The deeper Canila and Freya ventured into the ruins of Aetheros, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. The air was thick with a cold, unnatural energy that clung to their skin, making every breath feel heavy. Their footsteps echoed off the narrow stone corridors, but otherwise, all was eerily silent. Freya's tablet continued to glow faintly in her hand, the runes shifting and flickering as though alive, but no longer offering any guidance.
"We're on our own now," Freya whispered, her voice tense. "The runes can't tell us what lies ahead."
Canila nodded, his eyes sharp and alert. The illusion they had shattered earlier still weighed on his mind. The Echoes, the heart they destroyed, the cloaked figure—it had all been part of something larger, and that something was growing closer with each step.
"I feel it," Canila said quietly. "There's something ancient down here. Older than the Echoes. It's like the whole place is alive… and watching us."
Freya shot him a glance. "Let's hope it's not hostile. But I wouldn't count on it."
As they rounded another corner, the narrow corridors opened into a vast underground cavern. The walls of the cavern glistened with an otherworldly light, casting long, ominous shadows. At the center of the cavern was a massive stone altar, covered in intricate carvings. Dark tendrils of energy snaked up from the altar, reaching toward the ceiling like the limbs of some unseen creature.
"This is it," Freya said softly, her eyes wide as she took in the sight before them. "This is what's been hidden beneath Aetheros."
Canila's grip tightened on his sword. "And it's still active."
The dark energy pulsed, filling the cavern with a deep, thrumming hum that reverberated through the stone. It was the same energy they had encountered before—the Echoes—but here it was more concentrated, more potent. The heart they destroyed had been a mere fragment of this power.
Freya stepped closer to the altar, her eyes scanning the carvings. "These glyphs… they're ancient. Far older than anything we've seen before."
"What do they say?" Canila asked, keeping his eyes on the swirling energy.
Freya ran her fingers over the carvings, her brow furrowed in concentration. "It's a warning. It speaks of a force bound here, deep beneath Aetheros. Something that was sealed away long ago, kept in check by the Echoes. They weren't just a destructive force—they were a barrier. A prison."
Canila's heart sank as he pieced it together. "And we broke it."
Freya nodded, her face pale. "Yes. By destroying the heart of the Echoes, we weakened the seal. Whatever's down here… it's waking up."
As if in response to her words, the dark tendrils of energy began to shift and move, coiling tighter around the altar. The thrumming hum grew louder, and the ground beneath their feet trembled.
"We need to leave. Now," Canila said urgently, turning to grab Freya's arm.
But before they could retreat, the tendrils shot out from the altar, lashing through the air with terrifying speed. Canila barely had time to react, slashing at the nearest tendril with his sword, but the dark energy recoiled with a force that knocked him back several steps.
Freya raised her tablet, casting a protective shield around them just in time to block another strike. "It's too late! We have to stop it, or it will consume everything!"
Canila gritted his teeth, his mind racing. "How do we stop it?"
Freya's eyes darted across the glyphs, her hands shaking as she struggled to find an answer. "The seal… there has to be a way to restore it. The carvings mention a ritual, but—" She gasped as a tendril pierced the shield, shattering the protective barrier. "We're running out of time!"
Canila slashed at the tendrils again, driving them back, but they kept coming, their movements faster and more aggressive with each passing moment. The cavern was alive with dark energy, and the altar pulsed with an ancient, malevolent force.
"Freya, focus!" Canila shouted. "Find the ritual!"
Freya nodded, her eyes scanning the carvings frantically. "I—I think I've got it!" she cried out. "But I'll need your help. The ritual requires two people—one to channel the energy, and the other to bind it."
"Tell me what to do," Canila said, his voice steady despite the chaos.
Freya quickly explained the steps, her voice rushed but clear. "You need to stand by the altar and focus your energy into these runes. It's going to fight back, but you have to keep the flow steady. I'll handle the binding."
Canila nodded, moving toward the altar as Freya took her position opposite him. As he reached the stone structure, the dark energy surged toward him, but he raised his sword, channeling his own power into the blade. With a deep breath, he placed his free hand on the runes carved into the altar and began the ritual.
Immediately, a surge of dark energy lashed out at him, trying to force him away, but Canila stood firm, his grip on the sword tightening as he pushed back against the oppressive force. The tendrils coiled around him, trying to pull him down, but he channeled his energy into the runes, focusing all his will on stabilizing the flow.
Freya chanted quickly, her voice growing louder as she drew the binding glyphs in the air with the tablet. The dark energy writhed in response, lashing out violently, but Freya remained steady, her concentration unwavering.
The cavern trembled as the ritual progressed, the air crackling with raw power. Canila could feel the energy resisting him, trying to break free, but he held his ground, his focus unbroken.
"Almost there!" Freya shouted over the din. "Just a little longer!"
With one final surge of energy, Canila forced the last of his power into the runes, and the altar began to glow with a brilliant light. The dark tendrils recoiled, writhing in pain as the light spread across the cavern, sealing the ancient force back within the altar.
Freya's chanting reached a crescendo, and with a final wave of her hand, the binding glyphs snapped into place, sealing the ritual. The dark energy shrieked as it was pulled back into the altar, and the cavern fell silent.
For a long moment, Canila and Freya stood in the quiet, their breathing heavy and their bodies exhausted. The altar, now dimly glowing, was still and silent once more.
"We did it," Freya whispered, her voice trembling with relief.
Canila lowered his sword, his muscles aching from the strain. "For now," he replied, his eyes still on the altar. "But this isn't over. Whatever that was… it'll try to break free again."
Freya nodded, her face pale but determined. "Then we'll be ready."