Chapter 26 - Into the Unknown

The morning sun cast golden rays over the jagged peaks in the distance, illuminating their path as Drakar, Taronis, and Kaelen continued their journey from the Cradle of Embers. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of pine and something more ancient—like the remnants of a storm long past.

Kaelen adjusted his bow and glanced up at the rising peaks. "Well, if I didn't already have a healthy distrust of mountains, I do now."

Taronis chuckled, though his eyes remained sharp. "The mountains ahead are called Eryndral's Bastion—a place of legend and ruin. If the Veil Compass is guiding us there, it's for a reason."

Drakar gripped the Key of Eryndral, its surface faintly pulsing with emberlight. He felt its warmth seep into his skin as though urging him forward.

"We've faced shadows and fire," Drakar said, his voice calm but firm. "Whatever waits for us in that place, we'll meet it head-on."

Hours passed, and the forest began to thin as they reached the foothills. Before them lay a narrow path lined with stone obelisks etched with unfamiliar symbols. Each obelisk hummed softly, their glyphs pulsing like distant heartbeats.

Taronis paused, his gaze lingering on the symbols. "These runes... they aren't human, nor elven."

Kaelen knelt by one of the obelisks and brushed away moss that had grown over the markings. "Definitely old. But not orcish, either. This is something else."

Drakar stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. The marks shimmered faintly as he approached, resonating with the Key of Eryndral. A low hum filled the air, causing the leaves around them to rustle.

"Whatever built this... they were tied to the Veil," Taronis murmured. "Be on your guard."

The path led them to a towering stone gate embedded in the mountainside, its archway covered in curling vines and fragmented carvings. At its center was an indentation—a perfect fit for the Key of Eryndral.

Drakar hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of the unknown press against him. He slid the key into the slot, and with a resounding click, the gate shuddered.

The vines withdrew as if alive, curling away from the stone. The carvings lit up with emberlight and faint traces of blue energy, forming intricate patterns that pulsed outward.

The gate groaned open, revealing a passage that spiraled what, lit only by faint veins of light within the stone walls.

Kaelen swallowed audibly. "I don't like this."

Drakar stepped forward, his expression unwavering. "You don't have to like it." He glanced back, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "Just don't run."

Kaelen sighed. "No promises."

As they descended, the air grew cooler, and the faint hum of the obelisks seemed to echo around them. Strange, glowing fungi clung to the walls, casting soft violet light across the passage.

Taronis brushed his hand along the stone. "The craftsmanship here... it's ancient, yet untouched by time. Whoever built this place knew how to work the elements."

The passage opened into a vast underground chamber. The ceiling stretched high above, lined with crystalline formations that refracted the faint light into shimmering rainbows. In the center of the chamber stood a massive circular platform, its surface engraved with constellations and swirling runes.

Drakar's gaze sharpened. "This is no ordinary ruin."

Kaelen whistled softly. "Looks more like a stargazer's dream."

Taronis stepped forward, his brow furrowed. "Or a battlefield waiting to be awakened."

"Who treads upon the echoes of the past?"

The voice was neither male nor female, but it resonated deep within their chests.

Drakar clenched his fists. "Show yourself."

The runes beneath their feet flared to life, and a ghostly figure formed—a humanoid shape made of ethereal blue flames, with faint traces of starlight in its core.

"I am Selyra, Keeper of the Bastion's Heart," the figure intoned. "You seek answers, yet the path ahead is shadowed by war."

Drakar's gaze didn't waver. "We've faced war before."

Selyra's form pulsed, as though acknowledging his resolve. "Then prove you are worthy of what lies beyond."

The chamber trembled, and the crystalline ceiling darkened as shadows coalesced into shapes—spectral warriors, each clad in ethereal armor, their forms shimmering with pale blue flame.

Taronis drew his blade, its edge catching the faint emberlight. "It's never just a conversation, is it?"

Kaelen nocked an arrow, his eyes narrowing. "I hate it when you're right."

Drakar stepped onto the platform, the flames in his eyes burning brighter. "Let's show them why we're still standing."

The spectral warriors raised their weapons in unison, and the chamber erupted into a symphony of light and steel.