The air inside the Ruins of Aetheros felt thick, as if every breath they took was weighed down by centuries of silence and forgotten history. Even the faintest sounds—their footsteps, the rustling of their gear—seemed unnaturally loud in the oppressive quiet. Freya, or Amelia in the real world, couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine as they passed deeper into the ruins. The walls, worn with age and covered in ancient carvings, seemed to watch them with a silent, haunting gaze.
She stopped, her eyes drawn to an elaborate mural etched into the stone. "These symbols… they're from the First Age," she said, running her fingers across the weathered surface. Each line and groove told a story, one that had been hidden away for millennia.
Canila came to her side, his sharp gaze tracing the intricate details of the carvings. "What does it say?"
Freya frowned, her eyes narrowing as she struggled to decipher the ancient language. "It tells the story of the rulers of this world—beings from a time long before ours. They fought against the Echoes, a force that threatened to consume everything. The rulers won, but only by sealing the Echoes away at a great cost."
"Let me guess," Braxus said with a grunt, his large frame looming behind them as he kept a watchful eye on the dark corridors ahead. "This artifact we're after has something to do with those Echoes?"
Freya nodded. "The artifact was forged by the ancient rulers, designed to keep the Echoes from returning to full strength. If we find it, we might be able to stop the Echoes from spreading… but that means it's likely to be heavily guarded."
"Great," Braxus muttered, hefting his axe onto his shoulder. "Because the last guardian was such a breeze."
"Guardians, traps, whatever's ahead—nothing is stopping us from getting that artifact," Canila said, his tone steely with determination. "We've come too far to turn back now."
Freya smiled faintly. His resolve was one of the many things she admired about him—both in the game and in the real world. Yet, beneath that determination, she could sense the weight Canila carried. This journey wasn't just about the Echoes or the ruins. It was about redemption, reclaiming the power he had once lost.
They continued their descent into the heart of the ruins, the atmosphere growing colder with every step. The once impressive stone walls began to crumble as they went deeper, the carvings fading into mere shadows of their former glory. Whispers filled the air, faint and distorted, like echoes of voices from another time. It was unsettling, the way the whispers seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
Freya couldn't help but glance over her shoulder. She had the distinct feeling they were being watched, though she saw nothing in the shadows that pressed close on either side of the corridor.
"Does anyone else hear that?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Canila and Braxus nodded, their expressions grim. The whispers had grown louder, more persistent, as if they were beckoning the group deeper into the ruins. Yet, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't make out what the voices were saying.
"Stay focused," Canila said. "Whatever's down here wants to mess with our minds. Don't let it."
Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled. Dust and small stones rained down from the ceiling, and the once-solid floor began to crack. Freya instinctively grabbed the obsidian tablet hanging from her belt, her heart racing as she looked around. The walls shook, and a distant rumble echoed through the corridors.
Without warning, a massive stone door ahead of them groaned and slid open, revealing a deep chasm on the other side. The room beyond was shrouded in darkness, and from that darkness emerged figures—shadowy creatures with shifting forms and glowing eyes. They seemed to flicker and pulse as if they were not entirely of this world.
Echo Wraiths.
Freya's blood ran cold at the sight. She had read about them, but seeing them in person was something else entirely. These were beings born from the very essence of the Echoes, creatures that fed on fear and confusion. Their forms were fluid, constantly changing, and their very presence made the air feel heavier, suffocating.
"They're Wraiths," Freya whispered, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to stay calm. "They can drain the life from anyone they touch."
"Fantastic," Braxus muttered, stepping forward with his axe at the ready. "Looks like we'll have to chop them down before they get too close."
But the Echo Wraiths were faster than expected. They darted out of the shadows, their forms flickering in and out of sight as they moved. Freya barely had time to react before one of the Wraiths lunged at her, its clawed hand reaching for her throat. She threw herself backward, her blade flashing as she slashed at the creature. Her sword passed through its form, but the Wraith simply reformed, its glowing eyes fixated on her.
Braxus let out a roar as he swung his axe in a wide arc, cutting through two Wraiths at once. The creatures shrieked as their forms dissipated into the air, but more appeared to take their place. Canila was a blur of movement, his sword flashing as he parried and struck, keeping the Wraiths at bay.
"We can't keep this up!" Freya shouted, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. "There are too many of them!"
Canila gritted his teeth as he cut down another Wraith, only to watch two more emerge from the darkness. "We need a plan!"
Freya's mind raced. The obsidian tablet—the artifact they had found—still hummed with power at her side. She hadn't fully unlocked its potential, but now wasn't the time for caution. They were being overwhelmed, and if they didn't do something soon, the Wraiths would tear them apart.
"Cover me!" Freya shouted, raising the tablet high. She began to chant an incantation, her voice steady despite the chaos around her.
Canila and Braxus fought desperately to keep the Wraiths from reaching her, their weapons clashing with the creatures' shadowy forms. For every Wraith they destroyed, more seemed to appear, drawn to the power of the tablet like moths to a flame.
The tablet glowed brighter, casting an eerie light across the chamber. Freya could feel the energy building within it, like a dam about to burst. She focused all her willpower into controlling that energy, directing it at the Wraiths that surrounded them.
With a final shout, Freya released the power of the tablet. A wave of light shot out from it, engulfing the Wraiths in its path. The creatures shrieked as the light tore through them, their forms disintegrating into nothingness.
For a moment, the ruins were silent.
Freya collapsed to her knees, the tablet slipping from her grasp as the last of its power faded. She was exhausted, her body trembling from the strain of channeling so much energy. Canila and Braxus rushed to her side, their faces pale but relieved.
"You did it," Canila said, his voice soft as he helped her to her feet.
Freya nodded weakly, her legs barely able to hold her up. "I don't know how much more of this we can take," she whispered. "The Echoes… they're getting stronger."
Braxus let out a heavy sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow. "And we're getting closer to whatever's at the heart of these ruins. We need to be ready."
The ruins seemed to grow even darker as they pressed on, the oppressive silence returning with a vengeance. The whispers, though faint, continued to echo through the halls, a constant reminder that they were not alone. They had won this battle, but the war was far from over.
As they ventured deeper into the heart of Aetheros, Canila couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them—something far more powerful than the Wraiths they had faced.
Something that was waiting for them at the end of the path.