground, the whispers in her mind growing deafening as her mentors' accusations drowned out her thoughts.

"Eliana!" Thalric shouted, rushing forward and slashing at the tendrils with his sword, the blade passing through them and forcing the specter to release her. She fell to the ground, gasping, her hands trembling as she channeled another spell. "Together!" she cried, her voice breaking as she fought through the visions. "We have to hit the core together!"

Mael and Anya attacked in unison, Mael using the sword to distract the specter while Anya fired another arrow with the bow of shadows, the shadowy tendril wrapping around the core and weakening it, though the effort left her dizzy, her energy sapped. Thalric drove his sword into the specter's chest, the combined force of their attacks shattering the core in a burst of light. The specter let out a final, piercing wail, its form dissolving into a cloud of fading shadows that dispersed into the air, leaving behind only a faint echo of its whispers.

The silence that followed was suffocating, broken only by the group's ragged breathing. Kael remained on his knees, his face streaked with tears as he clutched his bow, his body trembling uncontrollably. "I can't… I can't do this anymore," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he looked at Thalric with broken eyes. "Those visions… they won't stop."

Thalric knelt beside him, his armor scratched and dented, his face etched with exhaustion and guilt as he placed a hand on Kael's shoulder. "I know, kid," he said, his voice softer than ever, the weight of his own vision—his brother's betrayal—still heavy in his chest. "But we're still alive. And as long as we are, we keep going."

Anya, her hands trembling as she sheathed her daggers, leaned against a statue, her breath ragged as the memory of her betrayal lingered in her mind, the bow of shadows in her hands still humming with an echo that seemed to feed off her fear. "That thing… it knew exactly what to show us," she said, her voice low and strained. "This dungeon isn't just dangerous—it's cruel."

Mael, wiping sweat from his brow, adjusted the sword of whispering echoes in his hand, the weapon's whispers still echoing in his mind as he tried to push away the images of his fallen comrades. "Whoever's controlling this place… they're toying with us," he said, his voice hoarse as the faces of his dead flashed through his mind. "But I'll be damned if I let them win. With this sword, I can take them on."

Eliana, still on the ground, pushed herself to her feet, her face pale as she brushed the dust off her robe, her mentors' accusations still ringing in her ears. "We can't let it break us," she said, her voice shaky but resolute. "These weapons… they've given us an edge, but at a cost. If we make it to the end, maybe we can find out who's behind this… and make them pay."

The group gathered in the center of the chamber, their bodies battered and their minds frayed, staring at the open door with a mix of dread and determination. They had defeated the guardian of the third floor, and the treasures they'd taken gave them a reason to press on—despite the toll they were already beginning to feel. But the dungeon still held many dangers, and they knew the worst was yet to come.

In the Main Chamber

Aurora watched the scene through the crimson orb, seated upright with a majesty that filled the chamber with an imposing presence. Her tall, elegant figure stood as a symbol of power, her vibrant green hair cascading to her waist in waves that caught the orb's light in emerald glints. The silver markings on her skin—delicate lines that glowed with an ethereal shimmer—accentuated the curves of her body beneath the dress of leaves and blue flowers, and her small, translucent wings quivered faintly, reflecting the light like trapped constellations. Her amber eyes, deep and swirling with galaxies, gleamed with calculated pleasure as she followed every movement of the adventurers in the hologram, her smile laced with disdain. "They're breaking," she said, her melodic voice resonating like a song, her tone dripping with contempt as she watched the adventurers struggle. "Their minds are so fragile… and those little toys they took are only dragging them deeper."

Sebastián, seated behind her on the spongy floor, observed the hologram with a calm expression, his hands resting gently on Aurora's shoulders as he began to give her a light massage, a chivalrous gesture that reflected his desire to care for her. His green tunic, stained with dirt and moss from his garden work, contrasted with Aurora's majesty, but his warm gaze was filled with deep affection, a love that had grown over a century of waiting. As his fingers worked her shoulders, massaging her with care, he couldn't help but admire her upright figure, the way her presence filled the chamber with an authority that captivated him. The warmth of her body beneath his hands, the sweet scent of the flowers on her dress, and the exposed curve of her neck as she spoke to Kaili sent a shiver down his spine, his pulse quickening as he tried to keep his composure.

Kaili stood nearby, her iridescent wings folded with a whisper that stirred the air, her runes pulsing with a golden glow as a cruel smile played on her lips. "Well done, my little pawns," she murmured, her voice laced with mockery as she adjusted the hologram. "Those toys they took… a gift from me. They're preparing them perfectly for you, my queen. Soon, you'll give them a lesson they'll never forget."

Aurora tilted her head toward Kaili, her smile widening as she spoke, her voice a melody that resonated with power. "They'll last," she said, her tone carrying an unshakable confidence as her amber eyes shimmered with anticipation. "I want them to reach me… so I can show them what it means to defy a queen."

Sebastián, still massaging her shoulders, felt the warmth within him intensify, Aurora's proximity and overwhelming beauty becoming too much to resist. The heat of her body, the scent of her dress, the way her green hair shimmered under the orb's light, and the elegant curve of her neck as she spoke stirred a longing in him that he couldn't suppress. Without thinking, he leaned forward, his lips brushing softly against the curve of her neck in a tentative kiss, his warm breath grazing her skin as he whispered with a nervous chuckle, "I read in a book that… this helps relieve stress." His voice trembled slightly, a mix of desire and shyness in his tone as he tried to justify his boldness, his face flushing as he realized what he'd done.

Aurora froze for a moment, a blush rising to her cheeks as her amber eyes widened in surprise, her majesty giving way to a shyness that made her lower her gaze, her translucent wings quivering slightly as her voice turned soft and hesitant. "Sebastián… not now," she whispered, her tone laced with a mix of embarrassment and tenderness as her hands rose to cover her face, the vulnerable gesture making her seem smaller despite her imposing figure, her blush accentuating her beauty in a way that left him breathless.

Kaili laughed, a sharp, melodic sound that cut through the air, her dark eyes glinting with amusement as she leaned toward them, her wing brushing Sebastián's arm with a deliberate tease that sent a shiver through him. "We're immortal, you idiot," she growled, her tone dripping with mockery as her cruel smile widened. "What kind of stupid book are you reading, gardener? Although… it looks like my queen enjoys your clumsiness, doesn't it?" Her laughter echoed through the chamber, her wings unfurling with a snap as her eyes gleamed with mischief, her comment tinged with a provocation that deepened Aurora's blush.

Aurora, still flushed and covering her face, slowly lowered her gaze to the hologram, her voice barely a whisper as she tried to regain her composure. "Focus, Sebastián," she murmured, her tone soft but with a hint of reproach that couldn't hide the tenderness in her voice, her fingers slipping down to take his hand in a shy gesture that melted his heart.

Sebastián let out a nervous laugh as he scratched the back of his neck, his face still red as he resumed massaging her shoulders with more care. "Yeah, sorry… I got distracted," he mumbled, his voice low as his gaze flicked to the hologram, a fond smile curving his lips as his hands worked with sincere affection, his love for Aurora evident in every motion.

Kaili laughed again, her wings curving with a whisper as she straightened, her dark eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Let them keep going, my queen," she said, her tone heavy with satisfaction. "The fourth floor will be their end… and your triumph."