Chapter 58

**5 Minuets earlier**

Lennix and the others shadowed Karin and the other thralls, maintaining a discreet distance in the winding sewers. Zee couldn't help but voice her doubts, "Lennix, did you really know the location of the ritual site?" Lennix, keeping his voice hushed, replied, "Yes, I did, I just...misremembered its exact location." Clarissa's emotionless voice chimed in, "This is precisely why I must accompany you everywhere, Master Lennix."

While they were having their silent conversation, Ercale remained focused on Karin, his eyes locked onto her with an intense glare as they continued their stealthy pursuit.

Ercale was brought out of his intense focus when Zee tapped his shoulder, her expression showing concern. Annoyance flickered across his face as he whispered, "What?" Zee inquired softly, "Are you okay?" Ercale scoffed in response, "No, but I'll be better once I've dealt with that woman," his gaze firmly fixed on Karin and her thralls.

Lennix, watching Ercale's reaction, whispered to Zee, "He's really upset about Karin helping my sister, isn't he?" Zee couldn't help but wonder, *Why is he so angry?* His intense reaction caught her off guard, as their past interactions had not hinted at him being so emotionally affected by something like this, especially given his cold demeanor towards others.

The group had been trailing Karin and her thralls for several minutes until they came to a sudden halt in front of a golden door adorned with the symbol of the half-moon. Lennix, recognizing the door, whispered excitedly, "That's the door to the ritual site!" Ercale, however, couldn't resist a sarcastic retort, muttering back, "Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," his comment leaving the others somewhat confused.

"Who's Sherlock?" Zee inquired, confused by the reference. Ercale's frustration was evident as he replied, "Someone I wish I had with me here instead of all of you!" His sharp words effectively silenced their side conversation, and they focused on the door once more. 

Karin and the thralls opened and then entered through the door. From their vantage point, the door seemed quite ordinary, lacking any apparent protective measures or mechanisms. Ercale decided they needed a closer look to assess the situation better, and they waited for a few moments to avoid alerting the thralls on the other side of the door.

Ercale approached the door, his eyes closely inspecting it while the rest of the group waited in silence. After a minute of examination, he confirmed that there were no protective measures or mechanisms on the door. *Is she that confident?* he wondered to himself. Realizing that, he muttered, "Not that it matters," before turning to the others.

Lennix was eager to know the plan, asking, "So what's our plan?" Ercale's response was straightforward, "I'll handle the tick and the eye. The rest of you deal with the thralls. But leave black hair for me."

Lennix, clearly uncertain, voiced his doubt, "Seriously, that's it? Just attack them outright and expect to win?" Ercale glared at him, his patience wearing thin. His voice grew low and dangerous as he warned, "Take a good look around. Can you really expect intricate planning here, with minimal time and this kind of threat? Do you really think I can prepare anything else that doesn't involve just destroying the entire area? Because if I could, I would have already done so without having all of you slowing me down. Understood?"

The others understood that Ercale was nearing his limits, and pushing him further would risk their lives. He concluded, "Now, shut up and let's go," as he opened the door to the ritual site, preparing for the confrontation ahead.

Upon entering the room beyond the golden door, they encountered a vast, open space dominated by the central mechanism that powered the town's fountain. An intricate network of pipes adorned the walls, directing water to the mechanism and eventually to the grand fountain above them. However, what immediately struck them was the conspicuous absence of any signs or evidence of a ritual having taken place. It seemed that neither Eirisse nor her thralls were present.

Zed voiced their confusion, "Didn't we just see them enter?" The group scanned the room, confused by the empty space. Ercale started to express his frustration, "What the hell is going-" Ercale began to say out loud but stopped. A peculiar sensation washed over him. Something was amiss, something he couldn't quite put a finger on. His gaze darted around the room, searching for the source of this discomfort, but to his bewilderment, he found nothing tangible. His sudden reaction made the others tense up, their eyes scanning the room with growing unease.

Ercale scrutinized the room, his intuition on high alert, detecting that something was undoubtedly amiss, yet unable to pinpoint the exact source of his unease. A sudden recollection flashed through his mind, triggering a quick response. Without a word, he raised his hands, conjuring a protective barrier of crackling lightning that enveloped them all. 

Before anyone could question his actions, their surroundings suddenly shifted. A tempestuous barrage of slicing winds collided with Ercale's protective lightning shield, resulting in a deafening clash of crackling electricity and howling gales. The two forces clashed ferociously and then abruptly dissipated. 

As their senses returned to them, they discovered that the entire room had transformed. The only constants were the fountain's core mechanism and the network of pipes that adorned the walls. In the room's center, beneath the fountain's workings, was a ritual circle, its intricate symbols illuminated from below. In the midst of the circle lay a slumbering young girl, Mari. However, their immediate concern was the multitude of thralls surrounding them, closing in from all sides. At the forefront stood Eirisse herself, a sly grin on her face, with the artifact floating above her shoulder.