The entrance to the crypts yawned open before them, a jagged black mouth carved into the earth. Time and weather had worn the stone archway into something ancient and foreboding, but it still stood, a testament to whatever forgotten architects had built this place.

Kaelen stepped forward first, his blade unsheathed and gleaming in the dim light. Behind him, Sigrid traced a sigil in the air, her fingers glowing faintly as she murmured a quiet incantation. The light flared briefly, illuminating the descent before them.

"Ever the cautious one," Kaelen remarked, glancing over his shoulder.

“Someone has to be,” Sigrid shot back, her voice calm. “I’d rather not walk blindly into death.”

Nessa followed, holding a torch high, her expression a mix of curiosity and unease. "You two always this chatty before walking into a place that smells like corpses?"

Kaelen smirked. "Helps break the tension. You should try it."

The stairs spiraled down into darkness, each step colder than the last. The air grew heavier, laden with the scent of damp stone and decay. Their breaths fogged in front of them, a stark contrast to the oppressive warmth of the city above.

“Feels like the air’s alive,” Nessa muttered, her voice echoing faintly.

“It might be,” Sigrid replied, her tone neutral but firm.

They reached the bottom of the staircase, their torchlight barely piercing the gloom. The chamber stretched out before them, a vast expanse of cracked stone and crumbling columns. Ancient carvings adorned the walls, their meanings long forgotten, though some of the figures etched into the stone seemed unsettlingly lifelike.

“Stick together,” Kaelen said, his voice low.

The group advanced cautiously, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of dust and grime that coated the floor. Shadows danced along the walls as Nessa’s torchlight flickered, making the carvings seem to shift and writhe.

They hadn’t gone far when a sound stopped them in their tracks—a faint scraping, like nails against stone.

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Sigrid’s hand shot up, signaling silence. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for the source.

“There,” Kaelen whispered, nodding toward a far corner of the chamber.

The shadows in the corner seemed darker, denser, as if they were swallowing the light. Then, something moved within them—a shape, amorphous and fluid, like smoke given form.

“That’s no ordinary beast,” Nessa said, her grip tightening on her blade.

The creature—if it could even be called that—emerged fully from the darkness, its form a shifting mass of black tendrils and glowing red eyes. It moved without sound, gliding across the floor like a living shadow.

Kaelen’s sword was in his hand before the thing could advance further. “Guess we found the Watcher.”

The creature paused, its many eyes fixing on them. Then it lunged.

Kaelen met the attack head-on, his blade slicing through the air. The creature’s tendrils lashed out, striking with the force of a whip. Kaelen dodged the first, but a second caught him across the shoulder, sending him staggering back.

Sigrid raised her hands, chanting quickly. A pulse of light shot from her palms, striking the creature and forcing it to retreat momentarily. The light seared its shadowy form, and it let out a guttural, otherworldly hiss.

“Keep it busy!” Sigrid shouted, her voice sharp.

“Not a problem!” Kaelen growled, charging forward again. His sword slashed through the tendrils, the steel seeming to disrupt their form, but the creature’s strikes came faster now, more relentless.

Nessa darted around the edge of the fight, her dagger flashing as she struck at the creature’s flank. Her blade bit into the shadows, and the creature recoiled, a high-pitched screech echoing through the chamber.

Sigrid’s magic flared again, this time forming a barrier around Kaelen as the creature lashed out. The tendrils struck the barrier, shattering it but sparing Kaelen from the brunt of the blow.

“Appreciate the assist!” Kaelen called, slashing through another tendril.

“Just focus on killing it!” Sigrid snapped, her hands glowing as she prepared another spell.

The creature suddenly shifted, its form elongating and splitting into multiple shapes. It surrounded them, its tendrils striking from all sides.

“Now that’s just cheating,” Nessa muttered, her back pressed against Sigrid’s.

Kaelen gritted his teeth, his mind racing. The creature was fast, too fast to keep up with in its current form. But it wasn’t invincible—Sigrid’s magic had proven that.

“Sigrid!” he shouted. “Light it up!”

She didn’t hesitate. Raising her hands, she chanted a series of words that seemed to hum with power. A blinding flash erupted from her palms, filling the chamber with searing light.

The creature screeched, its form flickering as the light struck it. Kaelen seized the opportunity, charging forward with everything he had. His blade arced through the air, slicing into the creature’s core.

The creature let out one final, ear-piercing shriek before collapsing into a pool of shadowy ichor. The chamber fell silent, save for the sound of their heavy breathing.

Kaelen wiped his blade on the hem of his cloak, his gaze fixed on the puddle of darkness where the creature had fallen. “Well, that was fun.”

“Fun isn’t the word I’d use,” Nessa said, grimacing as she prodded the ichor with her boot.

Sigrid didn’t reply, her focus on the carvings lining the walls. She traced a hand over one of the symbols, her brow furrowed.

“What is it?” Kaelen asked, stepping beside her.

“These carvings,” she said quietly. “They’re wards. Ancient ones. Meant to keep something sealed.”

“Looks like they didn’t do a great job,” Kaelen said, glancing at the ichor.

“This was just a piece of something larger,” Sigrid replied, her voice grim. “And whatever it is, it’s waking up.”

Kaelen’s smirk fade

d. “Guess we’re not done here, then.”

Sigrid’s eyes met his, her expression deadly serious. “Not even close.”