The scraping sound grew louder, echoing through the dim cavern. Kael’s shadow flickered erratically, reacting to the unseen presence moving just beyond the reach of the faint lantern light.
“Whatever it is, it’s getting closer,” Elira whispered, her arrow drawn and ready.
Torran stepped forward, his shield raised. “Stay behind me.”
Kael tightened his grip on his dagger, his senses heightened as a flickering figure stumbled into view. At first glance, it looked like another corrupted creature, its body warped and glitching. But as it moved closer, Kael realized it wasn’t fully transformed.
The figure was humanoid, their armor cracked and dulled with age. Their skin shimmered with faint veins of corruption, but their face was partially intact—a tired, haggard expression framed by a mess of dark hair.
“Wait,” Kael said, stepping in front of Torran. “They’re... human.”
The figure stopped, leaning heavily against a jagged rock. Their distorted voice crackled like static. “Not... entirely.”
Elira lowered her bow slightly, her eyes narrowing. “Who are you?”
“Varyn,” the figure rasped, their voice uneven. “Bound... like you. Or I was. The corruption... doesn’t leave much behind.”
Kael stepped closer, his shadow twitching as it reacted to the faint energy radiating from Varyn. “What are you doing here?”
Varyn laughed bitterly, the sound jagged and broken. “Same thing you’re doing. Trying to survive. Trying to... understand.”
Torran kept his shield raised, his tone sharp. “Understand what?”
“The Monolith,” Varyn said, their head tilting slightly as their glowing eyes fixed on Kael. “It’s not just a Node. It’s... everything. A fail-safe. A weapon. A prison. The corruption—it’s not random. It’s part of the Reset.”
Kael’s chest tightened. “The Reset? What does it have to do with me?”
Varyn’s corrupted form flickered as they struggled to stand upright. “Edgeweaver... you’re more than a tool. You’re the trigger. The System never intended for you to succeed. You’re here to play your part. That’s all.”
Kael’s mind raced, the weight of Varyn’s words pressing against him. “You’re saying the corruption—my class—it’s all a setup?”
“Not just you,” Varyn said, their voice fading. “All of us. Bound, unBound... everyone. The Monolith decides. The Heralds... enforce.”
Elira stepped closer, her voice urgent. “What do you mean? What happens if the Monolith activates?”
Varyn’s form shimmered violently, their body glitching as the corruption began overtaking them fully. “Nothing... survives,” they said, their voice almost a whisper. “Not as it is.”
Before Kael could ask more, a guttural roar echoed from the shadows, and Varyn turned sharply. Their glowing eyes widened. “They’ve found us. Run, or fight. But don’t... trust the System.”
The shadows around the camp stirred, and the sound of scraping metal grew louder.
Varyn’s warning barely had time to register before the first creature lunged out of the darkness. Its form was barely humanoid, a mass of twisted limbs and jagged edges that flickered with corrupted energy.
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“Defensive positions!” Torran shouted, raising his shield just in time to block the creature’s attack. The impact sent sparks flying, and Torran grunted under the force.
Elira loosed an arrow, the shot piercing the creature’s side. It let out a distorted shriek but didn’t fall, its corrupted veins glowing brighter as it pressed forward.
“They’re not going down easy!” Elira called, nocking another arrow.
Kael’s shadow twisted around him, responding to the growing chaos. He activated Shadow Stitch, dark tendrils lashing out to ensnare one of the creatures. The tendrils wrapped tightly around its limbs, holding it back long enough for Torran to deliver a crushing blow with his sword.
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[Skill Activated: Shadow Stitch]
Effect: Restrains one target for 5 seconds.
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“Focus on the ones coming from the left!” Torran bellowed, shifting to block another attacker.
Amid the chaos, Varyn staggered back toward the center of the camp, their corrupted body flickering violently. “They’re not here for you,” they rasped. “They’re here for me.”
Kael turned toward them, his chest tightening. “What are you talking about?”
“The Heralds don’t leave loose ends,” Varyn said, their voice heavy with resignation. “They won’t stop until I’m gone.”
Another wave of creatures emerged from the shadows, their glowing red eyes fixed on Varyn. One lunged, its claws slashing through the air, but Varyn activated a skill, a burst of corrupted energy knocking it back.
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[Skill Activated: Corrupted Wave]
Effect: Releases a burst of energy, staggering all nearby enemies.
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Varyn stumbled, their body trembling from the strain. “Get out of here,” they said, their voice breaking. “I’ll hold them off. But you need to find the Monolith. It’s... the only way.”
“No!” Kael shouted, but Varyn turned toward him, their gaze firm despite their fractured form.
“Go, Edgeweaver. You can still change this,” they said. Then, with a final surge of energy, they charged into the fray, drawing the creatures away from the group.
“Kael, we have to move!” Elira yelled, grabbing his arm.
Torran nodded grimly, his shield raised as he cleared a path through the chaos. “We’re not sticking around to die here!”
Kael hesitated, his fists clenched, before turning to follow the others. Behind him, Varyn’s form flickered one last time before disappearing into the mass of corrupted creatures.
The group sprinted through the tunnels, the sounds of battle and corrupted shrieks fading behind them. The dim glow of dungeon crystals illuminated their path, casting elongated shadows that seemed to flicker unnaturally. Kael’s chest burned, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he fought to keep up with Elira and Torran.
They finally emerged into a small cavern, its walls damp and slick with condensation. A shallow pool of water reflected the pale light, and the faint sound of dripping echoed through the space.
Torran leaned against the wall, his shield resting heavily on the ground. “That... was too close,” he muttered, his tone edged with frustration.
Elira paced near the entrance, her eyes scanning the tunnel they had come through. “We should be safe here for a while,” she said, though her voice lacked conviction.
Kael sank to the ground, his shadow flickering weakly at his feet. His mind churned with Varyn’s final words, the weight of their sacrifice pressing heavily on him.
“Varyn said... the Monolith is the only way,” Kael said quietly, breaking the silence. “They gave their life so we could keep moving.”
“And what did it accomplish?” Torran snapped, his voice sharp. “They’re dead, and we barely made it out alive. For what? More riddles about Nodes and Monoliths? Every step we take, it feels like we’re falling deeper into a trap.”
Kael looked up, his eyes narrowing. “You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t feel it too?” His shadow twitched as his frustration grew. “But Varyn trusted me. They believed we could make a difference. So, we have to try.”
Torran shook his head, his expression hard. “Try all you want. But if you get us killed chasing this Reset, it’s on you.”
“Torran, enough,” Elira said sharply, stepping between them. “We all knew this wasn’t going to be easy. But fighting each other isn’t going to help.”
The tension in the room hung thick, the air heavy with unspoken doubts.
Before anyone could say more, a System notification flickered into Kael’s vision, its jagged text glowing ominously.
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[Warning: Monolith Activation Threshold Detected. Proceed with Caution.]
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Kael’s breath hitched as the words burned into his mind. “It’s starting,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Elira and Torran exchanged a glance, their earlier argument forgotten as the weight of the message settled over them.
“Then we don’t have much time,” Elira said firmly, her gaze steady. “Let’s keep moving.”
Kael nodded, his resolve hardening. Whatever awaited them at the Monolith, he knew they couldn’t turn back now.