“Do you think this is another test?” Ghoida asked, her voice low.
“Feels like it,” Willie replied. “But we’re not turning back now.”
The staircase ended in a vast underground chamber, its walls lined with glowing veins of crystalline light. At the center stood a pedestal, similar to the one they’d encountered before, but larger and more intricate. Strange symbols hovered around it, shifting and swirling in patterns that seemed alive.
“This is definitely something important,” Willie said, approaching the pedestal.
“Yeah, important and probably dangerous,” Ghoida added, scanning the room. “Stay sharp.”
As Willie studied the symbols, the ground trembled. From the shadows emerged a massive creature, its body a swirling mass of dark energy and sharp, crystalline shards. Its glowing eyes locked onto them, and a guttural roar shook the chamber.
“Well, that’s not a friendly face,” Ghoida said, drawing her sword.
Willie stepped back, the artifact in his hand pulsating with energy. “It’s guarding the pedestal. We need to defeat it to move forward.”
The creature lunged at them, its crystalline claws slashing through the air. Ghoida dodged, rolling to the side and slashing at its legs. Her blade struck true but glanced off the creature’s hardened surface.
“It’s tougher than it looks!” she shouted, narrowly avoiding another swipe.
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Willie activated the artifact, sending a beam of light toward the creature. The energy struck its chest, causing it to stagger but not fall.
“It’s vulnerable to the shards!” Willie yelled. “I’ll distract it; you find a weak spot!”
Ghoida nodded, circling around the creature. Willie fired another blast, drawing its attention. The creature roared, charging at him with relentless fury.
“Come on, come on,” Willie muttered, dodging clumsily. His foot caught on a loose rock, and he fell backward, landing hard on the stone floor.
“Willie!” Ghoida shouted, leaping onto the creature’s back. She drove her blade into a glowing crack near its neck, the monster howling in pain.
The creature thrashed, throwing Ghoida off. She landed in a crouch, quickly regaining her footing. “It’s weakened! Hit it again!”
Willie scrambled to his feet, the artifact glowing brighter. Channeling all his focus, he unleashed a powerful beam of light that struck the creature directly in its core. The monster let out a deafening roar before collapsing into a pile of shattered crystal and fading darkness.
As the dust settled, the chamber grew still. Willie and Ghoida stood in silence, catching their breath.
“That was intense,” Ghoida said, sheathing her sword.
“You think?” Willie replied, wiping sweat from his brow.
They approached the pedestal, the symbols swirling faster as the artifact resonated with it. Willie placed the shards onto the pedestal, and a beam of light shot upward, illuminating the chamber.
A vision appeared before them—a map of Elaris, its five regions glowing faintly. Lines connected the regions, converging on a single point hidden deep within Glacia.
“This must be a clue,” Willie said, studying the map. “Everything leads to Glacia.”
“Great,” Ghoida said with a sigh. “More monsters, more danger, and probably more stairs.”
Willie chuckled, his confidence returning. “Sounds like a proper adventure.”
The light faded, and the chamber grew quiet again. The pedestal retracted into the ground, leaving behind a single shard, larger and brighter than the others.
Ghoida picked it up, holding it carefully. “Another piece of the puzzle. Let’s hope it’s worth the trouble.”
“It will be,” Willie said, his eyes filled with determination. “We’re getting closer. One step at a time.”
End of Chapter 16