The air beneath the city was thick and oppressive, the faint echoes of dripping water the only sound in the dark expanse. Tobi's steps echoed as he followed Hiki and Moritaka deeper into the labyrinth.
Friend's luminous eyes glinted in the faint light cast by the glowing veins of white crystal embedded in the walls.
"I still can't believe this place exists," Tobi said, his voice hushed. "An entire city buried beneath the ruins."
Hiki glanced back, his expression unreadable in the dim light. "The surface war wasn't the end. Survivors fled underground to escape the destruction. Some found sanctuaries like this. Others didn't."
"And the cultists?" Moritaka asked, his tone sharp.
"They've been here for generations," Hiki said. "Twisting these old sanctuaries into something else. Something darker."
The tunnels widened into a massive cavern, its ceiling lost in the shadows above. Stalagmites rose like jagged teeth from the ground, and the crystal veins pulsed faintly, casting an eerie glow.
In the center of the cavern stood a towering obelisk, its surface etched with symbols that seemed to writhe and shift in the light.
"That's it," Hiki said, his voice low. "The heart of their ritual site."
Tobi's chest burned as the mark flared to life, the sensation like molten fire coursing through his veins. Friend's voice was quiet but firm. 'They know we're here. Be ready.'
The group approached cautiously, their movements silent against the stone floor. As they neared the obelisk, Tobi could see figures moving in the shadows.
The cultists—cloaked and hooded—stood in a loose circle, chanting in a guttural, rhythmic cadence. The air around them shimmered, heavy with energy.
"We can't let them finish," Hiki whispered, her hand tightening on her weapon. "If the obelisk activates fully, we'll lose any chance of stopping them."
Moritaka drew his blade, the metal glinting faintly. "Then let's make this quick."
Before they could move, the chanting stopped. The leader of the cultists stepped forward, their robe adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to glow faintly. Their face was obscured by a mask carved from black stone, its surface smooth and featureless.
"You are too late," the leader said, their voice resonating unnaturally. "The Awakening has already begun."
The obelisk flared, a beam of light shooting upward and splitting into tendrils that snaked across the cavern's ceiling. The ground trembled, and the crystal veins pulsed violently, their glow growing brighter with each passing second.
'Tobi!' Friend's voice cut through the chaos. 'The mark—it's reacting to the obelisk. You have to stop it.'
"How?" Tobi shouted, panic rising in his chest.
'Trust yourself. Focus your power. The mark is the key.'
Hiki and Moritaka sprang into action, engaging the cultists with practiced precision. The cavern filled with the clash of metal and the crackle of energy as the two fought to hold off the enemy.
Tobi, his heart pounding, stepped closer to the obelisk. The mark on his chest burned brighter with each step, its heat almost unbearable.
Friend trotted beside him, his voice steady. 'Ignore the chaos. It's you and the obelisk now. Reach out… and take control.'
Tobi raised his hand, the mark blazing with light. The energy from the obelisk surged toward him, a torrent of power that threatened to overwhelm his senses. He gritted his teeth, focusing on the connection, on the strange resonance between his mark and the symbols on the obelisk.
"I can… feel it," he murmured. "It's alive. It's trying to resist."
'Then don't give it a choice,' Friend urged.
Tobi closed his eyes and pushed, channeling every ounce of his will into the mark. The symbols on the obelisk began to flicker, their light dimming. The cavern trembled violently, and the cultists faltered, their chanting breaking as the ritual's energy waned.
"No!" the leader shouted, their voice filled with rage. They raised their hands, directing a surge of dark energy toward Tobi.
Friend leapt between them, his form glowing brilliantly as he intercepted the attack.
A sudden, inexplicable phenomenon unfolded. To everyone else, it seemed as though the incoming energy faltered midair, scattering into harmless, glimmering fragments before it could reach Tobi.
Hiki and Moritaka stood frozen, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief, while the cult leader's eyes widened, his composure cracking for the first time.
To Tobi, it was clear—Friend had intervened, his unseen form glowing with a fierce brilliance. Despite the staggering power he absorbed, Tobi could sense Friend's presence dimming under the strain.
'Tobi, finish it!' Friend's voice echoed in Tobi's mind, urgent and resolute, urging him to act.
Summoning every ounce of strength, Tobi reached deeper into the connection. The obelisk's light flickered once more, then extinguished completely. The cavern fell silent, the oppressive energy dissipating like a receding tide.
The cultists recoiled, their leader's mask cracking as they stumbled back. "You don't understand what you've done," they hissed, their voice trembling. "This is only the beginning."
Hiki and Moritaka moved to stand beside Tobi, their weapons raised. "The beginning of the end for you," Hiki said coldly.
The leader laughed, a hollow, chilling sound. "For all of us." With a final, defiant gesture, they vanished into the shadows, their remaining followers scattering like rats.
The cavern was eerily quiet as the group surveyed the aftermath. The obelisk stood dark and dormant, its power seemingly extinguished. Tobi sagged to his knees, exhaustion washing over him. Friend appeared beside him, his form faint but steady.
'You did well,' Friend said softly. 'But this isn't over.'
Hiki knelt beside Tobi, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever that was, you stopped it. That's what matters."
Moritaka sheathed his blade, his expression grim. "For now. But they'll be back. And next time, they'll be ready for us."
Tobi nodded, his resolve hardening despite his weariness. "Then we'll be ready for them too."
The group began their ascent back through the tunnels, leaving the dark heart of the cavern behind. But as they climbed, Tobi couldn't shake the feeling that the cultist leader's words were more than a threat.
They were a promise and the shadows of the underground held far more secrets yet to be uncovered.