The journey to the Blackwater Ruins was grueling. The swamp stretched endlessly, its air thick with damp and decay. The mist only deepened, an oppressive shroud that turned even the smallest noises into phantom threats.
Elara trudged behind Lyra, who moved through the terrain with the grace of someone who'd walked it a hundred times. Every now and then, Lyra would glance back, her eyes sharp as daggers, checking for movement or weakness.
Kael brought up the rear, quiet and watchful. His presence was like a shadow—unassuming but impossible to ignore. Oran, predictably, hovered between them, occasionally throwing annoyed glances at Lyra whenever she corrected his pace or gestured for silence.
"Do they always act like this?" Elara whispered to Kael when they stopped for a brief rest.
He raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
"Lyra," she said, glancing at the archer, who was scanning the mist for threats. "The whole 'I'm-better-than-you' routine."
Kael chuckled softly, a sound that barely disrupted the stillness. "She's not wrong."
Elara scowled but didn't reply.
They pressed on, the swamp growing darker as the day waned. The faint glow of prismatic energy in the air was the only light guiding their path, casting eerie reflections off the water.
"We're being followed," Lyra announced suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Oran whipped his head around. "How do you know?"
"Footsteps. Four, maybe five. Trying to match ours to stay hidden." Lyra nocked an arrow, her golden trajectory lines flickering into existence. "Keep moving."
The group quickened their pace, but the unseen pursuers closed in.
A flash of movement in the corner of Elara's vision was all the warning she got before a Veil scout lunged from the mist, a blade slicing toward her throat. She stumbled back, instinctively reaching out with her ability.
The scout's energy field faltered mid-swing, his momentum shifting just enough to throw off his aim. Before Elara could react further, Oran's threads lashed out, wrapping around the scout's wrist and yanking him into the muck.
Another figure burst from the fog, and Lyra's arrow struck true before the enemy could take another step. The golden line she had traced hung in the air for a moment before fading.
The attackers didn't stop. More shadows emerged, the swamp alive with the sounds of clashing steel and splashing water.
Elara ducked a thrown blade and reached for her dagger, but the weapon felt foreign in her grasp. She hesitated, and the enemy capitalized, lunging for her with a snarl.
Her heartbeat roared in her ears. She reached out again, this time focusing all her will on the disruptive hum of her ability. The enemy's energy faltered, and they staggered as though struck by an invisible force.
"Keep moving!" Kael shouted, his voice carrying over the chaos. He swapped positions with a falling scout, appearing in their place and landing a devastating blow on another enemy.
"Easier said than done!" Oran called, his threads snapping and coiling like whips around two more attackers.
Lyra's arrows were relentless, each one curving unnaturally mid-flight to strike its target. She didn't miss.
The Veil's forces thinned, but the fight left Elara shaking. By the time the last enemy fell, she was clutching her knees, trying to catch her breath.
"You hesitated," Lyra said coldly, standing over her.
Elara glared up at her. "I—"
Lyra cut her off. "That hesitation almost got you killed."
Kael stepped between them, his tone measured. "She's alive. That's what matters. Let's keep it that way."
Elara clenched her fists, swallowing her frustration. Lyra's words stung, but they weren't wrong.
They regrouped quickly, and Kael took the lead, guiding them closer to the ruins.
For Elara, the swamp wasn't the only thing weighing her down anymore.
The Blackwater Ruins loomed ahead like jagged teeth rising from the earth. Their dark, weathered stones were partially submerged in the swamp, streaked with veins of prismatic energy that pulsed faintly in the mist.
Elara stared, awe momentarily washing away the exhaustion and tension in her body. The ruins were larger than she'd imagined, with arches and towers that seemed impossibly ancient, whispering of forgotten civilizations and secrets long buried.
"Keep moving," Lyra said, breaking Elara's reverie. The archer had already scanned the perimeter, her bow at the ready. "We're not safe yet."
Oran groaned, flicking swamp mud off his boots. "When are we ever safe?"
Kael smirked faintly but said nothing as he gestured for the group to press forward.
Elara followed, her eyes flicking between the ruins and the mist. The Veil's attack had rattled her more than she wanted to admit, and Lyra's sharp words echoed in her mind. She clenched her fists, trying to push the doubt aside.
"Focus, Elara," Kael said softly as he walked beside her. His tone was calm, almost kind, and it surprised her. "Fear is fine. Letting it control you isn't."
She nodded, unsure if she believed him but unwilling to show more weakness.
They reached the outer edge of the ruins, where a crumbling stone wall provided some semblance of cover. Lyra crouched low, peering through a break in the stone. The pulsing veins of prismatic energy grew brighter here, casting faint blue and green hues across the terrain.
"This isn't just a ruin," Lyra murmured. "It's a Prismatic Zone—one of the oldest I've ever seen."
Kael joined her, his expression unreadable. "That explains why Lucius is so interested. A Zone this rich could amplify his experiments tenfold."
Elara exchanged a glance with Oran, who looked as confused as she felt. "Lucius?" she asked hesitantly.
Kael's gaze flicked to her, and his jaw tightened. "Lucius Malvernis. The Veil's true master. He's been operating from the shadows for years, consolidating power and abilities. If he's targeting these ruins, it's because he thinks they'll give him the edge he needs to control the Zones entirely."
"Control them?" Oran asked. "What does that even mean?"
"It means turning the Zones into weapons," Lyra said grimly, her eyes scanning the horizon. "And wiping out anyone who can oppose him."
A cold silence fell over the group. The weight of their mission suddenly felt much heavier.
The Ruins' Heart
Navigating the ruins was no easier than traversing the swamp. The ground was uneven, with ancient stones jutting up like broken ribs. Every step seemed to echo unnaturally, the sound amplified by the latent energy in the air.
"This place gives me the creeps," Oran muttered, his threads twitching like restless fingers.
"It should," Lyra said without looking back. "Places like this were never meant for the living."
Elara shivered, but her attention was drawn to the faint patterns carved into the stones around them—symbols and spirals that seemed to shift when she wasn't looking directly at them.
"What are these?" she asked, brushing her fingers against a marking.
"Runes," Kael replied. "Prismatic glyphs from before the continents were divided. They're designed to channel energy, but most of them are unstable now. Touch the wrong one, and you might trigger something worse than the Veil."
Elara snatched her hand back, her heart racing.
"Relax," Kael added, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You're fine. For now."
Lyra halted abruptly, raising a hand for silence. The group froze, and Elara strained to hear what had caught the archer's attention.
A low hum reverberated through the ruins, growing louder with each passing second. The faint glow of the prismatic veins intensified, flickering like a heartbeat.
"We're not alone," Lyra said, her voice cold and certain.
The first attack came without warning. A hulking figure burst from the shadows, its body distorted and grotesque. Its skin seemed to ripple with unstable prismatic energy, and its eyes glowed with a sickly yellow light.
"Prismatic abominations," Kael muttered, his expression dark. "Lucius's handiwork."
The creature lunged, its massive claws tearing through the air toward Lyra. She sidestepped with practiced ease, loosing an arrow that curved mid-flight and struck the beast in the neck. It howled but didn't fall.
"Go for the core!" Kael shouted.
"The what?" Oran yelled, dodging a second creature that emerged from the rubble.
"The energy core in their chest!" Kael replied, swapping positions with the first creature to avoid its attack. He reappeared behind it, his hands glowing as he slammed a pulse of energy into its back. The beast staggered, exposing a faintly glowing spot in the center of its chest.
Elara hesitated, her dagger trembling in her grip. The creature's twisted form was like a nightmare come to life, but Kael's words echoed in her mind. She focused, reaching out with her ability.
The hum of the creature's energy faltered, the glow in its chest flickering.
"Now!" Kael barked.
Lyra's arrow struck the core, shattering it with a blinding flash of light. The beast collapsed, its form crumbling into ash.
Oran wasn't faring as well. His threads coiled around the second creature's limbs, but it thrashed wildly, dragging him off balance. Elara's heart raced as she ran toward him.
"Hold it still!" she shouted, her voice stronger than she expected.
Oran gritted his teeth, his threads pulling taut. "Hurry up!"
Elara plunged her dagger toward the creature's core, her ability disrupting its energy field just enough to pierce through. The blade struck home, and the beast disintegrated with a deafening roar.
The ruins fell silent again, except for the heavy breathing of the group.
"Two down," Lyra said, already scanning the shadows for more. "But I doubt those were the last."
Kael nodded. "We need to move. Whatever Lucius is after, it's deeper inside."
Elara exchanged a glance with Oran, who looked as shaken as she felt. They had survived—for now. But with every step deeper into the ruins, the danger only seemed to grow.