Echoes Of Ancient
The chamber was silent save for the faint, haunting whispers that seemed to seep from the crystalline orb cradled in Alex's trembling hands. The air grew colder, each breath visible as frost clung to the ancient stone walls. Jordan's hand hovered over the hilt of their sword, eyes darting between the artifact and the shadowed corners of the chamber. "We shouldn't be here," they muttered, voice tight with unease.
Lila, ever the scholar, edged closer, her lantern casting flickering light over the orb's etched runes. "This is unprecedented," she breathed. "These markings… they're older than any dialect I've studied. But the patterns—they resemble the *Karathian* scripts from the Third Age."
Alex's fingers tightened around the orb. The whispers crescendoed, not in their ears, but in their *mind*—a cacophony of voices pleading in a language they shouldn't understand. Yet one word surfaced, clear and chilling: *"Ashkar."*
"What's it saying?" Jordan demanded, backing toward the chamber's arched exit.
"A name," Alex murmured. "Ashkar. It… *he*… is coming."
---
**The Vision**
As Lila argued for caution, Alex's curiosity overpowered their fear. They pressed their palm to the orb's coldest facet. Light erupted, blinding the group.
*Visions surged—a sprawling city of obsidian spires, skies choked with smoke, and a figure cloaked in shadows, wielding a blade of liquid night. Ashkar. The Devourer of Realms. The orb's whispers became screams as the city fell, its people entombed in crystal to imprison him. The last priestess, her hands bloodied, sealed the artifact with her dying breath: "Beware the Harbinger."*
Alex gasped, stumbling back. The orb's runes now pulsed crimson.
"What did you *do?*" Jordan snapped, hauling them upright.
Lila's face paled. "The tremors—the ruins are collapsing!"
---
**Flight**
Stone groaned overhead as the chamber shuddered. The group sprinted through crumbling corridors, the orb clutched to Alex's chest. Behind them, the walls cracked, and something *stirred* in the darkness—figures of smoke and jagged crystal, their eyes burning like dying stars.
"Guardians!" Lila shouted, ducking a swipe of taloned shadows. "They're awake!"
Jordan's sword flared with enchanted light, cleaving through a wraith. "Keep moving!"
Alex's mind raced. The vision's warning echoed: *The Harbinger would break the seal.* And now, the orb's heat seared their skin, its whispers a constant drumbeat. *Ashkar. Ashkar. Ashkar.*
---
**The Binding**
They burst into moonlight, the ruins collapsing into a sinkhole behind them. But relief was short-lived. The orb's glow had seeped into Alex's veins, tracing luminous patterns beneath their skin.
Lila seized their wrist, examining the marks. "It's bonded to you. Like a ward… or a curse."
Jordan's voice turned icy. "Get rid of it. Now."
Alex pulled away. "It's not that simple. The priestess—she said the Harbinger would use the orb to free Ashkar. But if we destroy it…"
"The seal breaks," Lila finished, grim. "A paradox."
The orb pulsed, and Alex flinched as the whispers surged. *"The Harbinger comes. You must be ready."*
---
**The Road Ahead**
Dawn found them at the edge of the Blackroot Forest, exhaustion weighing their steps. Jordan kept their distance, distrust etched in every line of their posture. Lila, however, scribbled furiously in her journal. "The orb's energy mirrors descriptions of the *Vesparian Relics*—tools meant to channel ancient magic. If we can learn to control it…"
"*If*," Jordan muttered.
Alex stared at their reflection in a stream. The luminous veins had faded, but the whispers lingered, softer now. A name, a warning, a plea.
*"Find the Shrine of Thal'esha,"* the orb murmured. *"Answers await."*
---
**Cliffhanger**
As they debated their path, a crow landed on a nearby branch, its eyes glowing violet. It cawed once, dropping a scroll at Alex's feet.
Lila unfurled it, her breath catching. "A map. To the Shrine."
Jordan crossed their arms. "Convenient."
Alex met their gaze. "We don't have a choice."
The crow took flight, vanishing into the mist. Somewhere, deep in the forest, a horn sounded—low, mournful, and alive with malice.
The orb hummed. *"He is near."*
---
**Next**: The journey to the Shrine of Thal'esha begins, but the Harbinger's agents close in. Alex's bond with the orb deepens, blurring the line between savior and pawn. And in the shadows, Ashkar stirs.