"Stay behind the barrier!" Liora commanded.
But Elara's gaze locked onto Dante, who was fighting the creature with a ferocity she hadn't seen before. His movements were precise, but the shadow seemed to anticipate his every strike.
Sebastian joined the fight, his movements fluid and calculated. Together, they managed to push the creature back, but it wasn't enough to destroy it.
"It's feeding off your guilt," Liora called out, her voice strained from maintaining the barrier. "You can't kill it while you're holding onto the past."
Dante's grip on his dagger faltered for a moment, and the creature struck, sending him sprawling across the room.
Elara's heart leapt as she saw him fall. "No!"
Before anyone could stop her, she stepped out of the barrier, her fear overridden by a surge of determination.
"Elara, stop!" Sebastian shouted, but it was too late.
She reached out, her fingers brushing against the creature's dark form. A shock of cold shot through her, but she held her ground.
"Enough!" she screamed, her voice echoing unnaturally.
The shadow froze, its form rippling as if caught in an unseen wind. Slowly, it began to dissolve, its anguished cries fading into silence.
Elara stumbled back, her body trembling from the effort. Dante caught her before she could fall, his hands firm yet gentle.
"What did you do?" he asked, his voice a mix of awe and fear.
"I… I don't know," she admitted, her breathing ragged.
Liora stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Elara. "You're more connected to this place than you realize."
Elara looked at her, confused. "What does that mean?"
Liora didn't answer. Instead, she turned to Dante. "You need to tell her the truth. All of it."
Dante's expression hardened. "Now's not the time."
"It *is* the time," Liora insisted. "The longer you wait, the more dangerous this will become."
Elara pulled away from Dante, her eyes narrowing. "What truth? What aren't you telling me?"
Before he could respond, the room began to shake. The walls groaned as cracks spread like spiderwebs.
"We need to leave," Sebastian said, his voice urgent.
"No," Elara said firmly, her gaze locked on Dante. "Not until I get answers."
The shaking grew more violent, and pieces of the ceiling began to fall. Dante grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the door.
"You'll get your answers," he said, his voice low and resolute. "But not here. Not now."
As they fled the crumbling room, Elara couldn't shake the feeling that the truth she sought would change everything—and not for the better.
Elara's heart pounded as the door creaked open. The faint light from the corridor spilled into the dark room, revealing the remnants of something ancient. The whisper that had haunted her for days was louder now, insistent and layered with voices she couldn't comprehend.
She stepped inside cautiously, her breath catching at the sight of symbols carved into the stone walls. The air was heavy, like it was pressing against her chest, forcing her to acknowledge she wasn't supposed to be there.
"Elara," the voice called again, this time louder, more urgent.
Her hands trembled as she reached for the nearest symbol, its edges glowing faintly under her touch. The warmth it emitted sent a jolt through her veins, almost as if it recognized her.
"Elara, stop!"
She spun around to find Sebastian standing in the doorway, his expression a mixture of fear and anger. His golden eyes burned with intensity as he stepped into the room, pulling her away from the wall.
"What are you doing?" he demanded, his voice low but sharp.
"I—I don't know," she stammered, her voice cracking. "I heard it again. The voice. It brought me here."
Sebastian's grip on her arm tightened. "This place isn't for you. It's not safe."
She wrenched her arm free, glaring at him. "Then why does it feel like it's calling to me? Like it's part of me?"
Before Sebastian could answer, the room shook violently, and the glow of the symbols intensified. A low growl echoed through the space, sending a chill down Elara's spine.
"Stay behind me," Sebastian ordered, his body tensing as he faced the source of the sound.
The wall opposite them crumbled, revealing a swirling mass of black smoke that pulsed with a sinister energy. From within it emerged a figure cloaked in shadows, its form shifting and undefined.
"Elara Zaire," the figure hissed, its voice a blend of a hundred whispers.
Elara's legs felt like they might give out, but Sebastian's steady presence beside her kept her grounded.
"How do you know my name?" she demanded, her voice shaking but filled with determination.
The figure didn't answer immediately. Instead, it stepped closer, its shape solidifying into something vaguely humanoid. "You are the key. The final piece."
Sebastian moved swiftly, positioning himself between Elara and the figure. "She's not yours," he growled, his voice laced with defiance.
The figure chuckled, the sound resonating in the air like a sinister melody. "She belongs to the truth, whether you like it or not."
Sebastian raised his hand, and golden light burst from his palm, illuminating the room. The figure recoiled, its shadowy form flickering like a dying flame.
"Run!" Sebastian yelled, shoving Elara toward the door.
She hesitated, torn between fleeing and staying to understand what was happening. But the ground beneath her feet cracked, and an otherworldly scream filled the air. She made her decision.
Her legs carried her down the corridor, the whispers growing louder with each step. Her surroundings blurred as adrenaline took over, but the sense of being chased was inescapable.
As she turned a corner, she collided with someone, the force knocking her to the ground. She looked up to find Marcus, his calm demeanor shattered by the chaos around them.
"Elara, what have you done?" he demanded, pulling her to her feet.