The sight of the Spire filled me with a mix of awe and dread. Jagged and ancient, it stretched into the sky, its blackened surface glinting faintly like it had been forged from obsidian. Time had clearly worn its edges, but an undeniable energy pulsed from the structure, making the shard in my hand thrum softly in response. The air felt heavier, charged with an unseen force that sent shivers skittering down my spine.
“Well, that’s not ominous,” Mal muttered, gripping her sword tightly as she eyed the Spire.
Liam, standing a few steps ahead, tilted his head and studied it as if searching for a weakness. “Definitely an improvement over wandering around aimlessly in the forest,” he remarked, his tone light but his expression unreadable.
“It doesn’t feel right,” Logan said, his voice low as he stepped closer to me. His sharp blue eyes were locked on the Spire, his posture tense, ready. “Something’s waiting for us.”
“Something’s always waiting for us,” Mal replied, though her shoulders were visibly stiff. “The question is, are we ready for it?”
I swallowed hard and tightened my grip on the shard, which now felt warm, like it had a heartbeat of its own. “We’ve come this far. We can’t turn back now.”
Logan’s gaze snapped to me, concern etched across his features. “No one said anything about turning back. But we’re not rushing in blind, either.”
“Agreed,” Liam added, though there was a hint of a smirk playing at his lips. “Much as I love the thrill of diving headfirst into danger, I’d prefer we don’t get killed in the first five minutes.”
Mal gave a short laugh. “Funny, that’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day.”
Ignoring their banter, I took a step closer to the cliffside, the shard’s glow intensifying as I moved. It was guiding me, pulling me forward. “There’s a way inside,” I said, my voice quieter now, almost as if the Spire itself was listening.
“How do you know?” Logan asked, his tone wary.
I glanced down at the shard, the light spilling through my fingers like liquid flame. “I can feel it. Like…it’s calling to me.”
“That’s not creepy at all,” Mal muttered under her breath, but she followed as I continued forward, the others falling into step behind me.
As we approached the base of the cliff, the details of the Spire became clearer. Strange, glowing runes were etched along its surface, their faint blue light pulsing in rhythm with the shard. I reached out tentatively, my fingers brushing against the cold stone, and felt a surge of energy rush through me. The shard blazed brightly in response, its light illuminating the runes in brilliant patterns.
“Step back!” Logan barked, grabbing my arm and yanking me away just as the ground beneath us trembled.
I stumbled but managed to keep my footing as the air filled with a deep, resonant hum. The runes glowed brighter, shifting and swirling across the surface of the Spire as if they were alive. Then, with a deafening crack, a section of the cliffside began to split open, revealing a narrow pathway carved into the rock.
“Well, that’s inviting,” Mal said dryly, staring at the dark entrance.
“Think it’s a trap?” Liam asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer.
“Probably,” Logan replied, his jaw tightening. He turned to me. “Stay close. No wandering off.”
“Got it,” I said, though my heart was pounding. Something about the entrance felt familiar, like I had been here before-even though I knew that was impossible.
One by one, we stepped through the opening, the dim light of the outside world quickly swallowed by the shadows within. The air was cooler inside the Spire, damp and heavy with the scent of earth and stone. The walls glowed faintly with the same runes as the exterior, their shifting patterns casting eerie reflections across the narrow corridor.
“What exactly are we looking for?” Mal asked as she scanned the walls, her voice echoing slightly.
“Answers,” Logan said curtly, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.
“That’s vague,” Mal muttered, though she didn’t argue further.
I held the shard up, its glow illuminating the path ahead. The light seemed to interact with the runes, guiding us deeper into the structure. The air grew colder with every step, and the silence pressed down on us like a physical weight.
Then, abruptly, the corridor opened into a vast chamber. My breath caught as I took in the sight before us: the room was enormous, the ceiling vanishing into darkness above. Massive pillars, each inscribed with intricate runes, lined the space, their glow casting strange shadows. In the center of the chamber stood a pedestal, and resting atop it was another shard-identical to the one in my hand.
“Well, that’s not suspicious at all,” Liam said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he eyed the pedestal.
Logan stepped in front of me protectively, his stance tense. “Stay back.”
I shook my head, a strange sense of determination washing over me. “I have to see it.”
“Audrey-” Logan began, but I was already moving toward the pedestal, the shard in my hand glowing brighter with each step. It was like it was drawn to the other shard, their energy resonating in the still air.
As I approached, the glow intensified, the runes along the walls shifting and pulsating faster. The closer I got, the more I could feel the connection between the two shards-like they were pieces of a whole, incomplete without each other.
When I reached the pedestal, I hesitated, my hand hovering above the second shard. The air around it crackled with energy, and I could feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on me.
“Don’t touch it,” Logan warned, his voice low.
But something deep inside me told me I had to. Ignoring the protests rising behind me, I reached out and placed my hand on the shard.
The instant my fingers made contact, a blinding light filled the chamber, and the air erupted with a deafening roar. I cried out as the force of the energy knocked me backward, but strong arms caught me before I hit the ground.
“Are you okay?” Logan’s voice was frantic, his face hovering above mine.
“I-I think so,” I managed, though my head was spinning.
The light faded, revealing the room exactly as it had been-except now, I held both shards in my hands. Their combined glow was nearly blinding, and I could feel the power radiating from them, stronger than anything I had ever felt.
“What just happened?” Mal demanded, her eyes wide.