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The air was dead in the chamber, an oppressive silence seeping into the core of Lian's very being. His hands still quivered slightly as he released his hold on the relic's energy, still trying to wrap his mind around the power he had just wielded. It was intoxicating, a force so raw and overwhelming that it threatened to tear him asunder-yet he had controlled it, if only for the merest, fleeting moment. Gone, the shadows were-at least for now. Yet Lian knew better than to let his guard down-the undercity was alive, a living maze that shifted and adapted itself to its intruders. It would test him again, and next time, the shadows would not be so easily shoved away. He pressed deeper into the heart of the ruins, and the walls seemed to pulse faintly around him as though responsive to the relic's energy still coursing through his veins. With every step, the oppressive weight of the undercity seemed to grow: the air seemed colder, as if the very shadows were watching every move he made. There was no sign of Aeris, and that bothered him more than he'd care to admit. She had disappeared suddenly, leaving not even a whisper of where she had gone. The artifact whispered her name, luring him deeper into the abyss, but Lian couldn't shake the feeling it was playing tricks on him. That Aeris could be either a victim or part of the relic's plan was yet to be seen. He stopped at the edge of a narrow corridor, peering into the dark far off. A soft breeze wafted through, carrying with it a faint, eerie hum. It was rhythmic, almost like a heartbeat, growing louder with every step he took to get closer to the source. His instincts screamed to turn back, but something harder urged him forward-once again, a force that had drawn him to the relic in the first place. As he progressed carefully down the corridor, the humming grew to a low chant, words impossible to understand but steeped in ancient power. Lian could feel the energy vibrating through the walls, through his body. It was the relic, or something connected with it, trying to communicate with him. The corridor opened into a huge chamber, larger than he had seen in the undercity so far. Standing at its center was a towering obelisk covered by intricate symbols that pulsed with light from some other realm. Set around the obelisk were several stone statues, humanoid figures frozen in time with their faces contorted in fear and anguish. Lian's eyes dropped to the base of the obelisk, where something-or someone-leaned against the stone. His heart jumped as he saw the figure clearly. "Aeris!" He rushed forward, his boots clattering upon the stone floor. As he reached her side, the eldritch chant faltered and fell silent once more. Aeris lay still, her face white, her body slack. Lian knelt beside her, his hand on her shoulder. Aeris, wake up," he urged anxiously, his voice anxious. Her eyelids wildly flickered, and she groaned, stirring. Lian let out a startled whoosh of air as her eyes slowly opened. Yet, when their gaze met, something was not quite right. Aeris's eyes were changed - darker, shadowed. As if the relic's energy had leaked into her veins, changing her in ways he did not yet grasp. You… found me," she whispered, her voice weak but laced with something foreign. "I didn't think… you would." Lian frowned; his instincts were on high alert. It wasn't the Aeris he knew-something was different, and it had everything to do with the obelisk towering behind them. "What happened?" Lian asked, his voice low. "Where did you go? Aeris didn't immediately respond. She leveraged herself up to a sitting position, her movements slow and stiff. Her gaze wandered to the obelisk, staring dreamily at it. "I. I touched it," she said after a few more moments, her voice flatly dull. "The relic. it called to me. It showed me things-things I can't explain." Lian's eyes narrowed. He could feel the power emanating from the obelisk, an aura that clawed at his skin. Whatever it was that Aeris had seen, whatever this relic had shown her, it had changed her. And Lian couldn't shake the feeling it wasn't for the better. "We need to get out of here," he said firmly and stood, extending his hand for her. "This place is not safe. Aeris hesitated, her gaze lingering on the obelisk. "But the power… the knowledge… we can't just leave it here." Lian clenched his jaw. The shadows were stirring again; he could feel it. They wouldn't be safe for much longer if they stayed. "We'll come back," Lian promised, though he wasn't so sure that was a promise he could keep. "But right now, we need to get out of here. After a moment of tension, Aeris took his hand, and they began moving away from the obelisk. Even then, as they were leaving the chamber, he could feel the pulsing of the relic behind him, its whispers growing ever fainter yet never quite disappearing. And deep in his mind, he couldn't fight off the creeping feeling that the relic wasn't done with them yet. --- TO BE CONTINUED