The dim light of dawn had barely touched the horizon when the trio left the sanctuary behind. Their footsteps echoed in the silence of the forest, but the oppressive feeling of being hunted weighed heavily on them. The creature—a fragment of the Void Harbinger—was far too powerful to fight head-on, and it wouldn't stop until it claimed the Heart of Aether.
"We need to move fast," Edward said, his voice barely a whisper as they hurried toward their next destination. "The Timeless Abyss is our only option now."
Lyssa's eyes narrowed as she adjusted the strap of her sword across her back. "And just how do we get there? It's not exactly on any map I've seen."
Aran, still catching his breath, glanced at Edward. "Yeah, I'm all for mystical realms and ancient relics, but even I have my limits. How do we find this place? Or is it one of those things where it finds us?"
Edward nodded, his face grim. "In a way, yes. The Timeless Abyss doesn't exist in the normal flow of reality. It's a realm caught between time, where past, present, and future blur together. To get there, we need to use an ancient portal system, one created by the same mages who forged the Crown of Eternity."
"And where exactly is this portal?" Lyssa asked, her tone sharp, though the question came from urgency rather than irritation.
"Not far from here," Edward replied. "There's an old tower, long abandoned, that houses one of these portals. The magic that powers it has lain dormant for centuries, but if we can reactivate it, it should take us straight to the Abyss."
Aran threw his hands up. "Great. Another cursed tower. Why is it always a cursed tower?"
Lyssa shot him a glance, the corner of her lips twitching into a smirk. "You love cursed towers."
"I love treasure. The towers? Not so much."
Edward didn't break stride. "The tower is guarded by old wards and defenses, but nothing like what we faced in the sanctuary. We should be able to handle it quickly—if we don't run into trouble."
As the words left his mouth, a chill ran down his spine. He knew better than to tempt fate, especially with the dark presence hunting them. He cast a glance over his shoulder, half-expecting to see the Void Harbinger's fragment materialize from the shadows, but there was nothing. Not yet, at least.
They traveled in silence for the next few hours, the forest growing denser and darker as they ventured deeper into the wilderness. Edward kept his senses alert, scanning for any sign of the tower.
After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached a clearing. In the center of it stood the tower Edward had spoken of—an imposing, crumbling structure of stone, vines crawling up its sides. The top of the tower was shrouded in mist, as if the structure itself was caught between worlds.
"There it is," Edward said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Looks friendly," Aran muttered, eyeing the dark entrance warily.
"We don't have a choice," Edward replied, stepping forward. "Let's move. The sooner we're inside, the sooner we can activate the portal."
They approached the entrance, and as they crossed the threshold, a pulse of ancient magic rippled through the air. Edward immediately felt it—a deep, resonant power that had slumbered for centuries, now stirring to life.
"This place is alive," Lyssa whispered, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "It's waiting for us."
Edward nodded, his fingers brushing the ancient runes carved into the stone walls. "It's been dormant for a long time, but the wards are still active. We need to be careful. One wrong move, and we could trigger the tower's defenses."
"Just what I wanted to hear," Aran said, drawing a dagger from his belt. "Lead the way, Edward."
They moved cautiously through the tower's dark corridors, the air thick with dust and the smell of old magic. The deeper they went, the stronger the magical presence became, and Edward could feel the weight of time pressing down on them.
Finally, they reached the heart of the tower—a large circular chamber with a raised platform in the center. Ancient runes glowed faintly along the walls, casting an eerie light over the room.
"There it is," Edward said, pointing to the platform. "That's the portal. If we can activate it, it should open a gateway to the Timeless Abyss."
Lyssa stepped forward, her eyes scanning the runes. "How do we activate it?"
Edward knelt by the platform, his hands tracing the ancient markings. "These runes are part of an old magical language, one that hasn't been used in centuries. But I've studied it before. Give me a moment."
As Edward worked to decipher the runes, Lyssa and Aran stood guard, their eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. The tension in the air was palpable, and every creak and groan of the ancient tower made them jump.
Suddenly, the room grew colder, and a familiar presence washed over them.
Lyssa's grip tightened on her sword. "It's here."
Aran's eyes darted to the shadows. "Damn it, I knew it would follow us."
Edward cursed under his breath, working faster. "Just a little longer—"
The shadows in the room began to twist and writhe, and the air grew heavy with dark energy. From the far corner of the chamber, the Void Harbinger's fragment emerged, its glowing eyes fixed on the group.
"You cannot escape me," it hissed, its voice echoing through the room like a chorus of whispers. "The Heart of Aether will be mine."
Lyssa drew her sword, her eyes blazing with determination. "Not today."
Before the creature could respond, Edward shouted, "Now! Stand on the platform!"
Without hesitation, Lyssa and Aran leapt onto the platform as Edward activated the final rune. The air around them shimmered, and a blinding light filled the chamber as the portal opened.
The Void Harbinger's fragment lunged toward them, but before it could reach them, the trio was swallowed by the light, disappearing into the Timeless Abyss.
As the light faded, the chamber was left in silence, the creature's empty eyes flickering with frustration.
For now, they had escaped.
But the real journey was just beginning.