The tomb was alive—groaning, shifting, and threatening to consume them all. Energy surged from the artifact in violent pulses, cracks spreading along the ancient stone walls as dust filled the air. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and panic spread like wildfire through the group.

Raj hung suspended in the swirling vortex of energy, his face serene yet distant. He seemed untouchable, his body glowing with an eerie violet light as ancient symbols danced across the walls.

Victor's POV

Victor's eyes scanned the collapsing chamber. Years of military experience kicked in, his instincts screaming to take control of the chaos. He barked orders, his voice cutting through the cacophony.

"Everyone, fall back! Head for the exit!"

He turned to Elias, who stood frozen in shock, his eyes fixed on Raj. "Move, Elias! We're out of time!"

Victor's grip tightened around his flashlight as he guided Eva and Jenna toward the crumbling passage. His gaze flicked back to Raj, and a chill ran down his spine. "He knew this would happen," Victor thought. "He always did."

Elias's POV

Elias couldn't move. His mind was flooded with fragments of ancient texts and warnings—legends of power and destruction that had seemed so distant until now. "This artifact… it's not a cure. It's a weapon," he realized with growing dread.

He clenched his fists, fighting the urge to run back to Raj. "He's been chasing this his entire life. But at what cost?"

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Victor's hand clamped down on his shoulder. "We can't save him now, Elias. We have to go."

Reluctantly, Elias turned away, his heart heavy with guilt. "I should've stopped him sooner."

Jenna's POV

Jenna kept her breathing steady, her sharp eyes taking in every detail even as the tomb threatened to collapse around them. She felt the ground buckling beneath her feet, the artifact's energy vibrating in her bones.

"Stay close!" she shouted to Eva, dragging her toward the nearest exit.

Jenna shot a glance at Raj, her mind racing. "He was always the smartest in the room. The one with all the answers. And now… this."

Her pulse quickened as another tremor rocked the chamber. "No more answers, Raj. Only consequences."

Eva's POV

Eva gritted her teeth, holding back tears as she fought to stay on her feet. Dust stung her eyes, and her lungs burned from the choking air. She glanced at Raj one last time, her heart breaking.

"We trusted you," she thought bitterly. "We followed you into the darkness… and now we'll die here because of you."

She turned to Victor. "We're not leaving without him!"

Victor shook his head. "We have no choice. We'll die if we stay."

Eva hesitated, torn between her loyalty to Raj and her instinct to survive. Finally, she nodded, her face hardening. "Then let's go."

Diego's POV

Diego stumbled, his toolkit clattering to the ground as he tried to regain his balance. He cursed under his breath, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"Raj, you bastard," Diego muttered, his voice trembling. "You were always too obsessed… too damn brilliant for your own good."

He scrambled after Victor, his heart pounding in his chest. "We should've never come here. We should've left this place buried."

Raj's POV

Raj drifted in the swirling void, his consciousness floating beyond the boundaries of reality. His body felt weightless, his mind expanding in ways he never thought possible. The artifact whispered to him, its voice soft and insistent.

"You've always wanted answers," it said. "Here they are. Take them. Become more than what you are."

Visions of lost civilizations, forgotten gods, and endless worlds flashed before his eyes. Raj smiled faintly. "I was right all along. Everything they said was impossible… is real."

He reached for the artifact, his fingers brushing its surface. The darkness swallowed him whole.

A final pulse of energy tore through the chamber, collapsing the central dais. The artifact's glow disappeared, and silence fell over the tomb. Stone dust hung in the air like a ghostly shroud.

Victor coughed, dragging himself to his feet. His eyes scanned the rubble, searching for any sign of Raj.

"He's gone," Victor said quietly, his voice barely audible.

Eva's legs gave out, and she fell to her knees. Tears streamed down her face as the weight of what had just happened hit her.

Jenna stood in stunned silence, her mind racing. Elias looked away, unable to face the reality of their loss.

Only the faint hum of the artifact remained, hidden beneath the rubble—a whisper of something far from over.