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Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: The Disappearing Text

The vault sealed behind them, and the echoes of their footsteps faded into silence. Evelyn, Marcus, and Claire had just completed a journey that had tested their limits, both physically and mentally. The Source was locked away, sealed within the depths of the earth where no one could reach it again. For the first time in what felt like forever, Evelyn allowed herself a moment to breathe, the weight of their success sinking in. But as they made their way back through the narrow, twisting passages of the ancient structure, the sense of victory was quickly overshadowed by something else—unease.

The air felt colder, heavier, and the walls of the passage seemed to press in closer with each step. It wasn't just exhaustion that hung over them. There was something wrong, something that tugged at the edges of Evelyn's awareness like a distant warning.

"Do you feel that?" Marcus asked, his voice low and cautious. He had been on edge since they had sealed the vault, his eyes constantly scanning the shadows around them.

Evelyn nodded, her hand instinctively reaching for the artifact in her pocket, though she knew its power had already been spent. The relic had done its job, but now they were venturing into the unknown once again.

Claire, walking slightly ahead of them, paused, her brow furrowing in concern. "It's like… something's missing," she whispered.

Before Evelyn could ask what she meant, Claire reached for her satchel, pulling out one of the ancient books they had recovered from the Lost City. The book was worn and fragile, its pages yellowed with age, but it had been one of their most important sources of knowledge during their journey.

Or it had been.

As Claire flipped through the pages, her expression shifted from concern to disbelief. "The text…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's disappearing."

Evelyn's heart skipped a beat as she moved closer, peering over Claire's shoulder at the book. The intricate symbols and words that had once filled the pages were fading before their eyes, like ink being washed away by an invisible hand. The more Claire turned the pages, the more they saw the same thing—lines of text vanishing, leaving behind only empty parchment.

"What's happening?" Marcus asked, his voice filled with tension.

"I don't know," Claire replied, her voice shaky. "It's like the knowledge is… evaporating."

Evelyn reached for another book, one of the older manuscripts they had used to decipher the codes from the Lost City. She flipped it open, her fingers trembling as she saw the same thing happening. The pages, once filled with detailed information, diagrams, and symbols, were blank.

"It's not just this book," Evelyn whispered, panic rising in her chest. "It's all of them."

Marcus's face hardened as he grabbed one of the scrolls they had taken from the library back in Riverton. He unrolled it, his jaw tightening as he saw the same fate befalling the ancient parchment. The text, which had been so clear just hours ago, was now fading, as though time itself had decided to erase everything they had learned.

"This doesn't make any sense," Marcus muttered, frustration clear in his voice. "We just sealed The Source. We should be done with all of this."

But deep down, Evelyn knew it wasn't over. The Source had been locked away, but the repercussions of that action were now manifesting in ways they hadn't anticipated. The knowledge they had gained, the secrets they had uncovered—everything was disappearing.

"It's connected to The Source," Evelyn said, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of it. "The knowledge was tied to its power, and now that we've sealed it away, it's fading."

"But why would it vanish like this?" Claire asked, her voice laced with confusion and fear. "The civilization that created these texts left them behind for a reason."

Evelyn thought back to the Lost City, to the ancient civilization that had sought to control The Source. They had left behind warnings, maps, and riddles, all leading to the vault. But now that the vault was sealed, it was as if the past itself was slipping away, taking with it the knowledge that had guided them.

"It's like the past is erasing itself," Marcus said darkly. "As if we were never meant to learn these secrets."

Evelyn's heart sank. "Or maybe it's because we succeeded. The Source was never meant to be controlled, and now that it's sealed, the knowledge tied to it is no longer relevant."

"But that doesn't explain everything," Claire pressed, turning the last few pages of the book. "Why is it all disappearing now?"

Evelyn wasn't sure. But one thing was clear—they needed answers, and they needed them fast.