The Seal of Ruin

Emma stood frozen, her fingers tightening around the ancient book as the weight of her vision settled into her chest.

If the Eclipse King gathered all five stones, he wouldn't just become powerful—he would break the seal.

And whatever lay beyond it… was something even the ancients feared.

Rahi exhaled sharply. "So, just to be clear—we're not dealing with some power-hungry tyrant who wants to rule the world. He's trying to release something worse?"

Emma nodded, her throat dry. "Something that was sealed away for a reason."

Rahi dragged a hand through his hair, muttering a curse. "Fantastic."

The air in the chamber felt heavier now, the weight of history pressing down on them. The torches flickered, their flames swaying as if whispering secrets neither of them could hear.

Emma took a steadying breath. "We have to stop him. No matter what."

Rahi leaned against the stone table, watching her carefully. "You're serious about this?"

Emma met his gaze. "If there's even a chance he could undo what the ancients did—if he could bring back whatever they sealed away—I won't let that happen."

For a moment, Rahi was silent. Then, a small smirk tugged at his lips. "Not bad, Princess. You almost sound like a hero."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Let's focus on stopping him before you start giving me titles."

Rahi pushed off the table, his expression turning serious again. "If we want to stop him, we need to get ahead of him. He already has one stone, right?"

Emma swallowed hard. "Yes."

Rahi crossed his arms. "Then we have to find the remaining stones before he does."

The words hung in the air, settling between them like a heavy promise.

Find the stones. Stop the Eclipse King. Prevent the seal from breaking.

It wasn't just about protecting the stones anymore.

It was about preventing the end of everything.

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The Path Ahead

They left the hidden chamber, the ancient book carefully tucked into Emma's bag. As they stepped back into the temple's main hall, the eerie glow of the inscriptions had faded. The Guardian was gone, its purpose fulfilled.

The temple had given Emma its message.

Now, it was up to her to act.

Rahi adjusted his cloak. "So, where to first?"

Emma hesitated, pulling out the book and flipping through its pages. The writing shimmered as if shifting between languages, but her mark allowed her to understand it.

Her gaze landed on a passage detailing the locations of the scattered stones.

She read aloud:"The Sapphire Stone, the eye of foresight, lies beneath the ruins of Eldrin, hidden beneath the tides of fate."

Rahi raised an eyebrow. "Beneath the tides? Sounds like a water city."

Emma nodded. "Eldrin… I've heard of it before. It was a great kingdom, but it fell centuries ago. Now, it's nothing but ruins along the eastern coast."

Rahi smirked. "Great. I love ruins. They're usually filled with death traps."

Emma ignored him, reading the next passage.

"The Topaz Stone, the whisper of truth, is lost within the Labyrinth of Veil."

She frowned. "That… doesn't sound good."

Rahi sighed. "Of course one of them is in a labyrinth. Why wouldn't it be?"

Emma turned the page. The words were faded, but she could barely make out the location of the Emerald Stone—hidden deep within the Celestial Forest, a place said to be cursed.

And then there was the Amethyst Stone—the final piece. But the passage where its location should have been was… blank.

Emma's heart sank. "The last one… it's missing."

Rahi leaned over, scanning the page. "That's not just missing. That's erased."

Emma's fingers brushed over the faded words, a strange chill running down her spine. Why would the Amethyst Stone's location be hidden?

Rahi folded his arms. "Well, looks like we've got three leads. Where do we start?"

Emma exhaled. "The Sapphire Stone. If it's near the coast, we should go before the Eclipse King gets there first."

Rahi smirked. "Good. I was getting tired of mountains."

Emma rolled up the book and secured it in her bag. She took one last look around the temple, feeling the weight of its warnings settle into her bones.

Then she turned toward the exit.

"We leave at dawn."

__________________________________________________________________

In the Shadows

Far from the temple, beyond the jagged mountains and dying forests, a dark fortress stood against the blood-red sky.

Inside its towering walls, a man sat upon a black throne, his fingers lazily drumming against the armrest.

The Eclipse King.

A soldier knelt before him, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. "My lord, our scouts report activity at the Temple of Echoes. The girl… she has passed the trial."

The Eclipse King smiled, a slow, dangerous curve of his lips. "Good. Then the stones have chosen her."

The soldier hesitated. "Should we intervene?"

The Eclipse King stood, stepping forward. His crimson cloak billowed behind him, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "No need."

He turned toward the towering window, gazing out at the storm brewing on the horizon.

"Let her run. Let her believe she's one step ahead."

His fingers traced the stone at his neck—the Onyx Stone, the forbidden relic of destruction.

"When the time is right," he murmured, "she will bring the stones to me."

And in that moment, the world would burn.