At the center of the chamber, an ancient altar stood surrounded by glowing crimson runes etched into the floor. Four stone pedestals were positioned around it, each engraved with a faintly glowing symbol: Fire, Shadow, Blood, and Void.

A faint HUD notification appeared before me:

[OBJECTIVE UPDATED: ACTIVATE THE ALTAR TO PROCEED]

Mason stepped closer, tilting his head as he studied the altar. “Okay, I’m just gonna say it… this looks like puzzle nonsense.”

Fi sighed. “It is puzzle nonsense, Mason. But let’s not blow it up with your hammer just yet.”

Devon inspected one of the symbols. “These elements match up with Kiera’s abilities.”

Selene nodded slowly, tracing her finger over the rune for Shadow. “Kiera, I think this is your show.”

I stepped forward. The others stepped aside, watching me cautiously.

“Alright… let’s see if this works.”

I focused on the Shadow Rune first, my hand hovering above it.

“Shadow Mirage.”

A faint pulse of shadow energy spread across the rune, glowing briefly before dimming again.

Next, I moved to the Blood Rune.

“Crimson Kiss.”

A faint orb of crimson energy left my palm and touched the rune, causing it to glow faintly before fading.

The Fire and Void runes, however, remained unresponsive.

Mason scratched his head. “Uh, I don’t remember you having fire powers, Kiera.”

“Because I don’t,” I replied, frowning.

Selene stepped closer. “Maybe we need something else. Look around—the answer might be here somewhere.”

I wandered toward a faint glow emanating from a crevice in the wall. Shadows pooled faintly at my feet as I approached, and a faint notification pinged:

[INTERACT: ANCIENT RUNED VESSEL]

Carefully, I reached out and touched the vessel. A sharp sting shot up my arm, and a faint pulse of Crimson Energy surged outward.

My HUD flickered:

[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: BLOOD IGNITE – TEMPORARY SKILL] “Sacrifice HP to ignite your shadows with searing crimson energy briefly.”

My health bar ticked down slightly as my shadows began glowing faintly crimson, flickering like dying embers.

“Kiera!” Devon called. “Something changed on the altar!”

I hurried back, my crimson-lit shadows pooling at my feet. Carefully, I approached the Fire Rune, focusing on my new skill.

“Blood Ignite!”

A faint ember burst from my hand, colliding with the rune. The Fire Rune glowed brightly before fading.

The final rune—Void—began to pulse faintly on its own—the element to combine them all.

Selene’s voice was sharp. “Stand back!”

The rune pulsed violently before shattering, releasing a wave of glitching energy that rippled across the altar.

The ground trembled, and the stone doors at the chamber's far end slowly ground open.

[PUZZLE COMPLETE: ACCESS GRANTED]

The passage beyond the altar led downward—a spiraling staircase carved into jagged stone, faintly illuminated by flickering crimson veins etched into the walls.

We moved cautiously, weapons drawn, the oppressive weight of the crypt pressing down on us with every step.

“Does anyone else feel like we’re being watched?” Fi asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mason shifted uneasily. “I thought it was just me…”

Selene’s amber eyes flicked upward, scanning the shadows. “Keep moving. We’re not safe here.”

As we descended deeper, the faint whispers returned—louder this time, more urgent.

Devon glanced at me, his brow furrowed. “They know we’re here. Whatever’s down here doesn’t want us reaching it.”

The air grew colder as we stepped into a vast underground chamber. A massive crystalline structure pulsed faintly in the center, wrapped in glitching shadows. The fragment was embedded inside—glowing softly, like a heart beating in the dark.

[OBJECTIVE UPDATED: RETRIEVE THE FRAGMENTED BINARY CODE]

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

But we weren’t alone.

Figures moved in the shadows—humanoid shapes with jagged, glitching outlines. They stepped into the faint light, revealing twisted faces and hollow eyes.

[ENCOUNTER: VOIDBOUND SENTRIES – LVL 22]

The crystalline structure pulsed at the chamber's center, glitching shadows writhing around its jagged surface. Inside, the Fragmented Binary Code glowed faintly.

The Voidbound Sentries stepped into the faint light. Twisted humanoid figures with hollow eyes, glitching outlines, and jagged weapons fused into their hands. Their bodies flickered sporadically as though reality itself struggled to keep them stable.

My HUD pulsed an ominous notification:

[ENCOUNTER: VOIDBOUND SENTRIES – LVL 22]

[OBJECTIVE: RETRIEVE THE FRAGMENTED BINARY CODE]

Devon stepped forward, his greatsword gleaming in the crimson glow. “Alright, same plan as always. Stick together, watch each other’s backs, and don’t get reckless.”

Selene’s daggers twirled in her hands as she crouched low. “No unnecessary risks.”

Fi and Mason exchanged a glance, weapons ready.

I exhaled slowly, my wings twitching as shadows began to coil around my fingertips. “Let’s end this.”

The Voidbound Sentries let out a distorted screech and charged.

The chamber erupted into chaos.

Devon met the first sentry head-on, his greatsword crashing against the enemy’s jagged blade with a sound like grinding glass. Sparks flew as the two figures locked in brutal combat, Devon’s raw strength keeping the creature at bay.

Selene darted into the fray, her movements fluid and precise. Her daggers glinted as they found weak points in the sentries’ warped armor, disabling them before they could strike back.

Fi was a blur, her short swords flashing as she danced between two sentries, slicing at joints and tendons. Mason slammed his hammer into the ground, sending shockwaves through the stone floor that staggered the enemies around him. “Come on, you glitchy freaks! You want some?!”

I stayed near the back, shadows pooling around me. My HUD flickered as I prepared my first move.

“Shadow Mirage!”

Three duplicates split from me, rushing toward the nearest sentries. They flickered and moved unpredictably, drawing attention and creating openings for my teammates.

A sentry broke away from Devon and lunged at me. My shadows twitched instinctively.

“Shadow Maw!”

A swirling vortex of darkness erupted from beneath the creature, consuming it instantly.

But the sentries weren’t letting up. More of them emerged from the shadows at the edges of the chamber, their hollow eyes glowing with faint crimson light.

“Devon!” Selene shouted as two sentries lunged at his exposed flank.

Devon twisted mid-swing, catching one with his blade while Selene dove in, driving her daggers into the second’s back. They worked in perfect sync, their movements complementing each other effortlessly.

On the other side of the chamber, Mason planted his hammer into the ground again, creating a seismic shockwave that sent two sentries sprawling. Fi followed up, her blades carving through the air as she dispatched them swiftly.

I gritted my teeth, my HUD flashing warnings as my HP dipped lower. I couldn’t keep throwing heavy abilities. I needed to be smarter.

“Crimson Kiss!”

I focused on one of the staggered sentries, a faint crimson light draining from its body and transferring into me.

Selene landed beside me briefly, panting lightly. "We need to focus on the binary code.”

Devon roared from across the chamber. “Kiera! If you’ve got something big left, now’s the time!”

My HUD flickered as I stared at the glowing crystal in the center. The shadows around me coiled tightly, waiting for my command.

“Everyone, clear the center!” I shouted.

Selene, Devon, Mason, and Fi scattered, pulling the sentries’ attention away from the crystal.

I stepped forward, shadows pooling beneath me like ink spreading across water.

“Shadow Maw: Ravager Form!”

The vortex erupted outward, larger and more chaotic than before. Jagged tendrils of shadow lashed out, tearing into the sentries and creating a path straight to the crystal.

The creatures screeched as they were dragged into the swirling abyss, their glitching forms collapsing into static before vanishing entirely. I stumbled slightly, my vision blurring at the edges. But the path was clear.

Selene appeared at my side, steadying me with one hand. “Go. Finish it.”

I nodded weakly and stepped toward the fragment. My HUD glitched slightly as a faint notification appeared:

[INTERACT: FRAGMENTED BINARY CODE]

[FRAGMENTED BINARY CODE ACQUIRED: 3/???]

I reached out, my fingers trembling as they touched the glowing surface.

The world went white.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

For a brief moment, I wasn’t in the crypt anymore.

I was floating in an endless void of white light, fragmented binary code drifting around me like falling snow. Voices whispered faintly—some urgent, others soft and distant.

“The Guardians must endure…”

“Fragments scattered… protect the core…”

“You are… not supposed to be here…”

A faint figure appeared in the distance—a silhouette shrouded in light. Its voice echoed, distant yet crystal clear.

“You are walking a dangerous path, an anomaly. The fragments are not meant for you… but now, you have no choice but to follow them.”

The light began to fade, the whispers growing distant

I gasped, stumbling backward as the light from the crystal faded. Devon was already beside me, steadying me before I could fall.

“Kiera!” he said urgently. “Are you okay? What happened?”

[FRAGMENTED BINARY CODE ACQUIRED: 3/???]

Selene stepped forward, her amber eyes locked onto me. “What did you see?”

I hesitated, the voices still echoing faintly in my head. “Something… something’s watching us. And it doesn’t want us collecting these codes.”

Fi glanced nervously at Mason. “That doesn’t sound ominous at all.”

Mason exhaled sharply. “So… we’re gonna keep going, aren’t we?”

I nodded, my shadows flickering faintly at my feet. “We don’t have a choice. If we stop now, everything we’ve done so far will mean nothing.”

The group fell silent, the weight of our path ahead pressing down on us.

Somewhere deep in the crypt, faint whispers still echoed.