Adam ran.
His breath came in ragged gasps, his legs burning with exhaustion, but he didn't stop. The treasure was clutched tightly in his arms, its strange warmth seeping into his skin. Behind him, the sounds of battle still echoed through the ruins—metal clashing against metal, furious shouts, and the occasional pulse of energy from an unknown source. Garrett was fighting with everything he had to keep Lucian at bay.
And Adam had to make sure that sacrifice wasn't in vain.
The chamber's exit loomed ahead, a yawning stone archway leading into the deeper corridors of the ruin. Adam glanced back once—just once—and saw Lucian break away from the fight, his murderous gaze locking onto him. The moment their eyes met, Adam's stomach turned to ice.
Lucian was coming for him.
Panic surged through Adam, but he didn't freeze. He pushed himself harder, feet pounding against the uneven stone floor as he darted through the archway and into the unknown.
The air grew colder the deeper he ran. The ancient halls of the ruin stretched on endlessly, twisting and turning, leading him farther away from the altar chamber—and farther from safety. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, and with every passing second, he expected Lucian to appear behind him, blade in hand, ready to strike him down.
He needed a plan.
He needed to think.
Adam's Insight ability flared to life, sending a flood of information through his mind. The layout of the ruins—at least what he had seen of it—pieced itself together in his thoughts, allowing him to analyze the best route forward. The main entrance was too far, and Lucian would expect him to head that way. Instead, Adam shifted course, veering into a side passage that sloped downward.
A risk. But a necessary one.
The passage narrowed, forcing Adam to slow down. The walls pressed in around him, the weight of the ancient structure suffocating. Dust and cobwebs clung to his skin, but he ignored them. His only focus was escape.
Then, suddenly, the floor beneath him shifted.
A trap.
Adam barely had time to react before the ground gave way beneath him. With a startled cry, he plummeted into the darkness below.
Pain flared through his body as he hit the ground, rolling across a stone floor covered in debris. The treasure nearly slipped from his grasp, but he held on, cradling it against his chest. Groaning, he pushed himself upright, wincing as sharp pain lanced through his ribs. He had already been injured from the altar's blast—this only made things worse.
His surroundings were different now. The air here was damp, the scent of moss and stale water filling his nose. Faint bioluminescent fungi clung to the walls, casting eerie green light over the cavernous chamber he had fallen into.
This was no ordinary passage.
It was a hidden part of the ruins. A place untouched by time.
Adam staggered forward, his grip tightening around the treasure. If he could find another way out—
A sound echoed through the chamber.
A deep, guttural growl.
Adam froze, every muscle in his body tensing. Slowly, he turned his head.
In the shadows, something moved.
A pair of glowing, golden eyes stared at him from the darkness, unblinking. The creature stepped forward, its form gradually revealed in the dim light.
A beast. Towering, its fur matted with age, its claws glinting like sharpened daggers. Its body was covered in scars—ancient wounds that spoke of battles long past. And yet, despite its age, there was nothing weak about it.
It was a guardian. A predator.
And it had just found its prey.
Adam's pulse skyrocketed. He took a slow step back, his mind racing. Fighting wasn't an option—not in his condition, not against this. Running was his only chance, but where? The only exit he saw was behind the creature, blocked off by jagged rock formations.
The beast growled again, stepping closer.
Adam's Insight flared once more, and this time, it whispered something strange to him.
The beast was not attacking outright.
It was waiting.
Testing him.
Adam swallowed hard, his grip loosening on the treasure. His instincts screamed at him to flee, but another part of him—the part that had kept him alive all these years—told him to stay still.
The creature's eyes locked onto the treasure in his hands. A flicker of recognition passed through its gaze.
Adam hesitated, then slowly extended the treasure forward, keeping his movements deliberate. The beast rumbled, stepping closer. It sniffed the air, then, to Adam's shock—
It lowered its head.
Not in aggression.
In acknowledgment.
Adam's breath caught. This wasn't just some mindless monster. It was intelligent.
And it recognized the treasure he carried.
The beast exhaled, then turned away, padding toward the rock formations that blocked the exit. With one powerful swipe of its claws, it shattered them, revealing a dark tunnel beyond.
An escape route.
Adam didn't question it. He moved, keeping a wary eye on the creature as he passed. It didn't stop him.
Instead, it watched him.
As if it was waiting for something more.
But Adam had no time to wonder. He sprinted through the opening, disappearing into the darkness beyond, leaving the guardian behind.
And deeper into the unknown.
Meanwhile, back in the ruins, Lucian stormed through the corridors, fury boiling in his veins. He had lost Adam's trail, but that didn't matter.
He would find him.
His hand clenched around his weapon, his mind already formulating his next move. Adam had taken what belonged to him.
And Lucian would not stop until he had it back.
His lips curled into a smirk.
Let the hunt begin.