The group huddled around a makeshift campfire in the desolate plains, the faint glow of the shard casting eerie shadows on their faces. The shard pulsed faintly, its light almost rhythmic, like the heartbeat of a living thing.

Kael stared at it, his shadow twitching and coiling beneath him in response to the shard’s energy. The runic markings on its surface glimmered faintly, shifting subtly as though alive. “It’s reacting,” he murmured.

Elira leaned in closer, her keen eyes studying the intricate symbols. “It’s definitely pointing us somewhere,” she said, her voice filled with a mix of awe and unease. “But these runes... they’re different from the ones we saw on the Catalyst’s Gate. They’re more... fragmented.”

Torran crossed his arms, his expression grim. “And more corrupted.” He gestured toward Kael’s shadow, which was flickering more erratically now. “It’s affecting him. You can’t tell me this thing isn’t dangerous.”

Kael looked up, his jaw tightening. “Everything about the Monoliths is dangerous. But if we don’t follow this lead, what’s our alternative? Wait for the System to finish collapsing?”

Torran didn’t reply immediately, his gaze shifting to the shard. “And what if it’s leading us into a trap? The Herald practically said these things are using you.”

Kael exhaled sharply, clenching his fists. “Maybe it is. But it’s the only clue we have.”

Elira’s voice cut through the tension. “Hold on. Something’s happening.”

The shard’s glow intensified, its light spilling across the ground in a web of patterns. The runes shifted rapidly, aligning into a clear image—a map etched in shimmering lines of crimson and silver.

“That’s...” Elira trailed off, her brow furrowing.

“A location,” Kael finished, his voice low. The map displayed a mountainous region, its jagged peaks marked with glowing symbols. At the center was a faintly pulsing point of light, identical to the shard itself.

“The next Monolith,” Elira said, her tone tinged with dread.

As the map faded, the shard shuddered violently, and a burst of corrupted energy surged outward. Kael stumbled back, clutching his chest as his shadow flared uncontrollably.

“Kael!” Elira moved to steady him, her hand gripping his arm.

“I’m fine,” Kael gasped, though his shadow continued to lash at the ground.

Torran stepped forward, his tone sharp. “That’s not fine. Whatever this thing is doing, it’s only getting worse.”

Kael straightened, his shadow gradually calming as he forced himself to stand. “It doesn’t matter. We know where to go now.”

Elira nodded, glancing at the shard before carefully placing it back in her pack. “The map pointed to the Ridge of Ash. No one’s been there in ages, not even the System guides. It’s considered too dangerous.”

“Of course it is,” Torran muttered. “Why would the Monoliths be anywhere easy to reach?”

Kael’s gaze hardened, his voice steady. “Then we go. Whatever’s waiting for us there, we can’t let it stop us.”

The shard’s faint glow dimmed, leaving only the flickering firelight to illuminate their determined faces.

The air grew colder as the group pressed forward, the terrain beneath their feet shifting from cracked stone to uneven ridges lined with sharp, obsidian-like rocks. The Ridge of Ash loomed on the horizon, its jagged peaks piercing the dull, gray sky.

Kael led the way, the shard’s faint energy pulling at his senses like a compass. His shadow moved more erratically with every step, flickering and curling outward as though drawn by the corrupted forces ahead.

“This place feels wrong,” Elira muttered, her sharp eyes scanning the shifting terrain. “The air’s too still, and there’s no sound. Not even from the corruption.”

“Or it’s hiding,” Torran said, gripping his sword tightly as he surveyed the path. “Whatever’s here, it doesn’t want to be seen until it’s ready to strike.”

Kael didn’t reply. His focus was locked on the path ahead, where the landscape seemed to twist and warp unnaturally. The pull of the shard was stronger now, like a steady tug in his chest.

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They approached a narrow pass lined with jagged spires of dark rock. The ground beneath their feet was cracked and uneven, glowing faintly with lines of corrupted energy that pulsed in time with the shard’s rhythm.

Elira paused, her bow in hand as she crouched to inspect the glowing lines. “The corruption’s spreading through the ground,” she said, her voice quiet. “But it’s more organized. Almost... deliberate.”

Torran raised his shield instinctively. “It’s not just the ground. Look.”

Kael turned, his shadow flaring as he noticed movement in the distance. Small, shadowy creatures skittered along the ridges, their forms flickering like static. They didn’t charge but hovered at the edge of sight, watching.

“They’re not attacking,” Elira said, her voice low.

“Yet,” Torran growled. “They’re waiting for something.”

The tension thickened as the group moved cautiously through the pass. The creatures followed at a distance, their glowing red eyes fixed on Kael. His shadow writhed violently, reacting to their presence, but they made no move to approach.

The ground trembled suddenly, a sharp crack splitting the air. A section of the ridge ahead collapsed, sending a shower of jagged rocks tumbling toward them.

“Move!” Torran shouted, raising his shield to block the debris.

Elira leaped to the side, rolling out of the way as a large boulder crashed where she had been standing. Kael stumbled, his shadow lashing out instinctively to steady him.

The group regrouped as the tremor subsided, the creatures on the ridges vanishing into the shadows.

“They’re trying to drive us back,” Kael said, his voice firm despite the unease in his chest.

“Or herd us,” Torran replied grimly.

Elira dusted herself off, her gaze fixed on the faint glow of the shard in Kael’s hand. “Whatever’s ahead, it knows we’re coming. We need to be ready.”

Kael nodded, his grip tightening on the shard as they pushed forward. The Ridge of Ash loomed closer, its peaks shrouded in a swirling miasma of corrupted energy. The faint whispers Kael had heard since leaving the Monolith grew louder, their tones shifting between beckoning and warning.

“We’re getting close,” Kael said, his shadow thrashing more violently now.

“Close to what?” Torran asked, his tone sharp.

Kael didn’t answer. He wasn’t entirely sure himself.

The Ridge of Ash loomed larger as the group approached, its jagged peaks partially shrouded in a swirling haze of corrupted energy. The air was heavy and cold, the faint hum of the shard in Kael’s pack syncing eerily with the rhythmic pulses emanating from the mountain.

The path led them to a massive chasm, its edges lined with broken, crumbling rock. At the bottom of the gorge, barely visible through the miasma, was a sprawling structure. It was ancient and massive, its stone walls cracked and blackened with age. Jagged spires jutted upward from its roof, each pulsing faintly with crimson light.

Elira crouched at the edge of the chasm, her sharp eyes scanning the structure below. “That has to be it,” she said quietly. “The next Monolith is inside that dungeon.”

Kael stepped forward, the shard in his pack vibrating faintly as his shadow flickered beneath him. “It’s down there,” he murmured, his voice distant. “I can feel it.”

Torran frowned, gripping his sword tightly as he surveyed the surroundings. “No way this place is unguarded. If the Monolith is here, the corruption will be everywhere.”

Kael nodded, his gaze fixed on the faint glow of the dungeon’s spires. “And it knows we’re coming.”

The group began their descent into the chasm, the crumbling rock threatening to give way beneath their feet. Torran led the way, his shield strapped firmly to his back as he tested each step. Elira followed closely, her bow at the ready, while Kael trailed behind, the shard’s pull guiding his movements.

As they neared the base of the chasm, the miasma thickened, clinging to their skin and making each breath feel heavier. The dungeon loomed before them, its massive entrance partially buried in rubble. The faint light from its spires cast eerie shadows across the ground, and the air hummed with latent energy.

Elira paused, her bow drawn as she scanned the ruins. “Do you hear that?”

Kael stopped, his shadow coiling tightly at his feet. The faint hum of energy had shifted, replaced by a low, rhythmic thrum that seemed to emanate from the dungeon itself. It was almost like... a heartbeat.

Torran stepped forward cautiously, his sword drawn. “Whatever’s in there, it’s awake.”

As the group approached the entrance, Kael’s shadow stretched toward the glowing field of energy that surrounded the doorway. The field flickered faintly as if reacting to his presence, and for a brief moment, Kael’s vision blurred.

Images flashed before him—a massive Monolith buried deep within the dungeon, its tendrils of energy pulsing erratically as they spread through the corrupted structure. The vision was fragmented and chaotic, but one thing was clear: this Monolith was stronger than the last.

Kael stumbled, clutching his head as the vision faded.

“Kael?” Elira reached for him, her tone filled with concern.

“I saw it,” Kael said, his voice shaky. “The Monolith. It’s deeper inside, but it’s... different. Stronger.”

Torran’s jaw tightened. “Great. Because the last one was such a cakewalk.”

Before they could say more, the ground beneath them rumbled. The glowing energy field at the dungeon’s entrance pulsed brightly, and the air grew colder.

“Elira, Torran—get ready,” Kael said, stepping back as his shadow flared.

The ancient constructs surrounding the entrance, once still and lifeless, began to stir. Their jagged forms flickered with light as they rose from the rubble, their crystalline cores glowing crimson.

A distorted System Notification appeared before them, its text jagged and broken:

[Warning: Access Denied. Priority Protocol Engaged.]

The constructs moved forward in unison, their glowing cores pulsating as tendrils of energy lashed out toward the group.

“Looks like they noticed us,” Torran muttered, raising his shield. “Here we go again.”

Elira nocked an arrow, her gaze steady. “Kael, stay sharp. This isn’t over.”

Kael’s shadow lashed out instinctively, responding to the constructs’ movements as he stepped into the fray.

The Monolith awaited, and the battle had just begun.