The tablet in the Chamber of Echoes provided a clue—a ritual to strengthen the seal on Skully's rune. But it wasn't going to be easy. The ritual required rare ingredients and a location where the energies of light and darkness converged.
"The Sanctum of Balance," I said, studying the tablet. "It's the only place powerful enough to perform the ritual."
Skully's rune flickered faintly. "The Sanctum? Isn't that where we fought the Eclipse Dragon?"
I nodded, my heart sinking. "Yeah. And it's not going to be any easier this time."
The journey to the Sanctum was tense, the air thick with unspoken worries. Skully was quieter than usual, his rune flickering unpredictably. I could tell the voice in his head was getting louder, and it was taking everything he had to keep it at bay.
"Skully, are you sure you're okay?" I asked as we approached the Sanctum.
He hesitated, his eye sockets narrowing. "I'm fine, Master. Just… focused. We've got a job to do."
I wanted to press further, but the Sanctum loomed before us, its ancient runes glowing faintly in the dim light. The air was thick with energy, the boundary between light and darkness palpable.
"This is it," I said, my voice trembling. "We need to perform the ritual here."
Skully nodded, his rune pulsing with determination. "Let's do this, Master. Together."
We began the ritual, placing the rare ingredients at specific points around the Sanctum. The air grew warmer, the runes on the ground glowing brighter as we chanted the incantation.
But as the ritual reached its peak, something went wrong. Skully's rune began to pulse violently, its light shifting from gold to a deep, ominous red. He let out a cry of pain, his form flickering as the entity fought against the ritual.
"Skully, what's happening?!" I shouted, my voice barely audible over the roaring energy.
"It's… resisting!" Skully replied, his voice strained. "It's trying to take over!"
I clenched my fists, my mind racing. We needed something more—something to tip the balance in our favor. Then it hit me.
"Skully, the Prism!" I shouted. "We still have some of its energy left!"
Skully's eye sockets widened. "You're a genius, Master!"
I pulled out the remnants of the Prism of Harmony, its fiery energy pulsing in my hand. I placed it on Skully's rune, the golden light merging with the fiery energy.
"Let's finish this!" Skully shouted, his voice echoing with power.
We unleashed our combined energy once more, the golden and fiery light colliding with the entity's dark power. This time, the entity couldn't withstand the force. It let out a deafening roar, its form dissolving into light.
The ritual was complete.