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The tunnel stretched for what felt like forever.
Ethan's footsteps echoed against the walls, each one dull and hollow. The air here was warmer, thicker — not from life, but from something older, heavier. It clung to his skin, humming faintly like static under his breath.
He ran a hand along the wall as he walked. The stone felt strange — smooth in some places, but marked by long, shallow grooves in others. Almost like claw marks.
The further he went, the more the frost faded, replaced by damp moss that glowed faintly with blue light. The floor sloped downward, curving in slow spirals until the cold above was little more than a memory.
His pendant pulsed again. Not strong — just a faint flicker, as if reminding him he wasn't alone down here.
"Yeah, I know," he murmured, voice low. "Still feels wrong."
A drip of water fell from the ceiling, hitting the ground near his boot. The sound echoed far longer than it should have.
He stopped walking.
The air ahead of him wasn't still anymore — it moved, faintly, like something breathing slow and deep. He tightened his grip on the dagger and moved forward carefully, his steps quiet.
The tunnel widened after another few meters, opening into a cavern far larger than he expected. Stalactites hung like fangs, dripping with glowing moisture. The walls shimmered faintly, reflecting the light from pools of still water scattered across the floor.
At the far end, he saw something carved into the rock.
A door.
Or what used to be one.
The frame was cracked, the surface covered in strange runes — old, nearly erased by time. A faint hum came from behind it, deep and slow, like a heartbeat buried under stone.
Ethan approached carefully. The closer he got, the stronger the vibration became. The pendant against his chest throbbed in rhythm with it.
He stopped a few feet away, eyes tracing the symbols. "That's not ancient elvish," he muttered. "Too angular. Too… deliberate."
The symbols pulsed faintly, responding to his presence.
Then the air shifted.
It started as a whisper — not sound, but a thought brushing the edge of his mind.Words half-formed, broken.You came back.
Ethan's breath caught. "Who's there?"
No reply. Just that same pressure, pushing against his thoughts.
He raised his dagger slightly, the steel catching the dim light. "If you're trying to mess with my head, you're late to the party. That trick's already taken."
Still nothing. Only the low hum from behind the door, steady and unbothered.
He crouched, touching one of the runes with his gloved finger. The stone burned cold — not heat, but the opposite, a pulse that crawled up his arm and made his fingertips numb.
Something in the air reacted. The hum deepened, and a faint crack ran through the runes, glowing bright blue.
Ethan jerked his hand back. "Okay. Don't touch the shiny writing. Got it."
He stepped away, watching the glow fade again. His pulse slowed as the silence returned.
Then another whisper came. Closer this time.
"The seal… weakens…"
The voice wasn't like before. It wasn't the entity's calm, cold echo — it was rougher, like something scraping against the inside of his skull.
Ethan's grip on the dagger tightened. "If this is about the bridge, I already got the memo."
The air didn't answer, but the hum grew stronger — almost angry now.
He backed away slowly, keeping his eyes on the door. Cracks began to spread along its surface, faint lines of light bleeding through the stone.
"Not good," he muttered. "Really not good."
The sound built until it felt like the whole cavern was breathing — in, out, in, out — the rhythm deep and alive. Dust drifted from the ceiling.
Ethan took another step back. "Alright, whatever's behind that, you can stay there. No complaints here."
He turned to leave — and froze.
There was someone standing at the far side of the cavern.
The figure was cloaked in shadow, tall, unmoving. Not an adventurer — no gear, no armor, just a dark silhouette where there shouldn't be one.
Ethan's dagger came up automatically. "You planning to keep watching, or do we skip to introductions?"
The figure tilted its head slightly. Then, slowly, it stepped forward into the light.
The air around it warped, bending slightly. The glow from the moss dimmed as if shrinking away.
Ethan's heart kicked hard in his chest. "...No way."
It was the same shape. The same outline he'd seen in the frozen chamber — but this one wasn't faint. It wasn't fading. It was solid.
The blue glow from its body shifted, darkening to a deep violet. The runes behind it flared to life, lighting up the entire cavern.
The hum became a roar.
Ethan staggered back, shielding his face from the light. The pendant burned against his chest.
"Son of a—"
And then, just like before, everything stopped.
Silence.
The figure was gone. The glow vanished. Even the hum behind the door was dead.
Ethan lowered his arm slowly, breathing hard. The pendant had gone cold again, heavy against his skin.
He stood there for a long while, listening. Nothing moved.
Finally, he exhaled, voice rough. "Yeah… this is officially above my pay grade."
He turned away from the door, forcing himself to start walking. The light from his torch flickered over the stone as he headed back toward the tunnel.
Whatever that thing was — it wasn't finished.
And neither was he.
---
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