The air rushed past Leon's ears as he plummeted into the abyss. The wind howled, his heartbeat thundered in his chest, and for a brief second, fear gripped him. Then, suddenly impact.
Cold water swallowed him whole. Darkness engulfed his vision as he sank deeper into the unknown. The weight of his armor dragged him downward, and panic flared in his mind.
Move!
Leon forced his arms to push against the water, kicking desperately to swim upward. His lungs burned as he struggled against the heavy current. Just when his vision started to blur, his head broke the surface.
Gasping for air, he wiped his face, blinking to adjust to the dim light. Around him, the others surfaced one by one Selene, then Elias, then Raven. They coughed and gasped, their bodies exhausted from the fall.
Leon turned in a slow circle, scanning their surroundings. They had landed in an underground lake, the water stretching endlessly into the distance. Massive rock formations rose from the depths, forming jagged cliffs that surrounded them. A faint, eerie glow emanated from the walls, casting shadows that flickered like ghosts.
"What… is this place?" Elias muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Raven floated beside him, her eyes scanning the area. "The Lost Caverns."
Selene pushed wet strands of hair from her face. "You sound like you've been here before."
Raven hesitated. "Not here, exactly. But I've read about it."
Leon narrowed his eyes. "Then start explaining."
Raven took a deep breath before speaking. "This is one of the oldest parts of the academy's underground network. Long ago, before the academy even existed, this place was rumored to hold ancient power. But over time, it was buried beneath layers of rock and forgotten."
Elias scoffed. "Clearly, it wasn't forgotten enough."
Leon swam toward the nearest rock ledge and climbed onto it, his boots scraping against the slippery surface. He extended a hand, pulling Selene up first, then Elias. Raven climbed up on her own, shaking water from her cloak.
"We can't stay here," Leon said, scanning their surroundings. "Those assassins won't stop just because we escaped their ambush."
"They won't follow us here," Raven said.
Selene frowned. "And how do you know that?"
"Because," Raven said, her voice dropping lower, "even they are afraid of what lies beneath."
Silence followed her words.
Leon clenched his jaw. "What exactly are we dealing with?"
Raven sighed. "Legends speak of creatures that dwell in these caverns. Beings that were sealed away centuries ago because they were too dangerous to exist on the surface.
Elias crossed his arms. "And you decided not to mention that before we jumped?"
"Would you have rather faced the assassins?" Raven shot back.
Elias opened his mouth, then shut it with a frustrated sigh.
Leon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Let's assume this place is dangerous. That means we need to move quickly."
He turned toward a narrow tunnel leading away from the lake. The glowing minerals along the walls cast just enough light to see, but the passage ahead remained shrouded in darkness.
"No other way but forward," Selene murmured.
Leon nodded and stepped inside. The air was thick with moisture, the scent of damp earth filling his lungs. Every step echoed through the cavern, the silence pressing against them like a living thing.
The deeper they went, the colder it became. The light from the minerals dimmed, forcing them to rely on their instincts.
Then a sound.
A low, guttural growl vibrated through the tunnel.
Leon halted, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. The others stopped as well, their breathing shallow.
Another growl, closer this time.
Selene drew her daggers, pressing herself against the rock wall. Elias muttered a spell under his breath, his fingertips glowing with magic. Raven remained still, her expression unreadable.
Leon took a step forward, peering into the darkness. His voice was steady when he spoke.
"Show yourself."
For a moment, there was nothing.
Then a pair of glowing eyes emerged from the shadows.
The creature stepped into the dim light, revealing its form. It was massive, its body covered in thick, obsidian-like scales that reflected the faint glow of the cave walls. Its limbs were powerful, ending in razor-sharp claws. But its most terrifying feature was its face, elongated, with rows of jagged teeth that glistened with saliva.
Selene tensed. "That's not a normal beast."
Raven exhaled. "No, it's not."
The creature let out a low snarl, its eyes locked onto them with a mix of curiosity and hunger.
Leon gripped his sword. "Can we kill it?"
Raven hesitated. "If we're lucky."
Elias took a step back. "I vote we don't test our luck."
The creature growled again, lowering its stance.
Leon's muscles coiled, ready for battle. "It's going to attack."
And then, it did.
The beast lunged forward with blinding speed. Leon barely had time to raise his sword before the creature's claws slashed through the air. He dodged, rolling to the side as the impact shattered the rock where he had stood.
Selene was already moving, her daggers flashing as she aimed for its eyes. The beast roared, swiping at her, but she was too fast, dodging nimbly.
Elias hurled a fire spell at its side, the flames licking against its scales. But instead of burning, the fire absorbed into the creature's body.
Elias paled. "Oh, that's bad."
The creature turned its gaze toward him, its eyes gleaming.
Raven swore. "Magic won't work on it!"
Leon cursed under his breath. Of course it wouldn't be that easy.
The beast lunged again, and this time, its claws grazed Leon's arm. Pain flared, but he ignored it, retaliating with a swift strike to its side. The blade cut through, but barely. The creature's scales were tougher than steel.
Selene leapt onto its back, her daggers stabbing into its neck. The beast howled, thrashing violently.
Leon saw an opening. "Elias, light magic!"
Elias's eyes widened, but he didn't hesitate. He chanted a spell, and a burst of pure, golden light erupted from his hands.
The beast shrieked.
Its body convulsed, its scales cracking as the light washed over it. Selene leapt away just in time as the creature collapsed with a final, echoing cry.
Then silence.
The four of them stood frozen, their chests rising and falling with exhaustion.
Finally, Selene spoke. "Well… that was awful."
Elias wiped sweat from his forehead. "Next time, let's not run into ancient monsters."
Leon took a shaky breath. "Agreed."
Raven, however, wasn't looking at the beast. She was looking ahead, deeper into the tunnel.
"Something's wrong," she whispered.
Leon followed her gaze and his stomach dropped.
At the end of the tunnel, something pulsed with a faint, eerie glow.
An altar.
And at its center a crystal, unlike anything they had ever seen.
Leon took a step forward, his breath catching in his throat.
Because in that moment, he knew this was what the academy had been searching for.
Leon's breath came in shallow gasps as he took slow, measured steps toward the glowing crystal. The cavernous air around them seemed to thrum with an unseen force, each pulse sending a shiver down his spine.
Elias tightened his grip on his staff. "That thing... it feels wrong."
Selene, still catching her breath after their battle with the beast, wiped her blade clean and nodded. "It's radiating something... unnatural."
Raven knelt beside the fallen creature, running his fingers over its obsidian-like scales. "This beast was guarding something," he murmured. "Not just this crystal. There's something else here."
Leon didn't doubt it. He had faced danger before, bandits, assassins, dark sorcery, but nothing had ever sent this kind of primal warning through his instincts.
Still, they had come this far.
With a final glance at his companions, he stepped onto the stone platform leading to the altar.
Up close, the crystal was larger than he'd first thought. It was roughly the size of a man's torso, suspended just inches above the stone pedestal, rotating slowly in mid-air. Its glow wasn't constant; it pulsed like a heartbeat, bathing the cavern in rhythmic flashes of pale violet light.
Leon reached out a hand but hesitated. "Any objections before I touch it?"
Elias scoffed. "I could list a hundred reasons why touching a floating, glowing object in a forgotten underground temple is a bad idea."
"Noted."
Still, something inside him urged him forward.
Leon took a deep breath and, with deliberate caution, brushed his fingers against the crystal's surface.
The moment his skin made contact, the world shattered.
A shockwave burst outward from the crystal, sending him flying backward. The force knocked Selene and Elias off their feet, while Raven barely managed to keep his balance. The cavern walls trembled as energy crackled through the air like lightning.
And then, whispers.
They came from nowhere and everywhere at once. Murmurs in a language long forgotten, layered upon one another, echoing inside their skulls. Leon clutched his head, eyes squeezing shut as the voices surged.
The seal weakens.
The key has been found.
He will rise again.
Leon forced his eyes open, barely able to focus on the crystal. It was changing, its violet glow intensifying, swirling with streaks of crimson and black. The cavern shook harder. Something was waking.
And then, the whispers stopped.
A silence heavier than sound followed.
Leon staggered to his feet. "What the hell was that?"
Raven's face was pale. "I think we just activated something... something ancient."
Selene helped Elias up, her grip on her daggers tightening. "We need to leave. Now."
But before they could move, the ground split open.
A deep, guttural roar erupted from below, rattling the very stone beneath their feet. The crystal's light flared blindingly bright, then shattered into a million fragments, sending a final shockwave rippling through the cavern.
Leon braced himself as the ground beneath the altar crumbled, revealing a yawning abyss. From its depths, black tendrils of energy slithered upward, twisting and writhing like living shadows.
And then, it emerged.
A figure, draped in tattered, obsidian robes, rose from the darkness. His body was skeletal yet imposing, wrapped in the remnants of ancient armor. Where his eyes should have been, only an eerie, golden glow remained.
The entity lifted a clawed hand, fingers flexing as if feeling the weight of the world after centuries of slumber. His gaze swept across them, unreadable yet unmistakably aware.
Elias swallowed hard. "Tell me I'm hallucinating."
Leon tightened his grip on his sword, stepping between the figure and his companions. "Who are you?"
For a long moment, the figure said nothing. Then, in a voice that sounded like stone grinding against stone, he spoke.
"I am the forgotten. The chained. The forsaken ruler of shadows."
A chill crawled up Leon's spine. "That's not an answer."
The entity tilted his head, the ghostly flames in his eyes flickering.
"You have unsealed the gate, child of the mortal world. And now... you shall bear witness."
With that, the cavern exploded into chaos.
The entity raised a hand, and the shadows responded. Black tendrils shot forward like whips, aiming straight for Leon and the others.
Leon barely had time to react before he was forced into action. He rolled to the side, dodging as a tendril slammed into the stone where he had stood moments ago, shattering it into dust.
Selene moved with deadly precision, her daggers flashing as she severed the nearest tendrils. But they regenerated instantly, coiling back like living serpents.
Elias, sweat beading on his forehead, unleashed a wave of fire, but just like before, the shadows absorbed it effortlessly.
Raven, standing slightly apart from the group, was murmuring something under his breath. His fingers traced symbols in the air, eyes locked onto the ancient being.
Leon blocked an incoming strike with his sword, but the impact sent a numbing pain through his arms. They were being overpowered.
"Any ideas?" Leon shouted.
Elias gritted his teeth. "Yeah, run!"
But before they could retreat, the entity lifted both hands. The shadows around them collapsed inward, forming an impenetrable dome of darkness.
There was nowhere to go.
Leon exhaled sharply. "Fine. Then we finish this."
Raven suddenly moved.
His body was engulfed in golden light as he completed whatever incantation he had been chanting. The symbols he had drawn in the air ignited, forming a glowing sigil that pulsed with raw energy.
The ancient being hissed, finally turning its attention to him.
"You meddle with forces beyond your understanding, mortal."
Raven didn't flinch. Instead, he threw the sigil forward.
The moment it made contact, the golden light expanded, wrapping around the entity like chains. He roared in fury, the cavern trembling under his rage.
Leon saw his opening.
Summoning every ounce of strength, he charged.
His sword pierced through the dark figure's chest.
The entity let out an unearthly shriek as cracks of golden light spread through his body, the ancient chains tightening around him once more. The shadows recoiled, the suffocating darkness lifting as the power that had been unleashed was forced back into its prison.
With a final, agonized cry, the entity collapsed into himself, his form disintegrating into dust. The cavern trembled one last time, then fell into silence.
Leon stood frozen, his sword still raised. His chest heaved, muscles burning from exertion.
Selene was the first to move, stepping forward cautiously. "Did we just... win?"
Elias let out a breathless laugh. "If winning means almost dying, then yes."
Raven, visibly drained, slumped against the nearest rock. "That... was not what I expected."
Leon finally lowered his sword, turning to face Raven. "What did you do?"
Raven exhaled slowly. "I didn't seal him away. I merely delayed him. That thing... whatever it was... it's bound by ancient magic. But now that we've disturbed it, I don't know how long the seal will hold."
Leon's stomach sank. "So, you're saying this isn't over."
Raven met his gaze. "Not even close."
A heavy silence settled over them.
Leon sheathed his sword, turning to the path ahead. "Then we keep moving."
They had ventured into the depths of the unknown and survived.
But something told Leon, this was only the beginning.