The chamber trembled as ancient mechanisms groaned to life. Dust rained from the ceiling, and the glowing runes began shifting, their intricate patterns rearranging like pieces of a puzzle. The faint hum of energy filled the room, growing louder with each passing second.
"I knew this was too easy," Lyra muttered, backing toward the center of the group.
Selene raised her staff, casting a protective aura around everyone. "Calla, what's happening? What is this place?"
Calla didn't answer immediately. Her eyes were fixed on the shard, which now pulsed with an otherworldly light. "It's reacting to us. Or maybe to him." She glanced at Arlen, her expression unreadable.
Arlen raised an eyebrow. "Me? What did I do this time?"
"Besides existing?" Lyra quipped, earning a chuckle from Selene despite the tension.
The humor was short-lived as the room's floor began to split, revealing jagged cracks that glowed with molten energy. From the fissures emerged humanoid figures of stone, their forms sculpted with precision and their eyes ablaze with the same light as the shard.
"Elemental constructs," Selene said grimly. "They're guardians."
"Guardians of what, exactly?" Arlen asked, gripping his sword tightly.
"The shard's power," Calla replied, finally tearing her gaze away. "It's a test. If we can't prove our worth, we won't leave this place alive."
The constructs moved with surprising agility, their stone limbs striking with the force of a battering ram. Arlen intercepted the first attack, his blade ringing against the creature's arm.
"Prove our worth, huh?" he said through gritted teeth, pushing back against the construct's strength. "What happens if I just smash them to bits?"
"Then they'll just reform," Calla snapped, loosing a bolt from her crossbow that barely chipped one of the constructs. "We need to disrupt the magic animating them!"
Selene nodded, her staff glowing as she cast a spell. A wave of light erupted from her, slamming into the constructs and forcing them to stagger. "The runes!" she shouted. "They're drawing power from the runes on the walls!"
"Finally, something to hit," Lyra said with a grin, darting toward the nearest rune. Her daggers flashed as she struck at the glowing symbols, disrupting their flow of energy.
The battle became a frantic race against time. Arlen and Lyra focused on the runes while Calla and Selene kept the constructs at bay.
One of the constructs lunged at Calla, its stone fist aimed directly for her head. She ducked at the last moment, rolling out of the way and firing another bolt that struck the creature's glowing core. It faltered, giving her enough time to shout, "The cores! Aim for the cores!"
Arlen smirked. "Cores, huh? My specialty."
He charged another construct, his sword crackling with energy. With a powerful strike, he cleaved through the creature's chest, shattering the glowing core and reducing the construct to rubble.
"Not bad," Lyra called out, destroying another rune. "You might actually be useful after all."
"I aim to please," Arlen shot back, dodging a swipe from another construct.
As more runes were destroyed, the constructs began to falter, their movements slowing. The room's glow dimmed, and the tremors subsided.
Finally, with a last strike from Lyra's dagger, the final rune shattered. The remaining constructs crumbled to dust, leaving the chamber eerily silent.
Arlen sheathed his sword, wiping sweat from his brow. "Well, that was fun. What's next? More death traps?"
Calla ignored him, stepping toward the shard. Now unguarded, its light had softened, pulsing gently as if inviting her closer.
"Wait," Selene said, her tone wary. "We don't know what it'll do if we touch it."
Calla hesitated, then looked back at Arlen. "You're the chosen one, right? Why don't you do the honors?"
Arlen raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so now I'm the chosen one? You seemed pretty skeptical earlier."
"Just touch the damn shard, Arlen," Lyra said, exasperated.
With a shrug, Arlen stepped forward, his hand hovering over the shard. Its glow intensified, bathing the room in a golden light.
"Here goes nothing," he said, grasping the shard.
The moment his fingers closed around it, a surge of energy coursed through him, nearly knocking him off his feet. He gritted his teeth as visions flashed before his eyes—a sprawling battlefield, a throne of light, and a figure cloaked in shadow.
When the visions faded, Arlen found himself on his knees, the shard glowing faintly in his hand.
"Arlen!" Selene knelt beside him, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you alright?"
He nodded, though his head was pounding. "Yeah. Just... a lot to take in."
"What did you see?" Calla asked, her voice sharp.
Arlen hesitated, glancing at the shard. "A warning, maybe. Or a promise. I'm not sure yet."
Before anyone could press him further, the chamber began to shake again.
"Seriously?" Lyra groaned. "What now?"
The walls began to crumble, and the ceiling split apart, revealing a swirling portal of golden light.
"Looks like our exit," Arlen said, rising to his feet. He turned to the others, a cocky grin on his face. "Shall we?"
"Do we have a choice?" Calla muttered, already moving toward the portal.
As they stepped through the portal, the temple faded from view, replaced by a lush, unfamiliar landscape. In the distance, a towering citadel loomed, its spires piercing the sky.
"Welcome to the next level," Arlen said, his grin widening.
The others exchanged wary glances, but none of them could deny the excitement bubbling beneath the surface.
Their journey was far from over—and the shard's secrets were only just beginning to unfold.