Eagan and Lyra barely had time to register what was happening. Lyra swung her sword toward the mana-infused crystal, shattering it with a sharp crack. The cavern shook as a pulse of raw energy erupted, sending shards of light and stone in every direction. The purple-flamed lion roared in fury, momentarily blinded by the blast.
"Run!" Lyra shouted, grabbing Eagan's wrist.
The two bolted deeper into the passage, the lion's enraged growls echoing behind them. The path twisted and turned, the heat from the beast's flames licking at their backs as they sprinted through the oppressive darkness. Eagan's lungs burnt, his heart pounding as adrenaline coursed through his veins.
The ground beneath them suddenly gave way.
"Lyra!" Eagan shouted, reaching out to grab her, but it was too late. The pair tumbled through the collapsing floor, their cries swallowed by the abyss below.
They hit the ground with a jarring thud, dust and debris settling around them. Groaning, Eagan pushed himself onto his elbows, coughing as he tried to orient himself.
"Lyra? You okay?"
"I'm fine," Lyra muttered, shaking dust out of her hair. "But where the hell are we?"
The space they had fallen into was unlike anything Eagan had ever seen. The walls glimmered with an iridescent sheen, intricate runes etched into the surface pulsing faintly with a soft, otherworldly light. Strange machinery hummed in the background, their designs sleek and futuristic, unlike anything crafted in their world.
Lyra's eyes widened as she scanned their surroundings. "Eagan… I think we found it."
"The laboratory," he murmured, his voice filled with awe.
"Who would have thought it was buried underground?" Lyra mused. "No wonder no one has ever found it. The guilds were starting to believe the document they found in this dungeon was from another dungeon."
"I'm not sure this is luck or fate," Eagan mumbled. "There is no way others wouldn't have searched here previously; how come no one fell into it like we did?"
"Most low-level guilds and hunters try to avoid the flame lotion; it's not an easy opponent to deal with, after all." Lyra Shrugged. "Come on, let's look around and see what we can get before the lion finds us. I really can't fight against that thing."
"Are we going with everything here?" Eagan asked calmly, and Lyra nodded.
"Yes. Although I'm not an alchemist. have enough alchemists that can research what they are, and we will make massive money if they are useful," she explained.
The room was massive, the ceiling arching high above them. Shelves lined with vials of glowing liquid stretched along the walls, their colours shifting as if alive.
In the centre of the chamber stood a massive, pulsing orb encased in crystalline glass. Tendrils of light extended from the orb, feeding into the walls and machinery.
"That must be the heart of the dungeon," Lyra said, her voice low.
Eagan nodded, his eyes fixed on the orb. It pulsed like a beating heart, each thought reverberating through the room.
"Pack everything carefully," Lyra instructed. "We don't want anything broken." Eagan nodded, and they both hurried to work, knowing they had no time to dwindle.
As Eagan placed the last item on the shelf into his backpack, he heard the low growl of the lion behind him. Knowing they might have to run, he placed the backpack into the system's inventory.
The purple-flamed lion leapt from the hole above, landing with a thunderous crash. Its golden eyes burnt with rage as it stalked toward them, its flames scorching the pristine floor.
Lyra cursed under her breath. "It followed us."
"We can't outrun it this time," Eagan said, gripping his daggers tightly. "We'll have to fight."
Lyra drew her sword, the blade catching the glow of the orb's light as she took a defensive stance. "Fine. But we need to be smart about this. We can't take it head-on."
Eagan's eyes darted around the chamber, scanning for anything they could use. His gaze landed on a cluster of unstable-looking machinery near the lion. "Those machines... they look like they're connected to the orb. If we can damage them, maybe we can destabilise the whole place."
"That could bring the whole cavern down on us," Lyra shot back, sidestepping as the lion swiped at her, its claws tearing a deep gouge in the floor.
"Do you have a better idea?" Eagan retorted, throwing one of his daggers at the lion. The blade struck true, embedding itself in the beast's shoulder, but the flames surrounding its body melted the steel within seconds.
The lion roared, turning its fury toward Eagan. It charged, its mane flaring with violet fire. Eagan dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a fiery swipe that sent sparks scattering across the room.
"Fine," Lyra snapped, slashing at the lion's hind leg to draw its attention. "I'll keep it busy. You figure out how to overload those machines."
"On it!" Eagan bolted toward the nearest console, his heart racing. The controls were covered in arcane symbols and unfamiliar glyphs. He hesitated for a moment before grabbing a loose cable and yanking it free.
The machinery sparked violently, and the orb in the centre of the room dimmed for a moment before flaring brighter than ever. The lion snarled, momentarily distracted as the light pulsed erratically.
Lyra seized the opportunity, darting forward to land a slash across the lion's side. The beast howled in pain, its flames flickering.
"Hurry up, Eagan!" she called, dodging another fiery attack.
"I'm working on it!" Eagan shouted back, his hands fumbling with the machinery. He tore out another cable, then another, the orb's pulses growing more erratic with each one. The room shook as the dungeon's systems began to destabilise.
The lion turned its gaze toward Eagan, its golden eyes narrowing. It leapt, flames trailing behind it like a comet.
"Eagan, move!" Lyra screamed.
Eagan dove just as the lion landed where he had been standing moments before, its claws raking through the floor. The impact sent him sprawling, but he scrambled to his feet, clutching his remaining dagger.
"Last chance, Lyra!" he shouted. "We need to finish this now!"
Lyra gritted her teeth, her sword glinting as she charged the lion. With a roar of her own, she plunged the blade into its chest, aiming for the faint glow of its core beneath the flames.
The lion reared back, its roar deafening as its body convulsed. Flames erupted in all directions, scorching the walls and melting parts of the machinery. Lyra was thrown backwards by the blast, her sword still lodged in the beast.
Eagan seized the moment, sprinting toward the orb. He slammed his dagger into the crystalline casing, shattering it with a loud crack. The orb's light exploded outward, enveloping the entire chamber in a blinding flash.
The lion let out one final, mournful roar before it disintegrated into ash, its flames extinguished. The room began to collapse, the walls crumbling as the orb's energy spiralled out of control.
"Lyra, we have to go!" Eagan shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet.
The two ran as the chamber caved in behind them, the machinery sparking and crumbling. They dove through a narrow passage just as the laboratory collapsed entirely, the roar of destruction echoing in their ears.
When the dust finally settled, they found themselves in another part of the labyrinth, the air cooler and quieter.
Eagan panted, leaning against the wall. "Remind me never to mess with lions or ancient machinery again."
Lyra chuckled weakly, wiping sweat from her face. "Agreed. But hey, at least we've got a good story to tell the guilds."
Eagan held up a small, glowing fragment of the orb he had managed to grab before escaping. "And maybe something to show for it, too."
Lyra's eyes gleamed as she looked at the fragment. "That could be worth a fortune. Let's hope it was all worth it."