The journey back to the surface was fraught with tension. The air seemed heavier now, as if the starstone's energy had seeped into the very walls of the cavern. Aran led the way in silence, his mind replaying the cryptic words of the shadowy figure over and over again.
"Understand the Void?" he muttered to himself. How could he understand something so vast, so malevolent? The Void had already claimed parts of his soul. He could feel it, lurking beneath the surface, waiting for an opportunity to consume him entirely.
Lyssa, walking close behind him, caught his muttering. "What did you see back there, Aran?" Her tone was soft but probing, genuine concern flickering in her eyes.
Aran hesitated for a moment. He trusted Lyssa more than anyone in the group, but the truth about the Void's hold on him was something even he had trouble accepting.
"A vision," he replied, his voice low. "It was a warning… that the Void isn't something I can fight. Not directly, at least."
Lyssa's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? We've been fighting against the Void's influence this entire time. You've resisted it—why would that change now?"
Aran shook his head. "I'm not sure. But the figure I saw said that the Void is a reflection of something deeper. Something inside me." He paused, unsure how to explain the strange sense of connection he felt to the darkness. "It said if I want to defeat it, I have to understand it first."
The words hung between them like a heavy weight. Lyssa's expression turned thoughtful, though a flicker of doubt crossed her face.
"We'll figure it out," she said finally. "Together."
Aran gave a curt nod, but the unease gnawing at his chest didn't ease. The truth was, he wasn't sure if this was something they could figure out together. The more the Void took hold of him, the more isolated he felt, as if it was drawing him further away from everyone else.
By the time they reached the mouth of the cavern, a chill wind had started to blow. Night had fallen, casting a blanket of stars across the sky. The moon hung low on the horizon, its pale light illuminating the jagged rocks and desolate landscape surrounding the Nightfall Caverns.
Edward and Seraphina walked up beside them, each with different reactions to their encounter with the starstone. Edward looked shaken, his hands still trembling slightly. He'd always prided himself on knowledge, and seeing something that ancient, that powerful, had left him visibly rattled. Seraphina, on the other hand, was composed as always, though there was a wary look in her eyes.
"Whatever that thing was," Edward muttered, "it shouldn't be left alone. There's no telling what kind of damage it could do if it falls into the wrong hands."
"It won't," Aran said, his tone more forceful than intended. "We won't let that happen."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan to stop the countless factions who would kill for that kind of power?"
Aran's mind raced. The starstone wasn't just an artifact—it was a magnet for conflict, and the longer it remained in the caverns, the greater the danger. Every powerful figure, every dark organization would come for it.
"We need to seal the cavern," Aran decided. "If we can collapse the entrance, we can hide it away. No one else has to know about the starstone."
Edward looked at him skeptically. "Seal it? That won't stop someone with enough power or determination. They'll find it eventually."
Aran met his gaze, the intensity in his eyes unwavering. "Then we'll make sure they never find it."
Before anyone could object, Aran turned and began examining the cavern's mouth. The jagged rocks and crumbling walls gave him an idea. If they could destabilize the structure just enough, a controlled collapse could bury the starstone deep underground.
"Edward, I need your magic to weaken the ceiling," Aran called. "Lyssa, Seraphina, be ready to pull us out once it starts falling."
Edward opened his mouth to argue, but something in Aran's tone silenced him. With a resigned sigh, he began channeling his energy, his hands glowing with a soft blue light. Thin tendrils of magic snaked out from his fingers and wrapped around the rocks above, gently tugging at the weak points in the structure.
Aran felt the tremors beneath his feet as the cavern began to shake. Loose stones fell from the ceiling, and the ground cracked under the pressure. He could hear the groaning of the earth as Edward's magic worked its way through the rock.
"Hurry!" Seraphina urged, her eyes darting between the collapsing entrance and the darkness beyond.
With one final surge of power, Edward released his spell. The ground heaved, and the cavern entrance gave way, collapsing in on itself with a deafening roar. Dust and debris filled the air as the walls crumbled, sealing the Nightfall Caverns in a tomb of stone.
For a few moments, there was nothing but the sound of falling rock and the wind howling through the now-sealed cavern. Then, silence.
Aran wiped the dust from his face, his breath coming in shallow gasps. It was done. The starstone was buried, hidden away from prying eyes. For now, at least.
Lyssa moved to his side, her hand resting lightly on his arm. "Are you sure this is the right thing, Aran?"
He didn't answer immediately. In truth, he wasn't sure of anything anymore. But he couldn't let the starstone fall into the hands of those who would use its power for destruction.
"It's the only thing we can do," he said finally, his voice tired but resolute. "The starstone is too dangerous. We can't let anyone find it."
Edward dusted off his robes and frowned. "That might hold for now, but eventually someone will come. We've delayed the inevitable, not stopped it."
Seraphina nodded in agreement. "He's right. This won't last forever."
Aran glanced at the sealed entrance. They were right. The starstone was still out there, and it wouldn't stay hidden for long. But for now, they had bought themselves time.
And time was something Aran desperately needed.
As the group turned to leave the desolate landscape behind, Aran couldn't shake the feeling that the starstone was still watching him. That somewhere, deep within the earth, its power was waiting.
And the Void was waiting with it.
For the first time in his life, Aran wasn't sure if he had the strength to face what was coming.