The ground trembled beneath their feet.
Dust fell from the carvings, and the torches lining the chamber flickered violently, their flames shifting from golden yellow to an eerie blue.
A sound rumbled from below.
Not just an ordinary tremor—something was breathing.
Kael and Liora exchanged a look.
Something was waking up.
---
The Voice Beneath the Earth
Kael drew his sword. "Move. Now."
Liora hesitated for half a second before falling in line behind him. They sprinted toward the entrance—
BOOM.
The floor split open with a deafening roar.
A column of ancient energy surged from the depths, flooding the room with blinding light.
From within the abyss, a voice rumbled, thick with time, with power.
"So… you have returned."
Kael's breath caught in his throat.
The presence that rose from the darkness wasn't human.
Two massive, glowing eyes blinked open from the chasm below, filled with an ancient, inescapable wisdom.
It was a dragon.
No—something more.
A being older than the gods.
A creature that had once stood beside Ashur.
And now, it was staring straight at Kael.
---
The Forgotten Guardian
The being unfurled itself, emerging from the abyss.
Its scales shimmered in the dim light—a color not of this world.
Not gold, not black—something deeper.
Something that absorbed the light.
Its breath was thick with magic, and when it spoke again, the words carried a weight beyond time.
"You wear his face."
Kael clenched his fists. "Who are you?"
The beast exhaled, a mist of energy swirling through the air.
"I am the Guardian of the Black Sun. The keeper of the truth. The last witness to Ashur's fall."
Liora's hand found Kael's arm. Her voice was barely a whisper. "Kael… what is this thing?"
Kael swallowed.
And the Guardian… smiled.
A slow, knowing grin filled with something deeper than mere recognition.
"You are not ready for the answer."
And before Kael could react—
The entire world turned to darkness.