Chapter 16: Echoes of the Forgotten

The ruins behind them faded into the distance as Azarion and Sera trudged forward, their breaths steady but heavy. The fractured obsidian earth gave way to smoother, polished stone, etched with faint, glowing patterns that seemed to pulse with life. The silence between them was uneasy, punctuated by the faint hum of lingering energy in the air.

Azarion tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade, still resonating faintly from the obelisk's power. "That warden... it wasn't just guarding the fragment. It was bound to it, maybe even created by it."

Sera glanced at him, her bow slung over her shoulder. "You're saying the fragment did that? It could make something like that monster?"

"Not just make," Azarion replied, his voice low. "Control."

The thought sent a chill down both their spines. If the fragments held enough power to summon creatures like the warden, what else could they do in the wrong hands?

The glowing patterns beneath their feet began to shift, their light dimming and brightening as if reacting to their presence. Sera knelt to inspect them. "These markings—this isn't natural. Someone—or something—designed this place."

Azarion knelt beside her, brushing his fingers over the intricate carvings. The symbols were unfamiliar, but they exuded an undeniable power. "A warning, maybe? Or a map?"

Before either of them could speculate further, a faint whisper echoed around them. It was neither male nor female, just a soft, dissonant sound that sent a shiver down their spines.

Sera stood, her bow already in her hands. "Tell me you heard that."

"I did," Azarion said, drawing his blade. "We're not alone."

The whispers grew louder, overlapping into a cacophony of unintelligible voices. The air around them thickened, and the dim glow of the patterns beneath their feet flickered erratically. Shadows seemed to coalesce at the edges of their vision, shifting and writhing like living things.

From the darkness, figures began to emerge—humanoid shapes formed entirely of black mist, their hollow eyes glowing faintly. They moved silently, their forms flickering like candlelight.

Sera nocked an arrow and aimed at the nearest figure. "I've had enough of mist monsters for one day." She let the arrow fly, and it struck true, piercing the shadow's center. But instead of collapsing, the figure dissolved into the ground, reappearing moments later unharmed.

"They're not real," Azarion said, watching the creatures carefully. "Illusions, maybe. But dangerous ones."

The figures closed in, their movements eerily synchronized. One lunged at Azarion, its form stretching unnaturally as it struck. He parried with his blade, the fragment's energy flaring upon contact. The creature recoiled, its body flickering violently before vanishing.

"They can be hurt," he said, tightening his grip.

Sera loosed another arrow, this time embedding it in the ground where one of the figures stood. The shadow burst apart, scattering into thin air. "Good to know."

The pair fought side by side, their movements fluid and practiced. Azarion's blade carved through the mist-like forms with ease, each strike releasing bursts of light from the fragment. Sera's arrows, glowing faintly with the fragment's energy, struck true, dissolving the shadows one by one.

But no matter how many they destroyed, more emerged from the darkness, their numbers seemingly endless.

"This isn't working," Sera shouted, her voice strained as she loosed another arrow. "They just keep coming!"

Azarion glanced at the glowing patterns beneath their feet. The symbols pulsed brighter with every attack, almost as if responding to the conflict. A realization struck him.

"The symbols—they're feeding off the fight!" he yelled. "We're triggering something by being here."

Sera looked at him, wide-eyed. "Then what do we do? Stop fighting and let them overwhelm us?"

"No," Azarion said, his gaze fixed on the largest symbol at the center of the path. "We disrupt it."

Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the central symbol, cutting down shadows that moved to block his path. The closer he got, the stronger the fragment in his blade resonated, its light growing brighter with each step.

Sera covered him, firing arrows into the swarm of shadows converging on his position. "Whatever you're planning, do it fast!"

Azarion reached the symbol and plunged his blade into the ground. The fragment's energy surged, flooding the patterns with light. The symbols flared brilliantly, the glow spreading outward in a wave that engulfed the entire area.

The shadows froze, their forms flickering wildly before dissolving into nothingness. The whispers ceased, leaving behind a deafening silence.

Azarion pulled his blade free, his breathing ragged. The patterns beneath their feet dimmed, their light fading until only darkness remained.

Sera approached cautiously, her bow still in hand. "What just happened?"

"I don't know," Azarion admitted, staring at the now-dormant patterns. "But I think we just stopped whatever this place was trying to awaken."

Sera shivered, glancing around the empty expanse. "Let's hope it stays that way."

As they continued down the path, a faint glow appeared on the horizon—a new destination, and perhaps new dangers. The fragment's power pulsed faintly in Azarion's blade, a reminder of the challenges yet to come.