The night air was thick with the remnants of the battle, the ruins still whispering with the echoes of ancient forces. Adrian held Alina close, his grip firm but reassuring. She was trembling, her body still reeling from the talisman's violent surge. The glow had faded from the artifact, but its presence still weighed heavily on them both.
"We have to move," Adrian murmured, scanning the shadows for any lingering threats. The ruins had fallen silent, unnaturally so. The shadowed figure had disappeared, but his warning rang in Adrian's ears.
Find the Keeper before the abyss awakens again.
Alina exhaled sharply, forcing herself to stand on her own. Her silver eyes, still tinted with the talisman's residual energy, met his. "The Keeper... Do you know where to find him?"
Adrian shook his head. "No. But I know where to start."
They didn't have the luxury of rest. The presence that had stirred beneath the ruins was only temporarily subdued. And if the shadowed figure was right, it wouldn't stay that way for long.
They moved swiftly through the crumbling pathways, their boots echoing against the stone. The ancient ruins stretched far beyond what they had initially seen—a labyrinth of forgotten history. The deeper they went, the colder the air became.
Then, they saw it.
At the heart of the ruins, a door stood. Unlike the weathered stones around it, this door looked untouched by time. Made of dark metal with intricate engravings, it pulsed faintly with energy. A barrier between worlds.
Alina reached out, her fingers hovering just above the surface. The moment she did, a voice rang out, not in the air, but in her mind.
You seek the Keeper. But do you understand the cost?
She flinched, pulling her hand back. Adrian frowned. "What is it?"
"The door… It spoke to me."
Adrian didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, placing his palm against the cold surface. Immediately, a jolt of energy ran through him, his vision darkening.
Then, he was somewhere else.
A vast, endless chamber. The ceiling arched high above, carved with constellations that pulsed with an eerie blue light. At the center of the room, a figure stood, cloaked in deep crimson. His presence was overwhelming, as if the very fabric of reality bowed before him.
The Keeper.
"You have come seeking answers," the figure spoke, his voice neither young nor old. "But you carry the weight of something beyond your understanding."
Adrian steadied himself, meeting the Keeper's unseen gaze. "The abyss is waking. We need to stop it."
The Keeper tilted his head slightly. "And you think wielding the talisman will save you?" He exhaled slowly, and the very air around them seemed to tremble. "Foolish. The talisman is not a weapon. It is a key. And a key, once turned, cannot be unturned."
A cold dread settled in Adrian's chest. "Then tell us what to do. How do we stop it?"
The Keeper raised a hand, and in an instant, the constellations above shifted. They formed an image—a symbol Adrian had seen before, etched into the ruins.
"The abyss has already marked its vessel. If you wish to stop it, you must sever the connection before it is complete."
Adrian's blood ran cold. He knew what the Keeper meant. He turned, his voice barely above a whisper. "Alina…"
The Keeper nodded. "She is bound to it now. The talisman has chosen her. And if you do not act in time, she will no longer be the girl you swore to protect."
Adrian clenched his fists. "There has to be another way."
The Keeper watched him in silence for a long moment before speaking. "There is always another way. But it will require more than strength. It will require sacrifice."
The chamber began to fade. The constellations blurred into darkness. And then—
Adrian was back in the ruins, his palm still pressed against the door. Alina was staring at him, concern etched across her features. "Adrian? What happened?"
He looked at her, truly looked at her. The faint silver glow in her eyes. The way the talisman pulsed in her grasp. The mark had already begun.
He swallowed hard, forcing his voice to remain steady. "We have our answer. We need to find the seal before it's too late."
Alina nodded, unaware of the choice he now carried.
A choice between saving the world.
Or saving her.