The further we descend into the ruins, the colder the air becomes.
Not physically—there is no wind, no true temperature shift—but there is a weight, an unnatural stillness that presses against my skin.
As if something else is watching.
Waiting.
Edan walks ahead, torchlight flickering against the aged stone and mechanical constructs half-buried in the ground.
"This place is older than I thought," he mutters, stepping over a partially collapsed archway. "Most relic sites have deteriorated beyond recognition, but here… the structures remain intact."
Elias huffs, glancing at a series of strange metallic carvings embedded in the walls. "Intact enough to still feel ominous."
I stay close, eyes tracing the foreign symbols etched into the ancient surface.
The inscriptions here are different from the ones above—less chaotic, more purposeful.
As if whoever carved them knew exactly what they were writing.
——
At the bottom of the main chamber, we reach a vast circular platform surrounded by towering stone pillars, their tops barely visible in the darkness above.
In the centre—
A monolith.
Standing tall and untouched by time, its surface is smooth except for the engravings spiralling from its base to its peak.
I exhale, stepping forward. "A stone tablet?"
Edan nods slowly, his gaze sharp. "No. Not just a tablet. This is a control mechanism."
Elias raises an eyebrow. "A what now?"
Edan grins, his excitement obvious.
"This is an Ancient device—or what remains of one. The Ancients were known for their advanced constructs, but their mechanisms were often powered by something beyond our understanding. This monolith might be a key."
I frown. "A key to what?"
Edan gestures toward the surrounding walls.
"To whatever is still sealed beneath us."
——
The words settle uneasily between us.
Elias crosses his arms, glancing around. "So let me get this straight. This place is still functional? As in… active?"
Edan smirks. "Only one way to find out."
Elias mutters something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like "I hate this plan."
But Edan is already moving toward the monolith, hands skimming the carvings, his expression one of deep concentration.
"This script," he murmurs, tracing the outer rings. "It's Ancient… but the dialect is different."
I glance at Elias. "What does that mean?"
Edan doesn't look up.
"It means whatever was built here wasn't meant for us. And possibly… not even for the Ancients themselves."
——
The silence that follows is palpable.
I feel the weight of his words sink into my chest.
Something built before the Ancients?
Something they themselves sealed away?
Elias exhales sharply. "I swear, every time we dig deeper, things just get worse."
Edan chuckles. "Welcome to archaeology."
——
He finally steps back, his gaze flicking toward a small, circular indentation near the monolith's base.
"A trigger mechanism," he muses. "Probably requires an energy source."
Elias groans. "Oh, let me guess. Magic element crystal?"
Edan nods thoughtfully. "That would be one of my assumption. The Ancients used Black Stones to power most of their constructs."
I glance toward the half-buried machinery along the walls, my fingers tightening slightly.
"So if we had one, we could activate this?"
Edan smirks. "Theoretically."
Elias deadpans. "Why do I feel like we're about to do something very stupid?"
Edan claps him on the shoulder. "Because we probably are."
——
Before we can proceed, a faint whirring noise echoes from the far end of the chamber.
I tense, reaching for my weapon.
Elias stiffens, his gaze snapping toward the sound. "Tell me that was just the wind."
Edan exhales, stepping away from the monolith. "We should move."
I nod, already backing toward the exit.
Because whatever is down here?
It is still alive.
And it knows we are here.