The air in the cave turned cold, thick with an unnatural chill as the stone guardian loomed over them. Its massive frame was covered in ancient armor, glowing runes pulsing faintly across its surface. Kael's breath caught in his throat as the creature's eyes glowed in the dim light, burning with an otherworldly power.
A low growl rumbled from the guardian, reverberating through the cave, and Kael's heart pounded in his chest. Around him, the few remaining survivors, those who hadn't yet fallen to the traps or the weight of exhaustion, stood frozen in place, their eyes wide with fear.
"Get ready," Kael muttered, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly his knuckles turned white. He didn't need to look to know the others were trembling. He could feel it, the fear that radiated from them. And so could the guardian.
The stone behemoth took a step forward, its weight sending tremors through the cave floor. Stones fell from the ceiling as the ground shook, forcing Kael and the others to stagger back.
"We can't take this thing head-on," Kerric muttered from behind him, his voice strained with the pain of his injuries. "There's got to be a weak point."
Kael's mind raced, his eyes darting across the guardian's armored body. The runes... they pulsed when it moved, when it regenerated. That had to be it. He didn't have time to think about it further, he had to act.
"Strike the runes!" Kael shouted, his voice cutting through the fear. "That's the only way!"
The guardian moved faster than Kael expected, its massive arm sweeping through the air with deadly force. One of the men barely had time to raise his shield before the guardian's stone fist connected, sending him flying into the cave wall with a sickening crunch. He didn't get back up.
Kael gritted his teeth and charged forward, his sword flashing in the dim light. He swung with all his might at one of the glowing runes on the guardian's arm, but the blade barely scratched the surface. The creature let out a roar, its eyes blazing as it swung its other arm down toward Kael.
Kael dove to the side just in time, the ground shaking as the guardian's fist slammed into the cave floor. He rolled to his feet, his heart racing as he saw the creature turn its attention to Kerric and the others.
"They can't keep up," Kael muttered to himself, his eyes flicking to the other survivors. Most of them were already too injured to fight properly, and the guardian was feeding off their fear, growing stronger with every moment.
One by one, the remaining survivors fell. A shockwave from the guardian's stomp sent two men crashing into the walls, their bodies broken by the force. Another was crushed under the guardian's fist as he tried to strike at its legs. The sounds of battle, the clashing of metal, the roar of the guardian, the cries of the dying, echoed through the cave.
Kael fought with everything he had, but it wasn't enough. Each time they managed to strike at one of the runes, the guardian's stone armor regenerated, the cracks sealing themselves before they could do any real damage. And with every fallen comrade, the creature grew stronger, its movements faster, its attacks more deadly.
"Damn it!" Kael cursed under his breath, his mind racing. They were running out of time, and the longer the fight went on, the more certain their deaths became.
As the guardian swung its massive arm toward Kerric, Kael saw his chance. The rune on the creature's chest pulsed brightly, a weak point in its otherwise impenetrable armor. It was a long shot, but it was their only shot.
"Kerric!" Kael shouted, his voice hoarse. "Draw it towards me!"
Kerric, bleeding and barely able to stand, nodded grimly. He stumbled forward, swinging his sword in a desperate attempt to distract the guardian. The creature roared in fury, its eyes blazing as it turned its attention to Kerric.
Kael didn't waste a moment. He sprinted toward the guardian, his eyes locked on the glowing rune at its chest. His body screamed in protest, every muscle aching from exhaustion and pain, but he pushed forward, his focus singular.
With a final, desperate lunge, Kael drove his sword into the guardian's chest, the blade sinking deep into the glowing rune.
The guardian let out a deafening roar, its body shaking violently as cracks spread across its armor. Kael stumbled back, barely able to stay on his feet as the creature staggered, its massive form teetering on the brink of collapse.
But then... it stopped.
The glow in the runes dimmed, the cracks in the armor began to seal, and the guardian straightened once more. Its eyes, once dim, burned with renewed fury.
Kael's heart sank. He had given everything he had, and it still wasn't enough. The guardian was regenerating, and there was nothing more they could do.
Behind him, Kerric collapsed to the ground, his breath ragged and his face pale. The others were dead, and Kael was the only one left standing.
The guardian took a step forward, its eyes locked on Kael. The fight wasn't over. Not yet.
As the creature raised its massive arm for one final strike, Kael tightened his grip on his sword, his mind racing. There had to be something, some way to stop it. But time was running out.
The cave trembled as the guardian's arm came down, and Kael braced himself for the end.