Chapter 152: The Descent

The low growl emanating from the pit filled the air with a dark, primal energy that sent chills down Lilith's spine. The clearing around the ancient tree felt like it had been untouched by time, yet beneath the surface, there was something alive, something waiting. Lilith stood at the edge of the pit, her heart pounding in her chest as she peered into the darkness below. Whatever was down there, it was the source of the fear gripping Keldan.

Elian came to stand beside her, his sword drawn but held loosely at his side. His expression was tight, his jaw clenched as he stared into the pit.

"It feels like it's pulling us in," he said, his voice low. "Like it's waiting for us to make the first move."

Lilith nodded, swallowing her fear. She knew they had to act, but the oppressive energy surrounding the pit made every instinct in her body scream to turn back. Yet she couldn't—too much was at stake. The villagers of Keldan were depending on them to stop this before it consumed everything.

"We need to seal it," Lilith said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her. "Whatever is down there, we can't let it come out. If we can close the pit, maybe we can contain it."

Elian's eyes flicked toward the ancient tree, his brow furrowing. "But how? This thing is old—older than the tree, maybe even older than the village itself. Whatever power it holds, it's not going to let us just shut it away."

Lilith glanced at the gnarled branches of the tree, its bark blackened as though it had once been struck by lightning. She felt that the tree, much like the pit, held a connection to whatever ancient force had been disturbed. But if they could somehow break that connection, maybe they could weaken it.

"We'll need to break its connection to the land," she said, her mind working quickly.

"The tree—it's tied to whatever's in that pit. If we destroy it, maybe the pit will close."

Elian considered her words for a moment before nodding.

"It's worth a shot. But we need to be careful. Whatever we're dealing with is powerful, and it's not going to let us destroy it without a fight."

Lilith drew her sword, feeling the weight of it in her hand.

"I don't plan on giving it a choice."

With a determined nod, Elian raised his sword and moved toward the tree. Lilith followed closely behind, her senses on high alert as they approached the twisted, ancient trunk. The air around them felt thick, almost tangible, as though the very atmosphere was alive with the same dark energy that emanated from the pit.

As they reached the base of the tree, Elian raised his sword, preparing to strike the bark. But just as the blade was about to make contact, a deep, rumbling sound echoed from the pit behind them, followed by a violent tremor that shook the ground beneath their feet.

Lilith stumbled, barely catching herself as the earth quaked beneath her. The growl from the pit grew louder, more insistent, and she could feel the dark energy rising from its depths, threatening to spill over.

"It knows what we're doing!"

Elian shouted over the rumble, his eyes wide with alarm.

Before Lilith could respond, the ground beneath them gave way, and the dark pit yawned open, expanding with a force that pulled them both toward its center. Elian reached for her, but the pull was too strong. Lilith's feet slipped from the earth, and in an instant, she was falling—plunging into the cold, suffocating darkness.

She hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind from her lungs. For a moment, all she could hear was the deafening silence of the abyss. Then, slowly, her senses returned, and she realized she was no longer alone in the darkness.

Elian groaned somewhere beside her, and she heard him shift as he regained his footing.

"Lilith?"

His voice was strained but close by.

"I'm here," she managed, pushing herself to her knees. The air down here was colder, damp and heavy, and the darkness pressed in on her from all sides, thick and impenetrable.

Lilith scrambled to find her torch, striking a spark to light it. The small flame flickered to life, casting long shadows on the walls of the underground chamber. The walls were rough, made of stone and earth, and carved with strange, ancient symbols that seemed to pulse with a faint, dark energy.

"What is this place?"

Elian asked, his voice a mix of awe and dread as he looked around.

Lilith shook her head, her eyes scanning the chamber.

"It's… it feels ancient. Older than anything we've seen before."

As the light from the torch illuminated more of the chamber, Lilith's eyes fell on something at the far end of the room. A large stone altar stood against the wall, covered in the same dark stains and ancient symbols they had seen in the cave at Greystone. But this altar was different—it hummed with a low, pulsing energy that made Lilith's skin crawl.

"This is it," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

"This is the source."

Elian approached the altar cautiously, his torch casting flickering shadows across the room.

"It's like it's alive," he murmured.

"Whatever power this thing holds, it's been feeding on fear, on the villagers' terror."

Lilith nodded, her heart racing.

"We have to destroy it. If we can break the connection here, maybe we can stop whatever is coming from the pit."

Without hesitation, Elian raised his sword and brought it down on the altar with all his strength. The blade struck the stone with a deafening crack, and the chamber seemed to shudder in response. A loud, ear-splitting roar erupted from the pit, and the ground trembled beneath their feet.

Lilith felt the dark energy swirling around them, growing more intense as the altar began to fracture under Elian's attack.

"Keep going!"

she shouted over the noise.

"It's working!"

Elian struck the altar again, and this time, the stone splintered, a jagged crack running through its center. The roar from the pit grew louder, angrier, as though the very earth itself was screaming in defiance.

But Lilith could feel it—the power in the room was weakening, the dark energy losing its hold. They were close.

With one final strike, Elian shattered the altar. The dark energy that had filled the room dissipated in an instant, leaving behind an eerie silence. The ground beneath them stopped shaking, and the oppressive weight that had hung in the air lifted.

Lilith staggered back, her breath coming in short gasps.

"We did it," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the sudden quiet.

Elian lowered his sword, panting heavily.

"For now. But we need to get out of here."

Together, they turned and made their way back toward the surface. The air felt lighter now, the darkness less suffocating, but Lilith knew this wasn't over. The power they had faced here was ancient and dangerous, and it wouldn't be contained so easily.

As they climbed out of the pit and back into the light, Lilith felt a sense of grim satisfaction. They had stopped the immediate threat, but the darkness that lingered beneath the surface of Keldan—and beyond—was far from gone.

They would have to remain vigilant.

Because whatever they had faced here… it wasn't finished with them yet.