The oppressive atmosphere of the mountain’s depths grew heavier with every step, wrapping around Mihai like a suffocating cloak. His instincts screamed that something was wrong—a feeling he couldn’t shake, one that sent an uneasy chill crawling down his spine. He glanced around at his companions, feeling a strange urgency to keep them close.

Elanor walked beside him, her presence steady, yet even her normally calm demeanor seemed strained. She noticed his glances, giving him a reassuring nod, but Mihai could sense a flicker of worry in her eyes.

“Ye alright, lad?” Kronmud asked, his voice unusually quiet.

Mihai hesitated, unsure of how to put his fears into words. “I don’t know. I just… have a bad feeling. Like there’s something waiting for us—something worse than what we’ve faced.”

Kronmud gave a grim nod, adjusting his grip on his axe. “Aye, I feel it too. This deep, it’s more than just darkness. It’s… alive.”

The silence that followed was filled only by the faint echoes of their footsteps, each one seeming to stretch into the void ahead. Even Raven’s fur bristled, his instincts attuned to the unseen threats around them.

They pressed forward into a narrow corridor, the walls covered in ancient, twisted roots that seemed to pulse with a sickly, dark energy. Cian reached out, touching one of the roots with a frown.

“These… these roots are unnatural,” he muttered. “They feel like they’re feeding off something. It’s like they’re infected.”

Elanor nodded, her gaze dark as she traced the pattern of the roots. “The darkness here is old. It’s spread through the mountain itself, corrupting everything it touches.”

Mihai clenched his fists, his unease growing into a gnawing dread. Every instinct told him to turn back, but he pushed the thought aside. They had come too far to abandon their mission now.

As they moved deeper, strange whispers filled the air, echoing through the corridor. The voices were faint, distorted, but filled with malice, twisting into words that seemed to burrow into their minds.

“Turn back… or be consumed.”

Mihai shook his head, trying to clear the invasive words. He glanced at Elanor, who seemed similarly affected, her hand tightening around her staff. Raven let out a low growl, his eyes fixed on the shadows, but even he seemed unsettled.

Kronmud snorted, shaking his head as he swung his axe through one of the roots. “Bah! Tryin’ tae scare us with voices an’ shadows. Pathetic.”

But his bravado was cut short as the corridor opened up into a cavern. They stepped forward, their torches barely illuminating the massive space. At the center of the cavern was a towering structure, a twisted monolith of dark stone and ancient bones, pulsating with a dark energy that seemed to draw them in.

Elanor’s face paled as she stared at it. “This… this is an altar of the dark god.”

Mihai’s unease grew into a sense of urgency. The altar felt wrong, as if it were a gateway to something far worse than anything they had yet encountered.

Without warning, shadows began to coalesce around the altar, forming into figures. These were not ordinary creatures—they were Wraithbound Guardians, spectral beings bound to the darkness, their forms twisted and contorted with rage. Their hollow eyes glowed with a sickly light, and their hands were tipped with razor-sharp claws that glistened in the faint torchlight.

Mihai raised the Twin Flames, his heart pounding as he faced the creatures. “Stay together,” he said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him. “We’ll face them as one.”

One of the wraiths lunged at him, its claws slashing through the air with unnatural speed. Mihai barely dodged, feeling the chill of its touch as it passed him. He struck back, his blade slicing through its form, but the wraith merely reformed, its hollow gaze fixed on him with relentless hatred.

Elanor stepped forward, raising her staff as she chanted, her voice steady. A faint, ethereal shield formed around them, pushing back against the wraiths. But even her power seemed to struggle against the dark energy in the room.

Kronmud swung his axe at another wraith, but it slipped through his grasp, reforming behind him with a shriek. Cian fired an arrow at its core, the projectile disrupting the wraith’s form momentarily, but it was only a brief reprieve.

“These things aren’t going down easy,” Cian muttered, his gaze flicking between the wraiths.

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Raven lunged at one of the wraiths, his jaws clamping down on its spectral form. His attack disrupted it, scattering its essence momentarily, but the darkness reformed, relentless.

Mihai focused, his mind racing. He could feel his unease deepening, his instincts screaming at him to be cautious. But he couldn’t abandon his friends.

“Elanor, can you strengthen the shield?” he called, deflecting a strike from another wraith.

Elanor nodded, her expression tense as she poured more energy into the protective barrier. But the darkness seemed to press against her magic, the wraiths clawing at it, chipping away at the shield with every passing second.

Kronmud let out a fierce growl, his eyes flashing. “We need tae finish this—now!”

Summoning his strength, Mihai brought the Twin Flames down on one of the wraiths, focusing his energy on its core. The blade connected, and with a final, desperate shriek, the wraith dissipated, its form scattering into mist.

One by one, they wore down the wraiths, their attacks precise and unrelenting. With a final, unified strike, they destroyed the last wraith, its echoing wail fading into the darkness.

The cavern was silent in the aftermath of the battle with the wraiths. Mihai and his companions stood amidst the remnants of the spectral beings, each catching their breath, their weapons still drawn, wary of any further threats.

But Mihai couldn’t shake the sense of dread pulsing from the altar at the center of the cavern. Even with the wraiths defeated, the air felt thick and alive, a malevolent presence emanating from the structure. Dark energy still coiled around it, as though waiting for something—something far worse.

“Is it… over?” Cian asked, his voice low, his hand still clenched around his bow.

“No,” Mihai murmured, his gaze fixed on the altar. “I don’t think so.”

As if in answer, the ground beneath them began to tremble, a deep rumble that resonated through the stone. Shadows pooled around the altar, swirling in a vortex of darkness, and an unnatural, cold wind whipped through the cavern, carrying with it the faint scent of decay.

Then, with a shuddering groan, something massive began to emerge from the altar.

Bones—old, yellowed, and cracked—rose from the darkness, fusing together with a sickening crunch. They twisted and contorted, forming limbs, a torso, a head, until a towering figure loomed over them. It was a Skeleton Golem, standing at nearly ten meters tall, its body constructed from the bones of countless creatures, all bound together by dark magic. Its skull, a grotesque amalgamation of various beasts, stared down at them with hollow, empty eye sockets that radiated a sickly green glow.

Kronmud took a step back, his voice a harsh whisper. “By the gods… that thing’s an abomination.”

The Skeleton Golem’s limbs were a mismatched array of bones, some clawed, others spiked, each joint held together by dark, pulsing tendrils. Its ribcage, made from the bones of enormous beasts, creaked as it moved, each breath a rasping sound like wind through dead leaves.

Mihai’s grip tightened on the Twin Flames as he took a defensive stance. “Stay together,” he warned, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him. “This thing is more than just bones. It’s a vessel of darkness.”

The golem let out a guttural, hollow roar, its voice echoing through the cavern like thunder. With a single, sweeping motion, it raised one of its massive arms and brought it crashing down toward them.

They scattered, dodging the blow just as the golem’s fist struck the ground, leaving a crater in the stone.

Mihai darted forward, aiming for the creature’s leg, hoping to slow its movement. His blade connected, but it was like striking solid stone—the bones barely chipped under the force of his attack. The golem turned its hollow gaze on him, raising its arm for another strike.

Raven lunged at the golem’s other leg, his powerful jaws clamping down on a thick, twisted femur. But his bite did little to faze the massive creature, which shook him off with ease. Raven landed on his feet, his eyes fierce as he prepared for another attack.

Cian fired a rapid succession of arrows, each one aimed at the golem’s joints, hoping to disrupt its movements. His arrows struck the creature’s arm and ribcage, but the bones only cracked slightly before mending as dark energy pulsed through them.

“It’s… regenerating!” Cian shouted, frustration in his voice. “We need to hit it harder!”

Kronmud charged in, his axe gleaming as he aimed for the creature’s knee. “Let’s see if ye can keep regeneratin’ after this!” he roared, swinging with all his strength. His axe cleaved into the joint, splintering the bones and causing the golem to stagger. For a moment, it seemed as if they’d gained the upper hand.

But the golem let out another roar, the dark energy within it surging as it reformed its damaged leg, its movements becoming more frenzied, more aggressive.

Elanor stepped forward, her expression fierce as she raised her staff, chanting an incantation. “Ancient spirits, lend me your strength!” Her staff glowed with ethereal light, and she sent a burst of energy toward Mihai, infusing his blades with a spectral glow.

Mihai nodded in thanks, feeling the added power thrumming through his weapons. He lunged at the golem, this time aiming for its chest, where several large bones formed a makeshift ribcage. The Twin Flames struck with enhanced force, shattering a section of its ribs and exposing a mass of dark energy pulsing within.

“There!” he shouted. “That’s its core—aim for it!”

The golem, sensing its vulnerability, let out a furious roar and swung its arm in a wide arc. Mihai ducked, but the sheer force of the swing sent him staggering. Raven leapt forward, sinking his teeth into the golem’s arm to distract it, but the creature shook him off once more, its movements frantic as it tried to shield its exposed core.

Cian, his gaze steely, slowed his breathing, focusing his time manipulation ability on his arrows. He released one, and the arrow shot forward with unnatural speed, striking the golem’s core. The impact caused a crack to appear, dark energy seeping out, but the golem continued its relentless assault, determined to crush them before they could finish it off.

Kronmud let out a fierce battle cry and charged, aiming for the golem’s other leg. His axe struck with brutal precision, shattering a section of bone, and the golem stumbled, its balance faltering.

Mihai seized the opening, charging forward and driving one of the Twin Flames directly into the golem’s chest, piercing the core of darkness. The golem let out a final, agonized wail as the dark energy within it began to unravel, its form collapsing in on itself.

The bones scattered across the cavern floor, each piece dissolving into dust as the darkness dissipated.

They stood in silence, the echoes of the battle fading into the stillness of the cavern. Mihai let out a long breath, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling over him.

Elanor placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, her eyes filled with pride and relief. “You did it, Mihai. We all did.”

He offered her a faint smile, grateful for her presence, her strength, and the unspoken bond between them. As he looked around at his companions, a sense of pride and unity filled him. They had faced an ancient, relentless darkness and emerged victorious.

Kronmud chuckled, breaking the silence. “Well, that was somethin’! If this is what it takes tae bring peace back to the mountain, I’d say we’re earnin’ our keep.”

Cian wiped sweat from his brow, giving a wry smile. “Let’s just hope there aren’t any more of those waiting for us.”

Mihai nodded, but his expression remained somber. The darkness within the mountain felt endless, as if they’d only scratched the surface of something much larger, much older.

Elanor seemed to sense his unease and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. “We’ll face whatever comes next together. Remember that.”