The square was eerily silent in the aftermath of the battle, save for the faint hum of the crystal in Darian's hands. Jack lay on the cobblestones, staring at the sky as his lungs fought to keep up with his frantic breaths. Every muscle in his body ached, and the events of the night weighed on him like a boulder.
"Is it over?" he asked weakly, not bothering to lift his head.
Darian knelt beside him, cradling the crystal with a mix of reverence and dread. "For now," he said, though his tone lacked conviction. He turned the crystal over in his hands, watching the faint swirling darkness within it. "But this… this is dangerous, Jack. We can't keep it."
Jack propped himself up on his elbows, scowling. "Are you kidding me? After all that, you're saying we can't just stick it in a vault and call it a day?"
Darian shook his head, his expression grim. "The Revenant isn't gone. It's bound, yes, but it's still alive in here." He held up the crystal. "This is a temporary prison. Sooner or later, the magic will weaken, and it'll escape again—stronger than before."
Jack groaned, dropping back onto the ground. "Of course it will. Why would anything be easy?"
Darian stood and offered Jack a hand, pulling him to his feet. Around them, the few remaining townsfolk began to emerge from their hiding places, their faces pale and wary. Some whispered prayers of thanks, while others simply stared at the destruction in stunned silence.
"Heroes, they called us," Jack muttered, brushing dust off his jacket. "But they have no idea what kind of nightmare we've unleashed."
"Then we'll make sure they never have to deal with it again," Darian said firmly. He turned to the townsfolk, raising his staff to calm them. "The threat is contained," he announced. "The Revenant won't harm you anymore."
A murmur of relief spread through the crowd, but Jack noticed the way some people looked at the glowing crystal in Darian's hands—with fear. He couldn't blame them.
One of the villagers, an older man with a thick gray beard, stepped forward. "Thank you," he said, his voice trembling. "But… what do we do now? Our homes… our lives…"
Jack looked around at the shattered buildings and rubble-strewn streets. The town would take years to recover from the damage. "We'll help," he said before he could stop himself.
Darian shot him a surprised glance, but Jack ignored it. "We'll help rebuild," he repeated, louder this time. "It's the least we can do after bringing that thing here in the first place."
The old man nodded slowly, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Thank you," he said again, this time with more conviction.
Darian waited until the villagers began dispersing to assess the damage before turning to Jack. "That was noble," he said. "But we can't stay here for long. We still need to figure out what to do with this." He held up the crystal.
Jack sighed. "You're the mage. Got any ideas?"
Darian hesitated, his gaze distant. "There's one place," he said finally. "An ancient sanctuary hidden deep in the mountains, where powerful artifacts are stored and guarded. The Crystal of Binding might hold there, protected by wards stronger than anything I can conjure."
"And let me guess," Jack said, crossing his arms. "It's not a simple stroll through the woods to get there."
Darian gave him a rueful smile. "It's a perilous journey. The sanctuary is said to be protected by traps, magical defenses, and—"
"Yeah, yeah," Jack interrupted, waving a hand. "I get the picture. Death at every turn. Fine. Let's do it." He paused, then added with a smirk, "But you're carrying that thing."
Darian chuckled, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Agreed."
Two days later, the pair stood at the edge of a dense forest at the base of the mountains. The towering trees loomed overhead, their twisted branches forming a canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. The air was thick with the scent of moss and damp earth, and the distant sound of rushing water echoed through the woods.
Jack adjusted the strap of his pack, glancing uneasily at the shadowy forest. "So, how much farther?"
Darian consulted a map, his finger tracing a winding path toward the mountains. "About three days' travel, assuming we don't run into any… complications."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Complications like what?"
"Bandits. Wild animals. Rogue magical creatures. The usual."
"Great," Jack muttered, pulling his sword from its sheath to test its weight. "I was starting to miss the Revenant already."
The first day of travel passed without incident, though the oppressive silence of the forest set Jack on edge. Every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig made him reach for his weapon, but nothing emerged from the shadows.
By the second day, the terrain grew steeper and more treacherous. The narrow path wound upward through rocky outcroppings and thick undergrowth, and Jack's legs burned with the effort of climbing.
"Are we close yet?" he asked, panting.
Darian, who seemed annoyingly unaffected by the climb, nodded. "We're making good progress. If we keep this pace, we'll reach the sanctuary by tomorrow evening."
Jack groaned. "Can't wait."
As the sun began to set, they set up camp in a small clearing. Darian built a fire, and the two ate in silence, the crackling flames providing a small measure of comfort against the encroaching darkness.
"You know," Jack said, staring into the fire, "this whole mess started because I touched a shadow. Just a stupid, impulsive move."
Darian looked up from his bowl of stew, his expression thoughtful. "And yet, if you hadn't, the Revenant might have found another way to break free. You didn't cause this, Jack. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Jack snorted. "Comforting."
Darian smiled faintly. "What I mean is, you've done more than most would have. You stood your ground. Fought back. That takes courage."
"Or stupidity," Jack muttered.
"Sometimes they're the same thing," Darian said with a chuckle.
The two lapsed into silence, the firelight flickering across their faces. Jack found his thoughts drifting to the sanctuary and what awaited them there. He didn't trust ancient magical places—not after everything they'd been through. But if this sanctuary was their best chance to keep the Revenant contained, he had no choice.
They took turns keeping watch through the night, and by dawn, they were back on the trail. The final stretch of the journey was the hardest yet. The path grew narrow and treacherous, clinging to the side of a sheer cliff face. One wrong step could send them tumbling into the abyss below.
"Don't look down," Darian warned.
Jack, who had already made the mistake of glancing at the drop, gritted his teeth. "Too late."
When they finally reached the sanctuary, Jack was almost too exhausted to appreciate the sight before him. The structure was carved directly into the mountainside, its massive stone doors adorned with intricate runes that glowed faintly in the fading light.
"This is it," Darian said, his voice tinged with awe.
Jack let out a low whistle. "Impressive. Let's just hope it lives up to the hype."
Darian approached the doors, placing a hand on the runes. He whispered an incantation, and the runes flared brightly before the doors creaked open, revealing a vast chamber bathed in an ethereal blue light.
Inside, towering statues stood sentinel along the walls, their eyes glowing with the same faint light as the runes. At the center of the chamber was a pedestal surrounded by intricate wards, similar to those in the library but far more powerful.
"This is where it belongs," Darian said, stepping forward. He placed the crystal on the pedestal, and the wards flared to life, encasing the crystal in a shimmering barrier of light.
Jack exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "So, that's it? It's done?"
Darian nodded. "The Revenant is sealed. For good, this time."
Jack stared at the glowing barrier, a strange mix of relief and unease settling over him. "Let's hope you're right."
As they turned to leave, Jack couldn't shake the feeling that their journey wasn't truly over. Something about the sanctuary, about the way the statues seemed to watch them, sent a chill down his spine.
"Darian," he said quietly, "what happens if someone comes looking for it?"
Darian paused, his expression unreadable. "Then we pray they don't find it."
And with that, they stepped out of the sanctuary, the heavy stone doors sealing shut behind them. The mountains loomed in the distance, and for the first time in days, the air felt lighter.
But Jack knew one thing for sure: their story was far from over.