The Void felt alive now. Every step Max took was accompanied by whispers slithering through his mind, fragmented and incomprehensible. The shard's faint glow was the only thing holding the encroaching darkness at bay, its hum synchronizing with the pounding of his heart.
The growl from the corridor behind him grew louder, guttural and wet, like something dragging itself closer. Max didn't look back. He forced himself forward, his every instinct screaming to run, though he wasn't sure if he was running to something—or from everything.
Ahead, the corridor widened into a vast cavern. The ground was uneven, jagged formations erupting like the bones of some long-forgotten beast. At the center stood a massive obelisk, its surface black as voidstone and pulsing with a sickly, greenish light. Around its base, symbols identical to those in the Codex twisted and writhed, as though alive.
Max approached cautiously, his breath visible in the frigid air. He felt a pull toward the obelisk, the shard in his hand vibrating more violently with every step.
The whispers grew clearer as he neared, words forming like cracks in his mind:
"The Convergence Point is near."
"The seal is weakening."
"You are the vessel."
He stumbled back, clutching his head. The shard flared brightly, and the whispers receded slightly, replaced by an overwhelming sense of being watched.
Max turned sharply, his eyes scanning the cavern. It wasn't just the oppressive atmosphere or the unnatural silence—it was something else, a feeling that burrowed deep into his gut.
The shadows shifted, coalescing into a form. It stood tall and featureless, its outline flickering like static. The creature exuded an aura of pure malice, its presence suffocating.
"Stay back!" Max shouted, holding the shard out like a shield.
The creature didn't move, but its voice—or what passed for one—spoke directly into his mind.
"Why resist? You are already marked. The cycle will end with you."
Max's jaw tightened. "I didn't ask for this. I don't even understand what this is!"
The creature tilted its head unnaturally, its form rippling. "Understanding is irrelevant. Acceptance is inevitable."
Before Max could respond, the cavern began to quake. The obelisk's glow intensified, the writhing symbols growing more erratic. The shard in Max's hand flared, and an unseen force yanked him forward, pulling him toward the obelisk.
"Let me go!" he shouted, fighting against the pull.
The creature remained motionless, watching. As Max was dragged closer, the shard began to resonate with the obelisk, their combined vibrations creating an ear-piercing hum.
A memory surged in Max's mind, unbidden and vivid:
His father, standing before the portal. Viktor's face was pale, his hands shaking as he pressed the shard into a similar obelisk. The portal swirled violently, and shadows began pouring through, their shapes monstrous and alien.
Viktor's voice echoed in the memory: "I'm sorry, Max. I'm so sorry…"
The memory shattered as Max was thrown to the ground before the obelisk. He looked up, and for a fleeting moment, he saw his father's face reflected in its surface—distorted, pleading.
"What did you do, Dad?" Max whispered, his voice breaking.
The shard in his hand grew unbearably hot, and without thinking, he slammed it into the obelisk. The symbols froze, their writhing ceasing as the cavern erupted in a blinding flash of light.
When the light faded, Max found himself standing on the edge of a vast expanse. The world around him was no longer the cavern but a barren wasteland under a sky of swirling void. Far in the distance, a towering structure loomed—black, jagged, and impossible in its size.
The whispers returned, louder than ever.
"The Convergence Point awaits."
Max took a deep breath, the weight of everything pressing down on him. He didn't know what he would find there, but he knew one thing: there was no turning back.
He stepped forward into the abyss.