The massive chamber felt alive. The carved structure at its center pulsed in sync with the curse on Elric's arm, each throb sending a wave of heat through his body. Grizzle kept his distance, rubbing his scorched hands as he glared at the orb still faintly glowing in his grip.
"Why does everything we touch want to kill us?" Grizzle muttered, shaking his head.
Elric didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the structure before them—a towering altar of twisting stone and crystal. Its surface shimmered with shifting runes, their patterns almost hypnotic. Surrounding the altar were four statues: a knight, a scholar, a beast, and a hooded figure holding a pair of scales. Each exuded an aura of power that made Elric's cursed markings crawl.
"The Heart is in there, isn't it?" Elric asked, not bothering to disguise his irritation.
Grizzle groaned. "If it isn't, I'll eat my boots. And I hate boots."
A low rumble echoed through the chamber, and the runes on the altar flared to life. The statues moved, their heads turning to focus on Elric and Grizzle. A deep, resonant voice filled the air, seemingly emanating from the altar itself.
"To claim the Heart, you must pass the Trial of Truth. Step forward, cursed one, and be judged."
"Truth? Oh, I love truth," Elric quipped. "It's so… flexible."
Grizzle tugged at his sleeve. "Boss, maybe don't antagonize the glowing death altar, yeah?"
Ignoring his goblin companion, Elric approached the altar. The runes intensified, projecting a swirling portal of light into the air above it. As Elric stepped closer, the portal solidified, revealing a vision of a battlefield—a scene from long ago.
The image showed a younger Elric, standing amidst a sea of corpses. His sword dripped with blood, and his face was twisted in anger. Around him, soldiers fell, their screams drowned by the roar of flames.
Elric's stomach tightened. He remembered this moment. The day the curse began.
The altar's voice boomed again. "You wield destruction without restraint. The lives lost by your hand cry out for justice. Do you deny your guilt?"
Elric hesitated, his jaw clenching. "I don't deny it," he said finally. "But guilt doesn't matter when survival's at stake."
The statues rumbled, their forms shifting. The knight and scholar stepped forward, their eyes glowing.
"Survival without purpose is hollow," the knight declared, raising its stone blade.
"Knowledge untempered by wisdom breeds ruin," the scholar added, its hands crackling with arcane energy.
They moved toward Elric, their footsteps shaking the ground.
Grizzle yelped. "Uh, boss? Plan?"
"Same as always," Elric muttered, drawing his sword. "Don't die."
---
The Duel of Truth
The knight struck first, its blade descending in an arc so fast Elric barely dodged in time. The ground cracked where the blow landed, sending shards of stone flying. Elric countered, his cursed blade meeting the knight's with a shower of sparks.
At the same time, the scholar unleashed a barrage of energy bolts, forcing Elric to retreat. Grizzle darted to the side, still clutching the orb. "I'll just… cheer you on from over here!"
"You're doing great," Elric growled through gritted teeth, deflecting another strike. "Really pulling your weight."
The cursed markings flared brighter, and with each clash, Elric felt his strength growing—but so did the searing pain. The curse was feeding on the power of the trial, urging him to let go, to surrender to its influence.
"No," Elric hissed. "Not yet."
He shifted his stance, ducking under the knight's next swing and driving his blade into its knee. The statue staggered but didn't fall. The scholar seized the opportunity, its hands weaving a spell that wrapped Elric in chains of light.
The bindings burned, and Elric cried out, dropping to one knee. The knight loomed over him, its blade poised for the final blow.
---
Grizzle's Gamble
"Alright, enough of this!" Grizzle shouted, sprinting toward the altar. The orb in his hands flared again, reacting to the energy in the room. "Hey, glowing rocks! How about you deal with me for a change?"
The scholar turned, its glowing eyes locking onto Grizzle. It raised a hand, and a wave of energy shot toward the goblin. Grizzle yelped, diving behind the altar just as the orb emitted a pulse of light that disrupted the attack.
The statues froze, their attention shifting between Elric and the orb.
"Boss!" Grizzle called. "Whatever this thing's doing, it's distracting them! Finish it already!"
Elric gritted his teeth, summoning every ounce of strength. The curse surged, and for a brief moment, he let it. The markings spread across his chest, and his blade ignited with dark energy. With a roar, he broke free of the scholar's chains and drove his sword into the knight's chest.
The statue shattered, its fragments disintegrating into light. The scholar recoiled, its form flickering. Elric didn't hesitate. He turned, slicing through the air with a wave of cursed energy that consumed the scholar in an instant.
The chamber fell silent. The remaining statues returned to their original positions, and the portal above the altar dimmed.
---
The Heart Revealed
As the dust settled, the altar pulsed again, and the runes shifted. The stone structure opened like a flower, revealing a crystalline orb nestled within—a perfect, glowing counterpart to the one Grizzle held.
"The Heart," Elric muttered, his voice heavy.
The altar spoke one last time. "You have proven yourself, cursed one. But beware: the Heart will amplify what lies within. If your soul is tainted, so too shall its power be."
Elric reached out, his hand trembling. As his fingers brushed the surface of the Heart, a wave of energy surged through him, and the chamber was consumed by blinding light.