They stayed silent as they watched the creature carefully. Finally, it shifted slightly, and Seren raised her sword to strike, but Garrick grabbed her wrist and shook his head, signaling for her to stay quiet. As much as he hated leaving Seren alone against this enemy, he didn’t put her in danger by placing her in front of the attack. He focused and concentrated, trying to summon lightning to his hands, then attempted to cast the Lightning Bolt spell. However, all his efforts resulted in failure. His power remained stagnant. No matter how hard he tried, he could muster no lightning, no thunder, nor heat.

“This is not good,” he whispered as he stared intently at the dark golem.

His attention turned suddenly towards a sound behind him. A figure slipped silently through the darkness in the direction of the dark golem, its movement almost invisible as it moved with the stealth +5 and silence typical of most demons. For a moment, the shape stopped near the dark golem, as if listening. Then, without warning, it dashed forward. The shadowy figure raised her flame blade and struck the monster directly. Sparks flew, and the creature howled in agony as it stumbled backward into the wall. Then the figure raised its flaming weapon again and charged toward the monster, its steps echoing across the great hall.

Garrick's eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he saw it was none other than Seren. He couldn't believe she was so reckless to face something that powerful all on her own! He didn’t have time to consider his options as the shadow approached. The figure swung her fire blade, and it struck true. Sparks flew in every direction, and Seren landed back on the floor in a heap. Garrick gritted his teeth and prepared to fight. This was their only hope for getting out alive. But his attempt proved futile as he watched in shock while Seren slowly crawled to her feet. Blood trickled down from her left eye where the creature had struck her. It was a miracle she hadn’t lost her eye yet, or worse.

“Are you alright? Did it hurt you?” Garrick quickly walked over to her.

Seren shook her head numbly. She looked around, and finally her gaze settled on the shadowy figure standing across the room, her flaming sword still raised. Her expression held an emotion Garrick had never seen before.

"When I told you to stay behind, why did you attack?" Garrick asked, his voice full of anger. "You could have been killed!" Seren lowered her gaze. After a while, she murmured a single word, ‘sorry’ in an exhausted tone. He scowled, angered that she had put herself in harm's way.

"Do not apologize for your actions! You should be proud that you fought back instead of lying and cowering like a useless girl," Seren flinched as though struck, and Garrick's anger instantly dissolved as quickly as it had appeared. It was hard to get angry at a young woman who was only trying to protect herself from a monster.

"I... I had to confront this monster," Garrick was just about to intervene when she threw the blade aside and ran toward the golem. Seren leapt up onto one of the black rocks scattered about in the room.

“Watch out!” Garrick yelled, filled with concern. But as he watched, Seren jumped over the dark golem again and landed right next to it. It screeched in pain and surprise. Garrick realized that even a creature had a weakness: fear. With this new knowledge, his fury flared anew. He cast a thunderball in response, striking the dark golem and sending sparks flying. He sprinted after Seren, but the golem was too quick to regain its position.

As it brought its claws down on her right leg, she screamed, the sharp edges cutting through the bottom of her trousers and drawing blood. Seren cried out in pain and staggered. Her left hand reached out for the stone beside her. Garrick watched helplessly as she desperately tried to grasp it. Just as the golem lifted its claws once more for another blow, Seren wrapped her fingers tightly around the rock.

Her right hand trembled violently as she struggled to raise her sword, but finally, she managed to bring her weapon to bear. Before the beast could move, a bright light erupted from the blade as Seren prepared to strike. But the creature was too quick; it lunged forward, claws poised to attack. Just in time, Garrick stepped between them, shielding her with his own body. The creature's claw grazed Garrick's shoulder as it withdrew.

Seren looked at him in horror. Without hesitation, she launched another fireball at the creature, which dodged it with ease. Garrick's heart began racing in panic. If they did nothing, then the golem would take both her life and her magic system away. If they attacked, they would kill it first. In desperation, Garrick called upon his lightning, the lightning that flowed inside of him and that he could use in battle. But again, it didn’t work. He could conjure neither lightning nor air.

“Stop it, Garrick, and get out of here first!” Seren urged, pulling him behind the rock. “It’s safe there, at least for the time being.”

Garrick groaned in pain as the wound on his side burned. He knew that Seren was right, but there was nothing else he could do. He turned around and looked at the creature. Its arms stretched out towards the two of them, and Garrick heard the sounds of bone cracking and shattering, as if the thing was breaking a limb.

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He looked back at Seren and took a deep breath. “Be careful, and don't try anything foolish again.” He hoped he sounded reassuring enough.

Seren smiled weakly at him. “It’s all my fault, Garrick. I should have listened to my system,” she said, frustration evident in her voice. “I should have waited before attacking,” she admitted, regret heavy in her tone.

They heard its guttural roar in the distance. Garrick closed his eyes as the sound echoed across the great cavern, shaking the very walls. He heard Seren sob quietly. He forced his eyes open and looked at her in worry. She looked pale and shaken, and he felt bad for making her feel guilty.

“Don't blame yourself. We're going to get through this,” he assured her, but she merely nodded.

The golem continued to charge toward them, but it slowed as it approached the narrow space between the two rocks where they hid. Its glowing eyes narrowed, glaring angrily at Garrick. It snarled loudly in frustration, clearly enraged by its predicament. Garrick could tell the golem struggled to contain itself, and it seemed to grow even stronger each time it roared in fury. The noise vibrated through the cavern and caused vibrations through Garrick's very core. Even the stone beneath Garrick and Seren shook.

Garrick clenched his jaw at the sight of his best friend suffering and the creature attempting to destroy everything he loved. Seren stood next to him, her body trembling in fear, but she refused to show any signs of weakness or doubt. She was determined to defeat the golem, but Garrick feared she wouldn’t survive the battle. They were doomed if the creature didn’t stop soon.

"Seren, listen to me. This golem is unlike anything we've faced before. It feeds on fear and doubt," Garrick said urgently. “We can’t go in there together. The golem is too powerful."

Seren’s eyes widened with concern. “But what do we do then?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"We'll need a distraction," Garrick mused. He looked back at the creature, which stood still as a statue. His gaze focused on them.

“You go and take the bottle from the guards, and I’ll deal with the golem,” he said firmly. “We came here for that.”

"But we’re stronger together! We can’t just split up. What if something happens to you?" She shook her head. "No way am I letting you fight alone." She looked around, searching for inspiration. “We need help!”

Garrick glanced over the chamber. Dozens of pillars littered the floor, some large enough to hold up three of his opponents. However, they were far too short to provide any real protection against the creature. And besides, it wasn’t like there was much they could do anyway.

“I didn’t see a better idea coming," he sighed reluctantly.

"Then let me fight with you!" She exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips defiantly. "Besides the guards are always on high alert. They won’t just let me waltz in and take it."

"It’s too dangerous here," Garrick shook his head. "I can draw its attention. You have to get the bottle from the guards."

"What if something goes wrong? I'll just end up losing myself in this place. Then it will be no use, anyway."

"I believe in you. You’re quick, and you know how to blend in. If anyone can do it, it’s you," he stated, giving her a reassuring smile. The words warmed her heart. Despite his protests earlier, he couldn’t ignore that she cared so much about their safety. A small part of him wished he hadn't made such a decision.

"What if you can’t hold it off?" Seren's voice trembled. "What if it breaks through the door while I’m gone?"

Garrick's expression softened at her distress. "Then you need to promise me something. If I’m not back in ten minutes, you leave. You find somewhere safe."

Seren stared at the ground. "But-"

He gripped her shoulder and made her look at him. "You have to, Seren! This isn’t just about us anymore. It’s about everyone depending on us. If you get that bottle, it could turn the tide," he explained, looking directly into her eyes.

"But… what if I couldn’t get it? What if I failed?" Tears brimmed in her eyes, her face grew red, and tears began streaming down her cheeks.

Garrick wiped one away and placed his free arm around her shoulder. “You wouldn’t. You faced danger before. Remember when we snuck past those mercenaries? You were brilliant!” he said seriously. “We needed that ancient scroll. That’s what this mission was about. Remember what we told ourselves?”

"That was different, Garrick… this was a golem made of shadows and despair." A small smile broke through her panic as she sniffed. "And I'm not sure I remembered that correctly."

"Well... remember now."

"Okay..." she whispered in uncertainty. She paused for a moment. "But you had to promise me you’d stay alive. No heroics."

Garrick gave her shoulders a slight squeeze. “No promises. You knew me too well."

Seren gripped Garrick’s hand tightly, her voice trembling. “Just be careful. I couldn’t lose you, Garrick.”

Garrick squeezed her hand back reassuringly. “You wouldn’t. Now, go! I’d be right here when you got back.”

She hesitated momentarily, uncertainty flickering in her eyes, but then she nodded and darted off as he instructed. With one last glance at the ominous door, Seren felt her heart race. Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the dark corridor, determination propelling her toward the guards. Garrick crept along the top side of the stone wall and made his way to the back door. It was locked. He scanned the area, searching for an entrance somewhere. There wasn't one, but maybe there was a window above that led up to the roof. But it would mean climbing up the pillar.

Seren dashed down the corridors, ignoring the burning feeling in her feet, knowing she must have been leaving her mark behind her. When she reached the guards, she was immediately tackled to the ground, her attacker slamming her to the cold floor as a boot connected to her ribcage. She grunted in pain as the air knocked out of her lungs, forcing her to cough up a mouthful of dirt. Her attacker lifted his foot from her ribs, allowing her to take several deep breaths before reaching for her sword. She managed to pull her dagger from her boots and throw it at his leg, hitting the skin and causing him to howl and pull his leg away.