The chamber beneath the plateau felt timeless, the air thick with the weight of history. The glowing purple Core of Ascension in Ryn's hands hummed faintly, its energy resonating with the chamber's carvings. The walls depicted ancient tamers standing beside beasts that defied logic, their forms massive and ethereal, each surrounded by swirling runes.
"These carvings..." Lyra whispered, running her fingers over the etchings. "They're showing tamers and beasts unlike anything we've ever seen. Look at this one."
She pointed to a mural depicting a tamer standing on a mountain, commanding a dragon-like beast with wings that shimmered like galaxies. Below them were kneeling figures, offering orbs similar to the ones Ryn now possessed.
"Cores," Ryn said, piecing it together. "They're connected to these tamers and their beasts. But how?"
The Mistborn Stalker growled low, sniffing the air. Ryn followed its gaze to a doorway at the far end of the chamber, partially obscured by rubble.
"There's more," Ryn said, his determination hardening.
...
Clearing the rubble took time, but beyond the doorway lay a narrow passage that sloped deeper into the mountain. The walls glowed faintly with runes, lighting their way as they descended.
The temperature dropped, and the air grew heavier with energy, sending shivers through Ryn and Lyra. As they moved, Ryn's ability flared, offering fragmented insights.
Region: Subterranean Vault
Purpose: Repository for Core Artifacts.
Warning: High likelihood of Guardian activity.
"We're heading straight into another fight, aren't we?" Lyra asked, her voice tight with unease.
Ryn nodded. "Probably. But whatever's down here is important—maybe even vital."
The passage opened into a vast cavern illuminated by a glowing pool of liquid light at its center. Surrounding the pool were pedestals, each holding an object or artifact.
One pedestal, however, stood empty, its surface cracked and dark.
...
Ryn approached the empty pedestal, his ability activating again.
Artifact Missing: Core of Dominion
Purpose: Grants control over beasts beyond natural means.
Warning: Highly unstable.
"The Core of Dominion," Ryn murmured. "Someone took it."
Lyra's brow furrowed. "And if it does what it says, whoever has it could control beasts against their will. That's... terrifying."
Before Ryn could respond, the glowing pool rippled, and a towering figure emerged. It was humanoid but clearly not human, its body made of shimmering, translucent energy. Runes covered its form, and its eyes glowed with an intense, otherworldly light.
Entity: Runic Sentinel
Rank: Legendary Protector
Abilities: Energy Manipulation, Beam Barrage, Adaptive Shields
Weakness: Energy overload from external sources.
...
The Runic Sentinel raised a hand, releasing a beam of raw energy that tore through the cavern floor. Ryn and Lyra dove out of the way, their beasts springing into action.
"Nightshade, keep it distracted!" Lyra shouted.
Her Nightshade Hare leapt forward, releasing waves of shadow energy. The Sentinel deflected them with ease, its adaptive shields absorbing the attacks.
"Stalker, flank it!" Ryn commanded.
The Mistborn Stalker darted around the Sentinel, slashing at its legs. The Sentinel retaliated with a pulse of energy, sending the Stalker skidding across the cavern floor.
"It's adapting too fast!" Lyra called. "How do we stop it?"
Ryn's ability activated, providing a critical insight.
Tactic: Overload the Sentinel by directing energy from the pool. Synchronize with Core Artifacts.
"The pool!" Ryn shouted. "We need to use its energy. It's the only way to overwhelm the Sentinel."
...
Lyra directed Eclipse to channel light into the glowing pool. The liquid light surged, sending ripples of energy through the cavern. The Sentinel faltered, its shields flickering as it turned its attention to the pool.
"Now, Stalker!" Ryn commanded.
The Mistborn Stalker leapt onto the Sentinel's back, claws glowing with energy drawn from the pool. It tore into the Sentinel's runes, causing cracks to spread across its form.
Lyra's Nightshade Hare followed up, releasing a concentrated burst of shadow energy that struck the Sentinel's core.
The entity let out a deafening roar as its body fractured, releasing a blinding flash of light before dissolving into fragments.
...
As the light faded, a small object floated above the pool—a crystalline shard, glowing with the same light as the Core of Ascension.
Ryn reached out, his ability activating.
Artifact: Core of Resonance
Purpose: Enhances synergy between tamer and beast, unlocking hidden abilities.
"This will help us," Ryn said, holding the shard carefully.
Lyra nodded. "We're going to need it. Whoever took the Core of Dominion is probably planning something big."
As they prepared to leave the cavern, Ryn noticed a faint glow from the carvings on the walls. One depicted a tamer holding all three cores—Binding, Ascension, and Resonance—while facing a shadowy figure surrounded by beasts.
"This isn't just about the cores," Ryn said, his voice heavy with realization. "There's something bigger at play—something tied to the origins of beast evolution itself."
...
Unbeknownst to Ryn and Lyra, far above the cavern, a figure cloaked in shadows watched the peaks from a distance.
"The boy has the Cores of Binding and Ascension," the figure murmured, their voice cold and calculating. "But the Core of Dominion is already mine. Let's see how long he can survive when the beasts themselves rise against him."