The fragment in Alvarez's hand pulsed faintly, its glow illuminating the narrow passage ahead. Each step echoed in the oppressive silence, the weight of the moon's secrets pressing down on them like an unseen force.
"Do you feel that?" Rae asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She kept glancing over her shoulder, the hairs on her neck standing on end. "It's like… we're being followed."
Alvarez tightened his grip on his weapon, his jaw clenched. "We are. Whatever's out there isn't done with us yet."
The passage opened into a vast cavern, its walls covered in intricate carvings. Unlike the glowing symbols they had encountered before, these were dark, etched into the stone with precise, almost surgical cuts. The carvings depicted a story—humanoid figures standing before towering monoliths, their arms raised in reverence. Beneath them, shadows rose, consuming the figures in a swirling abyss.
"What is this place?" Rae murmured, stepping closer to examine the carvings.
Alvarez's gaze was drawn to a central panel, larger than the others. It showed a figure holding a fragment identical to the one he now carried. Around the figure, the shadows writhed, but they didn't attack—they seemed to bow, as though in submission.
"Some kind of… history?" Alvarez guessed, his voice heavy with uncertainty. "But whose history?"
Before Rae could respond, the fragment in Alvarez's hand began to glow brighter, its pulse matching the rhythm of his heartbeat. The carvings on the walls shimmered faintly, as though reacting to its presence.
Then, the voice returned.
"You seek the truth."
Alvarez and Rae froze, their eyes darting around the cavern. The voice was different this time—not as menacing, but still heavy with an ancient, otherworldly authority.
"The shadows were not born of darkness," it continued. "They were created... by you."
"What does that mean?" Rae demanded, her voice shaking. "What are you talking about?"
The air in the cavern grew colder, and a shape began to materialize in the center of the room. It was a shadow, but unlike the monstrous forms they had encountered before, this one was smaller, more humanoid. Its edges were indistinct, constantly shifting, but its presence was no less unsettling.
"You call us monsters," the shadow said, its voice echoing softly. "But we are the remnants of your sins."
Alvarez frowned, his mind racing. "Our sins? You're saying humanity caused this?"
The shadow nodded slowly. "Long ago, your kind came to this moon, seeking to harness its power. You uncovered the sigils, the monoliths, the artifacts… and in your greed, you awakened us."
Rae's breath hitched. "Awakened you? You were… trapped?"
"Not trapped," the shadow corrected. "Dormant. Waiting. We are the moon's memory, its guardians. But your interference fractured the balance. The sigils were never meant to be disturbed."
Alvarez glanced at the fragment in his hand, his stomach twisting. "And this? What is it?"
The shadow's form shifted, its head tilting toward the fragment. "It is a shard of the moon's heart. A piece of its essence. With it, you hold the power to restore the balance… or to destroy it completely."
Silence hung heavy in the air as the weight of the shadow's words settled over them. Alvarez felt a surge of anger and frustration. "Why tell us this now? If you're the moon's guardians, why not stop us before it got this far?"
The shadow's form flickered, as though struggling to maintain its shape. "We cannot interfere directly. Our existence is tied to the moon's cycles, its rhythms. But now… the balance teeters on the edge of collapse. If you fail, the moon will become a wasteland, and its corruption will spread to your world."
Rae stepped forward, her expression hardening. "And what happens if we succeed? Do you go back to being dormant?"
The shadow didn't answer immediately. When it finally spoke, its tone was laced with sorrow. "If balance is restored, we will cease to exist. We are but echoes, fragments of what was lost. Our purpose is tied to the moon's survival."
Alvarez exchanged a glance with Rae, a silent understanding passing between them. Whatever this mission had started as, it was now something far bigger.
"What do we do?" Alvarez asked, his voice firm.
The shadow extended a hand, its form beginning to dissipate. "Follow the path. The answers lie in the core. But beware… the deeper you go, the stronger the shadows become."
With that, the shadow faded completely, leaving Alvarez and Rae alone in the cavern once more.
Rae exhaled shakily, running a hand through her hair. "This just keeps getting worse, doesn't it?"
Alvarez didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on the path ahead—a dark, narrow tunnel that seemed to descend endlessly into the depths of the moon.
"Let's move," he said finally, his voice cold and resolute. "If this is our mess, then we clean it up. No matter what it takes."
As they stepped into the tunnel, the glow of the fragment lit their way, casting long, wavering shadows on the walls. Behind them, the carvings on the cavern walls seemed to shift, their silent story following them into the unknown.