The dust hadn’t even settled before Kaelen and Sigrid pushed forward, deeper into the Archive. Whatever that creature had been, it wasn’t just some random beast. It had been guarding something—something worth killing for.

Sigrid moved quickly, her sharp eyes scanning the shelves. “That wasn’t just a mindless thing,” she murmured. “It was bound to this place. Which means whatever it was protecting is still here.”

Kaelen exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, and I’d rather not find its older, meaner cousin lurking around.” His gaze shifted over the towering shelves before landing on a particularly massive tome, secured behind iron bars. “That looks important.”

Sigrid followed his line of sight and nodded. “Agreed.”

The two of them approached, and Sigrid studied the locking mechanism. It was old but complex—runes carved into the metal, woven together with some kind of enchantment. She reached out a hand, magic crackling at her fingertips as she analyzed the spell.

“It’s warded,” she muttered. “I can break it, but it’ll take a moment.”

Kaelen leaned against the shelf, watching her work. “Take your time. It’s not like we’re in a cursed crypt full of horrors or anything.”

Sigrid rolled her eyes but focused. Her magic pulsed through the air, threading into the runes and disrupting their structure. Slowly, the bars groaned and then—click. The lock disengaged, and the iron frame fell open.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Kaelen wasted no time, reaching for the book. It was heavy, its leather-bound cover worn with age. The title was barely legible: The Forgotten Oath.

Flipping it open, he scanned the pages. The language was old, but he could make out fragments. His expression darkened as he read.

“Sigrid… this isn’t just about the Liorath,” he said slowly. “This thing—it wasn’t just summoned. It was bound to the land. Someone did this on purpose.”

Sigrid frowned, looking over his shoulder. The text described an ancient order of hunters—ones who had made a pact long ago, using a relic to control creatures like the Liorath. The talisman wasn’t just an object; it was a key, a way to wield power over the beast.

She exhaled. “So if the relic still exists… someone could be using it.”

Kaelen’s jaw tightened. “Or worse, trying to.”

A sudden chill swept through the chamber. Both hunters immediately reached for their weapons, but this time, the presence wasn’t hostile. Instead, the air shimmered, and a faint, ghostly figure appeared before them—a hunter clad in the old garb of the Raven School.

His voice was distant, ethereal. “You seek the talisman… but you do not understand its cost.”

Kaelen’s grip tightened on his sword. “Then explain.”

The ghostly hunter regarded him with hollow eyes. “The talisman was never meant to be wielded by mortals. It is an anchor, a chain that binds the unnatural to this world. To use it is to invite ruin.”

Sigrid exchanged a glance with Kaelen. “So destroying it would sever the Liorath’s connection?”

The specter’s expression darkened. “It would unmake the beast… but it would also awaken what sleeps beneath.”

Kaelen narrowed his eyes. “And what, exactly, is sleeping beneath?”

The ghost’s form wavered. “A nightmare older than the hunt itself.”

And with that, the apparition faded, leaving only silence.

Sigrid sighed. “Great. So we destroy the talisman, we stop the Liorath… but we might wake up something even worse.”

Kaelen shut the book with a snap. “Well, at least we know one thing for sure.”

Sigrid raised an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”

Kaelen smirked. “This job just got a whole lot more interesting.”

Sigrid sighed. “You have the worst definition of ‘interesting.’”

Kaelen only grinned, tucking the book under his arm. “Let’s get moving. We’ve got a relic to find.”

And with that, they stepped back into the unknown.