The shimmering light from the shard guided the trio through the newly opened passage. The air felt heavier here, as if the walls themselves carried the weight of ancient secrets. Strange whispers echoed faintly, just beyond the edge of comprehension, sending chills down their spines.
"I don't like this," Mia muttered, her bow drawn and ready. "Those whispers... they're everywhere."
"It's not just the whispers," Lily said, clutching her pendant tightly. "It's like the air itself is watching us."
Ryan tightened his grip on his halberd. "Stay close. If this is anything like before, we're walking straight into another trial."
The passage widened into a cavernous hall, its walls carved with intricate patterns that shimmered faintly in the shard's glow. At the center of the room stood a towering stone pedestal, surrounded by six statues of hooded figures. Each statue held a different object: a sword, a staff, a chalice, a book, a shield, and a bow.
A notification appeared:
[New Zone Discovered: The Chamber of Echoes]
[New Objective: Decipher the Echoes]
Ryan approached the pedestal cautiously, the shard pulsing faintly in his hand. "What do you think? Some kind of puzzle?"
Lily examined the statues, her pendant glowing as she moved closer. "Each object must represent something. Maybe the shard can guide us."
Mia stayed near the edge of the room, her gaze sweeping the shadows. "Let's just hope it doesn't summon another monster."
Ryan raised the shard toward the pedestal. As its light touched the stone, the room trembled, and the statues began to glow faintly. The whispers grew louder, forming incomprehensible words that seemed to swirl around the trio. A notification appeared:
[Trial Activated: Align the Echoes]
"Here we go," Ryan muttered.
The shard's light projected six beams, each connecting to one of the statues. The objects they held began to glow, and faint symbols appeared on the pedestal. Ryan examined them closely, recognizing patterns that matched the shard's earlier activations.
"We need to match these," he said, pointing at the symbols. "Each statue must align with the right sequence."
As Ryan adjusted the shard's light to align with the first statue, the sword, the room trembled again. Shadowy figures began to emerge from the walls, their forms shifting and flickering like smoke.
[Enemies Spawned: Echo Wraiths – HP: 600/600 each]
"Of course," Mia said, loosing an arrow at the nearest wraith. The radiant energy struck true, dispersing its form.
[Damage Dealt: 300 HP](Wraith HP: 300/600)
Ryan swung his halberd in a wide arc, activating [Radiant Sweep] to clear the space around the pedestal.
[Damage Dealt: 250 HP to all enemies]
(Wraiths Defeated: 2)
Lily cast [Sanctuary], creating a protective zone around the pedestal. "Focus on the alignment! I'll keep the healing up."
Ryan adjusted the shard's light toward the staff statue, its glow intensifying as the pedestal absorbed the energy. The symbols shifted, aligning further with the shard's pulsing light.
[Symbol 1 of 6 Aligned]
The wraiths grew more aggressive, their forms solidifying as they attacked in waves. Mia fired a volley of arrows, her precision keeping them at bay.
[Damage Dealt: 200 HP to each enemy]
(Wraiths Defeated: 3)
Ryan moved to the next statue, aligning the shard's light with the chalice. The room trembled as the pedestal absorbed the energy, and a notification appeared:
[Symbol 2 of 6 Aligned]
"Keep going!" Mia shouted, firing another arrow at a wraith attempting to flank Lily.
Ryan activated [Courage Strike (Advanced)], his halberd glowing as it cleaved through another group of wraiths. The radiant energy dispersed their shadowy forms, giving him enough time to align the shard with the book statue.
[Symbol 3 of 6 Aligned]
The whispers grew louder, their incomprehensible words pressing against the trio's minds. Ryan gritted his teeth, focusing on the task as more wraiths emerged from the walls.
"We're running out of time," Lily said, her voice strained as she cast [Celestial Flare] to weaken the advancing enemies.
Ryan nodded, aligning the shard with the shield statue. The pedestal absorbed the energy, and the symbols pulsed brighter.
[Symbol 4 of 6 Aligned]
The wraiths surged forward, their attacks growing more coordinated. Ryan activated [Radiant Barrier (Enhanced)], shielding the group as he moved to the final statue, the bow. With one last adjustment, the shard's light connected with the statue, and the pedestal flared brilliantly.
[Trial Complete: Echoes Aligned]
The wraiths let out a collective shriek before dissolving into the air, and the room fell silent. The pedestal split open, revealing a glowing artifact: a crystalline orb filled with swirling light.
[New Item Acquired: Orb of Echoes]
Passive Effect: Resonant Harmony – Increases the effectiveness of all team-based abilities.
Active Skill: Echo Surge – Unleashes a wave of energy that amplifies ally skills and stuns enemies within a 15-meter radius.
Ryan picked up the orb, its light blending with the shard. "This will make things interesting," he said with a faint grin.
Mia slung her bow over her shoulder. "Let's hope the next room isn't as chatty."
Lily smiled faintly, her pendant glowing softly. "At least we're making progress."
Another passage opened at the far end of the chamber, its edges glowing faintly with the same light as the shard. Without hesitation, the trio stepped forward, ready for whatever lay ahead.