The little goblin looked up, his bright eyes blinking with confusion. “You used magic on Ruk?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly, betraying a mix of disbelief and hurt.

“Yes,” Eldrin confessed, feeling a pang of guilt. “I was afraid you might attack me, so I used magic to make sure you’d be friendly. But that was wrong, and I don’t want to keep you charmed. I want us to be real friends.”

Ruk stared at him for a long moment. “You… want to be Ruk’s friend? No magic?” His voice was soft, almost vulnerable.

“Yes,” Eldrin said, and he released the spell’s hold, watching as the light of enchantment faded from Ruk’s eyes. “You deserve to choose.”

Ruk blinked, and slowly, a smile spread across his face. “Ruk never had a friend before!” he exclaimed. “Ruk will be Eldrin’s friend! Best friend!”

Eldrin felt a warmth spread through him and nodded. “Thank you, Ruk.” He reached into his pack and pulled out two rations, handing one to the goblin. “Let’s eat together, as friends.”

Ruk took the food eagerly, his eyes shining with gratitude. “No one ever shares food with Ruk,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. “Thank you, Eldrin.”

As they finished their meal, Eldrin spoke again. “Ruk, I want us to share whatever we find here. Any treasure we come across, half for you and half for me. But I’ll lead, alright?”

“Half for Ruk?” the goblin asked, eyes wide with disbelief. “Really?”

“Really,” Eldrin assured him.

“Ruk agrees!” the goblin declared. “We find all the shinies together!”

Feeling more confident, Eldrin stood and faced the large door. “I’m going to ready a spell in case there’s danger,” he warned, preparing Magic Missile. “Open the door when I say so.”

Ruk nodded, bracing himself. “Ready!”

“Now,” Eldrin commanded.

Ruk pulled the door open, and they stepped into a large chamber. The room was dimly lit by a faint, eerie glow coming from a chained chest at the far end of the room. The walls were adorned with faded murals of shadowy figures performing strange rituals. To the side, an altar sat crumbled and broken, and in the center of the room, chains wrapped tightly around the chest, faint runes glowing along their length.

But before Eldrin could take in more, a tall, shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, its glowing red eyes fixed on them. “Another fool seeks the Eye?” it whispered, its voice echoing and cold. “You will join the others in eternal darkness.”

Without hesitation, Eldrin released his Magic Missile spell. The glowing bolts streaked through the air, slamming into the shadowy figure and forcing it back. “Ruk! Attack!” Eldrin shouted.

“For Eldrin!” Ruk cried, charging forward with his dagger, slashing at the creature’s legs.

The shadowy figure recoiled, its form flickering as if struggling to maintain its shape against the onslaught of Eldrin’s magic and Ruk’s attacks. However, it quickly recovered and lashed out with long, smoke-like tendrils, striking at both Eldrin and Ruk with a speed that took Eldrin by surprise.

Eldrin dodged backward, narrowly avoiding one of the shadowy appendages that lashed out at his head. He quickly began preparing another spell, his mind racing to recall every bit of knowledge he had about combating creatures of darkness. "Light," he muttered under his breath, "it has to be the light!"

“Ruk, keep it distracted!” Eldrin yelled, scanning the room for something to help them. He spotted a brass lantern resting on a nearby pedestal and darted toward it.

The shadowy figure shifted, its red eyes narrowing as it realized what Eldrin intended. It lunged toward him, but Ruk jumped in its path, jabbing at the creature with his dagger. “You not hurt Eldrin!” Ruk shouted defiantly, his small form bristling with courage. The creature hissed in frustration, swiping at the goblin, but Ruk nimbly dodged, darting in and out of reach.

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Eldrin grabbed the lantern, quickly striking his flint and steel. As soon as the sparks touched the wick, the lantern flared to life with an intensity far greater than any normal flame. It wasn’t just a mundane light—it surged with a brilliant, silvery glow that seemed to chase away the shadows, pushing them back as if they were fleeing from the light itself. Eldrin felt a tingle in his fingertips, and he realized with awe that this lantern was imbued with a powerful, ancient magic.

The moment the light touched the shadowy figure, it let out a shriek, recoiling as if in pain. Its form began to flicker wildly, struggling to maintain its cohesion. Eldrin didn’t hesitate—he lifted the lantern high and stepped forward, driving the magical light into the heart of the shadow.

“No! The Eye… must not be found…” the figure wailed, its voice rising to a desperate, keening pitch as the light tore through it. Eldrin, seizing the moment, released another Magic Missile spell, and the bolts of energy struck the creature with pinpoint accuracy.

The shadowy figure let out one last, agonizing scream before it disintegrated, vanishing into wisps of smoke that dissipated into the air. The chamber fell silent, and the only sound was the crackling of the lantern’s magical flame.

Panting heavily, Eldrin lowered his staff, the glow of the lantern casting soft shadows on the stone walls. He turned to see Ruk standing triumphantly, his chest heaving with exertion but a wide grin spread across his face.

“We did it, Eldrin! We beat the shadow!” Ruk exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement.

Eldrin couldn’t help but smile back. “Yes, Ruk. We did.”

With the battle over, they began to search the chamber for any hidden treasures. Eldrin moved cautiously, running his hands along the cracks and crevices of the stone walls, while Ruk scampered around, poking his head into every nook and cranny he could find.

“Eldrin! Look!” Ruk called out, his eyes wide with excitement as he pulled a golden pendant adorned with a ruby from behind a loose stone. “Shiny! Very shiny!”

Eldrin took the pendant from Ruk and examined it closely. “It’s enchanted,” he murmured, recognizing the faint magical aura. “This is an Amulet of Protection. If you wear it, it will give you a little extra protection—makes you harder to hit.” He handed it back to Ruk with a smile. “You should keep this, Ruk. It doesn’t need any special bonding; you can use it right away.”

“Ruk will be stronger!” the goblin declared proudly, slipping the amulet over his head.

Eldrin smiled at him. “Sometimes, you just need to know the right words, Ruk.”

Eldrin continued searching the room, carefully inspecting the murals and objects scattered about. But his gaze kept returning to the chained chest. The chains that wrapped around it glowed faintly, humming with magical energy, as though keeping something powerful locked away.

With the room now cleared, Eldrin walked over to the chest, his eyes narrowing as he studied the runes etched into the chains. “These are magical bindings,” he muttered to himself. “Wards to keep the chest sealed.”

He traced his fingers over the runes, recognizing their purpose. “I think I can dispel them.”

Taking a deep breath, Eldrin concentrated, whispering an incantation he had learned during his studies. The air around the chest grew heavy with arcane energy, and slowly, the glow of the chains began to fade. One by one, the chains loosened, falling from the chest with a soft clang.

Ruk watched in awe. “Eldrin is powerful wizard,” he said quietly, eyes wide.

Eldrin smiled faintly. “Let’s see what was so important to keep locked away.”

He carefully opened the chest, revealing its contents: a small bag of gemstones, glistening with emeralds, rubies, and sapphires; an ancient scroll, its edges frayed but the script still legible, filled with arcane symbols; and a strange, black iron key, heavy and cold to the touch, with runes similar to those carved into the walls.

Eldrin picked up the gemstones and handed them to Ruk. “You should carry these. You’ve got a good eye for treasure.”

Ruk nodded eagerly. “Ruk keep them safe,” he promised, tucking the bag into his satchel with care.

Eldrin then turned his attention to the scroll, unrolling it carefully. As he scanned the ancient symbols, he felt a surge of excitement. “This scroll contains a powerful spell… this is a rare find,” he muttered to himself before rolling it up and slipping it into his pack. Finally, he examined the black iron key, feeling its cold weight in his hand. “This key must be important,” he murmured. “It might lead us somewhere else.”

After gathering their newfound items, Eldrin scanned the room once more, his eyes catching sight of a faint outline along one of the walls—a small indentation that seemed to match the key’s shape. “Ruk, over here,” he called out, moving toward it.

Ruk hurried over, his curiosity piqued. Eldrin inserted the key into the wall, and with a satisfying click, the mechanism shifted. Slowly, the outline became more defined, and a hidden door began to slide open, revealing a dark passage beyond.

Ruk’s eyes went wide with excitement. “More secrets! More shinies!”

Eldrin grinned. “It seems we’re not done yet.”

With the magical lantern lighting their way, Eldrin and Ruk stepped into the hidden passage, ready to face whatever mysteries awaited them next.