The moment the voice spoke, the air in the chamber thickened, pressing down on Aedric like an invisible weight. He clenched his sword tighter, his pulse hammering in his ears.
Seris instinctively stepped closer to him, her daggers poised for a fight. Tessa, trembling, gripped the fabric of Aedric's cloak, her breath shallow.
The robed figures did not move.
Yet the presence in the chamber was suffocating.
Aedric's throat was dry. "Who are you?"
The voice did not answer. Instead, the air grew colder. The lantern flickered, its weak flame barely holding against the unnatural chill.
Then, as if the very walls exhaled a long-held breath, the robed figures began to stir.
It was subtle at first—a slight shift of fabric, a near-imperceptible tilt of a head. But then, in unison, they turned their hidden faces toward Aedric and his companions.
A whispering chorus filled the chamber.
"Leave."
The word was not a command. It was a warning.
Aedric's muscles tensed. The figures had not attacked, but something told him they could. And if they did… he wasn't sure they would survive.
Seris didn't lower her stance. "We should back away. Slowly."
Tessa nodded rapidly. "I like that idea."
Aedric hesitated. The chamber was ancient—forgotten. Whatever this place was, it held secrets, knowledge buried by time. And knowledge was power.
But was it worth the risk?
His instincts screamed at him. The robed figures weren't hostile—yet. But there was something unnatural about them, something wrong.
Aedric took a slow step back. The figures did not follow.
Another step.
Still, they remained still.
Aedric exhaled. "Let's go."
Seris didn't need to be told twice. She pulled Tessa along as they carefully retreated toward the tunnel. The lantern's glow barely reached the edge of the chamber when the whispering began again.
It wasn't words this time.
It was… memories.
Visions flickered at the edges of Aedric's mind. A city in flames. A throne crumbling beneath the weight of time. Shadows stretching across a battlefield soaked in blood.
And in the center of it all, a figure. A man clad in darkened steel, his face hidden beneath a jagged crown. His eyes… hollow. Empty.
A shiver ran through Aedric.
Then the visions were gone.
He barely realized he had stopped moving until Seris grabbed his arm. "Aedric?"
He blinked, shaking his head. "I'm fine."
Seris frowned but didn't push.
They turned and hurried down the tunnel, leaving the chamber and its silent watchers behind.
But the whispering lingered.
And deep in Aedric's chest, something stirred.
---
The tunnel stretched endlessly before them, the air heavy with dust and time. The further they moved from the chamber, the more distant the whispers became, but they never truly faded. It was as if the walls themselves carried the weight of ancient voices, their murmurs woven into the very stone.
Tessa exhaled shakily. "That was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen."
Seris cast a glance over her shoulder, her eyes still sharp with tension. "I don't think they were meant to harm us."
Aedric furrowed his brows. "Then what were they?"
Seris hesitated before answering. "Remnants. Echoes of something long past."
Tessa shuddered. "Well, whatever they were, they wanted us gone."
Aedric remained silent.
The visions still clung to the edges of his mind. The burning city, the crumbling throne… that figure in darkened steel. He had never seen anything like it before, and yet, it felt familiar in a way he couldn't explain.
He shook his head. Now wasn't the time.
"Let's focus on finding a way out," he said.
Seris nodded. "Agreed."
They pressed on, the tunnel winding through the earth like a labyrinth. The walls bore more of those strange symbols, worn and faded, their meanings long lost to time.
After what felt like an eternity, the passage widened, opening into a smaller chamber. Unlike the last, this one was empty—no robed figures, no eerie whispers. Only a single stone pedestal sat at the center, dust coating its surface.
Aedric approached cautiously. Resting atop the pedestal was a small, unassuming object. A fragment of something—perhaps metal or stone, its edges jagged as if broken from a larger piece. It pulsed faintly with a deep, crimson glow.
Seris narrowed her eyes. "That… doesn't look safe."
Aedric studied it. The glow wasn't bright, but it was constant, as if the object still held power despite its age. Something about it drew him in, a strange pull he couldn't quite resist.
Tessa took a step back. "Let's not touch the creepy glowing thing."
Aedric ignored her and reached out.
The moment his fingers brushed the fragment, a shock ran up his arm. He gasped, stumbling back as his mind was flooded with images.
A battlefield, drenched in red. Warriors clad in heavy armor, their faces twisted in fury and fear. A towering citadel, its spires piercing the sky. A crown, broken. A name whispered through the ages.
"Valdris."
Aedric's eyes snapped open, his breath coming fast.
Seris was gripping his shoulders. "What happened?"
He swallowed hard. "I saw… something. A war. A kingdom." His head pounded. "And a name. Valdris."
Seris exchanged a glance with Tessa. "Never heard of it."
Tessa frowned. "Neither have I."
Aedric steadied himself. The images still lingered, burned into his mind like an old wound reopening. He glanced down at the fragment.
It was still glowing.
He exhaled. "We're taking it with us."
Tessa gaped. "Are you insane?"
Aedric didn't respond. He wrapped the fragment in cloth and tucked it carefully into his satchel.
Seris didn't argue. Instead, she studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Let's keep moving."
Aedric gave one last look at the chamber before stepping back into the tunnel.
They had entered these ruins seeking an escape.
Instead, they had unearthed something far older. Far more dangerous.
And Aedric had the sinking feeling that whatever they had just found… was only the beginning.