Aric awoke to darkness, the weight of the box pressing against his chest. He groaned, pushing himself up and looking around. Kael lay a few feet away, unconscious but breathing. The cavern had collapsed behind them, sealing off the path they'd come from. They were trapped.
Aric shook Kael awake, and the villain groaned, glaring up at him. "You couldn't have picked a better souvenir?" he muttered, rubbing his head.
Aric ignored the jab, focusing instead on their predicament. "We need to find another way out."
Kael snorted, but didn't argue. They were in this together now, whether they liked it or not.
They moved through the darkness, guided only by the faint glow of the box and the shard. The air was thick with dust and the lingering echoes of the whispers. Aric could feel the box's power pulsing in his hands, a steady rhythm that seemed to resonate with his very heartbeat.
As they pressed on, they encountered more of the strange creatures, each one more formidable than the last. But with the shard and Kael's flames, they managed to fend them off, their uneasy alliance growing stronger with each battle.
They found themselves relying on each other in ways they never expected. Aric's strategic mind complemented Kael's brute strength, and Kael's fiery power balanced Aric's precision. Together, they were more than just enemies. They were survivors.