The silence that followed the destruction of the altar was unlike anything Aethren had ever experienced. It was as if the very air had stilled in reverence for the battle they had just fought—and won. Yet beneath the surface of that silence, an undercurrent of uncertainty thrummed. The Void had been dealt a blow, but Aethren knew it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
His grip on the Cleansing Flame tightened as he surveyed the shattered altar. The dark energy that had once surged from it now dissipated into nothingness, leaving the chamber cold and empty. The shadows had receded, but something about the place felt... wrong. The battle might have ended, but the war had only just begun.
"You did well," Elyra said, her voice hoarse from the strain of the fight. She had a streak of dirt across her face, but her eyes were sharp, always alert.
Aethren nodded. "It’s not over. This was just one fragment of the Void’s power. There’s more. Much more."
Thalira wiped her blade clean, then sheathed it with a practiced flick. "The Void doesn’t play fair. But we can’t give it the chance to regroup. We should head back to the council. They’ll want to know what happened."
"And they’ll want to know what we found," Rhael added, his expression distant as he surveyed the wreckage of the altar. "This place is old—ancient, even. Whoever built it knew something about the Void, and that knowledge might be key to understanding how it got here in the first place."
Aethren glanced at the others, considering the weight of their words. The council, with all its faults, was still the city’s last line of defense. They had to go back and report what they had learned.
"Agreed," Aethren said. "But we move carefully. We don’t know who we can trust."
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The journey back to the city was uneventful, but the tension in the air was palpable. Each step they took felt heavier than the last, the weight of their encounter in the mines pressing down on them. As they approached the gates of Caris, Aethren’s thoughts turned to Eryna. Her warning about betrayal still echoed in his mind, and it gnawed at him, reminding him that the real danger might lie within the city’s own walls.
When they arrived at the council chambers, the heavy doors swung open to reveal the same cold grandeur they had entered earlier. This time, however, the atmosphere was different. The council members were already gathered, their faces tense with an anxiety that seemed to infect the very air around them.
Varek, the tall man who had spoken before, stood at the head of the table. He nodded at the group as they entered. "You’ve returned earlier than expected," he said, his voice betraying a hint of unease.
"We found the source," Aethren said, his tone even but firm. "The Void’s influence is tied to an ancient altar deep within the mines. But that’s not all. There’s something much darker at play here. Something we haven’t fully uncovered yet."
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"Explain," Varek demanded, his eyes narrowing.
Aethren stepped forward, relaying their findings in as much detail as he could without revealing everything. He spoke of the altar, the runes, and the dark energy that had once filled the chamber. He told them how the Void’s influence had been linked to the mines and how they had managed to sever its power, at least temporarily.
As he spoke, he noticed the shift in the room. Several of the council members exchanged uneasy glances, and some even looked as though they were on the verge of speaking, but stopped themselves at the last moment.
When he finished, there was a long silence. Eryna, who had been standing in the back of the room, finally stepped forward. Her gaze was heavy with something that Aethren couldn’t quite place—concern, fear, or perhaps something more.
"Is there more you’re not telling us?" she asked, her voice calm but filled with an underlying tension.
Aethren hesitated. Eryna was the only one in the council he felt he could trust, but the doubt in her voice made him question his own certainty. "There’s more we don’t understand yet," he admitted. "But we’re getting closer."
Varek’s sharp eyes remained fixed on him. "And you’re sure the Void’s influence has been severed completely?"
"No," Aethren replied, his voice grim. "But it’s no longer centered in the mines. It’s dispersed, for now. The danger isn’t over, though. It’s only a matter of time before it takes root again, somewhere else."
"Then what is our next step?" Eryna asked, her eyes searching his face.
"First," Aethren said, "we need to investigate the city. The Void’s influence has already spread. We don’t know where it could be hiding, and we don’t know who has already been corrupted. We need to root out the source."
"And if we can’t find it?" Thalira added, her tone sharp. "What then?"
"We make it our priority," Aethren said, his gaze hardening. "We don’t give the Void a chance to regroup."
The council members exchanged uncertain glances, but Varek seemed to consider Aethren’s words for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. "Very well. We will prepare the city for a more thorough investigation. But I must warn you, the people are already on edge. If they catch wind of what you’ve found, panic will spread like wildfire."
"We’ll handle the people," Elyra said quickly, her voice firm. "Just tell us what we need to do, and we’ll get it done."
Varek nodded. "Very well. For now, we will continue with our preparations. But you are to stay alert. The Void might be lurking in unexpected places. Trust no one fully—not even us."
Eryna stepped forward, her eyes lingering on Aethren for a moment longer than necessary. She spoke quietly, just for him to hear. "Be careful, Aethren. There’s something they’re not telling you. Something in this city isn’t right."
Her words sent a shiver down his spine. He nodded, his gaze never leaving her face. "I’ll keep that in mind."
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As the group left the council chambers, the weight of their task became even clearer. They were no longer just fighting an external enemy; they were fighting a shadow that had already infiltrated their home. Caris, once a city of pride and strength, was now a fragile cage, its walls crumbling under the strain of the Void’s influence.
Aethren walked with a renewed sense of purpose, but his thoughts were clouded with doubt. If even the council was divided, how could they hope to defeat an enemy that could take root anywhere—within anyone?
"Let’s head to the city’s outskirts," Rhael said, breaking his thoughts. "We should start with the districts near the mines. If the Void’s influence started there, it’s the best place to look."
"Agreed," Aethren replied. "We move carefully. And keep your eyes open. Anyone could be a threat now."
As they stepped out into the streets, the city felt different—quieter, more dangerous. The shadows were longer than before, creeping into every corner of Caris.
And somewhere in the distance, Aethren could almost feel the Void watching them, waiting for the moment they would slip up.