Chapter 6 - Chapter 6 – The Fortress Breathes

The air grew colder with every step.Liora felt it before she saw it—the subtle pull in her chest, like the shadows themselves were breathing in rhythm with her heart. The massive doors of the fortress stood inches apart now, a thin line of darkness leaking from within.Kael stopped beside her."This is your last chance to turn back," he said quietly.Liora clenched her fists. The shadows at her feet twisted, reacting to her resolve."If I walk away now," she replied, "I'll never stop running."She stepped forward.The doors opened on their own.A deep, resonant sound echoed from inside—not a roar, not a scream—but something closer to a breath. The fortress inhaled.Inside, the hall stretched endlessly, walls carved with symbols that pulsed faintly with dark light. Shadows moved where no light existed, sliding along the stone like living ink.Liora took another step.The moment her foot crossed the threshold, the doors slammed shut behind them.Kael spun around, hand on his blade. "That's… not good."The symbols ignited.Pain exploded through Liora's veins as the shadows surged toward her, not attacking—recognizing. They wrapped around her arms, her legs, her spine, lifting her slightly from the ground.Her breath caught.A voice—ancient, layered, and impossibly calm—filled the hall."Bearer of the Promise."Liora gasped. "What… are you?"The shadows tightened, pulling her closer to the center of the hall, where a massive sigil glowed beneath her feet."You have returned."Kael shouted her name, rushing forward—but an invisible force hurled him back against the wall."No!" Liora screamed, reaching for him.The shadows obeyed her instinctively, flaring outward.The voice paused.Then, softer now:"You remember nothing… yet the bond remains."The sigil flared brighter.Liora's vision blurred as memories—not her own—began to surface.Fire.Screams.A promise sealed in blood and shadow.And one final truth, whispered directly into her mind:"If you awaken fully… the world will break."The fortress exhaled.And the darkness closed in.