Alex darted between the towering shelves, the dim light casting elongated shadows that danced with his every movement. The ancient Archive was a labyrinth of forgotten knowledge, but right now, it was a battlefield.
The distant sound of armored boots reverberated through the chamber. The Archive's guardians were closing in—imperial enforcers tasked with eliminating intruders. Their mana-infused weapons hummed with restrained power.
Alex clenched the data cube tightly. If what Specter had said was true, then this information was too valuable to fall into enemy hands. He inhaled sharply, channeling mana into his legs, and surged forward with a burst of speed.
A beam of crackling energy slashed through the air where he had just been. Alex dove behind a stone pillar, catching his breath as voices rang out.
"Fan out! The intruder couldn't have gone far!"
Alex assessed his surroundings. He needed an escape route. The Archive's exit was heavily guarded, and he wasn't sure how much time he had before they sealed off the entire structure. His mind raced.
Then he noticed it—a narrow spiral staircase hidden behind a collapsed bookcase. It descended into the darkness below. A risk, but better than being cornered.
With a deep breath, he darted toward the stairs just as another energy bolt struck the pillar, sending shards of stone in all directions. He ignored the sting of debris and leaped down the staircase, vanishing into the abyss.
The air grew damp, the scent of aged parchment replaced by something more primal. As Alex's eyes adjusted to the dim glow of bioluminescent fungi clinging to the walls, he realized something unsettling.
This wasn't just an Archive. This was a crypt.
Rows of ancient coffins lined the subterranean corridor, each adorned with runes that pulsed faintly with mana. The deeper he went, the heavier the air became, charged with latent energy.
A whisper brushed against his mind.
"Who dares disturb the slumber of the forgotten?"
Alex froze. The voice wasn't coming from behind him. It was inside his head.
And then the lids of the nearest coffins began to shift.