The air in the study room was heavy with unanswered questions. The warnings they had received still lingered in the back of their minds, but Elias had pressed the team forward, refusing to let doubt derail their work. The room was cluttered with scattered notes, fragments of translations, and the faint hum of a laptop left on standby. The walls seemed to close tighter each day as the team grew more consumed by their task.
Marie sat hunched over a scroll, her brow furrowed in concentration. The text before her was one of the more intact pieces they had recovered from the dig site, its symbols painstakingly etched into the fragile parchment. The language was complex, layered with metaphors and hidden meanings, but she had spent weeks deciphering its intricacies. Now, at last, the pieces were starting to come together.
"Elias," she called softly, not looking up from the scroll.
Sitting across the room with his head buried in a stack of notes, Elias looked up, his expression both tired and eager. "What is it?"
Marie hesitated, her fingers tracing the lines of text as though touching the words would make their meaning clearer. "I think I've found something. A ritual—a purification rite. It's… different from the others we've seen. This one wasn't meant to worship Malakarath. It was meant to contain it."
Elias stood, crossing the room to peer over her shoulder. Jonas, sitting silently in the corner, looked up sharply. "Contain it? Like the original seals?"
Marie nodded, her voice tinged with both excitement and unease. "Yes. But it's not the same as the seals they used to bind Malakarath in the tomb. This was something else—something desperate. The text suggests it was their last attempt to stop it after the original seals began to weaken."
Elias leaned closer, his eyes scanning the symbols. "Can you translate it? What does it say?"
Marie exhaled slowly, gathering her thoughts. "It's incomplete—some of the symbols are too damaged to fully decipher—but from what I can tell, it's a ritual that requires specific components, each representing an aspect of Malakarath's power. They believed that by using these components in the right way, they could disrupt its connection to the physical world and weaken its influence."
Jonas frowned, standing and joining them at the table. "What kind of components are we talking about? Herbs? Stones? Something we can actually get our hands on?"
Marie's expression darkened. "Not exactly. The components are… unusual. Rare. Almost mythic."
She pointed to a line of text, her finger hovering over the faded symbols. "The first is something called the 'Essence of Starlight.' It's described as a substance that reflects the purity of the heavens, untainted by earthly corruption."
Jonas raised an eyebrow. "That sounds… vague."
Marie nodded. "It does, but I think it's metaphorical. It might reference a specific type of crystal or mineral—something they believed was imbued with celestial properties."
She moved her finger to the next line. "The second is the 'Blood of the Earth.' It's described as a liquid that flows from the veins of the planet itself, carrying its life force."
Elias's eyes widened. "That sounds like oil. Or maybe some kind of rare ore."
Marie shrugged. "Possibly. The text isn't clear, but whatever it is, it's significant. The followers of Malakarath believed it was the key to disrupting its connection to the physical world."
She hesitated before pointing to the final line. "The third is… more troubling. It's called the 'Heart of the Devoted.' The text describes it as the ultimate sacrifice—a living offering from one touched by Malakarath's power."
The room fell silent, the weight of her words sinking in. Jonas was the first to break the silence, his voice hard. "A living offering? You mean… someone has to die?"
Marie's gaze dropped to the table, her voice barely above a whisper. "That's what it says. The followers believed that only by offering a part of themselves—someone deeply connected to Malakarath—could they complete the ritual."
Elias straightened, his jaw tightening. "So that's why it was a last-ditch effort. They knew it would cost them everything."
Jonas paced the room, his frustration evident. "This is insane. Even if we could find these components—and that's a big if—you're saying someone has to die to make this work? How is that any different from the sacrifices they made to Malakarath in the first place?"
Marie looked up, her eyes filled with conflict. "It's not the same, Jonas. This isn't about feeding Malakarath. It's about stopping it—permanently. They believed the sacrifice was necessary to sever its connection to this world."
Jonas scoffed. "And you believe that? You think throwing someone's life away is going to fix this?"
Elias's voice cut through the tension, firm and unyielding. "If that's what it takes, then yes."
Jonas turned on him, his anger boiling over. "Are you even listening to yourself? You're talking about sacrificing someone—maybe even yourself—and for what? A ritual you don't even fully understand?"
Elias met his gaze, his expression resolute. "Because the alternative is letting Malakarath win. If we don't stop it, if we don't do whatever it takes, it's going to destroy everything. You've seen what it's capable of. Do you really think walking away will make it go away?"
Jonas opened his mouth to argue but stopped, his shoulders sagging as the weight of Elias's words settled over him. He didn't have an answer.
Marie cleared her throat, breaking the heavy silence. "We don't have to decide anything yet. This is just the first step. We know what the ritual requires, but we still have to find the components—and figure out how to perform it correctly. There's still time to figure out if this is even possible."
Elias nodded, his determination unwavering. "Then we start now. We research everything we can about these components, where to find them, and how to use them. If this ritual is the only way to stop Malakarath, we can't waste time."
Marie hesitated, then gave a slight nod. "I'll keep working on the translations. More clues might be hidden in the text—details we haven't uncovered yet."
Jonas sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine. But I'm telling you now, if this starts going south, I'm out. I'm not throwing my life away for this."
Elias didn't respond, his focus already shifting back to the scrolls. The path before them was steep, the cost high, but he couldn't let that stop him. Malakarath's presence was growing stronger, its whispers more insistent, and he knew they were running out of time.
That night, as the others left to get what little rest they could, Elias remained in the study room, the translated text spread out before him. He traced the symbols with his finger, his mind racing with possibilities.
The room was quiet, but the silence felt oppressive, almost alive. He could feel the shadows watching him, the faint whisper of Malakarath's name brushing against his thoughts.
"Essence of Starlight," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "Blood of the Earth. Heart of the Devoted."
The words felt heavy, charged with meaning and consequence. As he stared at the text, an image flickered in his mind—Malakarath, serene and commanding, its dark eyes locking onto his.
"Knowledge is earned through sacrifice," the voice whispered, soft and haunting.
Elias shivered, but he didn't look away. He couldn't afford to. The ritual was their only chance, and he would see it through, no matter the cost.