The tremors grew worse as they ran, shaking the cavern walls with a menacing rhythm. Eryx could feel the pulses of energy vibrating through the stones, as if the caverns themselves were alive, responding to their presence. His breath came in ragged gasps as he tried to keep up with Kaelen, who was moving with unnerving speed, her glowing orb bobbing just ahead.

“Is it me,” Finn panted, “or is this place trying to eat us?”

“Less talking, more running!” Eryx barked, narrowly avoiding a rock that dislodged from above.

Kaelen didn’t glance back. Her voice was steady, but urgent. “The caverns are reacting to us. If we don’t get to the inner chamber soon, we’ll be crushed. Stay close!”

“Yeah, no problem,” Finn muttered, his face pale as he sidestepped another falling stone. “Just a casual sprint through a death trap.”

Eryx couldn’t deny the fear creeping up his spine, but there was no time to think about it. The narrow passage they were in suddenly widened, opening into a massive, vaulted chamber. The stone floor here was cracked and uneven, with jagged rocks jutting up like the teeth of some great beast. In the center of the chamber stood a massive stone door, covered in intricate carvings that glowed faintly in the dim light.

“This is it,” Kaelen said, stopping abruptly. She gestured to the door. “The way to the sword lies beyond that.”

Finn bent over, gasping for breath. “Thank the gods. I thought we were gonna die before we even got to the shiny sword part.”

Eryx, panting, shot Finn a sideways glance. “We’re not out of this yet.”

Kaelen approached the door, running her fingers along the glowing carvings. “It’s a seal—ancient magic designed to keep out intruders. It’ll take a moment to break it.”

“Take your time,” Finn said, flopping down onto the floor with exaggerated relief. “I’m just going to lie here and try not to die.”

Eryx leaned against the wall, catching his breath, his gaze fixed on Kaelen. “How do you know how to break a seal like this?”

Kaelen didn’t look up. “Because I’ve done it before.”

Finn raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you’ve been here before?”

Kaelen hesitated, her hand hovering over one of the symbols. “Not here, exactly. But I’ve encountered similar seals. This one is older, though. Stronger.”

Eryx frowned. There was something Kaelen wasn’t telling them, but now wasn’t the time to pry. “Just do whatever you need to do.”

As Kaelen worked, the room seemed to grow darker, the glow from the carvings dimming slightly. Eryx felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Something was wrong.

“Uh, guys,” Finn said, sitting up, his eyes wide. “Is it just me, or is the ground moving again?”

Eryx’s heart dropped. The floor beneath them was rippling, the cracks widening. From the shadows of the chamber, something began to stir—long, sinewy tendrils of darkness creeping toward them.

“What the hell is that?” Finn yelped, scrambling to his feet.

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“Kaelen, hurry!” Eryx shouted, drawing his sword.

Kaelen cursed under her breath, her fingers moving faster over the seal. “It’s the caverns. They’re reacting to the seal being tampered with. I need a few more seconds!”

Eryx slashed at one of the dark tendrils as it lashed out toward him. The blade passed through it, but the tendril reformed almost instantly. “We don’t have a few seconds!”

Finn grabbed a nearby rock and hurled it at another tendril, but it simply passed through the shadow, landing with a dull thud. “This is not good! Why do the shadows always have to come alive?!”

Eryx backed up toward Kaelen, swinging his sword in wide arcs to keep the tendrils at bay. “Do something!”

“Almost there!” Kaelen’s voice was strained, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she concentrated on the seal.

Suddenly, with a sharp crack, the stone door shuddered. The glowing carvings flared brightly before fading completely, and the massive door began to creak open, revealing a dark passageway beyond.

“Go!” Kaelen shouted, darting through the opening.

Eryx grabbed Finn by the arm and dragged him toward the door as the tendrils closed in around them. They barely made it through before the stone door slammed shut behind them with a deafening boom, cutting off the encroaching shadows.

For a moment, the three of them stood there, panting and staring at the door in silence.

“That… was close,” Finn wheezed, leaning against the wall.

Eryx sheathed his sword, shaking his head. “Too close.”

Kaelen, still catching her breath, glanced at them. “The caverns won’t stop trying to protect the sword. What we just faced was a warning. There will be more ahead.”

“Great,” Finn groaned. “More living shadows. Just what I wanted.”

Eryx looked down the passageway. It was narrow, lined with jagged rocks, and faintly glowing moss. The air felt different here—thicker, charged with energy. “What’s waiting for us ahead?”

Kaelen’s expression darkened. “The final chamber. The sword is there, but so are the guardians.”

“Guardians?” Finn repeated, eyes wide. “Like… monsters?”

Kaelen nodded grimly. “More than monsters. They’re ancient, and they’ve been bound to protect the sword. We’ll need to fight our way through them to reach it.”

Finn groaned, slumping further against the wall. “Why is nothing ever easy?”

Eryx glanced at him, smirking despite the tension. “Did you expect this to be easy?”

Finn gave a halfhearted shrug. “Maybe a little easier. I thought we’d just grab the sword and go.”

Kaelen started moving down the passage, her voice echoing slightly in the narrow space. “If it were that simple, the sword wouldn’t have stayed hidden for so long. It’s meant to test the worthy—and destroy the unworthy.”

“Great pep talk, Kaelen,” Finn called after her. “Really boosting morale here.”

Eryx followed, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, ready for whatever might come next. His mind buzzed with everything that had happened so far, but there was no turning back now. The Crimson Relic had drawn them here for a reason, and whatever was waiting in the final chamber, they’d face it together.

“How much further?” Eryx asked after a few minutes of walking in tense silence.

Kaelen slowed her pace, her eyes scanning the path ahead. “Not far now. Once we reach the chamber, stay alert. The guardians will attack as soon as we enter.”

Finn groaned again. “I seriously need to reconsider my life choices.”

Eryx couldn’t help but chuckle. “You say that now, but you’ll be bragging about this adventure for years.”

“If we survive,” Finn retorted.

“That’s the spirit,” Eryx said dryly.

Kaelen raised her hand, signaling for them to stop. “We’re here.”

They stood before another door—this one smaller but no less imposing. It was carved with the same intricate symbols as the previous door, though these seemed to hum with energy, almost vibrating under their gaze.

“This is it,” Kaelen said softly. “Once we step through, there’s no going back.”

Eryx took a deep breath, gripping his sword tighter. “No turning back now.”

Finn groaned one last time for effect. “I just want it noted that I think this is a terrible idea.”

Kaelen placed her hand on the door, and it slowly creaked open, revealing the chamber beyond. The air was thick with magic, and the faint glow of the moss illuminated the large space. At the far end of the chamber, resting on a stone pedestal, was the sword they’d come for—the Crimson Relic.

But standing between them and the sword were the guardians—three massive figures, humanoid but clearly not human, their skin made of stone and their eyes glowing with an eerie, unnatural light.

“Okay,” Finn whispered, staring up at the towering guardians. “Now that is definitely not good.”

Eryx drew his sword, his pulse quickening. “Get ready. This is what we came for.”

Kaelen stepped forward, her voice calm but determined. “Stay close, and whatever you do, don’t hesitate.”

As the guardians began to stir, Eryx felt the weight of the moment settle on his shoulders. They had made it this far, but the real challenge was just beginning.

With a final glance at Finn, who was muttering something about bad luck, Eryx took a deep breath and stepped into the chamber.