The dungeon felt darker now, as if the walls were closing in on them. Each step echoed louder than before, the sound bouncing off the stone walls and reverberating back at them like whispers of warning. Raijin glanced at his teammates, their faces illuminated only by the faint glow of the crystals embedded in the walls. They all looked tense, but their determination hadn't wavered.
"Stay close," Kaito said, his voice a hushed command. "We don't know what's waiting for us."
Raijin's grip tightened on his katana. After the deadly encounter with the phantom assassin, his body still felt on edge, adrenaline coursing through his veins. The wounds from the traps and battle had been healed by Mei's magic, but the mental strain was harder to shake off.
They descended deeper into the dungeon, the air growing colder with each step. The once vibrant glow of the dungeon's crystals began to fade into a dim, eerie light. Something about this place felt unnatural, as if the dungeon itself was alive and watching them.
Suddenly, a strange sensation rippled through Raijin's body. He stopped in his tracks, blinking in confusion.
"Raijin? What's wrong?" Hana asked, noticing his hesitation.
"I… I'm not sure," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I felt something. Like a wave of energy."
Kaito turned sharply, his eyes narrowing. "Energy? What kind?"
Raijin closed his eyes for a moment, trying to focus. The feeling was faint but unmistakable a pulsing, almost rhythmic energy resonating deep within the dungeon. It was as if the walls themselves were humming with an ancient power.
"I don't know," Raijin admitted, opening his eyes. "But it's strong. It's coming from further ahead."
Kaito's expression darkened. "Then we need to be ready. Whatever it is, it could be a trap."
The team pressed forward, but Raijin couldn't shake the feeling that something was pulling them deeper, drawing them toward something hidden within the dungeon. It wasn't just the usual danger of the place, this felt personal.
After a few more minutes of walking, they reached a large, circular chamber. The walls here were different, smoother as if they had been carved with great care. In the center of the room stood a massive stone structure, resembling an altar. Strange symbols were etched into its surface, glowing faintly with a pale, blue light.
"What is this place?" Akira asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Mei stepped forward, her eyes wide with wonder. "It feels… ancient. Like it's been here for centuries."
Raijin approached the altar slowly, drawn to the strange symbols. They were unlike anything he had seen before, but something about them seemed familiar as if they were stirring a memory he couldn't quite grasp.
He reached out, his fingers hovering just above the surface of the stone. The moment he made contact, a shock of energy surged through him, and the room seemed to twist and blur around him. Raijin gasped, stumbling back as a flood of images flashed through his mind glimpses of battles, of people he didn't recognize, of an enormous, looming figure shrouded in darkness.
"Raijin!" Mei called out, rushing to his side. "What happened? Are you okay?"
Raijin shook his head, his vision clearing. His heart raced, and cold sweat trickled down his back. "I… I saw something. A vision, maybe."
Kaito stepped closer, his expression serious. "A vision of what?"
"I'm not sure," Raijin said, his voice unsteady. "It was like I was seeing through someone else's eyes. There were battles… and a dark figure. Something powerful. It felt ancient like it's been here for a long time."
Hana frowned, her gaze shifting to the altar. "This altar, it's a key to something, isn't it?"
Before anyone could respond, the ground beneath them rumbled. The symbols on the altar glowed brighter, casting long shadows across the room. The air crackled with energy, and the temperature dropped even further.
The team tensed weapons at the ready.
"It's happening again!" Kaito shouted. "Everyone, get ready!"
Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice echoed through the chamber, filling the space with a chilling presence.
"Who dares awaken the slumber of the forgotten?"
Raijin's heart skipped a beat. The voice wasn't coming from any of them, it was emanating from the walls, the altar, the very air itself. It was ancient, cold, and filled with an unfathomable power.
"I don't like this," Akira muttered, gripping his daggers tightly. "I really don't like this."
Before anyone could react, the air in the center of the room shimmered, and a figure materialized-tall, cloaked in shadow, its face obscured by a hood. It radiated an aura of immense power, and as it turned its gaze toward them, Raijin felt a weight settle on his chest.
The figure spoke again, its voice low and foreboding. "You have come seeking the truth, but the truth is buried deep within the past. You are not prepared to face what lies ahead."
Kaito stepped forward, his swords gleaming in the dim light. "We're not here to play games. Who are you? What is this place?"
The figure chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down Raijin's spine. "I am but a remnant of the past, a shadow of what once was. You have awakened the Echo, but you are not ready to understand its power."
Raijin's mind raced. "Echo? What do you mean?"
The figure tilted its head, its hollow gaze locking onto Raijin. "The Echo is the memory of the forgotten-the essence of those who came before. The power you seek lies within it, but only those worthy can wield it."
Hana stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. "What does that mean? Are you saying we need to prove ourselves?"
"Perhaps," the figure replied, its voice laced with amusement. "Or perhaps you will simply perish, as so many others have before you."
With a wave of its hand, the figure vanished, leaving the room in an eerie silence. The symbols on the altar dimmed, and the energy in the air seemed to dissipate, leaving behind only the cold, still air of the dungeon.
Raijin exhaled, his heart still racing. "What was that?"
Kaito sheathed his blades, his expression grim. "Something far more dangerous than anything we've faced so far."
"An Echo of the past," Mei murmured, her gaze distant. "It's like the dungeon is trying to tell us something."
Hana nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Whatever it is, it's not going to make this easy for us. But we can't turn back now. We have to keep going."
Raijin looked at the altar once more, his thoughts racing. The vision, the figure's words, the strange symbols it all pointed to something far bigger than just this dungeon. Something ancient, something dangerous.
But they couldn't stop now.
"We'll face whatever comes next," Raijin said, his resolve hardening. "We've come this far, and we're not backing down."
Kaito nodded, a determined gleam in his eyes. "Then let's move. We've got a long way to go, and something tells me this dungeon isn't going to let us rest anytime soon."
As the team gathered their weapons and prepared to move deeper into the dungeon, Raijin couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched by something far more ancient and powerful than they could imagine.
The real battle had only just begun.