The narrow corridor grew darker and colder. Each step they took felt heavy, not only because of exhaustion but also due to the escalating tension. Ricky and Sophie followed Kieran, who seemed confident in the direction they were heading, even though the surroundings were completely foreign and filled with ancient symbols they couldn't understand.
Sophie: "Why does this place feel so... alive?"
Ricky: Staring at the walls of the corridor, which occasionally glowed pale blue. "I don't know. But I don't like this feeling."
Kieran stopped in front of a large metal door, its surface covered with geometric symbol carvings. He placed his hand on a panel to the right of the door, and immediately, the carvings lit up, emitting a soft sound like the whisper of wind.
Kieran: "This is it. Behind this door is a device called the Earth Marker. If we can activate it, it will create a protective field that covers our tracks and temporarily halts Selene's forces."
Sophie: "And if we fail?"
Kieran: Glaring at them. "If we fail, this whole place will collapse, burying us alive."
Ricky let out a long sigh. He knew they had no other choice. Kieran began fiddling with the control panel next to the door, while Ricky and Sophie stood guard, listening to the growing sounds of the enemy's footsteps.
______________
Outside the corridor, Selene and her soldiers were almost at the entrance.
Selene: "Prepare the explosives. We'll enter our way."
One of the soldiers attached a small explosive device to the stone wall blocking their path. A small explosion occurred, creating a gap large enough for them to pass through.
Selene: "Hurry, they're inside."
_______________
The large metal door in front of Kieran began to tremble slowly, signaling that the ancient mechanism was working. But suddenly, a loud noise echoed from behind them—Selene and her forces had managed to break through.
Sophie: "They're here!"
Ricky: "Hurry, Kieran!"
Kieran remained calm despite the rising tension. He quickly pressed several buttons on the panel, and the metal door finally opened, revealing a large room filled with ancient devices and a crystal tower glowing bright blue at its center.
Kieran: "Go in! I need time to activate it."
The three of them entered the room, and the metal door quickly closed behind them, locking them away from Selene and her forces outside.
Selene (from outside): "You think this will stop me? You have no idea what you're up against!"
Inside the room, Kieran immediately approached the crystal tower and began activating its mechanism. The blue light slowly spread, filling the room with a strange energy that made the air vibrate. However, the device seemed unstable—the crystal atop the tower began to pulse wildly, emitting flashes of light that grew faster.
Ricky: "Kieran, something's wrong?"
Kieran: "The protective field isn't fully activated. If I can't stabilize it, this whole place will explode."
Sophie: "So what can we do?"
Kieran stared at the crystal with a serious expression.
Kieran: "I need a few more minutes. You two have to hold on until the protective field activates."
_______________
Outside, Selene wasted no time. She pulled out a small, metallic spherical device and activated it. The ball hovered in the air, emitting a red light that pierced through the stone walls and the metal door.
Selene: "Your time's up, Kieran."
The metal ball began to vibrate, preparing to release an explosion powerful enough to destroy the metal door and expose them.
__________
Inside the room, Kieran was desperately working to stabilize the crystal. Ricky and Sophie stood in front of the door, ready to face whatever would come.
Ricky: "I hope you know what you're doing."
Kieran didn't respond, focusing entirely on the device in front of him. A few seconds later, a loud bang was heard from outside, followed by a violent tremor that made the floor shake.
Kieran: "The protective field is activating now! Hold on!"
Suddenly, a burst of blue light enveloped the entire room, creating an energy wave that shot outward and pierced through the corridor walls. The wave struck Selene's metal ball, causing it to lose stability and explode before it could reach the metal door.
Selene quickly stepped back, shielding herself from the explosion's debris. She stared at the corridor, her face full of rage.
Selene: "You win this time, Kieran. But I'll be back."
___________
Inside the room, the atmosphere gradually calmed. The blue light from the crystal stabilized, and the vibrations stopped.
Kieran: "We made it… for now."
Ricky: "Selene will be back. This isn't over."
Kieran: "True. But at least now, we have time to find out what's really hidden here."
Sophie gazed at the crystal, feeling a mixture of emotions. She knew that what they had found here wasn't just an ordinary protective device it was something much bigger perhaps the key to restoring this dying world.