The sanctuary's walls echoed with the growls and scuttling steps of the Echo Beasts that had been drawn by the fragment's power. Caden's grip tightened around the cold, pulsing fragment as he and Garrick moved quickly back through the twisting corridors, the shadows closing in around them. The once-quiet sanctuary was now alive with hostile energy, and every corner seemed to hold another flickering pair of sickly green eyes.
"Stay close, and don't let the fragment's influence overwhelm you," Garrick warned, his voice low but fierce. His staff glowed faintly, casting sharp shadows on the stone walls.
The beasts lurked in the hallways, distorted figures with mismatched limbs and glowing eyes that seemed to burn with a feral hunger. They moved in the darkness, shadows trailing like smoke as they slinked toward Caden and Garrick.
Caden's heart pounded as they turned a corner, only to find an Echo Beast blocking their path, its twisted form filling the narrow hallway, teeth bared in a snarl.
"There's no way through without fighting," Garrick said, his expression grim as he raised his staff. "I'll hold this one. Keep moving!"
Caden hesitated, but the urgency in Garrick's voice pushed him forward. He slipped past Garrick as the older man thrust his staff forward, sending a shock of blue energy at the Echo Beast, forcing it back with a shriek. The creature lunged, claws extended, but Garrick deflected it with a swift, practiced motion.
Caden ran down the corridor, his senses on high alert as he pressed forward. The fragment pulsed, its energy swirling within him, heightening his awareness yet clouding his mind with the same whispers he had felt earlier. Shadows shifted at the edge of his vision, and he knew more of the beasts were closing in.
As he rounded a corner, he saw another Echo Beast—a lean, predatory figure crouched in his path, its green eyes gleaming. Instinctively, Caden drew the shard from his pocket, its warmth anchoring him as he focused on the beast. The System flickered in his vision, offering a faint prompt:
[Ability Available: Fragment Pulse. Limited use.]
With a surge of determination, he released a pulse of energy, the shard flaring with light that struck the creature head-on. The beast staggered, its form flickering as it recoiled, giving him just enough time to dart past it. His legs felt heavy, his breaths coming in sharp gasps, but he pushed forward, the exit only a few turns away.
He could hear Garrick's footsteps behind him, followed by the growls and snapping jaws of the Echo Beasts in pursuit. The sanctuary seemed to close in on them, the walls pressing tighter as if the sanctuary itself were resisting their escape.
"Almost there!" Garrick's voice called, his tone urgent. "Keep moving!"
They burst into a large chamber near the sanctuary's entrance, and Caden felt a surge of hope. But the relief was short-lived. Shadows pooled at the far end, and more Echo Beasts emerged, their twisted forms filling the room as they prowled forward.
Garrick raised his staff, casting a faint shield of arcane energy around them. "This won't hold them for long. Caden, we need to get out now!"
The beasts circled the shield, their eyes fixed on the fragment in Caden's grasp. Their growls intensified, and one of the creatures lunged, claws raking across the shield, sending a shudder through the protective barrier. Caden's grip on the shard tightened, and he could feel the fragment's power pulling at him, urging him to release it, to let it fight for him.
But he resisted, focusing on the shard's steadier pulse. "There are too many," he muttered, panic seeping into his voice.
"Trust me," Garrick said, his gaze unwavering. "When I drop the shield, follow my lead. We'll push through together."
Caden took a shaky breath, nodding. He steadied himself, feeling the shard's energy connect with his own, grounding him even as the fragment's dark whispers pressed against his mind. Garrick lowered the shield, and they charged forward as one.
Garrick's staff pulsed with energy, arcs of arcane magic sparking outward to keep the beasts at bay. Caden followed close behind, using quick bursts of the shard's power to disorient the Echo Beasts that lunged toward them. Each pulse drained him, his energy dwindling with every attack, but they pressed on, the sanctuary's exit growing closer with each step.
A particularly large Echo Beast blocked the doorway, its snarling jaws dripping with dark energy as it prepared to pounce. Caden's legs felt leaden, but he mustered his remaining strength, focusing the shard's power into one last, desperate pulse.
The shard flared, and the creature was thrown backward, crashing into the stone wall with a howl. Garrick seized the opportunity, pulling Caden through the doorway as they stumbled out of the sanctuary and into the open air.
The chill of the night hit them like a wall, and they collapsed to the ground, breathless and exhausted. The sanctuary loomed behind them, its entrance silent once more, though Caden could still feel the fragment's dark influence weighing on him, pressing at the edge of his mind.
Garrick's breathing was ragged as he sat up, his gaze fixed on Caden. "You did well back there. Holding off the fragment's corruption while using the shard's power—that's no small feat."
Caden managed a weak smile, but the weight of the fragment's energy was still heavy, like a storm gathering within him. "It felt… overwhelming," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "The whispers, the darkness—it almost took control."
"Then it's good we're heading for the city," Garrick said, his tone matter-of-fact. "There may be someone there who can help you control it. But we need to be cautious. We don't know who or what is drawn to fragments like these."
They rested briefly, catching their breath before setting off again. The journey to the city would be arduous, and both of them were worn down from the sanctuary's trials. As they moved, Caden felt the fragment's energy settling, though it remained a constant weight within him, its influence lingering like a shadow.
As they traveled, a faint message appeared in Caden's vision, a stark reminder of the dangers that lay ahead:
[New Location Approaching: Aramore. Caution advised. System anomalies detected.]
He glanced at Garrick, who met his gaze with a knowing look. The city would hold answers, perhaps allies, and certainly new dangers. But for now, it was their only hope for understanding—and surviving—the forces that the fragments had unleashed.
Together, they pressed on, the fragment's dark influence casting a long shadow over the path to Aramore.