Serena's fingers hovered over the grooves in the stone altar, the cold air of the ancient temple sending a chill down her spine. The faint glow from the runes pulsed, as if the temple itself was alive, waiting for her to make a move. Every instinct told her that they were standing on the edge of something monumental—something that could either bring them closer to the Lumen Corvus or end them all.
"Balance," she muttered again, her mind racing.
The puzzle was more than just a mechanism; it was a test, just as Adrian had suggested. The ancient temple wasn't merely protecting the Lumen Corvus—it was ensuring that only those deemed worthy could reach it. Serena's pulse quickened. The runes, the grooves, the intricate carvings—they were all part of a larger picture. Light and dark. Life and death. The temple's creators had believed in the balance of forces.
"I think we need to align the cycles," Serena said aloud, her voice echoing through the chamber. "These grooves—they represent different stages. We have to move them into the right configuration."
Elena's eyes gleamed with understanding. "Exactly. The grooves are designed to mirror the phases of life and death. If we align them correctly, it should unlock the next part of the temple."
"Or set off another trap," Alex muttered from behind them, still catching his breath from their escape earlier.
Rebecca stepped forward, scanning the symbols carved into the altar with a sharp eye. "If it's a balance they're after, we need to create equilibrium. Each symbol has an opposite—a counterpart. Light and dark, birth and death, beginning and end."
Serena nodded, her mind locking onto the idea. She placed her hands on the grooves, ready to move the stone pieces. "I'll start with these," she said, taking a deep breath. "Let's hope we're right."
Her fingers gripped the cool stone, and with a deep exhale, she began to rotate the first disc. The stone ground against the grooves with a low rumble, and the entire room seemed to vibrate with energy. The glowing runes pulsed in response, flickering faster, as if urging her to continue.
Serena glanced back at the others. Rebecca stood beside her, watching closely, while Alex and Elena kept an eye on the chamber for any signs of danger. Adrian, as usual, leaned against a pillar, a smirk playing on his lips as he observed.
"Careful," Adrian said, his tone almost teasing. "One wrong move, and the temple might decide we're not worthy."
Serena shot him a sharp look. "Not helpful."
Ignoring him, she continued to move the discs, aligning each one with its counterpart. Light and dark. Life and death. As she shifted the final piece into place, a deep rumble echoed through the chamber, and the altar began to glow even brighter.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then, with a sudden burst of energy, the altar's runes flared to life, illuminating the entire chamber with a blinding light. Serena stepped back, shielding her eyes from the intense glow. The sound of grinding stone filled the air as the altar began to shift, revealing a hidden compartment beneath its surface.
The group watched in awe as the compartment slowly opened, and there, resting in the center, was a small, obsidian-black orb. It was perfectly smooth, its surface gleaming with a faint, otherworldly glow. Serena's heart pounded in her chest. This was it—the Lumen Corvus.
"It's real," Rebecca whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief. "The Lumen Corvus."
Serena stared at the orb, her mind racing with the implications. The power of the Sangreal, the Crux Ignis, and now the Lumen Corvus—combined, they had the potential to reshape reality itself. It was more than they had ever bargained for.
But as Serena reached out to take the artifact, a low, menacing growl echoed through the chamber, sending a chill down her spine. The temperature in the room plummeted, and the air became thick with an oppressive energy.
Serena froze, her hand hovering over the Lumen Corvus as the growl grew louder, reverberating through the stone walls. A presence stirred in the shadows, something ancient and angry. The temple's guardian had awakened.
"Elena," Serena said through clenched teeth, her eyes darting around the chamber. "What is that?"
Elena's face was pale, her earlier confidence replaced by fear. "The guardian," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I told you—it protects the artifact. We've triggered it."
The growling grew closer, and out of the shadows stepped a massive, shadowy figure. It was unlike anything Serena had ever seen—neither human nor beast, but something far more terrifying. Its form was shrouded in darkness, its eyes glowing with an eerie, malevolent light. The air around it seemed to ripple, as if reality itself was bending under its presence.
Adrian, for once, looked unsettled. "That… doesn't look friendly."
Rebecca drew her weapon, her hand steady despite the fear in her eyes. "We need to move. Now."
Serena grabbed the Lumen Corvus, the cold orb pulsing with energy as she held it in her hands. The guardian let out a deafening roar, the sound shaking the very ground beneath them.
"Go!" Serena shouted, turning and sprinting toward the exit.
The group bolted, the guardian's roar echoing behind them as they ran through the twisting corridors of the temple. The walls shifted around them, the temple's traps activating in full force. Stone doors slammed shut, the floor trembled, and spikes shot out from the walls, barely missing them as they raced toward freedom.
Serena's heart pounded in her chest, the weight of the Lumen Corvus in her hands adding to the urgency. The guardian was close behind them, its monstrous form tearing through the temple with terrifying speed.
They reached a narrow passageway, the exit just ahead, but the walls were closing in fast. Serena's breath hitched as she realized they weren't going to make it.
"Adrian!" she shouted. "We need another way out!"
Adrian, who had been running just behind her, glanced at the closing walls and then at the ceiling. His eyes lit up with recognition. "The roof! There's an opening above the next chamber—if we can get to it—"
"Lead the way!" Serena yelled.
They dashed through the last corridor, barely avoiding the closing stone doors. In the final chamber, just as Adrian had said, there was a faint opening in the ceiling, the light from outside casting a small beam into the dark room.
"We'll need to climb," Adrian said, grabbing hold of an ancient stone pillar that reached toward the ceiling. He was quick and agile, making his way up the pillar with ease.
Rebecca and Alex followed, struggling to keep up with the crumbling stone beneath them. Serena was the last to climb, her hands slick with sweat as she gripped the cold stone, the Lumen Corvus tied securely to her belt.
The roar of the guardian grew louder, and just as it reached the chamber, Serena pulled herself through the opening, the temple shaking violently as the creature thrashed below.
They tumbled out onto a narrow ledge, the mountain air cold and biting. Serena took a deep breath, her chest heaving from the effort. They had made it out—barely.
But the temple still rumbled beneath them, and Serena knew this wasn't over.
The Lumen Corvus was in their hands, but the true battle was just beginning. The Covenant was still out there, hunting them. And with the artifact's power, they were now more dangerous than ever.
As they stood on the mountainside, the storm clouds gathering overhead, Serena felt the weight of the world pressing down on her.
Whatever came next, they would have to face it together.