Kael's breath came in shallow gasps as he descended the narrow, spiraling staircase. The damp, cold air clung to his skin, and the soft hum of the Stone of Raelith grew louder with every step. Behind him, the entrance to the crypt was swallowed by darkness, leaving only the dim glow of ancient symbols to guide his way.
Eryn's voice echoed in his mind: "Once you begin, there is no turning back."
His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, though he doubted it would offer much protection against what waited below. The weight of his decision pressed down on him, and though Tarin's protests still rang in his ears, Kael knew he had no choice. The shadows had been haunting him for too long. If he wanted answers—if he wanted peace—he had to face whatever lay beneath.
At the bottom of the stairs, the path opened into a vast underground chamber. The ceiling loomed high above him, lost in the blackness, and the walls were lined with ancient carvings, worn by time but still faintly glowing with power. In the center of the chamber, surrounded by a circle of flickering light, sat the Stone of Raelith.
It was smaller than Kael had imagined, a jagged shard of obsidian-black crystal. Yet it pulsed with a dark energy that made his skin crawl, as if it were alive.
But he wasn't alone.
The air grew colder as shadows began to emerge from the walls, their forms indistinct but menacing. They twisted and writhed, taking the shape of figures—humans, but warped by something dark and terrible. Their faces were hollow, their eyes empty pits of despair. And as they surrounded him, Kael felt a creeping dread sink into his bones.
"You cannot escape," one of the shadows whispered, its voice a distorted echo. "You cannot outrun your past."
Kael's heart pounded in his chest as the shadows circled closer, their voices growing louder, more insistent. He raised his sword, but it felt like a futile gesture against the darkness. His legs trembled, his mind filled with images of the past—his father's disappearance, his mother's illness, the constant burden of loss that had weighed him down for so long.
The shadows twisted, their forms shifting into familiar faces—his father, his mother, Tarin. Their eyes were cold, accusing.
"You abandoned us," his father's shadow whispered, its voice filled with venom. "You left us to die."
Kael staggered back, shaking his head. "No… I didn't…"
But the shadows pressed closer, their voices blending into a cacophony of accusation. His mother's voice wept, her face twisted in grief. "You were supposed to save us."
"I tried…" Kael's voice broke as he stumbled, the weight of their words crushing him. His sword fell from his hand, clattering to the ground as he sank to his knees. The darkness around him grew heavier, suffocating him, pulling him deeper into the abyss.
"You cannot change what you are," the shadows hissed. "You are bound by the past. You will never be free."
Kael gasped for breath, his vision blurring as the memories overwhelmed him. He could feel the darkness closing in, the Stone's power pulling at his soul, dragging him down into the void.
But amidst the chaos, a single thought pierced the fog of despair.
I am not bound by the past.
Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, Kael pushed back against the darkness. His hands trembled as he reached out toward the Stone, its cold surface pulsing with dark energy. The shadows recoiled as he touched it, their voices turning to screams of rage.
For a moment, the chamber erupted with light, blinding and searing. Kael felt the power of the Stone surge through him, tearing at his mind and body, but he held on. The shadows dissolved, their forms disintegrating into nothingness, their voices fading into silence.
And then, there was nothing.
Kael awoke to the sound of crackling leaves and the soft murmur of the wind. His body ached, his head pounding as if it had been split in two. He blinked, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He was no longer in the underground chamber. Instead, he lay on the forest floor beneath a dark, starless sky.
Tarin was crouched beside him, his face pale with worry.
"You're alive," Tarin whispered, his voice barely audible. "I thought I'd lost you."
Kael groaned as he sat up, every muscle in his body screaming in protest. His head spun, and for a moment, he wasn't sure if he was still dreaming or if the nightmare had ended.
"The Stone…" Kael muttered, his voice hoarse. "I touched it…"
Tarin shook his head, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You collapsed. I found you lying here like this. Whatever happened down there, I couldn't follow."
Kael swallowed hard, his thoughts still a blur. He could barely remember what had happened after touching the Stone—only fragments of light and shadows, echoes of voices that no longer seemed real. But one thing was clear.
The Stone's pull was gone.
And with it, something inside Kael had changed.