Kane and I exchanged a look. We now knew that the true battle was only just beginning.
As we left the temple, the wind had risen, carrying with it a foreboding omen. The Ancients had spoken, but the answers they gave were as frightening as they were necessary. The fate of the clans now rested on our shoulders.
We had to act quickly, before the shadow devoured everything.
The sun was low on the horizon, casting an orange glow over the ancient ruins surrounding the city of the Ancients. Kane and I walked in silence, each lost in the recent revelations. The words of the Guardian of Secrets still echoed in my head, an unsettling reverberation I couldn't shake. The traitor was not a legend. He was real, and he was ready to return.
"The crystal…" I murmured, the Guardian's words swirling in my mind. "How are we supposed to understand its power?"
Kane, his jaw clenched, didn't respond immediately. He seemed just as disturbed but resolute. "We have to find the crystal before him. If the traitor returns, it will be too late. We won't be able to do anything to stop the catastrophe."
I nodded, a lingering question in my mind. "Why was the crystal hidden? Why didn't the Ancients use it before?"
"Because its power is too dangerous," Kane replied in a low voice. "The Ancients always feared that someone ambitious would use it wrongly. It can only be manipulated by those with pure intent. Otherwise… it destroys everything."
We continued our walk through the deserted streets of the city, heading toward the place where the crystal was supposed to be kept. The shadow of the mountain loomed ahead, imposing and threatening. Ancient tomes spoke of a secret cave, buried beneath the rock, where the crystal rested, protected by ancient traps and magical creatures.
The path was perilous, filled with obstacles. The wind grew stronger, and the temperature dropped sharply, my breaths forming clouds of icy mist. The atmosphere seemed to charge with an invisible presence, as if something was watching us from the darkness.
"Do you think he's already here?" I asked, breaking the silence.
Kane didn't answer immediately. His eyes scanned the surroundings, on the lookout for invisible signs. "I don't know. But we must act fast. The traitor could already have his followers here, ready to do anything to stop us from reaching our goal."
I clenched my fists. The fate of our clans rested on our shoulders. The crystal could grant us victory, but if we failed, everything would be lost. The traitor would be freed, and it would be the end of everything we had ever known.
Suddenly, a metallic sound echoed in the distance. I froze, straining to listen. The sound of clashing chains. I exchanged a worried look with Kane. We were not alone.
Kane moved forward slightly, his eyes piercing the mist. "Get ready. Someone is approaching."
A flash of steel gleamed in the darkness, followed by heavy, regular footsteps. Then, massive shadows emerged from the mist. Hooded figures, clad in dark armor and wielding massive swords, stood before us, blocking the way. Their presence radiated a menacing energy, almost tangible.
"The Guardians of the Crystal," Kane murmured, his fists tightening. "They are the ones who watch over the cave's entrance. We have to face them."
Without hesitation, I lunged forward, my claws extending beneath my fingers. Combat was inevitable. The Guardians had one goal: to prevent anyone from approaching the crystal. And we were intruders, despite the nobility of our quest.
The first Guardians advanced, their swords slicing through the air with terrifying precision. I barely managed to dodge a blow aimed across my head, my claws ripping through the skin of one of the attackers. The fight was brutal, wild, and the tension palpable. The Guardians were not mere soldiers; they were defenders of an ancient secret, ready to die to protect the crystal.
Kane, on his part, was a whirlwind of movement, fending off attackers with impressive brute strength. But despite his power, the Guardians were numerous and well-trained. It was clear that this battle wouldn't be easy.
Breathless but determined, I shoved a Guardian away who tried to grab me. My claws slid across his armor, but I managed to inflict enough of a wound to make him retreat. My gaze turned toward the horizon, where the cave barely emerged from the mist.
"We have to move forward," I said to Kane, panting. "If we stay here, we won't last long."
Kane nodded, his gaze resolute. There was no time to waste. Together, we continued cutting through the mist, fending off the Guardians one by one, until the light of the cave grew closer. The darkness seemed to swallow us with every step, but the cave was now within reach, and with it, the crystal.
We had passed the first trial, but the greatest one was still to come. The crystal awaited us, and with it, the truth that would determine the fate of our clans.
The cave stretched before me like a gaping abyss, dark and silent. The air was thick, saturated with an ancient energy that seemed to vibrate in every corner. I could almost feel the presence of something powerful, hidden in the shadows. The ground, covered in black, glossy stones, appeared to have been marked by the passage of time itself. Kane and I moved cautiously, our footsteps echoing in the vastness of the cave, amplified by the depth of the place. Every noise seemed louder here, as if this place absorbed everything, even our breaths.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins, but a strange apprehension lingered. We were close, terribly close to the crystal, and yet something about this heavy atmosphere reminded me that we hadn't yet faced what awaited us. This place was a trap, a trial. A trial we had not yet overcome.
"It's here," Kane said, his voice low and focused. He was scanning the darkness in front of us, his eyes piercing the invisible. "I can feel it."