The valley was unnervingly quiet in the wake of the fractures’ disappearance. The eerie stillness settled like a blanket over the desolate landscape, broken only by the distant whisper of the wind as it swept through the twisted remnants of the trees. Lia stood with Arren and Kellan, the weight of what had just happened pressing down on them like an invisible force.

For a moment, the world felt disorienting. The ever-present hum of the fractures, the strange pulsing that had once radiated through the air, was gone. Lia had grown so accustomed to that hum, to the constant threat lurking just beneath the surface of reality, that its absence was unsettling. It was like standing at the edge of a cliff, knowing that the danger had passed but still fearing the ground beneath her feet might crumble.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The fractures were gone—at least, for now—but the sense of dread that had settled deep in her bones remained.

“We did it,” Arren muttered, his voice hollow with exhaustion. “It’s over.”

But Lia wasn’t so sure. She stared at the ancient stone structure, now dark and lifeless, its runes no longer glowing with the sickly light they had before. The fractures had been tied to this place, yes, but it felt like something had been left unfinished. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they had only scratched the surface of a much deeper, much darker truth.

Kellan was still catching his breath, his hands resting on his knees as he tried to calm his racing heart. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m ready to get the hell out of here,” he said, glancing around the desolate landscape. “This place gives me the creeps.”

Lia nodded absently, though her mind was elsewhere. As they had worked to decipher the runes and shut down the fractures, she had felt something—something beneath the surface, hidden deep within the earth. It had been faint, barely noticeable, but it was there. And now that the fractures were gone, that presence felt stronger, more distinct.

“Something’s not right,” she said quietly, more to herself than to the others.

Arren turned to her, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean? We stopped the fractures. Isn’t that what we came here to do?”

Lia bit her lip, unsure how to explain the feeling gnawing at her. “It’s just…I don’t think this is over. There’s something else here, something we haven’t seen yet.”

Kellan groaned, clearly not eager to hear this. “Please don’t tell me there’s another ancient evil lurking around here. We’ve already dealt with enough.”

“I’m serious,” Lia insisted, her voice firmer now. “I felt it while we were shutting down the fractures. There’s something deeper, something below this structure. It’s faint, but it’s there.”

Arren exchanged a glance with Kellan, his expression growing more serious. “If there’s something else down there, we need to know what it is.”

Lia nodded. “I think we need to go deeper. There might be more to this than we realized.”

Kellan sighed heavily, clearly not thrilled at the idea of diving further into danger. “Of course there is,” he muttered under his breath. “Because why would it ever be simple?”

Despite his grumbling, he didn’t protest as they gathered their gear and began to search for a way deeper into the ruins. The massive stone structure that had anchored the fractures was ancient, its surface covered in layers of dirt and grime, but Lia could see the faint outlines of a staircase carved into the stone, leading downward into the earth.

The entrance was narrow, hidden beneath the overgrowth, but with some effort, they cleared a path and descended into the dark. The air grew colder as they moved deeper into the ruins, the oppressive silence closing in around them. Lia’s heart pounded in her chest as she descended the stairs, her fingers gripping the keystone tightly in her hand, though its light had long since faded.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

The staircase spiraled downward, deeper and deeper, the stone walls slick with moisture. The faint smell of decay lingered in the air, growing stronger the further they went. Lia could hear Kellan muttering behind her, his voice tinged with anxiety as they descended into the unknown.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the bottom of the staircase, emerging into a large, open chamber. The air was damp and heavy, and the walls were covered in strange, glowing symbols that pulsed faintly with a sickly green light. Lia felt a shiver run down her spine as she stepped into the chamber, her eyes scanning the strange markings that covered every inch of the stone walls.

“This place is ancient,” Arren muttered, his voice echoing in the vast chamber. “Older than anything we’ve seen before.”

Lia nodded, her eyes fixated on the symbols. They were unlike any of the runes they had encountered on the surface—more intricate, more sinister. The air hummed with energy, the same dark, twisted magic that had powered the fractures above.

In the center of the chamber stood a massive stone altar, its surface covered in layers of dust and grime. Lia approached it cautiously, her heart racing. The closer she got, the stronger the dark presence became. It was as if the very air around the altar was alive with malevolent energy, pulsing with a slow, steady rhythm that matched the pounding of her heart.

As she reached out to touch the altar, a sudden wave of nausea washed over her, forcing her to step back. The energy here was too strong, too overwhelming. It was as if the altar was a conduit, a gateway to something far more powerful than the fractures they had fought above.

“What is this place?” Kellan asked, his voice hushed with awe.

Lia shook her head, unable to tear her eyes away from the altar. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s connected to the fractures. This is where the power comes from.”

Arren frowned, his eyes narrowing as he studied the altar. “So how do we stop it? If this is the source of the fractures’ power, we need to shut it down.”

Lia hesitated. The energy radiating from the altar was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was dark, ancient, and impossibly strong. She wasn’t sure if they had the power to stop it.

Before she could respond, a low, rumbling sound echoed through the chamber, vibrating through the stone walls. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and the symbols on the walls flared brightly, casting an eerie green glow across the room.

Lia’s heart raced as the sound grew louder, more insistent. Something was waking up.

“We need to get out of here,” Kellan said, his voice tight with panic.

But it was too late.

With a deafening roar, the ground beneath the altar split open, and a massive, shadowy figure emerged from the darkness. Its form was indistinct, shifting and swirling like smoke, but its presence was undeniable. The air crackled with energy as the creature rose to its full height, towering over them, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.

Lia’s breath caught in her throat as the creature’s gaze locked onto her. It was ancient, far older than anything she had ever encountered, and its power was overwhelming. The fractures had been nothing compared to this.

“Run!” Arren shouted, but Lia couldn’t move. She was frozen in place, her body paralyzed by fear as the creature’s presence bore down on her.

The shadowy figure stepped forward, its form shifting and swirling as it moved. The ground trembled beneath its feet, and the walls of the chamber seemed to warp and bend under the weight of its power.

Just as the creature reached out, its smoky tendrils stretching toward Lia, the keystone in her hand flared to life, its light blazing brighter than ever before. The creature recoiled, its form flickering as the keystone’s energy clashed with its own.

Lia felt a surge of power coursing through her, the keystone’s magic flowing into her veins. She raised her hand, the keystone glowing with an intense, blinding light, and with a shout, she unleashed its full force on the creature.

The chamber was consumed by light, the air crackling with energy as the keystone’s power tore through the creature. The shadowy figure howled in pain, its form disintegrating into nothingness as the keystone’s light engulfed it.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over.

The creature was gone, its presence erased from the world. The chamber fell silent once more, the oppressive energy that had filled the air dissipating like smoke in the wind.

Lia collapsed to her knees, the keystone slipping from her grasp as exhaustion overtook her. The battle was over, but the toll it had taken on her was immense. She could feel the weight of the keystone’s power still coursing through her, but it was fading, leaving her drained and weak.

Arren and Kellan rushed to her side, their faces pale with shock and relief.

“Lia, are you okay?” Arren asked, his voice full of concern.

Lia nodded weakly, though she wasn’t sure if she believed it herself. She had used the keystone’s full power, and though they had won, the cost had been high.

As they helped her to her feet, Lia cast one last glance at the altar. The runes on the walls were dark now, their light extinguished. But the unease in her chest remained. Something told her that this wasn’t the end—just another step in a much larger, far more dangerous journey.

The fractures had been stopped, but the darkness that lingered beneath the surface was far from defeated.