The canyon walls gradually widened as Vero and Levin pressed forward, the jagged cliffs giving way to smoother rock formations. The air was heavy, carrying an oppressive stillness that felt unnatural. Every now and then, faint whispers echoed through the canyon, too soft to discern but loud enough to set their nerves on edge.
Levin broke the silence first, his voice tinged with irritation. "Tell me we're not heading toward whatever's making those noises."
Vero glanced at him, his expression grim. "We don't have a choice. The shard is still guiding us."
Levin sighed, spinning one of his daggers in his hand. "Of course it is. Because why wouldn't it lead us straight into another nightmare?"
The shard in Vero's hand pulsed faintly, its light illuminating their path. Despite its steady glow, he couldn't shake the unease creeping through him. The whispers seemed to grow louder the further they walked, taking on an almost melodic quality that made his head throb.
"Do you hear that?" Vero asked, his voice low.
Levin nodded, his usual smirk replaced by a frown. "Yeah. And it's not just noise—it's trying to get in my head. Feels... wrong."
Vero's grip on the shard tightened. The whispers weren't just sounds; they carried a strange, insidious pull, as if they were trying to unravel his thoughts. He forced himself to focus on the shard's light, using it as an anchor to keep his mind steady.
---
They eventually emerged from the canyon into a vast, barren expanse. The ground was cracked and dry, littered with the remnants of ancient structures that jutted out at odd angles. Some were barely recognizable as buildings, their surfaces eroded and blackened, while others stood defiantly, their sharp edges gleaming in the dim light.
At the center of the expanse was a massive, circular structure made of obsidian-like stone. It loomed over the surrounding ruins, its surface covered in intricate carvings that glowed faintly with a sickly green light.
The shard's glow intensified as they approached, and the whispers grew louder, almost deafening. Vero felt a sharp pain in his head, and he staggered slightly, catching himself on Levin's arm.
"Hey, you okay?" Levin asked, his voice laced with concern.
"I'm fine," Vero said, though he wasn't sure he believed it. The whispers were relentless, clawing at the edges of his mind.
Levin looked up at the massive structure, his expression dark. "That thing is bad news. You sure we need to go in there?"
"The shard is pointing straight at it," Vero said, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Whatever's in there, we need to find it."
Levin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "All right, but if I end up possessed by some ancient evil, I'm blaming you."
---
The entrance to the structure was a massive archway, its edges lined with glowing runes similar to the ones on the altar they had encountered earlier. The air inside was cold, and the whispers seemed to originate from deep within, their cadence shifting to something almost like a chant.
The interior was vast and labyrinthine, with towering pillars and corridors that seemed to stretch endlessly. The walls were covered in more of the glowing carvings, their light casting eerie shadows that danced and shifted as they walked.
Vero felt the shard pulse in his hand, its glow illuminating a path through the maze-like corridors. Levin followed closely, his daggers drawn and his eyes darting nervously at every sound.
"Why do I feel like we're walking straight into a trap?" Levin muttered.
"Because we probably are," Vero admitted.
---
They finally reached a massive chamber at the heart of the structure. At its center was a pedestal, upon which rested a large, crystalline fragment. Its surface shimmered with an otherworldly light, and the shard in Vero's hand pulsed in response, almost as if it recognized the fragment.
"This is it," Vero said, stepping forward.
Levin grabbed his arm. "Hold on. Just because it looks shiny and important doesn't mean it's safe."
Before Vero could respond, the chamber trembled, and the whispers reached a deafening crescendo. From the shadows, figures began to emerge—twisted, humanoid shapes made of dark energy and flickering light. Their forms were unstable, constantly shifting and distorting, but their intent was clear.
"Great. More monsters," Levin said, spinning his daggers. "I was starting to miss the fire demon."
The creatures lunged at them, their movements swift and erratic. Levin met them head-on, his daggers slicing through their shadowy forms with surprising ease.
Vero focused on the shard, its light flaring as he pointed it at the creatures. Beams of energy shot out, disintegrating them on contact. But for every creature they defeated, more seemed to appear, their numbers growing with each passing moment.
"Any bright ideas, shard-boy?" Levin shouted, fending off three creatures at once.
Vero's gaze locked onto the fragment on the pedestal. The shard in his hand pulsed insistently, as if urging him forward.
"Keep them off me!" he shouted, sprinting toward the pedestal.
Levin let out a frustrated groan but did as he was told, fighting off the swarm of creatures with a mix of skill and desperation.
Vero reached the pedestal and grabbed the fragment. The moment his hand made contact, a surge of energy coursed through him, and the shard in his other hand flared brilliantly. The light expanded outward, engulfing the chamber and disintegrating the creatures in an instant.
---
When the light faded, the chamber was silent. Levin stood amidst the dissipating shadows, his daggers lowered but still ready.
"Please tell me that's the last of them," he said, his voice weary.
Vero didn't respond. He was staring at the fragment in his hand, its light merging with that of the shard. For a brief moment, he felt a strange connection—a glimpse of something vast and incomprehensible, like staring into the depths of an infinite ocean.
"Vero?" Levin's voice snapped him out of his trance.
"I'm fine," Vero said, though he felt far from it. He placed the fragment in his pouch, and the shard's glow returned to its usual faint pulse.
Levin sheathed his daggers and walked over, his expression skeptical. "So, what did we just risk our lives for?"
"I'm not sure," Vero admitted. "But it's important. I can feel it."
Levin sighed. "Of course you can. Let's just hope the next piece isn't guarded by something worse."
They left the chamber and began retracing their steps through the structure. But as they walked, Vero couldn't shake the feeling that the fragment was more than just a key to unlocking the Echo's mysteries. It felt... alive, and its presence was already starting to change him.