Darkness

The ground shifted in the darkness as they walked. Alexander explained what he knew about the strange power that seemed to corrupt everything around them.

Souta listened closely.

Alexander wasn't sure why the area had become tainted, but he was certain it was connected to the fall of the ancient ruins.

Something else had troubled him when he first entered this place. The barrier and the seals had changed. It seemed as though someone had locked this place down.

"This place is strange. It feels... alive, like it's feeding on us," Souta muttered, furrowing his brows.

Alexander and the others felt the same unease.

They could hear whispers coming from every direction. If their mental resistance had been weaker, they wouldn't have been able to endure it. Though it still affected them, the presence of Souta and Alexander—both emanating an aura that countered the corruption—kept it at bay.