The chamber shook violently as the artifact's energy destabilized, the dark glow becoming erratic and dangerous. Leo held Drake down with all his strength, but he knew they couldn't stay in the collapsing ruins. The walls began to crack, and debris rained down from the ceiling.
"Leo, we need to get out of here!" Owen shouted, his voice almost drowned out by the rumbling noise.
Sofia and Evelyn helped Owen to his feet, each of them struggling to maintain balance as the floor started to buckle. Leo pulled Drake up, forcing him toward the exit, keeping a firm grip on him. Drake fought back, but Leo's grip was unrelenting.
"You don't have to do this, Drake," Leo said, raising his voice over the growing chaos. "You can stop this. It doesn't have to end in destruction."
Drake sneered. "You're so naive, Leo. This world is built on power. Without it, you're nothing."
Leo knew he wouldn't get through to Drake with words alone. He pushed him toward the exit, hoping to get everyone out before the entire chamber collapsed. The shaking intensified, and large chunks of stone began to fall, blocking their path.
"This way!" Sofia called, pointing to a narrow passage that seemed less affected by the shaking. It led to a side exit, one they hadn't noticed before. It was their only hope of escape.
The team moved quickly, navigating through the falling debris. Owen helped guide them with his tech, using a handheld device to detect structural weaknesses. Evelyn's healing abilities came in handy, shielding the team from smaller injuries caused by the falling stones.
As they reached the passage, Leo felt a sudden surge of energy from Drake. It was as if the artifact's destabilization had awakened something in him, a desperate surge of power. Drake twisted out of Leo's grasp, his eyes blazing with fury.
"You won't escape!" Drake shouted, his voice echoing through the crumbling chamber. He unleashed a shockwave of energy, causing the walls to crack further and sending a cascade of debris toward the team.
Leo acted quickly, tackling Drake to the ground and using his own body to shield the others from the shockwave. The impact sent Leo crashing into the wall, but he refused to let Drake get away. He knew this might be their last chance to contain him.
Sofia and Owen helped Leo up, while Evelyn worked to stabilize the crumbling structure with her powers. The passage was collapsing, but they could still make it through if they moved quickly.
"Leo, we have to go!" Sofia urged, her voice filled with urgency. "The whole place is coming down!"
Leo nodded, pulling Drake to his feet. "You're coming with us," he said, his grip firm. Drake struggled, but the instability of the chamber made it difficult for him to resist.
The team pushed through the narrow passage, the walls closing in as the structure continued to deteriorate. They could see light at the end of the tunnel—a sign that the exit was just ahead. But the ground beneath them was unstable, shifting with each tremor.
Drake's resistance grew as they neared the exit. He seemed to sense that his time was running out, and his desperation fueled his strength. He tried to break free from Leo's grip, but Sofia and Owen quickly moved to restrain him, keeping him from escaping.
"Stay down!" Sofia ordered, her voice commanding. "You're not going anywhere."
They reached the end of the passage, emerging into the open air just as the ruins behind them collapsed entirely. The ground shook, and a massive dust cloud rose into the sky, obscuring their view. The artifact's energy had been too unstable, and the entire structure had come crashing down.
The team stumbled away from the ruins, coughing and shielding their eyes from the dust. Leo kept a tight hold on Drake, refusing to let him out of his sight. They had made it out, but the battle was far from over.
"Is everyone okay?" Evelyn asked, her healing powers ready to tend to any injuries.
"I'm fine," Leo replied, though his body ached from the impact with the wall. "We need to find a secure location and regroup. Drake's allies won't be happy about this."
Owen nodded, checking his tech. "We need to get back to the base and figure out our next move. If Drake has other plans, we need to be ready."
Sofia agreed. "Let's move. We need to stay ahead of them."
As they made their way through the forest, the team knew they had a brief reprieve, but they couldn't let their guard down. Drake was cunning and ruthless, and his ambitions were far from extinguished. They had a long journey ahead, and the true battle was just beginning.