The warehouse loomed ahead like a dark monolith, its windows shattered and its doors hanging ajar. Kaelron stood at the edge of the docks, the faint tang of saltwater in the air doing little to mask the stench of rot that seemed to emanate from the building. Around him, the group gathered—Nyx scanning the area with sharp eyes, Eryk leaning against his sword, and Zerin pacing with restless energy.
Behind them stood a squad of city enforcers, their armor dull but functional, their faces set with grim determination. Though the gang's retaliation had shaken Tharien's Gate, these guards were willing to see the fight through.
"Looks abandoned," Eryk muttered, his gaze flicking to the darkened windows.
Nyx sheathed one of her daggers, keeping the other in hand. "Too abandoned. If the gang's really tied to a cult, they wouldn't leave without covering their tracks."
Kaelron felt the fragment in his satchel pulse faintly, its energy steady but unnerving. "They knew we'd come here after the attack," he said. "They moved their supplies during the chaos."
Zerin stopped pacing and smirked. "Probably left a nice mess behind for us to clean up."
Kaelron glanced at the enforcers. "Stay sharp. Whatever's in there, it's not going to be pleasant."
The group advanced cautiously, the guards forming a perimeter around the warehouse as Kaelron and his companions slipped inside.
---
The interior was suffocatingly dark, the only light coming from Kaelron's staff, which glowed faintly with golden fire. Dust and debris covered the floor, and the faint smell of blood lingered in the air.
The group spread out, their footsteps echoing in the vast, empty space. Crates and barrels had been overturned, their contents either smashed or taken.
"They cleared this place out in a hurry," Nyx said, running her fingers along a shattered barrel. "But they left enough behind to tell us what they've been up to."
Eryk nudged a broken table with his boot. On its surface were scattered fragments of black crystals, each pulsing faintly with a violet glow. "Corrupted shards," he muttered. "Looks like they were using them for something."
Kaelron's gaze landed on a dark stain that stretched across the floor, leading to a small chamber near the back of the warehouse. He motioned to the others. "There's more back here."
The chamber was small and windowless, lit only by the flickering flames of Kaelron's staff. The walls were covered in crude markings—twisting runes and sigils drawn in what looked disturbingly like blood.
At the center of the room stood a large iron table, its surface scarred and stained. Shackles were bolted to its edges, and the remains of blackened crystals were scattered around it. Kaelron's stomach turned as he realized what he was looking at.
"They've been experimenting," Nyx said, her voice low and tense.
"With people," Eryk added grimly, gesturing to a pile of discarded clothing in the corner. Many of the garments were torn and bloodied, their owners likely having suffered a horrific fate.
Kaelron stepped closer to the table, his hand hovering above the jagged crystal fragments. The fragment in his satchel pulsed again, resonating faintly with the corrupted energy in the room. "They were trying to merge people with the corruption," he said softly.
Nyx frowned, her daggers at the ready. "Trying to create more shadow tamers, or something worse."
Zerin, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, let out a low whistle. "No wonder this place reeks of death. Whatever they were making here wasn't meant to last."
Near the back of the chamber, Kaelron spotted a stack of parchment on a small, overturned table. Most of the pages were smeared with ink and blood, but one document stood out. Its text was written in a strange cipher, the words twisting and looping in a way that made Kaelron's head ache.
"What is that?" Eryk asked, peering over his shoulder.
"A message," Kaelron replied, carefully rolling the parchment. "It's encoded, but I think it's tied to the ritual they're planning."
Nyx stepped closer, studying the markings. "Can you read it?"
Kaelron shook his head. "Not yet. But there are fragments I recognize—words that match what we saw on the map of the jungle shrine." He paused, his expression darkening. "It mentions a guardian. They're planning to weaken it."
"By using people like this?" Eryk gestured to the grisly scene around them.
Kaelron nodded. "The experiments weren't just to create shadow tamers—they were testing ways to siphon the guardian's strength. If they succeed, the shrine won't stand a chance."
As they searched further, the group discovered more evidence of the gang's experiments. In a hidden alcove, they found jars filled with a viscous, dark liquid that seemed to writhe on its own.
"What the hell is this?" Zerin asked, poking one of the jars with the hilt of his dagger.
"Essence of the Maw," Nyx replied, her voice tight. "It's what happens when you distill pure corruption. They were using it to amplify the crystals' power."
Kaelron's jaw tightened as he examined another jar, his mind racing. "If they've been injecting this into people, it's no wonder the results were unstable. But if they've refined the process..."
"Then they'll use it on the guardian," Nyx finished grimly. "And on anyone who gets in their way."
---
As the group exited the chamber, Kaelron felt the fragment pulse violently. A low growl echoed through the warehouse, and shadows began to shift unnaturally around them.
"They left us a parting gift," Eryk said, unsheathing his sword as Frostfang snarled at his side.
From the darkness emerged a massive shadow beast, its form twisted and jagged. Violet eyes glowed with malice as it roared, the sound shaking the walls.
"Keep it away from the enforcers!" Kaelron shouted, merging partially with Ignis. Flames erupted around him as the gryphon charged the beast, her talons glowing with molten heat.
Nyx darted forward, her daggers flashing as she struck at the beast's legs. Eryk followed close behind, his greatsword cleaving through its writhing form.
The beast lashed out with tendrils of shadow, forcing the group to scatter. Kaelron hurled a stream of fire at its core, but the creature absorbed the flames, its wounds knitting back together.
"It's feeding off the corruption in this place!" Nyx shouted, slashing at a tendril that came too close.
Kaelron gritted his teeth, focusing his energy. "Then we'll burn it out."
Calling upon his bond with Ignis, Kaelron unleashed a surge of golden fire that engulfed the beast. The flames burned brighter than before, their light pushing back the shadows and searing through the creature's form.
The beast let out a final, ear-splitting roar before collapsing into ash. As the fire died down, Kaelron staggered, his breathing labored.
Nyx caught his arm, steadying him. "You okay?"
Kaelron nodded, though his mind was still racing. "We need to decode that message. If we don't stop them soon, the jungle shrine—and its guardian—will fall."
---
The group exited the warehouse, the enforcers waiting outside with nervous expressions. One of them stepped forward. "What did you find?"
Nyx's gaze was cold. "Enough to know the gang isn't just a problem for this city. They're after something much bigger."
Kaelron handed the coded message to the guard captain. "We'll need help decoding this. It's the key to their ritual—and the key to stopping them."
As they walked away, Kaelron glanced back at the warehouse, its shadows seeming darker than before. The evidence they'd found painted a grim picture of what the gang—and the cult—were capable of.
But as the fragment pulsed faintly in his satchel, Kaelron knew one thing for certain: time was running out.