Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 56: Storm of Hearts, Part Twelve

The fortress loomed before Hazel, Sylver, Lianna, Enverna, and Mel as they stepped through the ominous gate.

The colossal ruins swallowed them whole, and the atmosphere shifted from the vast openness of the cavern to the confined grandeur of Kaelen.

The interior was a blend of eerie silence and the distant echoes of their own footsteps against the stone floor. The soft glow of enchanted crystals cast flickering shadows on the ancient walls, creating an otherworldly ambiance.

Hazel, ever the Scout, led the way with Lianna and the others following closely behind. Sylver, her magical prowess resonating, walked with an air of quiet authority. As they explored the fortress, the group couldn’t help but express some awe.

Lianna sensed Enverna’s quiet anxiety, a shared unease that resonated in the cavern’s depths. The air thickened with the scent of damp earth, and the distant echoes of water droplets splashing against unseen surfaces reverberated through the narrow passages.

Their footsteps, tentative and unsure, echoed softly in the cavern’s stillness.

"Lianna," Enverna whispered, her voice barely audible above the echoes. "How are you feeling?"

Lianna met her gaze, finding a mirror of her own feelings reflected in Enverna’s eyes.

"A little nervous," Lianna admitted. "But, it’s fine. we’re not alone."

Enverna nodded. The cavern’s architecture evolved as they moved forward, revealing glimpses of weathered stone carvings and remnants of a forgotten era. The walls bore witness to the passage of time, adorned with faded symbols and intricate patterns, hinting at a civilization long lost to history.

"I can’t imagine anyone ever living here," Lianna said, a little louder. Too loudly, apparently.

"SHH!" Hazel shushed Lianna.

"Right, so-"

"SHHHHHH!"

Lianna hissed, nodding eagerly to reassure Hazel that she’d be quiet from now on.

Her point still stood, though.

Given that she was a Scout as well, Lianna used her own abilities.

[... Can’t see anything.]

That wasn’t the case for Hazel, though.

"Hold," she said as quietly as she could, holding a fist up. Everyone stopped. "There’s a trap here."

[What? How can you tell!?]

Hazel identified a plate in the ground that may as well have been invisible to Lianna’s eyes. A quick glance at Enverna and Mel let her know that it wasn’t just her, none of them had seen it.

"Step around it."

Following Hazel’s instruction, the group avoided that first obstacle.

As they ventured deeper into the fortress, the temperature dropped, sending a shiver down their spines. The labyrinthine path twisted and turned, revealing a subterranean maze that seemed to mock Lianna, Enverna, and Mel’s respective lack of expertise.

Distant echoes of water droplets reverberated through the narrow passages. She glanced nervously at her companions, silently acknowledging their reliance on the experience of the seasoned adventurers guiding them.

Enverna hovered quite close to Lianna, perhaps looking for some emotional support.

Mel suddenly did the same, on the opposite side.

[Huh?]

Suddenly, Lianna was being flanked by those two.

She saw Sylver shaking her head with disbelief and given that she had 360-degree vision, she was probably stupefied by what she was seeing.

[I don’t know what’s happening either, to be honest.]

The group continued their exploration of Kaeln, their footsteps echoing in the grand cavern. The towering walls of the fortress rose majestically, taking hold of Lianna’s eyes.

[This is incredible...]

As they delved deeper, the atmosphere inside Kaeln shifted. The air itself felt like it was weighing Lianna down, and the enchanted crystals embedded in the walls flickered erratically. A faint hum permeated the air, causing the group to exchange wary glances.

"Uh, how much farther are we gonna go?" Lianna asked.

Perhaps feeling that it was a good question, Hazel didn’t shush her this time.

"Not much farther... I just want to see a little more."

"Careful," Sylver made sure to say. "The traps here may not all be physical."

"I should still be able to see them," Hazel replied. "Hold on," Hazel called out, sensing an unusual magical disturbance.

The group ended up in one, very small room with four pathways, one on each wall.

They paused here, as Hazel looked as though she felt that something was wrong.

"WAIT-" Sylver yelled out, but couldn’t get her words out in time.

Before anyone could react, a mysterious rune on the cavern floor ignited, casting a radiant glow.

Flames poured out from the center.

Three things happened simultaneously.

Sylver yanked Lianna’s arm and pulled her to the right.

Enverna grabbed Mel and pulled her to the left.

"H-HEY!" Mel protested as she kept her eyes on Lianna, but Enverna was too strong.

And, last but not least, Hazel combat rolled forward, moving through the door at the front.

Then, four magical barriers were erected at each hall, likely meant to keep anyone who fell victim to that trap cooking in that room.

Hazel found herself alone, Lianna and Sylver stood together, their eyes widening in realization as they gazed through the shimmering magic that divided them from the others, while, Mel and Enverna shared a similar fate, isolated in their own fragment of the cavern.

"Well, this is great," Sylver muttered.

"Uh, what should we do?" Lianna called out.

The others didn’t say anything.

Actually, no. They were speaking, but Lianna couldn’t hear anything.

"HEY!" Lianna yelled but her voice echoed fruitlessly against the magical barrier. Sylver placed a reassuring hand on Lianna’s shoulder, silently acknowledging the unprecedented situation.

Lianna quickly remembered, however:

[My {Target Analysis}! I just have to stare and touch this barrier and-]

"AGH!?"

Lianna’s hand was severely burned the instant she tried to place her hand against it. It was, clearly, a different ability from Jack’s.

[Crap.] Sylver walked over and offered a basic healing spell that soothed the scalding pain Lianna felt. Her eyes remained on the barrier. [Okay, okay, stay calm... I can’t touch it, but I should still be able to just look at it and- wait, wait, wait, where are you going!?]

Lianna’s new plan was to just stare at the barrier until {Target Analysis} allowed her to simply walk through. Once the flames subsided, Lianna would just walk straight to Enverna and Mel.

But, Enverna, with quite a bit of urgency, took Mel by her wrist and dragged her away.

Lianna used {Through Enverna’s Eyes}.

"... need to find a path out. Maybe if we explore further, we can reconnect with the others."

Although Enverna spoke firmly, Lianna could feel the way her heart drummed so quickly, that it could make some musicians blush.

Lianna went back to her own senses.

"It’s okay. We should be doing the same as them. Come on."

Sylver, her voice resonating with authority, spoke to Lianna.

"We need to search for clues within our fragments of the fortress. There may be a way to dispel the barrier or find a point of convergence."

"Y-Yeah... I agree."

---

{Hazel}

Hazel moved forward cautiously.

"Tsk," she clicked her tongue, annoyed.

[Why couldn’t I sense that trap? My {Trap Detection} passive skill should have spotted it... Was there some sort of anti-magic at play?]

The soft glow of the enchanted crystals cast a feeble light on her path, revealing weathered stone carvings that whispered tales of a long-forgotten era, not that Hazel cared much. Right now, she just wanted to get out of here.

Even if she didn’t run into the others again, that was fine. Making sure she remained alive was the biggest priority.

As she ventured deeper into the fortress, the air grew even heavier, and a subtle unease settled in her gut. The labyrinthine descent seemed to play tricks on her perception, the shadows dancing with every step.

Suddenly, a distant squelching sound echoed through the cavern, catching Hazel’s attention. She froze, her eyes darting in search of the source.

Out of the shadows emerged a grotesque lump of flesh, slithering across the floor. Writhing tentacles wriggled at the top of its mass, and a massive, bulging eye stared menacingly from its form.

A Fiend like any other. But, there was something odd about this one.

It was practically radiating with some strange, purple mana.

Hazel went to pull out her daggers but panic seized her as the Fiend surged forward with surprising speed. The enchanted crystals illuminated its nightmarish form, casting horrible shadows that seemed to reach out like claws. Hazel fumbled to ready her weapons, but the Fiend struck first.

Tentacles lashed out, wrapping around Hazel’s legs and pulling her off balance. She stumbled, the air knocked out of her as the Fiend closed in, its single eye gleaming with malevolence.

Instantly, she turned and tried to dig her nails into the stone.

[No.]

She tried her hardest not to be pulled, quite literally breaking her nails with her efforts, but the Fiend was just too strong. Hazel fought to break free, desperation in her eyes, but the Fiend’s relentless pull overwhelmed her.

Hazel gasped, pain coursing through her hands as she was finally pulled into the air.

The top of the Fiend’s head opened, revealing a gaping mouth and hundreds of little teeth.

And, Hazel disappeared into its body, the Fiend’s mouth closing above her.

The fortress fell silent. The Fiend, having satisfied its cruel hunger, slithered away into the shadows, leaving only a few, thin, short streaks of red where Hazel had been.