The sun had fully dipped below the horizon. The battlefield was eerily quiet now, the stench of blood mingling with the oppressive weight emanating from the crater.
Elder Hakim extended his hand toward the ground, using his Terrakinesis to mold up a smooth wand of polished stone. He retrieved a golden crystal from his satchel, fixing it to the top.
As the crystal settled, a gentle surge of his elemental energy flared the crystal to life, illuminating the scene with warm golden light. Pushing back the encroaching darkness.
Around him, the other elders and guards followed suit, creating makeshift lamps and wands to dispel the oppressive shadows curling around the crater.
Raed stood tall, scanning the aftermath of the battle with his sharp, battle-hardened gaze. His twin scimitars sheathed but always within reach. His voice cut through the oppressive silence.
"Guards, gather the monsters crystals. Take the injured to the infirmary and secure the perimeter. No one approaches the crater without orders."
Zayd crouched in the shadows, observing his father and the elders from his hidden perch. He felt the weight of the moment, a mix of awe and unease tightening his chest.
Hakim cast a glance toward the crater, where the strange black sphere rested at its center. His brow furrowed deeply
"Luckily, we suffered no casualties so far. But we need to inspect that sphere before its presence draws anything worse."
Raed nodded, his expression grim.
"Elders, with me. Let's get to the bottom of this."
The faint buzz of light crystals and the occasional groan of injured guards were the only sounds as the elders and Raed gathered at the crater's edge, staring down at the black sphere at its center.
Its polished black surface gleamed faintly under the light of their wands, etched with swirling patterns that seemed to shift when observed from the corner of one's vision.
Symbols reminiscent of the ones Zayd saw were carved meticulously into the dark alloy, their meaning lost to time or perhaps not meant to be understood at all.
At the sphere's heart lay an obsidian glass panel, smooth as water yet alive with a faint violet glow coming from the inside.
It pulsed subtly, casting dim reflections in the air as if it were drawing shadows toward itself.
Around its edges, tendrils of mist-like darkness wove and unwound themselves, disappearing into the atmosphere like fading whispers.
The air around it felt dense, thick with an unspoken menace.
At his perch Zayd could hear their conversation faintly, his senses enhanced by the falling night.
"These symbols…" Hakim murmured, brushing his beard thoughtfully.
"They're not runes. Nor do they resemble any known language. Linear in structure, precise but... completely alien. Nothing in any record I've studied matches this."
Raed crossed his arms, his expression unreadable.
"Are you certain? Not fragments from ancient ruins or lost language?"
Hakim shook his head, his voice heavy with awe.
"Not a single resemblance. Whatever this is, it's not of our world."
Elder Samira stood at the side of the group, her sharp eyes scanning the object.
"There's something else," her tone edged with unease. She pointed to a faint crimson glow on the sphere's side.
"That mark at the edge. Look."
The group turned to where she gestured, their eyes locking onto the pulsing red symbol.
Unlike the intricate patterns and symbols adorning the rest of the sphere, the crimson mark was crude in comparison, chaotic, and unsettling. Its lines twisted and writhed, as though alive.
"This…" Hakim squinted at it, his usual scholarly composure cracking.
"This seems like a fire-element spell, but—" He hesitated, his voice dropping.
Samira tilted her head.
"A spell? Who could have placed it?"
"I don't know," Hakim admitted, stepping back slightly.
"Its structure is unmistakably fire. But it's… wrong. Twisted. Fire spells are stable, even in their rawest forms. This one…"
He paused, his tone heavy.
"It's fractured. Like staring at fire through shattered glass."
Raed's gaze darkened.
"Could it have been placed there by whoever brought this sphere?"
"Possibly," Hakim said, his voice laden with uncertainty.
"Whoever cast this mark was no ordinary fire elementalist. To create something this... distorted, they'd need a mastery beyond most. It's as if the spell itself has been tainted, though whether intentionally or through some external force, I cannot say."
Raed's jaw tightened as he heard Hakim's theory.
"Could this sphere and mark be connected to this morning tremors and the frenzied beasts?"
"The timing can't be a coincidence," Hakim muttered, running a hand through his gray-streaked beard. His voice held an edge of fear Zayd had never heard before.
Elder Tariq's grip tightened on his Warhammer, his voice gruff.
"Whatever it is, it reeks of danger. We shouldn't waste time trying to understand it. Destroy the sphere and that cursed mark along with it. End this before it brings more trouble."
"And what if destroying it releases something worse?" Samira countered, her sharp tone cutting through the tension.
"We don't know enough about it—or what lies within. Rushing in could doom us all."
Raed raised a hand, silencing their debate.
"No one touches the sphere until we've tested it. Hakim, send a golem. Have it inspect the sphere first. Let's see if there's a mechanism or anything we can use to open it safely."
Hakim nodded, crouching to press his hands against the ground, pouring his elemental energy into his brown rune rings that wrapped around his forearm. The usual faint brown glow came from the runes as they activated.
The earth shifted and rose, forming a humanoid golem. Its sturdy form solidified, its movements deliberate as Hakim guided it toward the crater's edge.
The golem approached cautiously, its heavy steps crunching against the jagged terrain. It reached the sphere and began to trace its surface with stony fingers, methodically searching for a seam, button, or other mechanism.
"Anything?" Raed asked, his voice cutting through the tense silence.
Hakim shook his head.
"The sphere is seamless. Whatever mechanism exists to open it, if there is one, it's not external."
"Have it test the crimson mark," Raed ordered, his tone sharp.
The golem adjusted its stance, extending its arm toward the glowing red mark. The moment its fingers brushed the spell, the mark flared to life, erupting with searing crimson light.