The chamber was unnervingly quiet. The artifact on the pedestal pulsed with an almost hypnotic rhythm, casting long, flickering shadows that danced across the ancient walls. Alvarez and Rae exchanged wary glances, their breaths still labored from the frantic escape.
"Does it feel... different to you?" Rae asked, her voice low as she studied their surroundings.
Alvarez nodded, gripping his weapon tightly. "It's like the moon shifted under us," he muttered. "I don't think we're in the same place anymore."
The air was thinner here, colder. Each breath felt like inhaling shards of ice. The walls were etched with symbols similar to those on the sigil, but these glowed faintly blue, exuding an otherworldly hum that reverberated deep in their chests.
Rae moved closer to the pedestal, her curiosity overpowering her caution. "This… this doesn't look human," she murmured, tracing her fingers along the intricate carvings on the artifact. "None of this does."
"Don't touch it," Alvarez warned, his tone sharper than intended. He scanned the chamber, searching for any signs of movement. The oppressive feeling they had experienced earlier was gone, replaced by something more insidious—anticipation, as though they were being watched by unseen eyes.
Before Rae could respond, a deep vibration rippled through the ground, rattling the very core of the chamber. The artifact's glow intensified, its rhythm speeding up like a heartbeat in panic.
"What did you do?" Alvarez demanded, stepping back as the symbols on the walls began to shift and rearrange themselves, their patterns flowing like liquid.
"I didn't touch anything!" Rae snapped, backing away from the pedestal.
The vibration grew stronger, and a low, mournful sound echoed through the chamber, like the wail of a dying creature. The floor beneath the pedestal cracked, and dark tendrils of smoke began seeping out, coiling and twisting like living things.
Then came the voice.
"You have trespassed where none should walk. You awaken what must remain dormant."
It wasn't a voice they heard with their ears—it resonated in their minds, ancient and alien, carrying a weight that made their knees buckle. Alvarez clutched his head, grimacing as the voice seemed to claw at his sanity.
"Who's there?" Rae shouted, her voice trembling as she pointed her plasma cutter at the swirling darkness.
The tendrils converged into a singular form—a towering silhouette with no discernible features, its body composed of writhing shadows. Its presence sucked the light from the room, leaving only the faint glow of the artifact to pierce the void.
"You should not be here," the figure intoned, its voice dripping with contempt. "You are ants crawling on the surface of what you cannot comprehend."
Alvarez raised his weapon, his hands trembling. "We didn't come here to—"
"Silence." The shadow's form surged forward, stopping just short of them. "You do not speak. You listen."
The air grew heavier, pressing down on them like an invisible weight. Rae fell to her knees, gasping for breath as the figure loomed over them. Its head tilted slightly, as if scrutinizing them.
"You seek answers, but you are unworthy of the truth," it continued. "Your kind has pried where it should not, disturbed what must remain sealed. And now... you will face the consequences."
The artifact flared brighter, its light becoming blinding. Alvarez shielded his eyes, but he couldn't look away. Within the glow, he saw fleeting images—visions of chaos and destruction. The moon's surface cracked and bled rivers of black ichor. Shadowy figures moved en masse, consuming everything in their path.
And then he saw Earth, darkened and lifeless, its skies choked with swirling shadows.
"No," Alvarez whispered, shaking his head. "That's not real. That's not—"
"It is what will come," the shadow interrupted. "Unless the balance is restored."
Rae struggled to her feet, her voice defiant despite the fear in her eyes. "How do we stop it? How do we fix this?"
The shadow leaned closer, its featureless face inches from hers. "You cannot stop it. But you may delay it."
"How?" Alvarez demanded, stepping forward despite the terror that gripped him.
The figure extended a hand, and a small fragment of the artifact broke away, floating toward Alvarez. It hovered in front of him, pulsing faintly.
"Take it," the shadow said. "It is both a key and a curse. It will lead you to what you seek… but at a price."
Alvarez hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to refuse. But the vision of Earth's destruction lingered in his mind, a silent plea for action. Gritting his teeth, he reached out and grabbed the fragment.
The moment his fingers closed around it, a searing pain shot through his arm, spreading through his body like fire. He cried out, collapsing to the ground as the shadow's laughter echoed around them.
"You have chosen your fate," it said. "And now, the moon will reveal its truth."
The chamber shook violently, cracks spreading across the walls as the symbols flared one last time before extinguishing. The artifact crumbled into ash, and the shadow figure dissipated, its form scattering into the void.
As the tremors subsided, Alvarez and Rae were left in darkness once more. But this time, the moon felt different—alive, watching, waiting.
Rae helped Alvarez to his feet, her expression grim. "What now?"
Alvarez stared at the fragment in his hand, its faint glow the only light in the room. "We keep moving," he said, his voice resolute. "Whatever this is… it's not over."
From somewhere deep within the moon's labyrinthine depths, a low growl echoed—a reminder that their nightmare was far from finished.